Paris: The Birthday Trip - Day 5 (part 2)

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

The Cimetière de Montmartre: We crossed the Rue de Caulaincourt bridge walking toward the Boulevard de Clichy and were surprised to find that the bridge crosses over the cemetery. Descending the steps at the entrance on Avenue Rachel we found ourselves under the bridge where tombs reach within inches of the underside of the girders (see photo on the left). We emerged from the shadows to a pleasant circle ringed with mausoleums that only hint at what is to come.

We picked up a map of the cemetery and sat on a bench to plan our route. Very organized, very clear …on paper. The cobblestone 'streets' and divisions of the cemetery are clearly marked on the map and in the cemetery itself. Step off the path and into the mass of graves and it is another matter altogether. It turns out that the map gives you a general idea of where to find a grave. Add to that the fact that what appears orderly from above (as seen from the bridge - or Google Maps) becomes a jumble of closely packed graves when seen at ground level. Perhaps not so much a jumble but rather a beautiful puzzle.

It might seem curious that we spend so much time in cemeteries but here, aside from the beautiful sculptures (so much better than just about everything produced today), we find a real world connection with the artists, writers, philosophers, and scientists whose work we have admired and which has meant so much to us over the years.

Occasionally we see little ironies as well - for example Émile Zola is situated on one of the upper levels and now forever looks down on two of the anti-Dreyfusards, Henri Rochefort and Godefroy Cavaignac.

The cemetery was still and quiet while we were there, with just a few people wandering around. Tall leafy trees scattered sunlight like confetti over the graves, mausoleums, and sculptures, and provided little pools of shade where we could pause and recover from the heat. We spent a few peaceful hours here and then headed back to the bustle of Montmartre.

left: "Douleur", a self-portrait by the mother of the young man buried here, Robert Didsbury, who died age 20.
centre: Sculpture of a young Arab girl on the grave of Gustave Achille Guillaumet (1840–1887), a painter who portrayed the harshness of life in the north African desert.
right: Sculpture on the grave monument of an artist I haven't been able to identify.

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