The Top Five Reasons I'm Obsessed with Paris's Cemeteries
Whenever people ask me what to do when visiting Paris, I recommend the cemeteries. The Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral are probably already at the top of their sightseeing lists, but they likely haven’t thought about visiting what I consider the most fascinating attractions in Paris—its cemeteries. Here’s why I’m obsessed with Paris’s cemeteries.
1) Cemeteries are some of Paris’s best art museums, filled with intriguing statues and sculptures, and are not nearly as busy as the Louvre. Many sculptures are by the same artists exhibited in famous museums. Even if the sculptures aren’t by renowned artists, I find them just as fascinating, and often times they evoke more emotion than the artwork in museums.
2) Cemeteries are romantic. Granted, if a guy took you to a cemetery on your first date, you’d probably find him a bit creepy. I’d think he was a stalker, since he appeared to know me quite well. However, picture this scene. You and your boyfriend are strolling down a narrow cobblestone path in a Paris cemetery, admiring the statues, when it begins to rain. He pulls out an umbrella (what a guy) and you two snuggle together under it. Everyone else scurries to leave and before long, you are the only two there. In, Getting a Life, Even If You’re Dead, Pierrot and Kendra prove just how romantic a cemetery can be.
3) Cemeteries are a quiet oasis nestled within a bustling city. I fell in love with Paris while spending a college semester at the Sorbonne. I spent many quiet afternoons studying at Montmartre cemetery while enjoying a picnic lunch on a college student’s budget.
4) Cemeteries are haunted. A few years ago, early in the morning, it was just me and the garbage collectors in a cemetery. I was walking down a remote path when I swore I heard someone following me but nobody was there. This went on for several minutes. I finally worked up the courage to peek behind a row of tombs to find nothing. This experience inspired my book’s opening scene.
5) Graves are inspirational. You’ve likely never heard of Louise Thouret, few people have, but her grave is hauntingly captivating and makes several appearances in my book. The first time I saw her grave, my mind was bombarded with questions. Who was she to have had such an elaborate statue erected in her memory? How had she died at the young age of sixteen? Who had recently placed fresh flowers on her grave when she’d been dead for over a hundred years? Every grave has a story to tell, both fictional and non-fictional.
Unlike great writers, such as Hemingway and Hugo, I don’t plan to pen my novels in the bustling Parisian cafés and bars. I envision myself in a quiet Paris cemetery, enjoying a picnic lunch before settling in on a bench to write my latest novel.
1) Cemeteries are some of Paris’s best art museums, filled with intriguing statues and sculptures, and are not nearly as busy as the Louvre. Many sculptures are by the same artists exhibited in famous museums. Even if the sculptures aren’t by renowned artists, I find them just as fascinating, and often times they evoke more emotion than the artwork in museums.
2) Cemeteries are romantic. Granted, if a guy took you to a cemetery on your first date, you’d probably find him a bit creepy. I’d think he was a stalker, since he appeared to know me quite well. However, picture this scene. You and your boyfriend are strolling down a narrow cobblestone path in a Paris cemetery, admiring the statues, when it begins to rain. He pulls out an umbrella (what a guy) and you two snuggle together under it. Everyone else scurries to leave and before long, you are the only two there. In, Getting a Life, Even If You’re Dead, Pierrot and Kendra prove just how romantic a cemetery can be.
3) Cemeteries are a quiet oasis nestled within a bustling city. I fell in love with Paris while spending a college semester at the Sorbonne. I spent many quiet afternoons studying at Montmartre cemetery while enjoying a picnic lunch on a college student’s budget.
4) Cemeteries are haunted. A few years ago, early in the morning, it was just me and the garbage collectors in a cemetery. I was walking down a remote path when I swore I heard someone following me but nobody was there. This went on for several minutes. I finally worked up the courage to peek behind a row of tombs to find nothing. This experience inspired my book’s opening scene.
5) Graves are inspirational. You’ve likely never heard of Louise Thouret, few people have, but her grave is hauntingly captivating and makes several appearances in my book. The first time I saw her grave, my mind was bombarded with questions. Who was she to have had such an elaborate statue erected in her memory? How had she died at the young age of sixteen? Who had recently placed fresh flowers on her grave when she’d been dead for over a hundred years? Every grave has a story to tell, both fictional and non-fictional.
Unlike great writers, such as Hemingway and Hugo, I don’t plan to pen my novels in the bustling Parisian cafés and bars. I envision myself in a quiet Paris cemetery, enjoying a picnic lunch before settling in on a bench to write my latest novel.
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