A Day With A Grand Lady & Some Of Her Friends

The grand lady of the museum

Since no trip to Paris would be complete without a visit to the Louvre, we spent this past Sunday exploring this magnificent museum that houses some of the world's great masterpieces.  Our plan had been to go early and try to beat the crowds but this being the Louvre, and a weekend at that, there are always crowds so we decided to just make the best of it.  (Besides, we'd been out later than usual the night before so an early start just didn't happen!).  And much to our surprise, with the exception of a few notable exhibits, the crowds really weren't that bad. Perhaps it was because Sunday was the first beautiful sunny day in a while and most people didn't want to spend it inside.  Or maybe it is because the museum is just so large.  In either case, it all worked just fine for us as we had many exhibits to ourselves and were able to really take in and absorb as much art as we could out of all that this museum has to offer.

Intricate details all done by hand

Because the Louvre is home to Leonardo da Vinci's world famous Mona Lisa, we made visiting this painting a top priority.  Apparently so did all of the other visitors as this is where we found the crowds.  The exhibit room housing this painting was packed with camera snapping tourists flocking to see this famous painting.  (I guess you can count us among the group).  Even if the hoards of people weren't there, the painting was cordoned off in a way that prohibited a close up examination of her so we took a picture of two then moved on.  Because the museum is so large we decided that rather than try to take it all in, we would select a few exhibits to view in depth and save the others for a return visit.  (And there will be a return visit). Egyptian art is always interesting but having spent a considerable amount of time viewing it at the Kunsthistorisches during our January trip to Vienna, we decided to focus on sculptures. From Jupiter and Minerva to Venus de Milo and Aphrodite, the Louvre has them all.  Repeatedly I was amazed at the level of detail found on these sculptures.  When I remembered the times during which these pieces of work were created, I was even more impressed.  Each minute detail was chiseled by hand.  (Or as Glenn said, there was no Dremel used here).  More than once I found myself peering closely to see if the detail was really made of stone.  And it was.

As we wandered from one salon to another we noticed something beyond the grand masterpieces.  As is often the case, the museum buildings themselves are pieces of art.  The Louve's history as a palace was evident at every turn.  From sweeping stairways to grand foyers I almost found myself missing the artwork because I was absorbing the details of each room.  High, intricately painted ceilings dominated many rooms, soaring windows offered views of the manicured grounds, and arched doorways welcomed you into the next room.  And this was just on the inside of the museum.  The exterior details of the museum were just as grand as the inside.  We wandered through the former apartments of Napoleon III, just one of many royals who have called this palace home.  I couldn't decide whether or not his quarters are ostentatious, epically grand, or a bit of both.  From the forty-six person dining room table (yes, we counted) to one parlor after another, everything was draped in velvet and gilded in gold.  Impressive? Yes.  Over the top?  Even more so.  Pictures just can't do the experience justice.

I am a bit ashamed to admit that prior to my visit, I never understood what all the fuss over the Louvre was about. After all, all of the great world capitols have famous museums that house impressive masterpieces.  And many of these museums are located in impressive buildings.  But having been there, I now understand.  It is the combination of all of these factors that makes the Louvre so impressive and grand.   I now understand why this museum is on every Parisian travel itinerary and listed as a must see on travel sites.  It really is a must see.  I know I only saw a small dose of what the museum has to offer but I also know that I will be back.  Having received a small taste of what it offers how can I not return?

One of Napoleon's parlors

A glimpse out a window

Looking up a sweeping stairway

April In Paris

Paris in bloom

To celebrate our wedding anniversary, we spent this past weekend in Paris.  After spending last year's anniversary in Istanbul and realizing that we could get away for quick long weekends without Sidney, we decided that this year would be the year we went to Paris.  Neither of us had ever been and a visit to all of the grand sites of Paris was on our "before we leave Europe" bucket list.  (Little did we know that one week after we booked our tickets we would get follow on orders that would not only keep us in Europe for another three years but we'd be within a couple of hours driving time from this magnificent city.......).  Because we knew we would be able to easily go back, we decided from the onset that this trip would give us an overview of all that the city has to offer and give us an idea of what we want to return to again.  We had no set in stone agenda in mind other than to relax and enjoy ourselves.  So bags packed, off we went to Paris in April.

The first thing we discovered is that Paris in April is cold.  It is so much farther north than Albania that the warm spring weather we had been experiencing at home had yet to settle into France.  Despite the cooler than expected temperatures and rain showers our first day, the sun came out and we had a fabulous weekend exploring the city.  As an added benefit of being that much farther north, the days were long. Very long in fact.  Our first night there we were surprised to have sunlight at nine at night; in Tirana this is what we experience for a few brief weeks at the end of June.  The second thing we discovered about Paris is that it is expensive.  Perhaps the prices seemed even more inflated since we were coming from a country where an entire pizza costs you four dollars.  A single Paris meal cost us more than what we spend on groceries for an entire week in Tirana.  But it was so good, and we were on vacation after all, so we stopped looking at the prices and just enjoyed ourselves.  

So what did we do all weekend?  We played tourist of course.  We put many miles on our feet as we walked from one end of the city to the other.  And when we got tired we hopped on the Metro (I was once again reminded of how much I miss living in a place with safe and convenient public transportation).  We explored the Louvre, climbed to the top of Notre Dame Cathedral, and strolled along the Seine.  We sipped wine in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, but due to striking workers were unable to take the elevator up to the top.

Atop Notre Dame Cathedral

And this being Paris, we ate then we ate some more.  Paris is a food lovers paradise and I was not disappointed.  From buttery pastries washed down with rich cappuccinos to basic meals of bread and cheese the food did not disappoint.  We ate classic French food and I discovered what all the fuss is about rose wine.  It was a good thing that we walked as much as we did since we did a lot of eating.  Craving ethnic food that just isn't available in Albania, we ate at a Lebanese restaurant one night.  Oh my was it ever good.  And I quickly realized that despite my concerns while I still have a hard time understanding the spoken language and an even more difficult time speaking it, my ability to read French menus is pretty darn good.  There were no surprises when any of our meals arrived at the table. The most difficult part was choosing which items we wanted to eat.

Dodging traffic in front of the Arc de Triomphe

But my absolute favorite thing about Paris was the city herself.  Sure her landmarks are impressive and the food was amazing but I loved the broad boulevards, narrow cobblestone streets, and expansive parks and green space.  Not the world famous ones, but the ordinary ones.  The city greened before our eyes as we noticed the leaves popping out over the course of the weekend filling once bare branches with green.  Garden after garden of brightly colored daffodils, tulips, and other spring flowers lined the streets.  For being such a large city everything was orderly, people were well mannered and it was easy to maneuver as both a pedestrian and a motorist.  Broad sidewalks allowed for easy passage on even the busiest of streets.  We walked for miles stopping at sidewalk cafes when our feet needed a rest. We watched street performers--some good and some not so much---, sat on park benches observing the people around us, and joined other tourists in watching the light show on the Eiffel Tower.  Mostly we just absorbed everything that is Paris in the spring.  To me, that is the ultimate Parisian experience.   I can't wait to go back.

The Eiffel Tower at night