Père Lachaise ~ pillars, plaques, parrots, etc.

[bixaorellana]

Parrots? Yes, there are parrots in Père Lachaise. I saw them almost immediately after entering, but my companions -- both of whom had cameras with good zooms -- were rendezvousing on the path as I pursued the birds, leaving me to capture these blurry images for proof ~

       

   

This cemetery ranks with the most photogenic in the world, as even a glance over its wall is photo-worthy ~

This is the grave of Paul Boucherot, a railroad engineer and pioneer of DC electric power distribution. He also designed induction motors and built plants for obtaining thermal energy from the sea. source

Quite soon in our wanderings we found ourselves in the Jewish section:
The Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris, built in 1804, was Europe's first multi-faith burial ground. Here, Jews were assigned a section of their own, (although initially separated by a wall). Thus, the complete separation of Jewish and Christian burial sites that had existed from the Middle Ages came to an end, with Christian and Jewish cemeteries located on neighboring or even shared sites. source

[bixaorellana]

[htmb]

Very nice start, Bixa!

As for the parrots, I heard them, but never could get my camera lens to focus enough to take a photo. You, on the other hand, were off like a bird dog after a covey of quail.

[bixaorellana]

This is the tomb of Victor Noir, born exactly one century and one day before I was born, although I doubt my parts will be polished after death ~

[bixaorellana]

Aug 20, 2016 18:58:57 GMT htmb said:

Very nice start, Bixa!

As for the parrots, I heard them, but never could get my camera lens to focus enough to take a photo. You, on the other hand, were off like a bird dog after a covey of quail.

You ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine!

Haha ha ~ Thank you, Htmb! Those elusive birds did make me feel like the only one who saw the ufo.

[bixaorellana]

The bronzes on this tomb are by Pierre Vaudrey. It was commissioned by the merchant and inventor Auguste Bain after the death of his son Robert at the age of 13.
The bust is of Auguste and the boy with the dog is Robert. (Sorry -- couldn't find links in English.)

The guide in the background was giving a spirited and cheerful discourse on sodomy ~

Just two of the many war monuments in the cemetery ~

[bixaorellana]

This sculpture is by Léopold Morice (1846-1920), who was the sculptor of the bronze Marianne atop the Monument à la République in Paris.  The tomb is that of Adelaïde Herbemont Moris (1802-1875)

And finally we contemplate this work by Alphonse Dumilatre (1844--1928). It commemorates the balloonists Joseph Croce-Spinelli and Théodore Sivel, who died trying to break the record for altitude.
Read the full story here.

~ And with that we have come, as we all must, to The End ~

[questa]

Another tour de force, Bixa. You find all the interesting things to show us and I love old cemeteries, so full of stories that history forgets. It must have been a huge industry, making the statues and tombstones, and I can imagine the competition between the various craftsmen for the contracts with the major families.

If anyone hasn't seen it, I posted about the cemetery in St Petersburg with the graves of the famous musicians there, and some of the Seige of Leningrad victims. Lovely tree and garden place...no parrots but there was a nightingale.

I'll look up the post...

[bixaorellana]

Since I wanted to lead this thread with the parrots, I didn't include a photo of the entrance.
In his report on Père Lachaise, Kerouac says: Père Lachaise actually has 5 different entrances. This time I left through one that I had never used before -- Porte de la Réunion.
For this visit, the Porte de la Réunion stairs were our entrance to the cemetery ~

                     

[htmb]

I tried to find that porte on my last visit without checking a map. Now I see where I went wrong.

Bixa, thanks for providing such wonderful details about the various monuments and graves. Very interesting, but lots of work for you.

[lagatta]

I've taken that, because a friend lived down near there, and we were visiting "friends". She still lives in the 20th, but a bit farther away.

The last time I was there was before Georges Moustaki died, so of course I hadn't seen his grave.

In addition to military monuments, there are also several to Holocaust and Resistance victims.

[tod2]

So glad you got to Pere Lachaise! And to find green parrots - wow.
I loved the little "conservatory" tomb with it's see through glass(perspex?) Looks so new and clean.

[lagatta]

More on the parrots (alas I missed them on my several visits, as I've stayed for at least three places near there, once for a month (house exchange) and other things.

The parrots were sturdy enough to survive the Paris chill, but I can't imagine any living in St Petersburg-Petrograd-Leningrad ... or at our historic cemetery on Mont-Royal. There are limits to acclimatation.

Reporterre is an online French ecology journal, here is a report on the more environmentally-respectful Père-Lachaise management and its impact on wildlife (and stray cats).

I will NOT translate the whole thing - too much like work and I'm already translating stuff on COP Glasgow... I might be able to answer a few questions.

reporterre.net/Entre-les-tombes-du-Pere-Lachaise-la-vie-sauvage?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl_quotidienne

[kerouac2]

During confinement last year, a family of foxes moved into the cemetery, and there was considerable speculation about how they made their way into the city, probably from the Bois de Vincennes.