Bus #69.
After the Palm Sunday service, we started to look for Bus #69 which is the scenic route to Pere Lechaise, the 30 acre cemetery with some quick but mostly dead folks. The quick ones were at Jim Morrison’s tomb tying elastic bands in the security fence along with metro tickets that said things like, “I know you!!” A crowd was there to meditate on the 27 year rock star who died in Paris in 1971. The neighboring tomb holders wanted Jim to rock somewhere else when the tomb renewal came up, but Jim’s family decided to keep him there.
Tip: If you come to Parus, bus #69 is a lovely way to orient yourself to the city for the price of a metro ticket or two. It makes a big loop around the city. We only knew this because of Deanna’s friends, Michael and Kerrie-Beth, who love Paris and gave us many wonderful ideas for our stay here. The apartment that we rented here is owned by their friends. All in all, their tips have enhanced our trip here in so many ways. Thank you!
After enjoying bus #69, we explored Pere Lechaise not only finding Jim Morrison but also Chopin’s grave, Abelard and Heloise’s elaborate tomb and, of course, the monument to Oscar Wilde. (I love you, Oscar!). The tradition at Oscar’s grave is to kiss the gigantic stone Art Deco angel and leave your redlipstick kiss. Well, that tradition was destroying the monument so the powers that be put up a plexiglass-glass barrier around it. Did that stop folks? No. Now they kiss the plexi or climb up above the plexi to leave a kiss on the stone. People used to write notes on the stone. One I remember from an earlier visit was a note that said, “Oscar, you saved my life. Thank you.”
Since it was cold and cloudy today, we needed a cozy place. As we left the cemetery, we saw a modest cafe called”CDB” which turned out to have a tasty roast chicken and frites lunch for a reasonable price of 11.5 euros. Deanna wrapped up the extra bread for our breakfast, and when we were warm and full we headed out the door. Less than a block away was the Gambetta metro, and we were in our way home. Amen and amen.
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