All posts tagged: crystals

paris mineral expo

Mineral Expo Paris: Paris Field Trip

Destination: Mineral Expo Paris, which I have come to understand is the very popular exposition of minerals, gems, fossils and rocks, as well as a billion crystals shaped like (a) hearts, (b) angels and (c) magic wands. Spot: Espace Charenton, at Porte de Charenton, which might be the least attractive place I’ve ever been in Paris. Report: This was an amazing outing. As I have recently discussed, I am a fan of crystals. Generally, I am happy to go to Minerales do Brasil, which is a very weird, very amazing store in the 8th. This, of course, was a once-a-year opportunity to view thousands of crystals at once. I wondered if I would see enough new stuff to warrant the weird trip to this extremely weird place, and I am happy to say that I absolutely did. (See pictures below.)

a view of a translucent gemstone

Paris Spot: A Visit to the New Mineralogy Gallery in Paris

The Mineralogy Gallery at the National Museum of Natural History here has been closed for a millllllion years. But now, it is open, and that is amazing. I love the National Museum of Natural History above all and any others here. The Louvre? The Musee d’Orsay? Pass and pass. Whatevs! The natural history museum—hereafter referred to by its French acronym, the MNHN—is magic. Walk down the street at the right time, and you can look into its galleries from the sidewalk and see dinosaurs. Magic. And of course, the MNHN surrounds my absolute favorite place in Paris: the Jardin des Plantes. I love the Jardin des Plantes so much that I tried to find an apartment next to it—which of course was impossible, but I tried. It is the right first stop on anyone’s trip to Paris, unless that person is an ogre, or someone who objects terribly to loveliness and flowers and being happy.