Thursday started in the Jardin des Plantes. I thought the Paleontology museum was really cool. I have never seen so many bones in one place. Normally, I am not as interested by fossils, but this museum was particularly interesting. It was very educational to see how the bones of many species that are now extinct. It causes one to reflect on the impacts we have on species, but also how insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things considering the numerous mass extinctions that have occurred. I cannot imagine life with dinosaurs for example; I am grateful that we do not exist during the same time frame that they do. After stopping by some other museums, I went to the mosque behind the Jardin des Plantes. There I had mint tea and a pistachio pastry, both of which were very enjoyable. The building was beautiful as well. Then, I went to several art museums, including the Louvre, Musee d’Orsay, and Musee d’Orangerie. The Louvre was overwhelming, but it was neat to see Mona Lisa nonetheless. Musee d’Orsay was the best museum I have ever been to. I did not realize how many original, famous pieces were located in Paris. The museum had amazing collections, such as the Van Gogh collection. I went to Musee d’Orangerie to see the panoramic water lilies by Monet. They were beautiful paintings. Overall, I enjoyed seeing at the time periods and styles reflected in the various works of art in all of these museums. Afterwards, I stopped by Angelina’s to try the hot chocolate that Paris is famous for. It was truly rich, but enjoyable nonetheless. Then, I went shopping at Galerie Lafayette and the stores surrounding it. Naturally, I spent entirely too much money, but it was fun. I ended up having beef tartar and escargot for dinner near the Eiffel Tower and then walked over to the Eiffel Tower as the lights started to sparkle. I think I will always be mesmerized by the beauty of the Eiffel Tower. I also believe that I fell in love with Paris on this day.
