J'Adore Paris!

Meocha Belle 6/6

Two days into Paris and I am in love! Yesterday everyone arrived and we split up into two groups to do a scavenger hunt of the city. My group, which consisted of myself, Mike, and Alana, were to find and explore Jardin des Plants and the Mosque. Finding our way on the map and Metro was manageable. What was found, first at the Jardin des Plants, was so beautiful that we all had to take in the scenery for a few minutes before we proceeded. The landscaping and architecture was phenomenal! After a moments time, we paid to go inside and see the greenhouse. The images were only ones you could dream of, we took lots of pictures and spent time reading the descriptions of the plants. Once we saw both sides of the greenhouse, we observed the main courtyard and rose garden. Looking at the bushes made me want to become a landscaper or gardener because of the beauty that such natural things invoked upon viewers. After we covered every inch of Jardin des Plants, myself, Mike and Alana knew that it would be a favorite reading place of ours. There were many benches and cooling trees in a quiet and inviting atmosphere that had to be taken advantage of.
On our way out and to the Mosque, we saw bikes that we wanted to ride because we were all feeling great, but unfortunately, we could not figure out how to pay for it and could not ride them. At first we could not find the right entry into the Mosque, but when we did, it was well worth the wait. The sight was euphoric and definitely spiritual, regardless of religious affiliation.
After having such a great time at Jardin des Plants and the Mosque, we decided to visit Jardin des Luxemburg and the Pantheon, to see what the other group got to experience. Jardin des Luxemburg was first and it simply blew my mind! It looked as if we were on a beach on an island somewhere. There were people, waters, sand, kids sailing their toy boats, beach chairs, a picnic area, beautiful landscaping and architecture, and so much more. I felt so calm and relaxed there and would have stayed all day if we did not have a scheduled place to be soon after. I don't think a view could get any better than Jardin des Luxemburg.
Next up was the Pantheon, and although we only got to see the outside, we also toured the University of Paris across the street. A little later we met up with everyone and went on a boat tour departing from Pont Neuf with Professor Mayes and Tye, our TA. We got to choose where we wanted to sit and I picked the bottom level. As we viewed the city on a boat, I got to see the Eiffel Tour for the first time and took amazing shots of all the landmarks we passed.
After the boat tour was over, a group of us went to a Mexican restaurant in the area and the students that were not here for the meal at Botequim, got to go then.

~Paris Noir 2010