HADES SAID:
"Nothing is more beautiful than death."
(From The Clash Of The Titans).
OUR DEAD ARE NEVER DEAD TO US, UNTIL WE HAVE FORGOTTEN THEM.
(Quote of George Eliot)
ECCLESIASTES 12:7
And the dust returns to the earth as it was and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
Time is an abyss, profound as a thousand nights, centuries come and go, to be unable to grow old is terrible. That is not the worst. There are things more terrible than that. Can you imagine enduring centuries experiencing the same futilities each day? - From Nosferatu the Vampyre with Klause Kinski as Count Dracula.
Voltair said:
To the living we owe respect.
To the dead we owe the truth.
ISLAMIC QUOTE
To the world, you may be a billionare, a celebrity, or an icon, but to the angel of death, you are just another name on the list.
This is the only post you will find on my website that I did not create myself. I thought I had to add it because it expresses my belief about death perfectly. I just hope that the creators of this video do not ban it from remaining on my humble website.
Sylvia Plath said:
It may be that we find ourselves wanting everything when we get dangerously close to wanting nothing.
Cheated death again last week
Sky and clouds passing by
Until the landing on a road
Return to pain...
Death is certain
But can be held off
Take care, be strong
Persevere when death looms.
MAC
This is the grave site of Elisabeth Alexandrovna de Demidoff. She was Baronne de Strogonoff, born in Saint Petersborg Russia in 1779 and she died in Paris in 1818. Hers is one of the largest tomb monuments in Père Lachaise Cemetery. There is at least one story about this mausoleum being haunted by the spirit of the aristocrat. The story can be found in a book called "That's Paris" by various authors. It is an anthology of Paris related stories and the story that tells about this grave site is called "Le Chemin de Dragon" by Didier Quémener.
From The Stoics:
Day to day we distance ourselves from death thinking that it happens to others or to us and family far into the future. But the fact is that death is at our shoulders every day. It is an ever present fact of life. Today can easily be our last.
Erich Fromm said:
"To die is poignantly bitter,
but the idea of having to die
without having lived
Is unbearable."
THE STOICS ON DEATH
Death is a reminder of the value of life. Death is a natural succession to life. Seneca wrote:
"The act of dying is equal in all, death has no degrees of greater or less, for it has the same limit in all instances, the finishing of life.
Also in Père Lachaise Cemetery is the grave site of Prince of Valache (Wallachia). Ghoerges Bibescu and his wife Princess Maria. He was born in Romania 1804 and died in Paris 1873.
Also in Père Lachaise Cemetery is this monument for those who died defending Belfort during the Franco - Prussian war in 1870-1871.
Egyptian coffin on display at the NYC Museum of Natural History.
Here is an empty Egyptian coffin that can be seen at the NYC Museum of Natural History.
I do not know how the American Museum of Natural History NYC acquired so many Egyptian coffins but there are a great many in the collection here.
Roger Zalazny said:
"Death is the only God who comes when you call him."
This grave site can be seen near one of the entrances of Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.
I spoke of General Foy on the Paris Page of this web site. This gravesite is in Père Lachaise Cemetery. He was a military commander under Napoleon Bonaparte I.
PSALM 115;17
The dead do not praise the Lord nor do any who go down in silence.
In the Bhagavad Gita chapter 2 verse 27, it is written: "Death is certain for one who has been born and rebirth is inevitable for one who has died. Therefore, you should not lament over the inevitable.
BUDDHIST QUOTE:
Living wisely is a means of avoiding regrets. Even death is not to be feared by those who live wisely.
Mary Catheren Bateson said:
The timing of death at the end of a story gives a changed meaning to what preceded it.
Constance André Say lived from 1816 to 1871. He was the son of Louis Auguste Horace Say who lived from 1774-1840 and HE was the son of Jean Etienne Say who lived from 1739 - 1806. Jean Baptist Say, the brother of Constance Say, was an economist and businessman who adhered to the French Liberal School of political economics.
THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH) SAID:
If the day of Judgement erupts while you are planting a tree, carry on and plant it.
SURAH AL ANBIYA VERSE 35:
Every self will be tasting of death. And We try you with evil and with good as a temptation then to Us you will be returned.
Día De Los Muertos is The Day Of The Dead.
On this day, those loved ones who have passed away are remembered with altars, flowers, traditional food, candles, and extensve family bonding. It is celebrated throughout Latin America. Altars will have photos of saints and the deceased family members and flowers with candles. Food offerings will also be included. These are called ofrendas. I think plastic, wooden, or ceramic skulls are also included. For sure, bread that is shaped into skulls or skeletons are ofted included. Here is a photo of such a skull:
Hispanic Heritage Month lasts from the second half of September through the first half of October and in the midst of this time is All Souls' Day and Dia De Los Muertos.
Dexter Morgan of the television show "Dexter" said:
There are few milestones in our life that evoke a stronger response than our final act - Death.
Mr. Wright said:
"You think you have years left with someone; all the time in the world, and all of a sudden, you don't." 🤔
THESE ALTARS TO THE DEAD ARE KNOWN AS OFRENDAS SINCE THEY ARE OFFERING GIFTS FOR ANCESTORS WHO MAY RETURN TO THE LIVING DURING THE DIA DE LOS MUERTOS FESTIVITIES. THE FOUR ELEMENTS OF EARTH, WATER, AIR, AND FIRE SHOULD ALL BE INCLUDED ON THE ALTARS. THEY WILL ALSO HAVE CALAVERAS WHICH ARE THE SKULLS. THE NAME OF THE ANCESTER MAY BE INSCRIBED ON THE FOREHEAD OF THE SKULLS. PAN DE MUERTO WILL ALSO BE PLACED ON THE ALTAR FOR WHILE AND THEN CAN BE EATEN. IT IS A BREAD THAT WILL VARY IN DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE LATIN WORLD. CALACAS ARE THE SKELETONS THAT ARE UBUQITIOUS THROUGHOUT DAY OF THE DEAD CELEBRATIONS. THEY ARE DEATH PERSONIFIED. I WOULD STAY CLEAR OF THEM AND GIVE THEM DUE RESPECT.
IN THE TOWER OF BASILICA DE LA VOTA NACIONAL, WE WERE ABLE TO RELAX AND SNACK A BIT. I DO NOT KNOW IF ALL THE TOWERS HAVE CAFES IN THEM. WE CLIMBED THE TOWER THAT IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE MAIN ENTRANCE OF THE CHURCH. I DO NOT KNOW IF PEOPLE WERE CLIMBING THE TOWER ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE MAIN ENTRANCE BECAUSE WE DID NOT SEE ANYONE IN THAT TOWER. WE DID SEE PEOPLE CLIMBING THE THIRD TOWER WHICH IS NOT AS HIGH AS THE TWO FRONT SIDE TOWERS. WE ORDERED TWO HOT TEAS, A TEA WITH MILK, ONE HOT CHOCOLATE AND TWO HUMITAS. I CAN NOT GET ENOUGH OF THOSE HUMITAS.
THIS VIDEO IS A RATHER LONG WALKING TOUR AROUND THE AREA OF THE HOTEL WHERE WE WERE STAYING. I WAS LOOKING FOR THE BAKERY WHERE I HAVE SHOPPED A COUPLE OF TIMES ALREADY AND FOR A DESSERT PLACE CALLED GELATO MIX. I FOUND THEM AS WELL AS A COUPLE OF OTHER INTERESTING PLACES. WE CAN SEE HAPPY PANDA CHINESE RESTAURANT FROM OUR HOTEL WINDOW.
