Paris! Part Trois.

(sorry, having computer issues, so no pictures with this post, they're all on Facebook though)
Monday. So we both slept fantastic the night after touring Versailles, however, I woke up Monday morning with an incredibly soar left foot. It ached and hurt, but decided I'd just take it as easy as I could that day and deal with it. Never mind I had planned on spending the day at the Louvre, not walking was not an option. Because Carlo only had half a day at the museum because of a business meeting in the afternoon, we left our hotel somewhat early in order to get as much in as we could. He was most interested in seeing the earlier works there- the Mesopotamia, Roman and Greek exhibits over the rest, so that is where we started.

Side note. Now, as with the Palace of Versailles, I am having a hard time putting into words a correct description of the museum for those who have not been. The building in and of itself could be a museum based off all the decor, high ceilings, long corridors, frescoes, wood work, marble staircases, gorgeous floors, etc. The building is also huge-gigantic really. When you think you must be getting to the end of a 'wing', it just keeps going and there's rooms off of rooms.

So back to the art. The first half of the day was interesting looking at some of the oldest known art from distant cultures, some of which nothing is known of. It's a trip to look at a sculpture that is 6000 years old, from a civilization we know nothing about, other then a few pieces of art and a handful of clay pots and vases. We both decided at one point that we had seen enough pots and moved through some of the rooms a little quicker. We also visited the Egyptian rooms, and then the Royal Apartments of Napoleon III. The apartments were even more grand then those at Versailles, so we concluded the overspending and opulent lifestyles of the royals did not die with the beheadings of  Marie Antoinette.

Stopped for lunch in the cafe there to save on time. I had a quiche lorraine and Carlo had a croque misure sandwich, of course followed by some more macaroons. After lunch I kissed by husband goodbye and wished him well with his meeting before heading back into the exhibits. By this point I was starting to limp and my foot was hurting really bad. I decided to take it at my own pace, which consisted of me going into a room, sitting on the seats they have in the middle, pivoting around to look at all the different paintings in the room, and then moving onto the next room to start the process all over. I wasn't going to let a bum foot get in the way of my Louvre experience! Started with some Dutch, German, and French paintings before making my way over to the Italian wing. Had a lovely time really taking in all the art and trying not to miss a speck of it! Saw one room attendant sleeping and another one farted! Laughed to myself and kept walking.

Here's where I get on my soapbox for a minute. Now, I know the Louvre is wonderful and a fantastic place to go look at and appreciate art, but I think it's become almost too much of a tourist destination. It wasn't even that they had anything cheezy, it was more a fact that it was so crowded, and the masses seemed to have cared less about art- they were just there to get their pictures taken in front of the couple most popular things there (ex. Mona Lisa), and overall just being disrespectful to the other visitors there, and in my opinion, the artists themselves that had painted their hearts and souls on a canvas for others to view. I couldn't even count how many times I got body checked and shoved, and the volume people choose to speak was way too loud for the venue. Also, why would you bring small children (4 and under) to a place like that? Of course they're going to get bored and act up, they can't be quiet and still for hours on end!!! We also noticed people walking around video taping the art and not even really taking it in in person and found this very odd. You're there, why not enjoy it? I barely even saw the Mona Lisa because of the hordes of people gathered around, and really decided there was plenty of other fantastic art to look at. Also, would it kill the museum to add English to the signs? I know it's France, and they speak French, but English really is the common language of everyone that doesn't speak French (other Europeans, Asians, Americans.....). Just sayin!

Okay, off my soapbox. (Sorry, couldn't help myself). So after 9hours of walking around the museum, I decided I couldn't take the pain any more, and since I had seen all but four exhibits, I would go ahead and head back to the hotel to clean up and wait for Carlo. This was the most excruciatingly painful journey back to the hotel. It was easy enough, just hop on the metro at the Louvre, switch trains and I'd be home, but the last block and a half almost did me in. I even thought about just sitting on a bench half a block from the hotel because I was almost convinced I wouldn't make it. By this time I had a serious limp, and as soon as I got into the room actually shed a couple of tears in private. Spent about an hour and a half sitting in bed watching the unfoldings of IMF's Dominique Strauss-Kahn fiasco unfold before Carlo got back. The fantastic husband he is brought me a bandage wrap for my foot before we headed out to eat. Went/tried to find the Latin district for dinner, but in a failed attempt, ended up at a creperie for dinner, which was just as good. Headed back to the hotel and turned in for the night.

Tuesday morning Carlo had another business meeting, so I decided to sleep in a little and take it easy in the morning to stay off my foot as long as possible before exploring a little more and then heading to the airport later that afternoon. Planned to head to the Musee d'Orsay, so I was happy when Carlo called and said he was done early and would meet me there. We were smart and had bought my ticket the day before, but because we thought Carlo would be in meetings, we failed to get him one. Upon reaching the Orsay, it quickly became apparent that because the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays, everyone had come there instead and there was no way Carlo was going to get a ticket without waiting in a line for a considerable amount to time. We scrapped the idea and instead went to a nearby cafe and had lunch before walking along the river and visiting the islands one last time. Had one last beer while people watching and listening to another accordion (one of the few street performers I will dig into my purse for because they really do add to the ambiance), and then headed back to the hotel to grab our bags where we made a quick pit stop to see the Eiffel Tower one last time and then headed to the airport.

All in all, it was an incredible trip, and if you haven't been to Paris, it's worth a trip. It definitely lived up to all its splendor and romance, and some of its stereotypes too. Prices, we thought, were in line with much of Europe including Milan, and you can find less expensive places to eat. I will have to say though that speaking English is not a priority or even really that normal, so a small pocket language guide is a must! Hope you all enjoyed!