thanks for the reminder. this was our last full day in portugal before heading to the airport. sorry i didn't plan a 2 day stay. and it poured... what a lovely city with so much preserved history. the bones chapel certainly was a highlight, and i agree, fascinating. i have to pull up my photos and revisit. hope you are well and continuing your fantastic journey.
Thank you for your insights on the Chapel of Bones at Evora. A great reminder to live as fully as you can, and that no one is spared an exit ticket from this earthly plane. Evora is on my Portugal bucket list.
Carol- I find this most interesting and although intellectually I am with you, I think this place would still make me emotionally uncomfortable. And I am not sure why that is, but maybe something deep inside of me finds these displays, no matter where they are, so brazen and disrespectful. I suspect it’s just my issue though. I would be fine to view the beautiful chapel and grounds while everybody else checked out those bones! Eeeeeek!
It's still common for there to be a limit on how much time a...resident?...can stay in their plot--a friend of ours traveling through Paris and Spain noted many of the spaces had "past due" notices tacked to them, for not paying the space rental. An archaeologist by trade, she always notes burial customs and specifics.
" Since we visited just after Christmas there were flowers everywhere. Except for those spots slapped with the threatening sticker: rent due.
If you aren’t familiar with that situation, many European grave sites are rentals only. None of this “in perpetuity” nonsense. If your family and friends opt to not renew your lease, out you go. There are real concerns in the US funeral industry that with the Boomer generation nearing its expiration date, there are not nearly enough burial sites available. Expenses are already high and will get worse. The shift to cremation has lessened the pressure, but not nearly enough. Keep your eyes on that industry to see some real innovations in the coming years. "
thanks for the reminder. this was our last full day in portugal before heading to the airport. sorry i didn't plan a 2 day stay. and it poured... what a lovely city with so much preserved history. the bones chapel certainly was a highlight, and i agree, fascinating. i have to pull up my photos and revisit. hope you are well and continuing your fantastic journey.
Thank you for the comment, Bonnie.
It's still raining here. But not too chilly. We are well and still enjoying Portugal. -CW
Thank you for your insights on the Chapel of Bones at Evora. A great reminder to live as fully as you can, and that no one is spared an exit ticket from this earthly plane. Evora is on my Portugal bucket list.
Great, great post Carol. So interesting. Great pictures Paul.
What she said! I'm putting Evora on the list of places to visit.
Carol- I find this most interesting and although intellectually I am with you, I think this place would still make me emotionally uncomfortable. And I am not sure why that is, but maybe something deep inside of me finds these displays, no matter where they are, so brazen and disrespectful. I suspect it’s just my issue though. I would be fine to view the beautiful chapel and grounds while everybody else checked out those bones! Eeeeeek!
Live well, be kind to others, because in the end we all end up the same.
Portugal has some extreme beautys
It's still common for there to be a limit on how much time a...resident?...can stay in their plot--a friend of ours traveling through Paris and Spain noted many of the spaces had "past due" notices tacked to them, for not paying the space rental. An archaeologist by trade, she always notes burial customs and specifics.
Thanks for the comment, Cie. That is so interesting and something I wasn't aware of! -CW
I thought it was fascinating as well. Her words:
" Since we visited just after Christmas there were flowers everywhere. Except for those spots slapped with the threatening sticker: rent due.
If you aren’t familiar with that situation, many European grave sites are rentals only. None of this “in perpetuity” nonsense. If your family and friends opt to not renew your lease, out you go. There are real concerns in the US funeral industry that with the Boomer generation nearing its expiration date, there are not nearly enough burial sites available. Expenses are already high and will get worse. The shift to cremation has lessened the pressure, but not nearly enough. Keep your eyes on that industry to see some real innovations in the coming years. "