We are off on another adventure!

We landed in Paris this morning and hit the ground running! Took the train in to the city, checked in to our hotel, and went to head out. Covid requirements include having to have a QR code from the French government to get into everything. You qualify if you are vaccinated or you can apply once you are here by getting a covid test at a pharmacy. Paul and I both applied online well before coming. Paul got his code, I did not. So we headed off to a pharmacy for my test (I passed!), headed off towards our first destination (lunch!), and I had my QR code before we got there.

We had lunch right outside of the Louvre and then walked the Touleries Garden, which is a park next to the Louvre. The Touleries were started by Catherine de Medici in 1564 outside of her royal palace. They later were redesigned by Louis XiV’s gardener and opened some people of respectable families. Napoleon III later opened the gardens to the general public in 1871.  Ironically, the same year, the palace that Catherine de Medici built was burned down in protest of royal power. Her gardens still remain and they are quite beautiful. Today was a Saturday and there were lots of families out.

We had a group tour of the Louvre in the mid-afternoon. It was a whirlwind tour intended to show us the most important things in the museum. It ended at the Mona Lisa right before closing time. This was so that the line for the Mona Lisa would be shorter and we would not wait as long there. Our tour guide was great and knew a lot about the museum, French history of the site, and art history. She also was funny, so even though it was a rapid tour, it did not seem rushed. I have been to the Louvre before, but it was 40 years ago, so it was interesting to see it from an adult perspective. I have very distinct memories of seeing Winged Victory and the Mona Lisa at 10 years old. Back then, you got to go right up to the Mona Lisa, there was no glass in front, and she was an attraction, but the crowds were smaller.

Just a very brief background on the Louvre itself. The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace, which was initially built in 12th century and expanded over the centuries. The original palace/fort has been excavated and can be toured in the basement of the museum. The main buildings you see today were started in the 1500s (later greatly expanded) and were residences of the French royalty. During the French Revolution the palaces were converted into museums. The current museum has over 380,000 items and displays 35,0000 of them at a time. 

Venus de Milo: Actually Aphrodite since this is a Greek statue and Venus is the Roman version of the goddess. Likely sculpted around 150 BC.

Winged Victory of Samothrace: 2nd century BC. AKA: Nike of Samothrace. Greek goddess of victory. This is an impressive statue.

After this we made our way back to the hotel, had dinner, and crashed from jet-lag.