Swung by my old neighborhood today. The botanical gardens are dressed up totally-insane for Christmas. The Jardin des Plantes re-uses the estates of the 18th-Century naturalist le Comte de Buffon, one of my old encyclopedia buddies. It has a big statue of Lamarck, the “creator of the theory of evolution”, featuring a panel where his daughter reassures him that “History will avenge you, father”.[1]

At night this is all lit up, perhaps because the people who designed the exhibits were, too. However, the thing that really made the trip memorable for me was the way the sign out front has been defaced.

I completely understand anyone who loves Paris for the refinement of its cuisine, the elegance of its women, or the creativity of its artists, but for me the glory of the city shall always lie in the fusion of hyper-education and pointless vulgarity exhibited by its graffiti.

(Oh, all right, if you think it will help.)

[1] I have just learned from Wikipedia that Lamarck fought in the Pomeranian War, which must have been the cutest bloodbath in history.