Cemeteries of London: Highgate Cemetery Part II

Moving on from last week's photographs of the angels of Highgate Cemetery, here's a second set of atmospheric Highgate Cemetery photos.

Highgate is a sprawling Victorian cemetery in north London that was opened in 1839. The population of London had exploded, and Parliament dictated that several new cemeteries be created in the 1830s and '40s. In addition to Highgate, the new cemeteries were Kensal Green, West Norwood, Abney Park, Brompton, Nunhead, and Tower Hamlets. (I'll be posting photos from Abney Park and Brompton later this month.)

Highgate Cemetery is said to have inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula, and in the 1970s rumors abounded about the "Highgate Vampire," creating a new urban legend. The entrance to the Egyptian avenue of vaults, directly below, shows how such rumors of vampires could be believed...

 

I didn't notice at the time that this photograph of me taking photographs had been taken.

--Gigi

Cemeteries of London: Highgate Cemetery Angels

In the spring of 2008, my mom was a visiting professor in London. The opportunity to visit was too good to pass up. This is a photo of us in front of her Islington flat.


One of the things I did on that trip was to visit London cemeteries. I'd previously been on a tour of Highgate Cemetery, but I hadn't gone further in my exploration of the city's historic cemeteries. In addition to their mystery, I love the peace and beauty of old cemeteries. So on this trip, in addition to returning to Highgate I went on walks through Brompton Cemetery, New Southgate Cemetery, and Abney Park Cemetery.

This month I'll be posting photos from my 2008 visits to these London cemeteries.

Below are angels from Highgate Cemetery. Next week I'll post other views of Highgate Cemetery along with some history.
 

--Gigi

Delightful Doors of Paris

This month I've been posting some of my more mysterious photos from a trip I took to Paris in May of 2010, when our trip home was delayed due to an Icelandic ash cloud that is again disrupting European air travel. These are my last Parisian photos for now, moving on to something new in June.

Below are some stone, wood, and wrought iron carvings on and surrounding unique doors in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. I love the bright red front door of my house outside San Francisco, but I've gotta say it would be mighty cool to have a lion carving greet me when I walk through the door...

--Gigi

Details of Paris

 No gargoyles today, but some other images of Paris that caught my eye last May.

The wrought iron sign for a hotel on a side street

Bicycles for rent along the side of the road

Riding the metro (wish all public transportation signs were as beautiful!)

 --Gigi

Different Views from Notre Dame

The Thinker gargoyle's view

  Climbing the steps to the bell tower

 Applying a little art to the gargoyles

--Gigi

Less Famous Gargoyles of Notre Dame

Continuing with mysterious views of Paris, here are some of the lesser known gargoyles of Notre Dame. (You can see some of the more famous carvings here and here.)

The gargoyles below can all be seen from the same bell tower level as the famous ones, nearly 400 steps up a worn stone spiral staircase.

--Gigi

Paris, City of Light

A year ago at this time, we were in Paris. It would be over a week before the Icelandic Ash Cloud would delay our journey home on a series of marathon plane flights, so we were still enjoying the city. I've already posted many of my photos of the gargoyles of Notre Dame Cathedral. I thought this month I'd post some of my other more mysterious photos from Paris (including some of Notre Dame's less famous gargoyles).

I'll start today with a literal interpretation of the City of Light: the gorgeous old lamp posts that line the city's streets.

--Gigi