today i decided to journey to the "jardin des plantes," home of the national natural history museum here in france. there are posters for it all over the subway and eventually they got to me... and in the process i saw my second narwal tooth (they're really long) since being here in paris.
It occured to me that when i was little, i loved going to the natural history museum at KU, and this might be compared to that (in terms of amazement/fascination) but times 100,000,000.
so i get off the subway and think:
"trees!! grass!! garden plots!! children!!"
all of the above in abundance, and despite the lack of leaves, a relief from the winter cold make me feel a bit optimistic that those leaves will be growing before i know it..
this is another look, it's pretty big, and the building at the end houses the "grande galerie d'evolution" ... which will come soon...
unexplained but cheerful whale sculpture. it might have to do with the special whale exhibit there right now. he's smiling though.
the museum itself is overwhelming and SO amazing. those are all taxidermy animals.
bugs too. so many.
(sorry this is a confusing picture. glass plus dramatic lighting)
just a couple animal pictures.... i'm sure i was more enthralled with these than they merited. i'm not sure why. but they had all sorts of interesting things. alot of info about endangered and extinct animals, a whole section on human influence on evolution, etc etc.
(this guy just looks like he's trying to sniff you)
this croc? gator? looked like he had a knot of wood on the end of his snout.
And a baleen whale skeleton, super enormous. I'm not entirely sure why i found the whole place so exciting, but it was. Dad, i think you would really like it (nature boy). i think annie and i will probably be going back, and i plan on going to the park some more when the weather welcomes me.
so that was my new experience of the day. good discoveries.
ALSO, i started making a map of places i've liked here. it's posted on the right hand side of the page under "my paris map" or something like that, if you're interested.
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2 comments:
I want to go there with you!
katie!
I hope the weather isn't keeping you down. It's been very cold and rainy here, too, the past week. This kind of weather calls for candy colored umbrellas.
i am definitely down to make lentils and artichokes with you when we get back. I have much more confidence in your abilities to make them taste wonderful =)
This natural museum looks quite fantastic. I would probably pee in my pants if I ever saw that alligator monster out in the wilderness.
I'm planning on sending you something in the mail. I'm not sure when, but be on the lookout!
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