Eternal Resting Place, Switzerland

Tina Turner is my neighbor, sort of.  I know this because it was reported in the local paper that Turner recently wed her long-term partner at their house in the neighboring village of Küsnacht.  And she probably isn't the only 'fancy-pants' person to have lived around these parts.  During the 20th century, folk of great renown and financial resources came to CH to live.  Low taxes, gorgeous landscapes, access to stellar health care, and living in relative anonymity I would imagine, would seem to make Switzerland an ideal place to live for folk of more than modest financial means and higher-than-usual social status.  And as for 'eternal life', well, once one is here why move, really? 

I had known that Audrey Hepburn's final resting place was in Western Switzerland.  After having recently watched a bio on TV about the life and career of Coco Chanel, I now know that she, too, is buried in the same Canton as Ms. Hepburn.  In fact, many people from the arts and entertainment industry are buried in French Switzerland, and, it would seem, a majority of them are interred in Canton Vaud.

A few nights ago, I stayed up far too late watching a biopic about Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor broadcast on the BBC.  Richard lived the final year of his life in his chateau with fourth wife, Sally Hay, in Canton Geneva.  He is buried not far from his Swiss home.  I would have thought that he would have been buried in Wales, UK, but that's another story, I guess. 

A young Richard Burton

The Irish writer, James Joyce, is buried here in German Switzerland.  In fact, Joyce and I may have neighboring post codes, but, after living here already for one year, I have yet to figure out exactly where Joyce's headstone resides.  It may sound macabre, but I am fairly to keen to take a cemetery tour around Switzerland in order to visit the graves of Joyce, Burton, Chanel and Hepburn.  

Interested in visiting some of Switzerland's distinguished 'permanent settlers'?  Check out this fab, Swiss blog listing the 'who's who' of 'dearly departed' men and women of great renown from previous centuries.

Many thanks to Diccon Bewes for this list!