Halloween Eve

Jim Morrison's Grave

Pére Lachaise – this is an enormous Parisian cemetery that has become a sort of pilgrimage destination for many people.  Jim Morrison, lead singer for The Doors, died in Paris in the late sixties when I was in high school.  He is buried here and his grave is a shrine to many.  Flowers and liquor bottles constantly adorn his grave.  A small crowd seems to be gathered here at almost any time of the day. 

Other famous graves are those of Oscar Wilde, Sarah Bernhardt, Moliere, Heloise and Abelard, Chopin, and more.  Wilde’s is also a shrine now, as he has become an icon of the gay community.  On the day we visited recently the headstone was covered up completely as it is undergoing restoration. 

But you don’t need to visit this cemetery just to see famous graves.  It is beautiful in its own right.  The mausoleums and headstones are quite distinctive in their architecture and design.   The plane trees in the autumn were losing their leaves, forming a pretty gold carpet on the cobblestone paths.   It's also home to ravens that perch picturesquely throughout the grounds.   

Happy Halloween!