From Jacaranda Blossoms to Tomb Fairies🏺💜⚓

Urn Symbolism, Lisbon Cemetery Adventures, and Ancient Sardinian Folklore

Glorious purple jacarandas were blooming when we visited Gisela Monteiro in Lisbon, Portugal (photo © Larry Snider)

Howdy friends!

The Mediterranean cruise has come and gone, but Larry and I are still traveling.

One of the highlights was spending a wonderful day in Lisbon with my talented taphophile pal Gisela Monteiro.

It’s always a joy to reconnect with Gisela, and I came away with plenty of new ideas, discoveries, and rabbit holes to explore. I’ll share more about our fun day together in a future post.

The cruise carried us from one ancient city to the next. Every port seemed to reveal another layer of fascinating cemetery history.

Along the way, I explored the historic English Cemetery in Málaga (which has surprisingly macabre origins!), visited a cavernous crypt beneath Cádiz that sits below sea level, and wandered through Olbia, Sardinia, where I learned about the mysterious Janas—fairy-like beings associated with ancient tombs and burial places.

Tomb fairies?!? Yeah, I definitely need to learn more about those!

In the meantime, here’s what I’ve got for you in this newsletter:

📌 In This Newsletter

• Cemetery Symbolism: Urns
• BADFW Update
• Follow My Travels

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Elegant urn surrounded by jacaranda blossoms in Lisbon’s “Cemetery of Pleasures.” (photo © Tui Snider)

🏺 Cemetery Symbolism: Urns

My latest article for American Cemetery & Cremation explores one of the most enduring funerary symbols of all: the urn.

From ancient Greece to Victorian cemeteries, urns have long symbolized remembrance, mourning, memory, and the soul’s journey. It’s one of those cemetery symbols that most people recognize, but few realize how much history is packed into its shape.

Sadly, European internet regulations prevent me from viewing the finished article while I’m abroad, so I’ll see it for the first time once we get home.

(However, my editor, Tom, described the piece as “sensational,” which certainly made my day!)

👉 Read the American Cemetery article here: Cemetery Shapes: What Do Urns Symbolize?

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📘 BADFW Update

Meanwhile back in Texas my brand new book, Buried America: Dallas–Fort Worth, continues to find new readers.

I was thrilled when the book received its very first Amazon review, and even more surprised that I’ve somehow managed to book three more speaking engagements for this fall while traveling overseas!

When I get home, I’ll update my events page with the newest talks, but here’s what I’ve got so far: 👉 Fall 2026—Upcoming talks, tours & events

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Lisbon’s historic Dos Prazeres Cemetery was laden with purple jacaranda blossoms this visit. (photo © Tui Snider)

📸 Follow my travels

If you’d like to wander along with me between newsletters, I share photos, cemetery discoveries, travel notes, and the occasional oddity from the road:

• Facebook: Tui Snider
• Instagram: Tui Snider
• Substack Notes: Tui Snider
• NEW: Patreon Quips (I don’t know how to link to these!)

That’s all for now! See you in July. ~Tui 💜🪦🤠