It’s not been a typical Sunday – when I got to my new church today the regular priest wasn’t there because he had died the previous week.
A monseigneur, the good man who was clearly well liked had worked until his mid-eighties.
But then again my Dear Old Dad would have done the same.
Should you be passing through somewhere on your holidays, and like me you go to where people play and pray, then you might witness a funeral.
I did in Marrakech when I was trying to get out of the souk without being robbed blind, by a jewellery seller trying to thrust a mint tea into my mitts.
And so here is an unscientific funeral procession around the world:
The Marrakech Express
Souk life in Morocco
Morocco: The Muslim tradition is that the dead should be carried shrouded through the streets with their feet exposed.
Through a busy souk cheek-to-cheek with a Moroccan huckster… https://visitmarrakech.com.
The funeral pyre
India; Note to family and friends, I’m considering Antyasti…
Being burnt on a pyre by a river where Hindus like to put rice into the dead person’s mouth among other rituals.
Being of the Glaswegian variety, I’d ask for some chicken tikka masala in there too. Visit https://www.incredibleindia.org/content/incredible-india-v2/en.html.
Hang ’em high in the Far East
Philippines, China, Indonesia: The superstitious people of the Far East like to get a rung up on the route to heaven.
By hanging funerals to the side of hills.
They don’t say what happens when there’s a landslide or avalanche though! Visit http://www.tourism.gov.ph, https://www.discoverchina.com/article/china-tourism,
They do them well in Ireland
Ireland: And naturally there’s drink involved.
On the night before the funeral traditionally the body is laid out for the wake.
And that would mean in the front, or best, room where the deceased would be togged out in their best clothes.
And drinks would be had around them and stories told. Slainte. See www.tourismireland.com and https://www.failteireland.ie.
And for some country life see Monaghan’s country roads.
The Saints are coming in New Orleans
New Orleans: This is the way to go… with trumpet blast at a jazz funeral.
And its the way that the good people of Norleans do it.
Me, my introduction to Norleans was at the American Travel Fair, IPW, when the New Orleans convention treated us to gumbo, jambalaya and Sazeracs…. for breakfast.
My type of town… before the famous Preservation Hall Jazz Band piped us in with When The Saints Go Marching In, and we did, to the conference.
Where I think I fell asleep. But I will visit https://www.neworleans.com.
And if you like the Deep South you may want to try out my American Trilogy The Promised Land, The story of the Blues and The King of Kings.