Thoughts from here to there
It is raining. That thin but persistent rain that Brittany and particularly Brest excels at all the year round. As a small proof that I am not imagining it, I took this picture at Brest railway station. It is indeed an umbrella vending machine. For the modest sum of 4 euros, you can buy a simple, telescopic umbrella to keep you dry during your dash from the ticket hall to the bus stops or taxi rank.
Where else?
Getting ready to garden…..the end of March approaches and with it the likelihood of frosts. Time to think about the garden and new projects. Will it be more veggies … more flowers…a new chicken coop?
All in good time! The essential is to be able to be outdoors and get some daylight time in.
Brest has a reputation in Brittany… an ugly concrete jungle thrown up in a hurry to replace the old city flattened during the Allied bombardments in 1944. To an extent this is true. The city centre has little to recommend it to the eye. Built on the “block system” in symmetric grids, the city centre is modern. Not quite modern but recent. It’s 1950’s origins show up loud and clear. It could be worse. It could be a whole lot better.But if you scratch the surface, Brest is a lively and thriving city with some really interesting little corners that surprise and delight if you know where to look. I spotted this little gem from the top of a multi story car park serving FNAC, H&M, the Body Shop etc which was finished a few years ago. One Saturday, doing the “shops” with the Girls Of The Family, the lower levels of the parking were all full. So rather than doing the trawl from level to level, I just headed on up to the top on the basis that there is always space up top. 
Two weeks later, a grey Sunday with little else interesting to do, I set out with the significant other on our motorcycles to do the visit. I couldn’t work out how to get to the cemetery from my limited knowledge of Brest’s backstreets. But luckily significant other did, having lived just next to it for several years and regularly crossing it on foot on his way to work. 
A bit of research reveals that the Cimetiére de St Martin was created in the 18th century and was in the countryside. It was forbidden to buy the dead within the city limits. Shades of Amadeus… in the early years animals dug up the corpses overnight and quite soon a wooden fence was erected replaced a few years later by the first stone walls.
The cemetery is still open to the public and many of the gothic style family tombs are up for sale to new owners. Descendants often think that the City Council is responsible for the upkeep of the tombs but legally, the ground and the monument belongs to the family.
Some work has been done to try and locate descendants and to let them know the situation. For some tombs, no family is left to maintain them or show any interest. The most original and interesting tombs are part of a salvage programme.
It seems a huge shame that little interest was shown until relatively recently and a superb site is gradually disappearing for want of civic interest in the little that is left of Brest of the 18th Century when it was a major part of the French sea defense and a thriving commercial port.
For me, part of the charm is the way that nature is taking over the abandoned tombs. These gargoyles are almost enhanced by the ivy that creeps around them.
A calm and beautiful place to walk or reflect a while, a little haven slap bang in the city centre, this is a place to visit.
While some might find this a morbid place to linger, I’d say the contrary is true. It’s a peaceful place with poetic forms created by the chaos of abandonment.
There must be a fair few regular visitors. Several of the tombs seem to be used by a community of feral cats. Signs of nesting and regular use are visible and it looks like people come regularly to feed them. Tupperware containers tucked into a corner with leftover food and plastic bottles cut down to hold water bear witness to the cat-lovers’ activities.
I’d guess that some of the tombs house living residents at night too. Odd blankets and signs of someone trying to decorate their “home” can be spotted by the careful eye. Funeral vases from other tombs have made their way onto shelves and have artificial flowers placed in them despite the fact that the original owner’s descendants have long ago ceased to be interested in the site. This window is part of a tomb that is probably, at least occasionally, occupied by a homeless person.
The cemetery is clean and closes at night. The alternative population have their own ways in and will not disturb a lunchtime visit to eat a sandwich in peace and quiet, just a few metres from one of the busy streets criss-crossing the city centre. An hour quickly passes.
Strangely enough, I feel recharged and relaxed after a break here. It’s like finding a quiet place within, an earthing.
Thinking of visiting – Here is the map. http://goo.gl/maps/8e2gZ
A Flying Aspidistra 