Guest Low Roller Posted November 16, 2004 Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 Paris is completely littered with famous landmarks: The Eiffel Tower, The Arch de Triomphe, Champs Elysées, the Louvre, the Seine river, the Presidential Palace, the Grand Opera, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Sainte Supplice, Sacré Coeur, etc... All of them are grand in stature and epic in notoriety. I've slowly been making my way around each of these landmarks, every time being completely caught breathless at the amazing sights before me. Paris has not failed to live up to its reputation so far, that much I can tell you. So why was I completely caught with my pants down when I decided to visit the Père Lachaise cemetery? I've been to many cemeteries in the past, and they've never been terribly impressive, simply row after row of stale tombstones that marked the final resting place of someone who didn't necessarily have any real impact on the human race. It's a stark reminder of our limited time on this world, and how every passing day is most likely a missed opportunity that slipped away unchallenged. But this cemetary was different. VERY different. Legends are buried here. Great authors like Oscar Wilde, Molière, and Jean de la Fontaine. Great musicians like Frederic Chopin and Edith Piaf. And of course one James Douglas Morrison, better known to the rest of the world as Jim Morisson, the Lizard King. The entire cemetary is filled with amazing monuments to the dead and tombstones so weathered by time that the inscriptions have faded away leaving the graves completely anonymous. Giant mausoleums were everywhere in this cemetary immortalizing those buried within. Every grave was just as unique in its design as in its remarkable craftsmanship, leaving the casual visitor in quiet awe as he walks through the uncomfortingly cold alleyways of the cemetary. Then there is one grave, tucked away in the back and squeezed in between several bigger graves, so simple that you'd think some common joe was buried there. But yet, would a common joe need a security fence around his grave, or a security guard, or even a billboard announcing that any defacing of the grave itself or any surrounding grave would result in immediate prosecution? Probably not. Jim was a very popular man, even in death. You can see some pictures of my expedition here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esau Posted November 16, 2004 Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 Wow,a fence now-a-days,there was only a 24 hour guard when I was there,no video allowed just cameras.I spent a whole 6 hours at that cemetery,awe struck the whole time.Glad to read your enjoying it there.Paris is a pretty cool place in my opinion.Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyberHippie Posted November 16, 2004 Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 At one time there was a bust of Morrison, no? Maybe it was stolen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purple foot Posted November 16, 2004 Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 nice pics. But Jim is still alive you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Low Roller Posted November 16, 2004 Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 When were you in Paris Esau? I remember seeing the bust of Morisson at the end of the Doors movie, but I don't know whether someone stole it, or what the deal is. I heard that the tombstone is not the original one because someone stole that which is pretty damn disrespectful and kinda creepy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h Posted November 16, 2004 Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 yes i think it was stolen - wonder where it is now eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velvet Posted November 16, 2004 Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 Hendrix's tombstone was stolen too. Make for a cool conversation piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esau Posted November 16, 2004 Report Share Posted November 16, 2004 When were you in Paris Esau?I remember seeing the bust of Morisson at the end of the Doors movie, but I don't know whether someone stole it, or what the deal is. I heard that the tombstone is not the original one because someone stole that which is pretty damn disrespectful and kinda creepy. Nov 12th 1997 I arrived,spent Nov.11th at Dieppe.I was touring europe for 50 some odd days by myself.I stayed in a hotel across (kitty corner I guess) from Gard du Sud(sp?)(train station),I'd have to dig through a couple boxes to find my journal to give you the name of the place.I used to go hang out at the little pond underneath the Effiel tower once in awhile with these locals I had met at Jim's grave,they were my source for some herb as it was seemily impossible for me to find while I was there,we'd drink beers,play guitar or listen to Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Volume Two,which is so fitting it was scary,so many references (it seemed) in a couple songs,I was positive Bob was refering to Paris,especially the lines about the train lines,many of the womens names Bob mentions are the names of underground lines,very cool.As for the bust of Jim,it got damaged by so-called fans writing graffiti, cutting the nose off, painting it --- it looked really horrible in the end, and finally it was stolen by some young French people in the night of the 7th to the 8th of May 1988.July 2nd 1981, when a the white bust got put up (done by a Yugoslavian fan)-Refer to http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palladium/1409/jimparis.htmHendrix's tombstone was stolen too. Do you have a link about that? Thats awful that happened,especially since it was only a flat stone,and it was there in the beginning of this year.Terrible in my opinion defacing any grave.No better then the assholes who feel the need to deface Jewish cemetaries around Southern ON.I have a great picture of Hendrix grave stone also,along with his step mom,my bro and I were there in the early ninties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine Posted November 17, 2004 Report Share Posted November 17, 2004 Hey Low Roller!!! Glad to hear you are doing well....although you are very missed in Ottawa! I can't wait to visit Jim's grave someday!! I have all the poetry books, vinyl, cd's, poster's..... I think I'll marry him when I go to hell. Keep your adventures comin'!!! Miss ya! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Low Roller Posted November 17, 2004 Report Share Posted November 17, 2004 And Ottawa is very missed by me... Don't worry, I'll be back in town on Dec. 15th! Spending Nov. 11th at Dieppe is truly badass Esau... I thought I did good by going to the service at the Cathedral of Notre Dame on Remembrance Day, but damn... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paisley Posted November 17, 2004 Report Share Posted November 17, 2004 Spending Nov. 11th at Dieppe is truly badass Esau... wow, that would definately be heavy... ghost beach great to hear about your travels... have awesome adventures over the next month Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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