Paris – A Personal View
I AM DELIGHTED TO present a new piece in my Paris – A Personal View series.
For each piece in the series I invite a guest who lives in Paris to visit one of their favourite places or a place in the city that has a special meaning for them. With access to a microphone and sound recorder the guest talks about the place and tells us why it’s special to them.
Today my guest is Forest Collins.
Cocktail-stalker, opinion-foister, and things-happening-maker, Forest Collins, seeks out superlative cocktails in the city, spills all on the blog and shares these spots with readers through regularly organized soirées. Her blog, 52 martinis, is the most widely read English language blog on Paris cocktail bars. You’ll also find her frequently writing about unusual eating and drinking experiences for well-known Paris based websites and publications. Join in the fun by following her on twitter @52martinis or check out the 52 martinis blog.
And Forest’s chosen place? The Cimetière du Père-Lachaise…
Forest Collins at the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise:
Photo from Wikipedia
Memorial to the Dead
Oscar Wilde’s Tomb … Before
Oscar Wilde’s Tomb … Today
Photo from Wikipedia
I am very grateful to Forest for giving up her time to visit and talk about the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise.
Courtesy Note:
Unlike other sounds on this blog, the sound piece ‘Forest Collins at the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise‘ is not covered by a Creative Commons license. The copyright for this piece rests jointly and exclusively with Forest Collins and Des Coulam. It follows therefore that the downloading of this piece for any purpose is not permitted without the express permission of both Forest and Des. We have no wish to spoil your enjoyment of this piece but simply ask you to respect that the work is ours. Thanks for understanding.
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Des – thanks so much for letting me take part. This was a lot of fun & I’m looking forward to seeing more in the series!
Thank you Forest. It was a pleasure to work with you and thank you for sharing this fascinating place with us.
Thank you .. nice tour
Another great post for your personal view series. I can’t imagine seeing Wilde’s tomb encased behind glass, such a shame that it was being loved to death. I’d love to hear some recordings around his tomb, perhaps the sound of his fans as they make their pilgrimage to this site.
Thanks Jay. Unfortunately, on the day we recorded this piece there was a lack of visitors and an abundance of rain but in the summer all the ‘popular’ graves are surrounded by people. Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, Chopin, as well as Oscar of course, are guaranteed to attract the crowds. I’ll go back in the summer and record some of the atmosphere for you.
That’d be great. It could be misinterpreted as a bit ghoulish but I’d prefer to think of it as a recording of people’s passion and respect.
Just discovered this blog and I’m glad I did. I really like the idea of offering audio samples of all these different parts of Paris, the photos are great, and this idea in particular of hearing a local give their intimate thoughts of the city. A unique and intriguing idea!
For what it’s worth I agree with Ms. Collins about the Oscar Wilde lipstick. It’s one thing if visitors are deliberately damaging a monument, but the simple poetic charm of leaving a kiss is a tradition that is so perfectly Parisian, and would have likely pleased Mr. Wilde himself.
Hoo-Bloody-Ray…
I can imagine that Wilde’s sensibilities would have been outraged by the lack of “taste” of his alleged supporters.
Is the sculptor’s work to be ignored? The staining from the chemicals in the lipstick, the sweaty hands, saliva containing….whatever….show liitle respect for Epstein’s stone totem either for the material or its eclectic aesthetic qualities.
Mass consumerism never damages deliberately… it just wears away at the significant.