In many modern cemeteries the spectre of death is all but erased from our visual field. Unlike older cemeteries, it is rare to see depictions of death, whether it be skull and crossbones, skeletons, and other macabre symbols. Yet one of the most spectacular Continue reading “Iconic Statue: The Kiss of Death”
Having just visited my 150th cemetery/memorial site in just over 3 years, I thought it might be interesting to look at the overall numbers of where I’ve been and what I’ve seen. Just sorting through the numbers have given me a few surprises – I didn’t realise Continue reading “Cemetery Roundup 2015-2018”
Two girls were lying on the floor when I entered the basilica. Did they do it on purpose, or were they so overcome by the beauty of the light that enveloped every square inch of the interior that they lost control of their legs? It’s probably the former but I’d like to think Continue reading “Site 118: Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia”
I decided to do a day trip out of Barcelona but had a hard time deciding where to go. Girona, Figueres, Montserrat, and Stiges tend to be the most popular places, but by this stage in my travels my body was like “enough!” – which meant that by the time I actually Continue reading “Site 117: Cemetery Vilafranca del Penedès”
Wow wow wow. This place is amazing. I don’t why this isn’t considered a major tourist attraction, the funerary art and architecture here is stunning. It hits you right as you enter the main gate at the bottom of the hill, and continues right to the top of the mountain, Continue reading “Site 116: Barcelona’s Montjuïc Cemetery”
Barcelona. Home of two of the world’s best cemeteries, Poblenou and Montjuïc. I have wanted to come to Spain to photograph these two cemeteries specifically. After grabbing a quick lunch after arriving in Barcelona, my first (and only) stop of Continue reading “Site 115: Barcelona’s Poblenou Cemetery”
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Santa Maria Cemetery. It was less than a five minute walk from St. Isidro, and had the added benefit of being open later than the other cemeteries, but other than that I didn’t know much about it. It’s inside St. Isidro park, and next to a funeral home Continue reading “Site 114: Madrid’s Santa Maria Cemetery”
The forecast called for sun this afternoon, but in the end, I visited two cemeteries in the rain. I would have visited more, but I planned (or in this case, didn’t plan) badly. I assumed that most cemeteries would be open until at least 4 p.m. (but most likely 6), but I was Continue reading “Site 113: Madrid’s St. Isidro Cemetery”
Last month I went to a Dark Tourism conference in Amsterdam where I saw a number of presentations from people studying various aspects of what is commonly known as “dark tourism,” although most sites under that umbrella don’t like to be considered as such Continue reading “Site 112: Spain’s Valley of the Fallen”
Welcome to the Cementerio de Nuestra Señora de La Almudena, one of the largest cemeteries in Europe. I spent the afternoon here and even then I barely scratched the surface. I’m not sure how to describe this cemetery – there are large gates and fences that leave Continue reading “Site 110: Madrid’s Almudena Cemetery”
stone and dust 