we took an afternoon bus trip into the Provencal countryside to Fayence and Seilans and I was excited to see, as soon as we left the car park, a cemetery! it was almost hidden behind a wall and boxwood hedge, but I was glad I took the time to wander in (very quickly, I might add - one does not want to be the one holding up the tour bus)
Julie mentioned last week, in a comment, about flowers at grave sites and one thing I really like about the Australian ones I have seen are the gardens around so many graves. Although there are a few tiny gardens in Ontario, mostly it is an abundance of fake flowers that are left to rot in the sun.
Here, in this particular part of France, I found something very different - an abundance of glazed pottery flowers!
...and several potted flowers mixed in.
I have tried, and failed, to find any information about this. I don't know how unique it is, but if anyone else has seen this sort of thing, please share.
see more flowery (or not) grave sites at Taphophile Tragics
I like the bright colours of the pottery flowers, it is a bit kitsch but they are very nice made. It looks almost real at first sight.
ReplyDeleteI also thought it was terribly kitsch at first, but have grown to like it. now I wish I had taken more photos.
DeleteWith all my wanderings here on the peninsula, I have never seen glazed pottery flowers, though I have seen real flowers growing in glazed pots! A colourful sight!
ReplyDeleteit may be a Mediterranean thing to do. it is very colourful, isn't it?!
DeleteAll new to me.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they would last any time here!
DeleteMeaning they would be vandalsed? How very sad.
ReplyDeleteWe have quite a few ceramic funerary flower arrangements here in Sydney, but usually in the European sections of our cemeteries, meaning catholic mostly. They are incredibly beautiful and I think I have featured them at one time early on in the life of this meme. I can never get enough of them. I love the flowers you have here, both ceramic and growing. I think they really convert a graveyard into a memorial. I love the Thousand Wonder Begonias in the pot in that last image.
well, vandalized, or just broken over time.
DeleteI think perhaps people in this cemetery and maybe in parts of Europe visit these graves more frequently than we do. I still see some Christmas decorations at the columbarium, though I know that doesn't necessarily mean the family have not been back to visit.
It has been years since I wandered around cemeteries, although as a child my brothers and sisters and I used to walk through our local one regularly, and help ourselves to little pieces of marble and granite. My recent experiences have been in the crematorium. The plants and gardens are lovely, but i have not wanted to wander around them.
ReplyDeleteI was telling my brother a little about my trip and he interjected with a tale that a friend of theirs goes around taking pictures of graves wherever they travel and "did you ever hear of anything so crazy?". to which I replied that is exactly my newest hobby!
DeleteNever seen that before. How... French.
ReplyDeleteand, according to Nick, also Italian.
DeleteHow different. At least the pottery flowers won't fade or rot.
ReplyDeleteHerding Cats
they are more permanent and saves constant replacement.
Deletei think those flowers are very pretty!
ReplyDeletemuch better than the plastic ones.... but i have never seen it before on a grave. really nice!
it must be very popular as most grave sites had several on them.
DeleteSome of the Italian graves here n melbourne have similar glazed pottery confections on them. I must grab a few photos of them to post up on TT.
ReplyDeleteso it is not exclusively French after all?! I'll look forward to seeing the ones you find.
DeleteI have a thing against those fake flowers, but these ones are rather nice.
ReplyDeletethey look very bright and shiny!
they are shiny - must have had some rain to wash off the dust!
DeleteGlazed pottery flowers? Sounds fascinating!
ReplyDeletethe cemetery was full of them, so I know it wasn't just one family's idea.
DeleteIt is wrong to say that the graveyard is beautiful? Anyway, come by and pick up an award with your name on it.
ReplyDeleteNo it is most definitely not wrong!
DeleteAnd many graveyards/cemeteries have the best views...
blush, an award?!!! thank you!