Musee du Louvre

Before arriving at the Louvre, I expected that I would enter from the plaza above and descend through the famed glass pyramid into the lobby of the museum. However, the Metro dropped me off somewhere else and following signs, I made my way through the underground mall into the lobby. Doing so I was able to pass under the inverted glass pyramid hanging from the ceiling which was very enjoyable to look at even though I had misconceptions about it and thought it was closer to the lobby.

Anyway, upon entering the lobby I was 1000x more grateful for my museum pass than ever. The crowds were huge, unlike anything I was expecting. It was a Friday night after all. Bypassing the massive crowds waiting in line to purchase their ticket, I entered the wing that pointed to the Mona Lisa. The DaVinci painting was certainly one thing I wanted to see and I figured I'd get it, and it's crowd, out of the way before seeing the rest of the place.

What to say about the Mona Lisa? While very nice to actually see in person, it would have been nicer if I actually saw it. Because of it's high popularity and the fact that it's been stolen before, you can't get closer than 15-20 feet and even then the painting is behind glass/plastic therefore reflecting the room's lights and everyone's camera flashes so that it becomes quite obnoxious.

The Mona Lisa isn't that large to begin with, just an average portrait size, so being put back so far makes enjoying her impossible. You can't look at colors or brush strokes. You would do better looking at a copy of it on your computer or in books or even a print out for a production of Annie.

Add in the fact that I don't like crowds 99% of the time, I was definitely not impressed with the Mona Lisa's presentation (Thanks, Louvre Management). I didn't have a chance to see the Mona Lisa to actually have an opinion on that actual painting.

Directly across from the Mona Lisa was an enormous canvas taking up an entire wall of Jesus eating dinner with people. It wasn't a Last Supper depiction but it looked a little similar to those kinds. I have no memory of who painted it or what it was called. It amused me though to see how such a grand painting like this was treated so differently from the tiny Mona Lisa. I then made my way through part of the Italian painting wing which would then lead me into the Egyptian and Etruscan art. While all the paintings were outstanding, a part of the museum I thought was fascinating was how the building itself was a piece of art. Each room was perfectly arranged and designed and the carvings in the walls and ceilings were intricate and beautiful. In the first few rooms I spent almost as much time staring at the ceiling as I did the paintings.

With almost all the paintings and artwork I viewed throughout my trip, I was in unflappable awe over the detail depicted in the works. Almost all featured humans or mythical creatures doing ordinary and extraordinary things and being able to see each muscle, hair, face and distinct action was amazing. I'm not really an art lover but I was, and still am, completely fascinated by how these works were created. In some ways, these inanimate canvases portray human behavior more accurately than film or television ever could. But more on that in a later post.

Moving on from the paintings, I made my way through the Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Etruscan collections. A lot of it was the same stuff over and over again so it didn't take too much time. However, the place is so huge that even if you walked without looking it would still take time to get from one place to the other. I even passed a couple sleeping on a bench so the place really tuckers you out.

And it's also very maze-like and I was came very close to being lost at one point. I wander through all the non-painting rooms that are on the ground and first floors and almost everything I see is spectacular. The rooms that are more spread out and have these giant statues in them are outstanding and I enjoyed them a lot.


I finally make my way to what I will call the indoor sculpture garden. It's a massive, open room with large glass windows and hundreds of sculptures placed throughout it's space. There are also side rooms attached with even more glorious pieces of art. This was one of my favorite places of the museum. It was quiet and still and each sculpture was different and unique therefore making the experience of viewing each one special. So awesome!

By this point though I was getting very tired. I'd been there about 2 hours and being on my feet the last two days was beginning to take its toll. Since I'd already seen a small portion of the paintings I decided I would skip the rest of those and instead see the Medieval ruins in the basement first and then go upstairs to Napoleon's apartments before calling it a night.

