Paris do's & dont's

[Peter Korsten]

Op 2-8-2012 1:25, Gert van Santen schreef:

> Op 2-8-2012 1:20, K9 Kai Niggemann schreef:
>>>
>>> Do: visit the beautiful graveyard pere lachaise.

I did consider that, but (a) it's huge and (b) I'm not sure how 
appropriate it is for children. But you see some quite extraordinary 
things there.

> Plus: bring booze and ciggies and drink with the hippies on Jim
> Morrisson's grave.

Forget it. Apart from the fact that it's hemmed in between other graves 
(see attachment) and you couldn't really get to before, nowadays they've 
fenced it off because of people having sex there and things like that.

> Not that I ever did that.

I should bloody hope not. And you would have a really big problem 
getting there, what with being a big guy and all. :)

> Come to think of it; that might be my next trip when/if I ever go to
> Paris again :-)

Apart from Mr Morrison, you'll find a lot of musicians buried there. 
There's Edith Piaf, of course, and Michel Petrucciani, who's buried 
right next to none other than Frédéric Chopin (who has a grave to die 
for, complete with a mourning female figure and a *lot* of flowers). 
Elsewhere, you'll find Georges Bizet and Gioacchino Rossini, whose 
graves aren't nearly as glamorous as that of Chopin.

It's quite an extraordinary place. It's really a necropolis, with 
streets, hills, and a riot of different styles. Take, for example, the 
grave of Lien-Yang Tien, who lived from 1920 to 1981. I've attached the 
photo, because a picture says more than a thousand words. Look at the 
black stone, the gold inlays, the image of the dragon and the red-eyed 
gargoyles. I have no idea who this man was, but his grave is something 
to behold.

Or Amadeo Modigliani, the Italian artist, who died at age 35, and who's 
buried with his partner, who (at nine months pregnant) killed herself 
two days later. The grave says "compagna devota fino all estremo 
sacrifizio". It's a custom to put little stones on their grave.

But apart from many famous people, there are many not-quite-so-famous 
people buried (like Mr Lien-Yang Tien). And it's not like the famous 
people are all buried in the same place: everybody is all over the 
place, and you can see extravagant graves, but have no idea who lies 
there, or see the rather mundane grave of somebody like Morrison.

So yes, do visit it if you have the chance, and if you think it's a good 
idea to take your children there.

- Peter
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