THE BAKERY IS NEXT TO THE HOTEL; PANIFICADORA AMBATO. GELATO MIX IS LOCATED ONE CITY BLOCK FURTHER DOWN AVE. 12 DE OCTUBRE. CAFÉ QUITO IS AT THE SWISSÔTEL QUITO WHICH IS ACROSS THE STREET FROM OUR HOTEL. THERE IS ALSO AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT CALLED LA BRICIOLA AT THE CORNER OF AV. ISABELLS CATÓLICA AND FRANCISCO SALAZAR. SAN HONORÉ AND MUSA RESTAURANTE ARE ALSO GOOD SOUNDING PLACES IN THEIS AREA.
OH, AND WHILE AT CAROLINA PARK, WE TRIED THE ESPUMILLA. WE DID NOT REALLY LIKE IT. THE TOP PART WAS RATHER FUNKY. THE TEXTURE IS ODD AND THE FLAVORS DID NOT STAND OUT ENOUGH TO MAKE UP FOR THE STRANGE TEXTURE. WE DID LIKE THE BOTTOM PART THAT CONSISTS OF SEVERAL TYPES OF FRUIT PIECES SOAKING IN A DELICIOUS RED SAUCE. ESPUMILLA IS A TRADITIONAL ECUADORIAN DESSERT. IT IS A FOAM, NOT AN ICE CREAM, WHICH IS WHY IT IS NOT MELTING AS VENDORS SELL IT IN THE STREETS. IT IS MERINGUE WITH EGG WHITES, SUGAR, AND PUREED FRUIT. THE FRUIT IS SOAKING IN A RED BERRY SYRUP. THAT LAST PART IS GOOD.
WE SPENT SUNDAY IN SHOPPING CENTERS AND PARKS. WE FIRST WENT TO PLAZA OF THE AMERICAS. IT IS REALLY SMALL WITH FEW SHOPPING OPTIONS. IT DOES HAVE A FEW NICE CAFES AND A LARGE CINEMA. THE PLAZA OF THE AMERICAS IS SMALL BUT COZY. IT KIND OF LOOKS LIKE A SQUARE PARK WITH SHOPS, CAFES, AND CINEMARK SURROUNDING IT. AFTER WE LEFT PLAZA DE LAS AMERICAS, WE WALKED DOWN TO PARQUE CAROLINA. WE STOPPED TO TAKE A PHOTO AT A FUNKY STATUE. I COULD NOT FIND A NAME FOR THIS STATUE OF FOUR CHILDREN SITTING ON A BENCH TALKING TO EACH OTHER. IT IS IN A TINY PARK AND MAY BE CALLED DESCANSO. WE THEN CONTINUED WALKING UNTIL WE REACHED THE VERY LARGE PARK. IT HAS A VIVARIUM HERE. IT IS A SMALL SAMPLE OF REPTILE SPECIMENS INDIGIONOUS TO ECUADOR. THERE IS A SUPERMAXI SHOPPING CENTER ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE SOUTHERN END OF CAROLINA PARK SO WE WENT THERE TO BUY COLD MEDICINE FOR RENO WHO MAY HAVE GOTTEN A HEAD COLD. WE RELAXED AT A SPECIAL PLACE CALLED REPUBLIC DE CAFÉ. THERE IS A VIDEO HERE ABOUT JUST THAT. IMMEDIATLY ON THE SOUTHERN END OF PARQUE CAROLINA IS A METRO STATION. ONCE I SAW THE STATION ENTRANCE, I DECIDED WE SHOULD TRY IT OUT. IT IS GREAT. IT IS STILL NEW AND MADE TO BE EASILY USED BY THE MOST UNITIATED PERSONS IN METRO USE. IT ALSO COSTS ONLY .45 CENTS FOR ADULTS. I AM HAPPY TO HAVE USED IT. I TOOK A VIDEO OF IT WITH MY CELL PHONE SO I MAY UPLOAD IT HERE ALTHOUGH VIDEOS FROM MY CELL PHONE COME UP SMALLER HERE. WE GOT OUT AT PARQUE EJIDO METRO STATION. AFTER TAKING A COUPLE OF PHOTOS OF WRITERS (THERE ARE MANY STATUES OF POETS AND NOVELISTS HERE), WE WAKED THE REST OF THE WAY TO THE HOTEL.