Paris- Day 2: Louvre of My Life Tour 2010

We woke up to the sound of rain on the roof so Brittany, Stacy, Laura, and I took our time getting out of bed our second day in Paris. We got our gear on and headed out into the streets of Paris in search of these butter cookies that Stacy's mom had heard about on The Morning Show. We found them without any problems and got a bag to share, along with some other goodies.

Parisian Goodies

We looked for a place to eat our croissants and decided to go near the Eiffel Tower for a good view. While we were there I also ended up getting a banana and nutella crepe, a new high-calorie favorite of mine. After finishing our food we realized that we had no direction and since the weather was less than ideal we decided to head for the shelter of the Louvre.

"Louvre of My Life Tour 2010"

View through the bottom of the pyramid

I was pretty excited to go to the Louvre because it seemed almost mythical to me; all the great works of art in a single building that used to be a palace. Going there was one of the best things that I did throughout my time in Paris. And to top it off, we got in for free because we are residing in the EU and under 26! And Laura got a free wheelchair, which was such a blessing considering she had been limping around Paris with a fractured foot.

Once we arrived there and got the free wheelchair we got in line for tickets, but because Laura was in a wheelchair me and her got to cut in line. I don't think being in a wheelchair really prevents you from waiting in line but it was nice nonetheless. We went upstairs and told Stacy and Brittany that we would meet them up there as well, but that didn't really happen because Laura and I were accidentally waiting in the wrong place.

We finally met up and beelined it to the Mona Lisa, which would obviously be the first stop on the tour. We got to the room it was in and, as you can imagine, there was a big crowd around it. The crowd was behind a railing that was about two meters in from of the masterpiece but that was not close enough for us. One of the security guards called to Laura and let her (and me and Brittany) in front of the railing for an up close and personal view of Mona herself. While I was as close to the Mona Lisa as I would ever get in my life I looked at it and pondered what makes it so great. I mean, it's a very nice painting, but it did not move me like some of the other pieces did. After Brittany got her picture right next to the portrait we got shooed out of the viewing area, but hey, she has an amazing picture.

Mona Lisa- Star of the Tour

After seeing that we took in some of the other Italian and European paintings, as well as the Decorative Arts room that had some crowd jewels and really ornate and beautiful pill boxes. As you might imagine it got difficult to wheel Laura through the Louvre; we went through many a secret door and handicap elevator. It was a mini adventure within the Louvre adventure and I'm glad that she got to be comfortable for a couple hours.

Our next stop on the "Louvre of My Life Tour" was the Venus de Milo. It was nice to see such a famous work of art but it was just like I imagined it. There wasn't a lot that was special about seeing it in person. The one thing that I did not even know existed was a marble sculpture of Cupid and Psyche, only the protagonists of my favorite Greek myth ever! I don't know why I love the myth so much, but my father bought me a book of it when I was young and it had absolutely stunning illustrations. Now the myth is very close to my heart. Anyway, the sculpture was one of the best things that I saw in the Louvre because I felt that it conveyed much more emotion than the Venus de Milo or the Mona Lisa, an acheivement considering it is made of marble. Honestly, I can't put in words the beauty of it.

A boy once said I looked like the Venus de Milo with arms. Very good (and accurate) line.

I seriously want to purchase it so I can look at it every day.

I guess the bookmark and magnet from the gift shop will have to do.

I went to see Cupid and Psyche alone because it would have been difficult with Laura and her wheelchair to get down there, so I met the rest of the girls in the lobby and we headed to the gift shop where I purchased a Mona Lisa and Cupid and Psyche bookmark as well as a Cupid and Psyche magnet. It was a spending spree!