France

The Louvre—

May 15, 2019 /
The new juxtaposed over the old. Note the scale…the pyramid is dwarfed by the Louvre itself.  The pyramid is iconic…but only to us moderns.  The Louvre was originally a fortress, grand and solid!

How does one plan for the “once in a lifetime” adventure like visiting the Louvre, or Versailles, or Monet’s Gardens in Giverny?  Knowing that this may be your only trip to Paris, there is no guarantee that you will be able to come again.  I know once is never enough when experiencing such places.  How to make the time count?  Just know that you cannot possibly see and experience it all!  So, plan well, but leave room for that “fanciful flyte”!

The Louvre itself is impressive and thought provoking.  We walked to it from our apartment in the Latin Quarter our first night in Paris.  We got only got close enough to see it from a distance…as we were tired and hungry.  But that trip along the Seine was the best introduction to Paris at night that anyone could want.  The light glancing off the water was intoxicating!

We postponed our actual trip to the museum for another night and another day too…one trip was not enough.  Actually, two trips are not enough either but it was all we could manage.

Plotting and planning about what to see with our limited time allotment was difficult.  The building itself is daunting let alone its contents. There are the MUST Sees—The WANT to Sees—AND the fanciful flytes that take you off your plan and into that wonderful world of “AHA”.

David and I each had our list of must see pieces of art and a couple items found their way onto both lists. We had our priorities to get to and the rest was pure excess!

We had to SEE:

  • The Mona Lisa
  • The Pyramid—at night
  • The Seated Scribe
  • The Winged Victory
  • Napoleon’s Quarters

We made it through all these and more.  But what we did not see was shameful, but understandable too.  It is a well-worn truth that one can only absorb so much in a day.  Our senses need time and rest in between the bombardment from a thousand places at once.  The unique beauty of the Louvre is undeniable…but too much!  We broke our trip into two adventures and that barely scratched the surface of the artwork on display, however, we did walk the hallways and stairs of the whole public place.  It was quite the feat, given that the perimeter of the museum is at least a three mile hike…and then, there are the stairs and separate pathways to all the wings.  This really could not have been accomplished without breaking the trip into two visits.  One weekday evening and one full Saturday gave us the ability to see what we needed to and experience as much as time and energy would allow.

Our first visit was to cap off a long day of getting to know Paris.  There are many museums and gardens and sights to partake of.  We chose some and let the others go.  Bittersweet memories to be sure.  We managed our trip along the Seine to the Eiffel Tower where we could see the Arc de Triumph. Our fancy took us over the Arc de Triumph during the busy late afternoon.

Arc de Triumph looking up from the Champs Elysee Boulevard!

Our day was very busy with all sorts of wonders that included the arduous climb to the top of the Arc de Triumph.  It was hard, but once we found ourselves overlooking the Champs Elysee right at the pinnacle of rush hour traffic, we were overwhelmed by the orderly design of the city. This place did not just happen…it was planned and in an odd way it was familiar.  Oh yes, we recognize that the builders of Washington DC had some help from the French! Looking out over the boulevard, I felt like I was in a foreign film (French of course), with tourists rushing from one place to another just soaking up the atmosphere along the way.

Once down the stairs and out on the street, we tried to hail a taxi.  NONE to be secured as they were all taken (Rush Hour)!  We knew we could not walk all the way to the Louvre from there!  AND then, that fanciful notion came to us…the pedi-cab.  It was a little scary darting in and out of traffic…sometimes skipping up onto the sidewalk and then back out into the street again…BUT we made it to the museum at dusk.  Just in time to enjoy the transition from day to night at the enigmatic glass pyramid.

Inside the Louvre Pyramid at night…

  

It was somewhat atmospheric visiting this museum at night.  So happy that we made a date with the Mona Lisa for one evening after a long day of sightseeing.  Our thinking was that there would be smaller crowds on a weeknight than the hustle and bustle of a weekend afternoon.  It was a great idea as we were able to get up close and personal…this is good because the painting is actually smaller than I expected.  Instead of being 40 deep with the other viewers, we actually made it to the front with nothing but the rope and stanchions standing between us and her. The painting is beautiful and none the less because of all the stories and history that surround it.  Sometimes the objects of all that attention and research leave one disappointed with the real life article.  I was prepared for a let down.  Well, here was an “AHA” moment to top them all—-I was mesmerized and taken in by the richness of the painting.  I was and am still am impressed with that Italian person who popped up incessantly during our  French vacation, as there are references and reminders of Leonardo da Vinci all over the map.  See my blog on Chambord. Click to see link and access Chambord.

Mona Lisa

What a lovely experience it was to be in the presence of this  masterpiece, and enjoy the visual feast accompanied by the many stories and myths that surround her ladyship, Mona Lisa. 

The Seated Scribe

Not unlike the Mona Lisa, this piece of artwork is quite small. I find the smaller more detailed works to be just as exciting as the larger displays. This Egyptian artifact is lovely.

 

Winged Victory

It is impossible to miss Winged Victory as it is situated in the middle of one of the main stair landings in the museum.  The statue is inspiring in its form and spirit.  One can believe in mortal flight just by being in the presence of  this stone masterpiece!

Napoleon III Apartments

After our nocturnal visit to the Mona Lisa, we went looking for the opulent quarters of Napoleon III.  This relative of the Emperor Napoleon once lived at the Louvre…when it was more palace than fortress or museum.  The apartments which went unnoticed by the Louvre visitors for decades have been restored and offer a great representation of the design of the second empire period.

I knew nothing of this exhibit and when introduced to it thought that the apartments were once built for and occupied by Napoleon Boneparte.   Gold leaf, velvet covered furniture, ornate ceilings with gorgeous chandeliers…all constructed for the comfort and luxury of the aristocracy.  Ironically, Napoleon Bonaparte came to power during the French Revolution.  It was during this time that he was catapulted into great fame and success.  He gained enough power to proclaim himself as Emperor.  He helped bring down the monarchy only to recreate a political and social elitist strata of his own.  However in doing so, he did leave a treasure of art and design for us to enjoy even now.

 The beautiful art and presentation of the rooms was well worth the time it took to find the display.  It was a strenuous walk, but we saw much worth perusing on our way there.   

This is just a taste of what we saw in Paris and at the Louvre.  There will be more adventures to post.  Watch for Versailles and Giverny!