The final day of my Paris trip began early. Since the Louvre was closed on Tuesdays, today was my chance to see it. I took the Metro from near my hotel to the Louvre station. I understand that the lines are shorter if you use the Quai des Tulieres side, but rounding the building would have also taken a while so I entered through the pyramid. Since I had previously purchased the Paris Museum Pass, I could bypass the ticket lines and so there was only a short wait at security before I was able to enter. I stowed my bag (since I had checked out of my hotel, I was carrying my luggage- a daypack) at the complimentary baggage check and entered the massive museum known as the Louvre.
The Louvre began life as a fortress in the 12th century under King Phillipe Augste, and under succeeding monarchs, was built, rebuilt, added on to and gradually transformed into a palace. Under Louis the XIV, the sun king, the palace and grounds were transformed to the basic look that they have today. In 1793, France decided it had had enough with the monarchy and beheaded Louis XVI and his queen, Marie Antoinette. Their former home, the Palais Royal du Louvre, became a museum of art and with the help of Napoleon and spoils of war, was transformed into the collection we see today.
The Louvre is made up of three wings of about four floors each, with minor variations here and there and depending on what is currently closed. There is a lot of art. So much art that it is difficult to take it all in. I spent six hours there and although I went into each wing, I did not see everything. I saw the highlights, La Jaconde (the Mona Lisa), the Winged Victory of Samothrace, Venus de Milo, The Oath of the Horatii, La Grande Odalisque, The Raft of the Medusa, Caravaggio’s Death of the Virgin, and so many more. I saw works by Leonardo, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Raphael, Titian, Dürer, La Tour, David, Ingres, Veronese, as well as ancient works. I spent the morning exploring the Sully and Denon wings.
By midday, I was ready for a break and headed to the cafe. I had some coffee and a sandwich and pondered the eternal question: does a sandwich cease to be a sandwich if it is made in such a way that you cannot eat it with your hands?. The food was tasty but again, overpriced. I resumed my journey refreshed.
I spent the afternoon in the Richelieu wing where there is a lovely sculpture garden, Napolean III’s apartments, objets d’art, and Northern Renaissance paintings. I found the collection of Northern Renaissance works engrossing, finding artists I had not known of before and truly enjoyed. Eventually, I made my way back to the entrance, passed through the gift shop and exited the pyramid.
By this time it was late afternoon and I needed to make my way back to Port Maillot to catch the airport shuttle, though it was not so late that I couldn’t take my time. I Walked from the Louvre through Tuileries Gardens and up to the Champs Élysées. I walked from the Obélisque up the Champs Élysées and finally caught the Metro near the Arc de Triomphe. Unfortunately, when I had left the Louvre, I packed my good camera and the photos I took with my phone did not turn out well; there was also a lot of construction going on and it was difficult to frame a decent shot of anything worth photographing.
So ended my visit to Paris.It was a thoroughly enjoyable trip and with luck I will be able to return again soon. If my budget holds, though, I will next be headed to either Sweden, Norway or Amsterdam. It all depends on fare prices.
Some advice if you are headed to Paris:
- Don’t rush when you’re in a cafe or restaurant. If you have someplace to be, let the waiter know and they should try to keep you on schedule.
- Bring water. You can find street vendors selling bottles for €1 but if you get water in a cafe, be prepare to pay for bottled water at €2-5 a pop. If you’re lucky they will serve tap water for free. I found no drinking fountains anywhere I went, so a refillable bottle may or may not be useful.
- Shop for truly unique souvenirs from the booksellers along the Seine.
- Don’t stop in the middle of the walkway to consult your map/companion/take a photo/etc. Check behind you and step to the side as if you were exiting traffic on a freeway.
- Definitely check out the light show on the Eiffel Tower from the Esplanade of the Trocadero Gardens. Tres romantique!
- Do your homework before you go. Even if you speak no French, learn the basics: hello, goodbye, thank you, please, and so forth. Get an app or a phrasebook you help you along.
- Above all, have fun.