Exploring vast grounds

Bonjour!

Today began as is our new custom....Starbucks.  It has become an old friend to us, even though we have tried different locations.  Today we went to one we visited before simply because we decided we had a long walking travel and didn't want to start by getting lost.

We mapped our our way to Pere LaChaise Cemeterie, home to such famous names as Oscar Wilde, Yves Montand and Simone Signoret, Balzak, Jean de La Fontaine and Jim Morrison.

How beautiful!  I am a cemetery person.  The older the grounds the happier I am.  These are by far the oldest I have yet to visit.  The sites were gigantic monuments, wrought Iron, encased many times in moss.  There were paths and more paths, all made of stone that made exploring both fascinating and confusing at the same time.  Every turn brought another sight so much more beautiful or unique than the next.  We entered at the bottom, so we had to make our way up steep hills to the top entrance to get maps to help us locate the resting grounds we were most interested in.  While strolling the grounds amongst gravestones dating back to 1600's and earlier there were crows flying overhead (one swooped down right across my path, I swear!) and landed very close by to confirm it was indeed a crow.  We came across the first site we wanted to visit, Oscar Wilde, the great poet/playwright.  Opps!  Covered for restoration cleaning.  Just days earlier there were pictures posted of lipstick stains all over his headstone.  So on we went......next was Yves Montand and Simone Signoret, together forever.  Then Balzak, the french novelist and playwright, followed closely by Jean de la Fontaine, 17th century french poet.  Geez!  I know these names and who they were.....I mustof retained something in school so many years ago.....too bad french language didn't stick with me.  Lastly we came across Jim Morrison and "the tree".   The tree has many notes to jim written or carved in.  Then we found our way back out and walked those many steps (don't even want to dwell on how far it was).....past the Bastille, fountains, parks and back to Pont Neuf!

We started out around 10am and it is now after 4PM.  We decided to grab a quick bite at a familiar stand of crepes and paninis and frites and brought back to apartment.  We ate and relaxed for a couple hours before dinner.  As it seems to be....dinner just doesn't seem to be happening again!  We are still not really hungry so we walk around the Siene and do some shopping then stop by our very familiar gelato and waffle shop. 

We are again in for the night and starting to map out a new adventure for tomorrow.  The weather has been so beautiful that I hope we can get a couple more days in before it turns cold and rainy.  We have plans to go to Montmarte and Ille Saint Louis.  A client gave me a book of 24 walking tours and both are in the book.  There are also a couple others that are local enough we can do if weather permits.  I also really wanted to do a Ghost Walk but I'm not sure we will get that in......

well....until tomorrow au revoir!