The Griswald Experience: Le tour de France!

One afternoon when we had nothing to do the Fami de Stroock took the metro out of central Paris west to the Picpus* Cemetery.

We de-trained in a Parisian residential neighborhood and walked to our destination expecting to find a small rundown and empty cemetery. Instead we were greeted by a French-African girl who barely spoke English, which was fine as we barely spoke French. 

We walked through a small abbey, then an outer gate and then a pasture beneath which are buried hundreds of victims of the French Revolutionary Terror. Then we found the actual cemetery. It was filled with tombs and sarcophagi. In the northeastern corner was Lafayette's tomb.

To our surprise a few other Americans were there to pay their respects. As did we. Ourselves and our little girls each lay quarters on the general's tomb. These were not alone as others left coins, dollar bills and even jars of earth from the United States - the white circle, center left. Dollars may be seen bottom right.

We read the Hebrew Kaddish, the prayer for the dead.

Where Lafayette lies, is a little piece of the United States.

*No idea on pronunciation