I have finally returned to Charleston and have paused from unpacking and major cleaning to write a post. Aren’t you glad?
Love til death (Photo was Rachel’s idea)
I could honestly never stop taking pictures of Oakland Cemetery. It’s such an interesting area with the ancient headstones interspersed with skyline views. I first visited in July when I ate my post-21st birthday lunch at Six Feet Under. The neighborhood is a little rough (Cabbagetown/Reynoldstown) but is becoming better as young professionals move into refurbished warehouse lofts. The area was also hit hard by the tornado a few years ago.
Tomb with views of the warehouses
We finished our tour of the temple early, so I had to take Tamar to something else interesting. There is a huge section of Confederate soldiers, as well as a Jewish area.
Margaret Mitchell, writer of Gone With the Wind, and her husbands’ graves
Oakland is nearly a city of the dead. It sounds creepy, but many people who live in the area use it as a park to go running in. I like the idea, but there are a lot of bricks sticking out on the hills, so I’m sure I would injure myself instantly.
Lion to guard to tomb of the Unknown Confederate Dead
Along with Margaret Mitchell, golf legend Bobby Jones and dozens of Atlanta mayors are buried here.
If you are interested in other “cities of the dead,” check out:
- Lafayette Cemetery in New Orleans is actually three cemeteries with the above ground tombs of voodoo priestesses and New Orleans elite alike. Don’t stay after dark because of pickpockets and supposedly spirits.
- Pere Lachaise in Paris holds the tombs of Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison. If you haven’t seen Paris Je T’aime, rent it just for the depiction of British tourists visiting Wilde’s grave.
- Ohlsdorf Cemetery in Hamburg, Germany holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for world’s largest cemetery, with over 250,000 graves. The majority are from World War 1.
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