It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new.
But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful.
There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.
Alan Cohen
"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend.
Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx
The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

The City of the Dead

" They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn ."
Laurence Binyon, Poet Laureate Great Britain


   Today we went to the Cemetery. I like some cemeteries.  I am not a ghoul but I do appreciate the cemeteries  where the crypt is meant for the family, no matter where they were during their lives, whatever they got up to or who was mad at them in the end, they generally always ended up in the Family Crypt. 
It must have had a sort of comfort to the thought, wherever I go in life, whatever I do, whomever I spend my time with, there will come a day that I will be back with the family. 
Of course, if you don't think much of the family, this would not appeal to you.
But I like the idea ..


This Cemetery is much like Pere LaChaise in Paris. Both "cities of the dead" ..  
Large, full of Art Nouveau mausoleums , paths or aisles and impossible to stay for the amount of hours it would take to view everything. Full of cats that are sweet and well cared for and right smack in the middle of a very nice neighborhood in a nice huge city.
Not knowing all the names in the history of Argentina, we were not as able to appreciate a lot of the stories that must have been behind so many of the tombs, but that does not make it any less enjoyable.


Imagine it as spending the day in a museum, an out-door museum, full of wonderful sculptures and stained glass. And also full of long gone inhabitants of the city that many of them helped build, found, protect .. where they taught, worked, painted, wrote and lived and had families who still are being buried there.


This is Recoleta Cemetery



It really does look like a City of the Dead, doesn't it ?



This is such a wonderful example of Art Nouveau  .. imagine, being buried in a work of art !




 If I know the story correctly, this is the tomb of a girl  was declared dead by the doctor. She was buried . The man who worked at the Cemetery reported that he had heard sounds. 
They opened the tomb and found that she had not been dead when buried. 
Her mother, in her grief, had her tomb made of glass, so she would be seen. 
Fresh flowers are always left , in her hand. Notice the little cat, napping there by the dogs foot. 
Next will be the Angels. The City of the Dead can be a City of Angels too.









Do not stand at my grave and weep, 
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow, 
I am the diamond glints on snow, 
I am the gentle autumn's rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft star that shines at night
Do not stand at my grave and cry
I am not there,
I did not die ..


On an unmarked grave at Montmarte Cemetery, France

6 comments:

  1. Isn't that the most beautiful place in the middle of the crazy city? Took some beautiful pictures there last November...the girl of your story was on one of them, of course!

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  2. It is !
    I have so many photos from the cemetery lol.
    I wanted to do just Angels but it is impossible once you are in there not to take a photo of just about everything you see!

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  3. This is so beautifully written. Finished perfectly. I enjoyed reading this very much.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Good Lord, I hope the story about the girl is only a story... I have a major fear of that. In fact, I have made my husband promise that they'll check 3 times before starting the funeral stuff. LOL, I'm so neurotic.

    Those cemeteries are beautiful, I do agree. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. How utterly gorgeous. I love cemeteries. The photo of the statue of the girl with the dog and the wee kitten is my favourite.

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  6. Thank you !
    No, sadly, the story of the girl is true.
    I love cemeteries too .. mostly the old ones with character though. . lest someone think me too ghoulish :)
    There were so many photos of so many beautiful statues and tombs ..

    ReplyDelete

Comments are welcome..Thank you.

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