Sunday, April 22, 2007

 

Louvre

Wearing fresh clothes, which were long lost treasures, we croissanted and cafed up for a day at the Louvre. The pyramid entrance although controversial, is just dreamy(and hot like an atrium), since it is framed in by the vast courtyard and the overwhelming U-shaped mansion. We didn't explore the entirety of the museum, but most. My personal highlights include La Presentation au Temple, Liberty guides the people, Captifs and the Mona Lisa. Leonardo da Vinci's bullet-proof piece was swarmed but with good cause. Mona Lisa is enchanting, she knows something we don't and her face is relatable and so what happens is that when looking at her, she becomes familiar. Truly, I'm so delighted to have met the woman.

From the Louvre, we ate a fantastic French lunch at a brassierie called Le Royal. I had my favourite French dish, which I'd never ordered before, called 'eggs on mayonnaise'. Yum. Just in case you didn't know, I love a few condiments very much. Of these few, mayo and mustard are included. And, "eggs on mayonnaisse" had both - which were made in house and had their own lovely texture, taste and character to them. Happy palate, happy preggy.

From le Royal, we tromped back to the entrance of the Louvre and made our way to the Garden des Tuileries. This grand channel led us to Place de la concorde and then onto Champs Elysees and le Arc de Triomphe. By the end of that big long promenade, I was just tired, albeit inspired.

I couldn't believe that in one day I'd seen the Mona Lisa, walked through the massive and legendary garden from the Louvre, or experienced the very route of the last day of le Tour de France. Paris is like that of NYC since you know so much about it before you land on the tarmac. Paris an integral part of our global identity.

Comments:
Wow, fantastic. So cool that these epic world-class spots and treasures aren't devalued by their super-fame and mass exposure. It sounds like you're able to have your own personal experience of them.
 
I must admit, the crowds at le Louvre were overwhelming. The key to coping with that is knowing it before approaching the site and just saying "forget you, this is my experience". The only joke of the crowds is when one tourist wants to hold up everyone's rhythm to take a picture of something. It's like parting the Red Sea - sorry buddy, it's just not going to happen.
 
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