The Medieval Louvre area was both boring and interesting at the same time. While I was fascinated by the fact that there were this ancient wall from a former fortress under the museum, It was very uniform and simple and therefore didn't take much time to look at. Walking through it all was very cool, but besides its size, there was nothing else to drop your jaw at. Napoleon's apartments on the other hand were the exact opposite. If I'm not mistaken, the apartments in the Louvre provide visitors with examples of how Napoleon lavishly lived while ruling France. The 5 or 6 rooms are all massive, highly decorated and overwhelming to look at. Though absolutely gorgeous there is just so much going on that even taking your time isn't enough to soak it all in. There are paintings, chandeliers, draperies, other decorative art, elaborate furniture...a lot of stuff for one tiny little man.

forget all your woes, the city of light....

By the end of my first day in Paris I had seen a LOT but there was still plenty left to see. I was never going to be able to see all of the city in the next day, so I decided to go on a night bike tour. Run by "Fat Bike Tours" (http://fatbiketours.com/paris) this 4 hours excursion takes you to many of the major sites, stops for ice cream and includes a free ticket on a boat ride up and down the Seine. In my opinion, it was well worth the 26Euro (student price).

The meeting point and time is the south leg of the Eiffel Tower at 6PM. Thankfully I knew where I was going since I'd been in that area for most of the morning and it wasn't hard to find the person holding up the big sign reading "Fat Bike Tours." I get there right at 6 and am the 4th to join the group. However, we don't begin the walk to the bike office until about 6:20 and by then a large group of about 20 or so has formed. By the time we get to the office, purchase tickets, put on reflector vests and hop on our bikes, it's close to 7.

The first place we stop is the southern end of the Champs de Mars where we get an excellent view of the lit up Eiffel Tower. Glowing yellow-orange at this moment, the tower lights up the entire area surrounding it. It's very beautiful against the pitch black sky. We then make our way east riding through St. Germain and the Latin Quarter. I had not planned to visit this area at all while in the city so I'm glad I got to see what it was like, especially since both areas are well known for having an active nightlife.

We arrive at a bridge at the back side of the Notre Dame and even though it's the back side, I still find it absolutely stunning. Except for the glimpse through the clouds while up in the Eiffel Tower this is my first view of the huge cathedral. Our guide gives us a quick but thorough history of the Cathedral as well as the history of Ile de la Cite and Ile. St. Louis (the 2 islands in the middle of the Seine; Notre Dame is on Ile de la Cite). Ile de la Cite was the first settlement site of Paris so the area is rich with history. It is on Ile St. Louis that we stop at an excellent ice cream shop. The guide claims it to be the best ice cream in Paris and it was really really delicious. They didn't have an abundance of flavors, but the chocolate I got was very rich and satisfying.

After finishing the ice cream we ride across the Ile de la Cite by the Palais de Justice, then over to Place St. Michel where we turn right and ride along the river. We cross at a footbridge across from the back end of the Lourve that is known for being overpopulated with picnicers in the summer. We then ride through the back courtyard of the Lourve and into the front area where the famous glass pyramid is. Ever since reading the first 30 pages of The DaVinci Code I knew that if I ever went to Paris the glass pyramids at the Louvre would be at the top on my sightseeing list. Needless to say, I was very excited to finally see them. Lit from below, the pyramids were as pretty as I imagined and with the fountains providing wonderful reflections, the whole place was magical. The illuminated Arc du Carousel also added to the wonderful scenery.

After gazing for a few minutes we continue along the river and arrive at the boat dock. We hop on board and join the many other tourists on the top deck. It's a little cold but I manage to survive. As we make our way up the river the boat narrates to us about what buildings are on either side of the river. It's very informative and spoken in 4 or 5 languages. We pass Notre Dame and I finally get to see it from the front. It's absolutely spectacular and I cannot wait to return tomorrow. We reach the Canal St. Martin and turn around. After this point the prolonged sitting mixes with my lack of sleep and creates a deadly cocktail of unconsciousness. I doze off and wake as we are passing the Eiffel Tower. This time the it is illuminated with a multiude of colors. Then, as the clock strikes 10, the tower sparkles. Every hour after dusk for five minutes the Eiffel Tower sparkles and it is a sight to see.

The boat ride concludes and we make our way back to the bike office. It's been an excellent night and an excellent day, but I am EXHAUSTED. I ride the train back to the hostel, take a hot shower, check my email and crawl into bed. Goodnight, Paris!