In fact, the more afraid of death I grow, the more I love cemeteries. They have to be old, though, and the pain far removed from them. I don't like new tombs at all, but old ones are so peaceful and beautiful.

Oddly enough I've been going the same way. I might also be reversing my ideas about cremation vs. burial...

I think what I love most in your photos is when there are statues that really express emotion, like that woman holding the wreath. The Oscar Wilde thing intrigues me too, though I can't entirely put my thoughts about it together coherently. I'm not cool with people writing in permanent pen (and yeah, that text speak... no words!), but the urge to interact physically with the monument is interesting and hints at what I think is one of the reasons we deal with death so badly in our culture: there's rarely anything physical we can do to feel connected to the dead person. Even when people don't believe in life after death, something about kissing the monument/leaving notes and flowers reminds me of sympathetic magic: "my action is meaningful and worthwhile". It almost seems like they need a separate thing that people can kiss/write on, but I wonder if that would deflect their ardour from the actual monument...