Ah, the Louvre. Arguably the greatest collection of art in the world, this mammoth museum houses some of the most recognizable of Europe�s creation. Colleen had been looking forward to this stop ever since we first talked of taking this trip. She had dreamed about the experience, she had talked about it, and yesterday she saw it for the first time. We were both blown away by the experience.
Of course, the main attraction at the Louvre has to be the Mona Lisa. Surrounded by tourists pushing closer and closer to get a picture, she smiles ever so slightly as if looking at us through age-old eyes and understanding something about the nature of man. She is every bit as amazing in person as she is in a book or projected on the screen in a college Art History 101 class. I was expecting something completely different, however. I had been told many times that the painting, while many imagine it to be quite large, is actually pretty small and hard to see, so I was picturing something about a foot tall or smaller. Not the case. She is big enough for all to see, but small enough to avoid exaggeration. I guess she�s just right.
As I stood looking at the painting, I could hear numerous voices poking through the low tumult of conversation. Some were retelling the mystical happenings of the DaVinci Code, while others were telling the story of her smile. Of course, I couldn�t help noticing the teenagers in the middle of the crowd facing away from the painting and talking to each other. It takes all kinds, I suppose.
We were both surprised that the museum allows visitors to take photos. Something may have changed since I first started traveling, but I was under the impression that camera flashes age paintings much faster than direct sunlight. This would mean that the great masterpieces of the world are in danger of being eroded away so that millions upon millions of tourists could have a picture in their albums that they would (for the most part) never look at again. At the most, they will flip through the album every so often and say something like, �Oh, that�s the Mona Lisa,� and move on to the next page. Is it worth the sacrifice? I certainly don�t think so, but the official stance of the Louvre is that flash photography is �strongly discouraged.� Moreover, it�s not even slightly discouraged by the guards working on the museum floor. Even Mona Lisa was unabashedly attacked by hundreds of flashbulbs during our brief visit. Maybe they have found some new information, but we were both (Colleen especially) getting pretty upset at the flashes that illuminated the halls.
And while I�m ranting, I have to admit that there�s something else I don�t get: the practice of standing in front of a painting and getting a picture. David�s famous painting of Napoleon�s coronation seemed to be the most popular spot. People from all over the world stood in front of the immense masterpiece (the largest canvas in the Louvre, I understand) and smiled as friends and family members took their pictures. Now, isn�t the point of seeing a painting to admire its beauty, use of color, and artistic depiction of the subject matter? I had always thought so. Granted, I don�t think I have ever seen this happen before in any art museum I can remember, so maybe I was audience to a twisted bandwagon of tourists who saw someone else do it and thought it looked like a good idea.
Well, enough of that for now. We spent about five hours in the Louvre before heading back to our neighborhood and grabbing a nice dinner at a local restaurant (did I mention how late we�ve gotten up the last couple days?) We had another superb meal. A quick word here. French restaurants have set menus they post in the window. They usually consist of three courses and offer a choice of dishes for each course. They also have an a la carte menu that works like restaurants in the US. My advice is to always choose the set dinners. They cost much less than ordering a la carte, and it provides the tempo of a real French dining experience. It also gives people the chance to try things they have never tried before � I had my first taste of escargot (OK, six tastes) ever the other night. It adds a little adventure to the dining experience.
So that�s about it for now. We are taking off for nearby Versailles this morning � the site of the beginning of every major conflict of the 20th century after 1919 and the home of French kings at the height of their power. I�ll tell you all about it tomorrow.
Take care,
Paul and Colleen
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