A gateway to heaven ....

During our travels over the last few years I seem to have become fascinated by, of all things, cemeteries !!

They are amazingly peaceful places, as (obviously!!) the only activity is the odd visitor who comes to tend a grave, to change the flowers, to sit and quietly chat with their family members.

Apart from these then there is the occasional person like me who just wanders around rather aimlessly but with great fascination and a sense of awe really.

Well, at least I do.

view from ancient castle

The first cemetery which really affected me emotionally was a world war one in northern France.

It was quite simple but those rows and rows of small white crosses were incredibly moving and terribly sad as each one represented a young man who had died tragically in the war.


A waste of youth and life that they had no choice in really.

It made me angry and the sense of horror and loss overwhelmed me at the same time. Grim.


The square

Anyway, it seems that wherever we go, if there is cemetery nearby I'll be happy there for a while !

I invariably also have a little cry but then almost anything can bring me to tears and it is not always sadness.


While on holiday in Portugal earlier this year I discovered this beautiful cemetery - well it was the gates and the view which first drew me as I didn't know what it was to start with !

So while Philip went off exploring the back streets of Idanha Nova I went admiring.

The entrance was very dramatic with the most wonderfully simple stylistic carving on the huge gate posts and a couple of trees on either side.



Even before I knew where it led to I had joked that it was like the gateway to heaven.... as the view in the distance was to die for ....!! but in this case literally.



I could have sat in the square, outside the old church and just gazed at the breathtaking view for ever it felt.

 

Inside was calm orderliness, rows and rows of graves of different styles and sizes, some being just locked chests on the outside walls but with some avenues of incredibly sumptuous family tombs .

I could almost feel the competitiveness of the families coming out here or was it simply the mark of respect for one's elders, who knows ?

I actually had a peep inside one marble monstrosity and to my shock there were rows of coffins (I counted 7) all on shelves at the sides and all in good order.

The older ones were the most ornate with inlay work and brass fittings, well, I figured they were the older ones simply because of all the skilled work in their construction.

I am sure that level of craftsmanship would be beyond the average carpenter's capability these days and horrendously expensive if it were available. They were almost works of art as were the tombs themselves.

One thing I noticed in particular was how colourful and cheerful looking it all was.

There were masses of bright silk flowers everywhere, some in pots but most were in vases and also, of course, a profusion of fresh flowers. 

There was a sheltered area set aside by the little chapel for the arranging of the flowers with a tap for fresh water and a small compost area.

Seating in the shade was provided too so you could just sit down quietly and contemplate.

Everything was thought through and prepared for.

Orderliness - to my mind this is a comfort what with the randomness of life itself !

Probably why I am attracted to these places so much ?