Tales From the Grave

I'm not sure why, but I've always made it a point to visit churches and cemeteries when I travel to other countries.

The Churches often reflect mankind's incredible creativity and talents. I marvel at how the master craftsmen of centuries ago constructed enduring monuments of such grandeur.

I suspect many of them could not be recreated today despite the technology and knowledge at our disposal.

Then there's the art within. The great frescos, sculptures, and gilded icons are breathtaking in their magnificence and a tribute to the artist's eye.

For me, they are truly a glimpse into a magnificent age.

And while Churches are intended as monuments to God, man cannot help but also want to erect monuments to himself.

That's why I find cemeteries fascinating.

Not only do they provide a glimpse into history, but they sometimes display the full folly of our notion of self.

That's the sense I got when I walked through the main cemetery in the city of Asuncion, Paraguay.