Finding Fréd on Bastille Day

Since we ended up missing the 4th of July back home in the States, it was nice to be in Paris for Bastille Day, although their festivities seem a little different than the standard 4th of July fare. We actually saw some street fair concerts and random troupe acts last night (July 13th) after dinner near the Bastille. It was strange, though, because they all seemed to be competing with one another and playing simultaneously, and by this morning (actual Bastille Day), the Place de la Bastille was back to normal (all of the food vendor tents were gone, traffic could use the roadways again, etc). So, I'm not really sure how the holiday is celebrated here beyond the special fireworks show later on tonight at the Eiffel Tower. I had heard previously that many stores and businesses would be closed for the holiday, but that didn't really seem to be the case—at least not to a large extent—throughout the day. Still, I imagine the crowds and transportation will probably get worse as sunset and the fireworks show near. National holiday aside, though, it was another sightseeing day in Paris, and today took us to Père Lachaise cemetery, where I could begin my search for Fréd...

As an undergrad student, I minored in music, which required courses in music theory and analysis. One of the projects for my second music analysis course involved a focus on a specific composer, and my group was assigned Frédéric Chopin. I'm not even sure what we really presented about—likely his mazurka in A-flat found in our analysis book—but I do remember that we concluded our presentation with information about his death in 1849 and burial at Père Lachaise cemetery. His was the only famous grave/monument I knew of at that cemetery prior to coming to Paris, even though I do also recall Père Lachaise appearing in French civ. as well. So, when I realized we would be going to Père Lachaise, finding Fréd became a must.

We unfortunately (or at least I unfortunately) didn't have maps of the cemetery really, and thus, after a group trip to find Jim Morrison's memorial/monument (which is seriously hidden amongst the others), I had to trek back towards the southern entrance of the cemetery to consult the large posted maps of all the various sections of the cemetery. The routes within are marked, but the pathways vary in size and some of the smaller ones do not really seem to have names or just dead-end into other monuments, so it is easy to get lost. I consulted the map and set out, only to follow one of the random little paths into nowhere and just about get lost again, so I retraced my steps to find a clearer route.

The second try was much more successful, and I did find Chemin Denon, the avenue, if you will, off of which Chopin's grave is located. The cemetery itself is packed with monuments of all shapes and sizes and eras marking individuals and families, so it's something of an adventure to find the right site even with directions and the correct "address." The more famous sites, though, seem to have either flowers or crowds—often both—and Chopin was no exception. I almost walked past the monument completely because it's not super large compared to those around it, but it is very bedecked with flowers, and there were a couple of people standing to the side apparently looking at it. When I circled back realizing that it was the monument I was seeking, though, I realized the two ladies weren't actually interested in Chopin at all but had instead picked the worst possible location to consult their map for finding some other site. A tour group was hedging in on the far side to get pictures while they pondered directions, and I could really only see the side of the Chopin statue because they were blocking the whole of the narrow little Chemin Denon, so it was an interesting little traffic jam temporarily.

The ladies did move on and the tour group ended up passing on without really noting Chopin at all, so I'm not sure why they were there at all, but I finally got to see the place I spoke about in my music analysis project and read the tributes to "A. Fréd Chopin." Some of the other people who eventually wandered over didn't know the story about his heart being buried in Poland, so I got to pass along some info too after my photo ops. It was time for the class meeting shortly thereafter, though, so I had to make my way back and try to find the correct way to the original entrance point, which was thankfully easier than I thought it might be.

The cemetery itself was beautiful, if crowded, and by that I mean with monuments and mausoleums, not tourists. I couldn't hear city noise of any kind practically until I was all the way back to the entrance point, which made the whole experience pretty unique for still being inside Paris. Plus, I got to see Chopin. Afterwards, we went to Sacre Coeur, which was beautiful inside (sadly, photography is prohibited inside the church), but the view of the city was wonderful, if crowded, and by that I mean with people. With only one full day left in Paris, I had to try the savory crepe for dinner (with a sweet one for dessert), so it was a pretty fun day all around, and the fireworks haven't even started yet...

Peep at Sacre Coeur admiring the view

A view of L'Arc de Triomphe on Bastille Day