04 April 2010

New Orleans, part 5










Hey Folks!  I know these New Orleans posts are taking forever and frankly, it already seems like forever ago that I took these photos!  I've just got a few more sets of photos that I want to share here and then we'll be back to all sorts of crafty goodness I've got up my sleeve (we're talking lotion making, bagel baking- though I can't think about that now as I'm smack in the middle of Passover!, and the beginnings of gardening season!).  So bear with me for just a few more of these photos.  

The last day we were down south, Jared and I walked over to the Lafayette No.1 cemetery, which was pretty close to where we were staying.  It's one of the oldest in the city and because of its location, was barely touched by Katrina.  While we were wandering around snapping photos, we happened upon a guy who seemed to be the self-appointed director of the cemetery.  He grew up in the neighborhood, much of his family is buried there, and he told us he'll be buried there when he dies.  This dude was quite a character and insisted on showing us around, all the while making ridiculous graveyard jokes and telling us far too much information about the burial process there.  Probably the most interesting thing we learned from him was that the reason why the graves are above ground is not because the groundwater is so high, it's just a cultural thing that was brought over from France and Spain.  

It was really a beautiful space and it was a treasure to see all that history, imagining the lives of those who now rest there (and those who will in the future, since it is still an active cemetery!).

2 comments:

  1. These photos make me remember the cemeteries here and in Paris too!

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  2. These are amazing, Julia! Like Julie said, they remind me of the cemeteries in Paris.

    Looks like a lovely trip.

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