Nature's NurtureThe cemetery of St. Marx
was closed 135 years ago, in 1874,
yet to this day in mid-April
the hundreds of lilac bushes lining its walkways
and leaning over gravestones and memorials
turn this quiet place alive with a chorus of colours,
showering it in shades of lavender.
Walking along its paths,stepping from the warm bright light of the midday sun
into the cool shade of lilac bushes and chestnut trees,
breathing air filled with the heavy scent of lilac blossoms,
fills my soul with peace and gratefulness about being alive.
I have visited St. Marxin late fall and winter,
when gardeners were trimming the lilac bushes.
The resources are scarce,
yet - incredibly - access to this heaven
is free, open to Viennese and visitors alike.
Many visitorscome here to visit the Mozart memorial,
erected where his earthly remains were most likely
buried. The exact location is not known, though.
Photographed on the morning of 23 April 2011
Images and Text © by Merisi
Repost
Lovely. So lush and colourful and peaceful. I feel the warmth emanating from the photos. My favourite is the third one, with someone's feet sticking out from behind the lilac bush on the left, and the women sitting and enjoying a chat...or a time of companionable silence...in the distance. It must smell delectable as well, to walk through this lilac grove. Our lilacs are still about a month away from blooming so it's heartening to have this little preview of what's to come.
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter, Merisi!
I absolutely adore St. Marx cemetery. So peaceful.
ReplyDeleteMerisi, aren't lilacs marvelous?
ReplyDeleteIt will be quite a while before Central Park's Lilac Walk, just to the north of the Sheep's Meadow, will be in bloom, yet ... yesterday I passed by some lilacs for sale at a corner market, and could not resist bending my head to have a glorious sniff of that fragrance.
Sublime.
xo
Louciao,
ReplyDeleteit is an incredibly peaceful place, with
heady lilac fragrance is wafting all over,
heavenly smells.
SK Waller,
I agree!
Frances,
a bouquet of lilacs graces our Easter table.
I laid the table last night and when I entered the room this morning, it was filled with lilac fragrance.
A Happy Easter to all of you,
Merisi
Absolutely stunning.
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter Merisi!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post - I like the way you have adjusted the colour of your heading to match the flieder :-)
I love Lilacs in the spring, I wish they could last all season~
ReplyDeleteBeautiful lilacs !!! I like very much their fragrance !!!!!
ReplyDeleteHappy spring time !!!!!!!!
Merisi, I've forgotten, is this the same cemetery as the Zentralfriedhof? I remember going there and enjoying the beautiful trees and amazing peace. This place looks marvellous. I can almost smell those lilacs.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for the kind comments! :-)
ReplyDeleteSparrow,
no, this is a different cemetery.
It is in the Third District, a five minute's drive from the Belvedere and much smaller than the Zentralfriedhof.
Love in the Time of Lilacs...
ReplyDeleteLovely
When I was a kid my mom had lilac bushes lining the yard on both sides. I miss that lovely smell every spring. We can't grow lilacs in the climate I live in, but we do grow night blooming jasmine. It's almost too sweet when I walk the dogs in the evening.
ReplyDeletevery nice and relaxing
ReplyDeleteMNoëlle
I love cemeteries. They're always so peaceful to wander through, and I love the link to the past they provide. They also tend to be fantastic places to photograph, and are usually green and full of life with trees and flowers everywhere. Beautiful photos, as always!
ReplyDeleteMine are just now getting ready to bloom! Thanks for the preview of things to come!
ReplyDeleteMust be the time for lilacs. Have just come from another 'lilac' blog in a totally different part of the world.
ReplyDelete