On Cemeteries

One of the most poignant memories from my first trip to Iceland was going with my mother and grandparents to a windblown cemetery; I don't recall what relative was buried there, but I remember how tall the grass was and how there didn't seem to be anything else in sight for miles. Although I've visited other cemeteries in other countries with more interesting and historical grave markers, somehow I've always thought of the ones here in Iceland as special. But then both of my grandparents got buried in a new cemetery in Reykjanes, located on the outskirts of town, with nice enough landscaping but nothing cozy about it at all. Today I drove past it and was really disappointed. This same part of town is also where they are building the new aluminum plant (Helguvík), and the dirt from the excavation is piled up directly across from the cemetery. To say Icelandic cemeteries have begun to loose their charm would perhaps be an understatement. 

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