It was Museum Day and we headed off with coffee and water ready to tackle the Louvre first. We ran into a little issue as the line was a bit longer than expected and we needed to use the restroom. We were not inside the museum yet and the only one close was a pay-to-use, so we paid. The upside was they had a cool display of colored toilet paper in the waiting area, with lots of signs saying don't touch (I assumed that only applied to the ones on the wall).
The Louvre was as amazing as we remembered it, both inside and out. We walked the courtyard and took a few pictures and laughed at the 100s of people taking the "look, I am holding up the pyramid picture" while their partners barked instructions of where to hold their hand and arm.
Once inside, we got in line to see the Mona Lisa, but bailed when we saw the line in the room to actually to see it. We had already queued up for about 30 minutes in the halls and were tired of the tour groups squishing us or poking us in the back of the head with their selfie-sticks. Because we'd seen it the first time we were in Paris and didn't have to wait to get up close that time, missing it (or seeing it from afar) was fine with us. The funny thing was the rest of the Louvre was not super crowded because everyone was lined up to take their picture with Mona.
If any of you are fans of The Simpsons, you might remember that in Season 6, Episode 12, there is the coveted Gummy Venus de Milo. I found one in the gift shop but decided not to buy it; but would at least throw out the reference. By the 10th time I mimicked Homer saying, "Gummy Venus de Milo" Rebecca quickly joined one of the tour groups and pretended she didn't know me.
I love statues and have always been impressed how intricate their designs are. I am skilled at destroying things with a hammer and chainsaw and so I am always amazed how people could create such works of art out of stone, with such detail.
The same applies to the paintings. Some of the paintings looked as real as a photograph with detail that seemed impossible to create. The security guards were not too pleased when I kept reaching out to try to feel the paintings; they looked 3D! I can do paint by numbers and finger painting like an expert but this was way out of my league.
The weather was fantastic so we decided to head out and do some walking. Like we needed any more. The day before our feet swelled to the size of small cooked turkeys due to walking 20k steps and did I mention the 91 stairs up to our apartment? At one point we simply had to sit down and rest which caused a flock of pigeons (not seagulls) to land on us and make nests in our hair. We were so tired we just left them there until we were ready to move on.
We next toured the Opera House; it was above opulent. Gold everywhere, velvet chairs, and marble as far as the eye could see. We were lucky enough to be able to sit in the chairs to see what it was like to be in the audience. After a few minutes of me snoring, Rebecca politely jabbed me in the ribs to wake me up which caused me to jump out of the chair with a scream. The rest of the tour and our guide all looked at me like I was on fire and Rebecca said she didn't know me and quickly moved seats.
We had to make a short stop on the way back to our apartment for a Macaron. This is the same cookie I always mispronounce and call it a Macaroon, which I guess is made of coconut - which is like kryptonite to me. They taste nothing like a nut or something made out of coco, so, I refuse to eat the slimy, chewy, white stuff. Anyways, Rebecca got a Macaron the size of tennis ball and was happy as could be. I personally don't care for these (or Macaroons) as the cookie part feels like someone took sugar, melted it with fire, and then molded it into a flat thing of half-gelatinous goo and half-playdoh. I went for something that looked like a baguette but with chocolate chips in it: Bread + Chocolate = Good!
To close the day out, we walked past this art on a wall and took a picture. We have an identical photo we took two years ago with a very similar drawing - must be fate.
What I learned today - Two things - 1)Anytime I do something embarrassing, Rebecca pretends not to know me 2)Artists are amazing. The skill some people have to see something and then translate it to canvas, marble, or wood is an ability I wish I had.
What I appreciated about the day - Being in a museum for more than 30 minutes and not hearing your kids beg to leave or complain that it all looks the same and it is time to head to the gift shop. Strolling and looking at art is very peaceful.
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