Story
I've been to Auschwicz in Poland, after postponing visiting Poland for years; I also saw Dachau in Germany; and if I had stayed a day longer I would have visited the museum of the Killing Fields in Cambodia (one of the trips offered from Seam Reap in the north near Ankor Wat and more on the Killing Fields and the Kmer Rouge war trips in the capital):
Problem
Where can I do something jollier, lively, even if related to death?
Answers
America, England, Romania.
America
In America the New Orleans cemetery tour includes light hearted parts. The cemetery tour guide tells you that funeral processions used to include a jazz band.
England
In the UK, central London has a cartoon museum near the British Museum. (See my previous post.) The Victorians liked tombstone humour. But nowadays cemetery authorities in the UK clamp down anything which might upset others, and battle agains people who want to put toys and teddy bears on babies' graves.If you are prepared to take an afternoon's drive out of London, you can pass through a rural village where you can see a couple of famous humorous tombstones. (If you've no time, and want to learn more, just read my previous post on this. It is some way out of London, a side trip from Cobbs Farm (whose extensive shop is sure to throw up some amusing book) or a wonderful but expensive gourmet restaurant, the Haro at Little Bedwyn (see my previous post).
Speaking of books, a trip to a big bookshop in London will throw up humorous books, especially for children. If you're on the internet look for the YouTube version of Room on a Broom which has also been a theatre performance in London.
At Christmas we have pantomimes throughout the UK, aimed at both children and adults, fairy tales such as Aladdin and Peter Pan and Cinderella or a London story, Dick Whittington and his cat, often with a humorous character in drag. Cinderella might have the ugly sisters in drag.
Musical Comedy Magnet
Would you believe, my friends in London told me they are already booking seats for pantomimes in December. The pantomime is their annual Christmas treat for their family's children - especially those who have birthdays in December.
Romania
Dracula
A major attraction in Romania is Dracula's impressive and misleadingly 'pretty' castle. Castles nearly always look pretty, centuries later. But they were built to protect and repel invaders. Frankly, the past is pretty grim, especially Dracula (meaning Dragon), Vlad (the impaler) even just reading about it in Wikipedia.
Fortunately, there is some fun to be had as an antidote. Romania has a Merry Cemetery. Like New Orleans, it's the result of viewing death as merely the stepping stone out of the miseries of this life to the happier next life, en route to heaven.
The carvings were done this century. The cemetery includes the gravestone of the man who created the gravestones, which feature the blue colour and verses in Romanian. You can see a translation of the verse on his gravestone and another verse in Wikipedia.
For more light relief you might like to take a day trip from Bucharest to the wine region of Valea Calugareasca. It has fifteen villages, according to Wikipedia, and according to TripAdvisor the top attraction is the Wine Cellar Museum.
Gravestones Worldwide
For light relief on the internet, type in images and humorous gravestones. You get a mixture of the serious and sentimental: Anne Frank; The Bronte sisters; Frank Sinatra; and the humorous. My favourites are graves depicting a camel, a saddle, a horse, dogs,a beer mug, dominoes, a car, a harp, guitars and other music instrument, even an organ and sea. Children are remembered by carvings and sculptures such as kid's face on building blocks, and a sad-sweet little cuddly toy sitting on top of the grave of a baby named merely as unwanted and unknown.
Gravestones in London
In London's Highgate cemetery, the most memorable stone is the serious huge head of Karl Max. My favourite modern stone is the one of the artist with the letters DEAD formed by holes.
The classic funny gravestone is that of Spike Milligan, British comic, member of the Goon Show on the radio, who was funny on TV (see youtube) and in court. His gravestone bears the words: I told you I was ill. The cemetery authorities would not allow that on the gravestone, so his relatives had it inscribed in Gaelic which was not noticed. So a double last laugh for the Spike Milligan and us.
Maybe I shall visit Romania's Merry Cemetery. Maybe I shall visit Romania's wine region and talk about the local Merry Cemetery and humorous gravestones worldwide.
Leave only footprints; leave only smiles.
Tips (websites) (More will be added. Come back to check later.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merry_Cemetery
suggested itineraries and sites groups by subject:
http://www.romania.travel/trip-planner/itinerary-ideas/
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g2642490-Activities-Valea_Calugareasca_Prahova_County_Southern_Romania.html
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g1028706-d318588-Reviews-Merry_Cemetery_of_Sapanta-Sapanta_Maramures_County_Northwest_Romania_Transylvania.html
https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/360710251377736068/ (Pictures of amusing and serious gravestones.)
https://www.viator.com/Romania-tours/Wine-Tasting-and-Winery-Tours/
http://thegirlsmusical.com
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, teacher of English and other languages.
Author of
Poetry: Pets and Pests. (Comic verse which tells facts about each animal bird or insect, listed in alphabetical order.)
See my previous travel posts on Romanian, Italian and other languages. I have another blog on languages but have started writing posts on language on my travel blog because this has a higher number of readers. Please share my posts.
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