Pretend I packed you in my suitcase- Paris Day 5

My last day in Paris started with the most delicious crepe in the world, a unicorn journal and witnessing a mass aerobics class in the street. Back to the journal…lovely thick, creamy cotton, watercolour paper. Handmade in Paris. Its chunky and wants to be mistreated. I am just the woman for the job!

I meandered from Bastille to the Jardin des Plantes and found the Natural History Museum. I have wanted to see the Grand Parade of Evolution for years. And ….i’m still astounded.

The thing that has suck with me the most though, was way down on the bottom floor. Not part of the grand parade, but a solitary display of the narwhale. Sneaky sailors used to hunt narwhales and arrive back in Europe with tales of mystical Unicorns and sell the unusual artifacts for huge sums.

After that I meandered back to my hotel via the Menagerie. A small zoo. The ostrich was sitting with a giant clutch of eggs, the yak and hairy donkeys were cool. the wallabies and kangaroos looked bored…but they always look that way. I find zoos leave me with such a mixed bag of emotions. I do love to see the animals, but i feel sad for them, that they are not free and living in the place they love. Seeing the snow leopards pacing their cages endlessly made me feel lonely.

so i sat down and drew joggers working up a sweat in the tree lined avenues throughout the park.

This travel sketchbooking is great fun.

Lisbon is next and the workshop with Teesha and Tracey Moore!

x

Jane