This pumpkin and all it's parts--100% chocolate!

Today is Wednesday, October 29th and I've been here for three weeks!  Two more to go . . . Two more days to Halloween, but in anticipation, let's celebrate with this blog post!

According to Wikipedia, Halloween is also known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve, and is a yearly celebration observed in a number of countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day.  It initiates the triduum (Try working that into your daily vocabulary at least three times and you'll always know this word!)  of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed believers.

Paris with all of it's famous cemeteries--or cimetières--should be the ideal place to  explore remembering the dead, right?  Père Lachaise (where Oscar Wilde, Peter Abelard and Jim Morrison are buried)  and Montparnasse (where Jean Seberg, Alfred Dreyfus and the duo of Jean-Paul Satre and Simone de Beauvoir), are just two of the most well-known.  Père Lachaise is just a few metro stops away and I could walk to the Montparnasse Cimetière from my apartment.

But I decided that I would explore a lesser known cemetery:  Cimetière Anialier D'Asnieres-Sur-Seine. 

So off to the suburbs I went--way off my maps of the Paris Arrondissments--which I will blame for the fact that I got lost and walked around for 30-40 minutes before I found my way to the entrance for the Cimetière des Chiens et Autres Animaux Domestiques, 4 Pont de Clichy on Ile des Ravageurs. 

This is one of the world's oldest pet cemeteries and claims to be the first zoological necropolis in the world.  Most of the animals buried here are dogs and cats, however, all sorts of other animals are buried here including horses, monkeys, lions, birds and even fish.

Some of the monuments are works of art and remind us that for centuries humans have loved and cared for their pets.

 My friend Ellie had a cat named Buddha.  This one died in 1907.

 Several monuments showed dogs and cats together.

 This one was filled with fresh flowers--very sweet.

 This one had a container of old tennis balls on top of it.

 I think this stone has been replaced--none of the others this old were as legible.

The setting was beautiful.  Very peaceful and you could see the river through the trees.

During the 45 minutes or so I was in the cemetary, a half a dozen people came and tended the graves of their pets.  Most of the graves had flowers or some kind of momento on them.

My friend Mary lost her dog Willie last year.  This made me think of her.

 An Egyptian looking cat I think.

 This little guy Oscar must have been much loved--look at all these flowers!

 And finally, something from my childhood, and the childhoods of all of us who grew up in the 50's and early 60's.  Rin Tin Tin is buried here.

 I think whether or not you have a pet or have had one in the past, this place is quite moving and you leave with a new appreciation of the importance of these animals in the lives of people who love them.

On my way back to the metro I saw two interesting buildings.

These aren't real windows--they are painted on--they are a trompe-d'öeil.  Hard to believe--I actually looked several times.

This suburb of Paris is home to many immigrants--lots of Arabs (Algerians, Moroccans).  So it shouldn't have surprised me to  find the Yasmine Hammam.

I took the number 13 metro back into Paris and switched at Gare Montparnasse to the number 6 line.  A word or two about this line.  I'm 2 blocks from Place d"Italie where three metro lines (5, 6 and 7) connect.  The 5 takes me to Bastille and north to Montmartre, the 7 takes me to the Marais, the Louvre and Opera.  The 6 follows a semi-circular route in the southern part of Paris between Nation and Étoile.  Even though there aren't as many destinations that interest me along this route, I find it one of the most pleasant lines to take.  Generally speaking, most of the Paris metro stations are underground.  Only 26 stations are above ground, but many of these are found on line 6.  A series of viaducts made of brick and Eiffel-type metal structures made it possible to put the line together without digging a large number of tunnels.  I enjoy coming above ground and seeing neighborhoods, monuments and beautiful buildings as I go.

 This house is almost a garden by itself.

 This is near a station near my neighborhood.

For the foodies among you, lunch today was near the Montparnasse Cimetrière--yes I did stop and take just a couple of photos.

 Note the dates on the bottom of this monument (1944).  Unlike American cemeteries where often graves are separated by religion, the graves of Jew and Christian are side-by-side throughout Montparnasse.

 This is by the grave of a sculptor.

 It's like a little village.

But back to food:  Two things.

Lunch was confit of duck, fried potatoes and a tiny salad with a chardonnay.

And two blog readers have asked for more info about the food tour of Saint-Germain.  The website for Paris By Mouth is:  parisbymouth.com

Hope you enjoy it.

Tomorrow--of to Chartres.  Very excited.