Today I Went Grave Kissing...

Yes, you read the title right. Indeed, I smooched a grave today and left my hot pink lipstick mark to prove it! We went to Pere Lachaise Cemetery this morning (the infamous home of Jim Morrison's grave...there are so many more amazing people buried here than Morrison, but that is what it is remembered for...) Anyway, my favorite author, Oscar Wilde, is buried here and that is whose grave I kissed. Before you think that too weird, you should know that is the "thing to do" at his grave (when you look to the right and see the photo you will notice that there are hundreds of kisses on it.) I was a little weirded out, though. Not because I was kissing a grave - that didn't bother me (although it probably should have!) No, I was not liking the idea of the hundreds of other kisses to try and kiss around (I guess the Switala OCD-gene has rubbed off on me a bit! ha ha) But, I had to pay hommage to a great man, so I puckered up and did just that! As soon as I was done, I immediately wiped off my mouth and did the heebie-jeebie dance while singing "God made dirt and dirt don't hurt" and prayed that the 5 second rule also applied to kissing tombstones...

Oscar Wilde's Grave - Père Lachaise (J. Boyer-Switala, 2008)


Me (and my new bag!) at Oscar Wilde's Grave...Pre-Smooch! (J. Boyer-Switala, 2008)

Oscar & I Go to First Base (J. Boyer-Switala, 2008)

The Evidence...My Pink Bisou (J. Boyer-Switala, 2008)

We also saw Edith Piaf's grave. I so badly wanted to sing "La Vie En Rose" but refrained....maybe next year! I saw the great Eugene Delacroix's grave, and looked a long time for Moliere and Jacques Louis David (I really wanted to see David's!!) but couldn't find them. We wandered around for 2 hours and only saw a small handful of graves. I will be glad to go back next summer and find the rest!

Edith Piaf's Grave - Père Lachaise (J. Boyer-Switala, 2008)

(J. Boyer-Switala, 2008)

Well, tomorrow is my last day in Paris! I have a pretty big test tomorrow to study for, then Stacey and I are going to just shop and enjoy a relaxing day - no plans or running around like crazy! I'm just going to soak in Paris one last time - with the assistance of a glass of wine and a pastry, of course!

Les Femmes Tondues

"Germany Wins on All Fronts" - the Eiffel Tower (Getty Images) It is no great secret that some French collaborated during the Nazi Occupation of France. Some did it for less than admirable reasons, such as political gain, anti-Semitism, or true fascist ideology. Other people were frightened and saw no end to the Occupation, while some were motivated simply by the desire to survive. Many women who collaborated fall into the latter category. French women and German soldiers enjoying lunch at a café (Unidentified Photo Source) Food, clothes, and fuel (among other items) were scarce during the Occupation. Nearly everything needed to sustain life was rationed, and much of France's food and other necessary commodities were shipped to Germany. One way to ensure warmth and a full belly was by making nice with a German soldier. A French woman chats with a German soldier in front of the Eiffel Tower during the Occupation In a desperate attempt to surv...

Sylvia Beach - An American In Paris

This past fall I read Americans in Paris: Life and Death Under Nazi Occupation by Charles Glass. Meticulously researched, the book described the collaboration, resistance, and survival stories of several Americans during the Occupation. Of all the fascinating Americans Glass discussed, I felt an instant connection to one, and have been mildly obsessed with her ever since… Sylvia Beach Photo Source: donswaim.com/ripley-lawrence.htm The Woman Nancy Woodridge Beach was born on March 14, 1887 in Baltimore, Maryland. She spent much of her childhood and young adult life living throughout Europe. Her first encounter with Paris came at a young age when her father, a pastor, was appointed assistant minister of the American Church in Paris, as well as director of the American student center. As a young adult she spent time in Spain and even served a stint in Serbia in the Red Cross. Although her birth name was Nancy, she would become known to the world as Sylvia Beach. ...

La Rafle du Vel d’Hiv (The Vel d’Hiv Round Up)

Photo Source: 1 st Art Gallery Every Holocaust survivor – every ghost of those who did not survive - has a story to tell. Each story is unique, yet equally tragic. Some we have heard more than once, while others lay silent, buried in the dusty pages of a nation’s shame… Occupation and Anti-Semitism 14 June 1942 marked the two-year anniversary of the Nazi occupation of Paris. By this point, many French had joined the Résistance , while others felt it in their best interest to collaborate with the Nazi regime. Many Jews had fled France, and those who remained behind lived in chronic fear. The Jewish Decrees (France's version of the Nuremberg Laws) saw the Jews of Paris stripped of their livelihoods, property, and rights. As in other occupied areas of Europe, the French Jews were required to wear the yellow stars of David. Inscribed with a single word in the center, Juif (Jew), the badges had to be sewn neatly on the left side of the chest. Failure to do so coul...

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