Mon 30 Jul 2007
Recently when we visited Lourmarin I read in a brochure from the Tourist Information Office that Albert Camus, a writer and philosopher from Algeria, was buried in the Lourmarin cemetery. I am not that familiar with French writers but was vaguely familiar with his name. Our friends were French and knew his work well so we set off for the cemetery to visit his grave.
Most French cemeteries are surrounded by walls and there are always cyprus trees growing in them.
Porcelain flowers like these are found in them too. They never wilt.
A view as you enter the cemetery.
This is the tomb of the wife of Camus. She was a pianist and a mathematician. Camus didn’t believe in the institution of marriage but married her anyway and then wasn’t faithful. They had a set of twin children.
And here is his rather humble tomb. He died in a car wreck three years after he received the Nobel Peace Prize in literature for his writing against capital punishment. My French friends said I should read his book, The Stranger, but having looked it up on Google it looks a little depressing so I’m not sure if I will. It’s always interesting to me to get glimpses into past lives of famous French and French history. I know so little.
July 31st, 2007 at 5:20 am
If you can read L’Etranger in French, it is palatable - otherwise, it will depress you…
What a lovely shot of the cemetery - the…inhabitants(!) get the nicest views, don’t they?
July 31st, 2007 at 6:50 am
Interesting!
Do you know if his wife Francine Fauré was related to the famous composer Gabriel Fauré?
July 31st, 2007 at 9:30 pm
I read somewhere that Camus hated Lourmarin and thought it was *the* most boring place. I suspect that his current abode is even more boring.
None the less, I look forward to visiting Lourmarin…from the photos I\’ve seen, it looks charming.
August 1st, 2007 at 8:46 am
I read that in french as a part of an assignment when I was taking french.
ps I love wandering around Lourmarin.
August 1st, 2007 at 12:21 pm
No country Frenchman would pass b y the rabbit. Too good for the pot.
My garden has many frogs from the pond but never in the house except when we had cats and they wuld bring them in.
August 2nd, 2007 at 7:25 pm
I have a real love of visiting French cemeteries. Everything thought I was so morbid when I came back with so many photos of beautiful sculptures and head stones. Our cemeteries in Australia are not pleasent places, often they are not maintained at all, and they can be quite dangerous and depressing. The cemeteries in France are beautiful and peaceful places, and full of beautiful artwork.