Thursday, June 15
THE LOUVRE
Our last full day in Paris and I want to cry just thinking about it. Oh, it went by so quickly. Isn’t life and the concept of time just so weird? (Visit this blog often for more brilliant philosophical insights.)
I have rather been dreading this post. I feel like I should have something profound to say after visiting the Louvre, but I don’t. I have nothing.
I have been silenced by the voices of a thousand works of art.
OK, not entirely silenced. But don’t expect anything profound. The Louvre has to speak for itself.
We had timed-entry tickets for museum opening at 9:00 a.m. On the way there, we had a lovely walk through le Jardin des Tuileries. Upon seeing one of the statues, I recognized it from a photo recently posted by one of my twitter friends. So I took one also, to show her that we had been there mere hours apart. This particular sculpture is actually a moving expression of Cain after he killed Abel.
The carousel just outside the Louvre was closed for renovations (like so many sites in France as they prepare for the upcoming Olympics). We arrived right around 9:00 a.m. and the line was quite long but it only took a few minutes to clear security and get inside.
Then, to beat the crowds which were quickly building, we headed straight to the museum’s most popular exhibit:
The Mona Lisa
Standing in front of the iconic painting felt surreal, and, in a way, transcendent – not necessarily transcendent in a spiritual sense, but in a humanistic sense. There we were, people from all over the world, jostling between each others’ shoulders for a glimpse of a 500 year old painting of a woman nobody knows. With so much separating us as individuals – from water and land, to language and tradition, to politics and religion, even time and death – I’ve come to appreciate those things that draw us together. The Mona Lisa is one of those things.
Besides my family, I didn’t know anyone else in that room, and they didn’t know me. Some of us spoke the same language. Many of us didn’t. Most of us would forget the others’ faces before we left the room. And we would likely never see each other again. But this we had in common: the Mona Lisa.
I don’t want to miss those moments. Whether I’m belting out Sweet Caroline with 40,000 fans at a Red Sox game or cheering on a high school football team with the locals, or trading friendship bracelets with strangers at a Taylor Swift concert or helping my neighbors prepare for a hurricane. Or standing in the Louvre staring at the Mona Lisa. I want to be there…really be there…when our differences fall away and for an instant, we share something, together.
That, more than anything else, is what the Mona Lisa, and even the Louvre, meant to me.
Of course, two different people also shared their open-mouthed, uncovered, projectile sneezes literally all over me (I am not exaggerating) and two days later I was sick. Not everything that transcends is welcome!
Winged Victory
When I texted a friend asking, “What are some must-sees at the Louvre?” Her immediate response was, “Winged Victory.” She was not wrong. The sculpture of the goddess Nike is, as my friend said, spectacular.
Perhaps all the more so, because she is broken. With no arms and no head she is all torso and wings, her breasts jutting forward as her wings reach back. She is power and strength about to take flight. I’ve seen some hypothetical reconstructions of the sculpture which include a head and arms. In those iterations, the force of her aspect is entirely lost.
Her facelessness frees the imagination. She can be anyone. She can be me, or you, an angel, or a goddess. She can be no one at all – a headless embodiment of whatever it is we feel when we look at her. I love this about her: that I feel something when I see her. That feeling alone is more than enough. Winged Victory indeed.
I’m just now realizing that I could dedicate an entire post to nearly every piece of art we saw. So much for being silenced!
Everything Else
My friend who sang the praises of Winged Victory also said of the Louvre, “It is overwhelming. And most of it is not very good.” This gave me a good laugh and took a lot of pressure off my visit. Somehow her honesty gave me permission to let go of expectations and view the art through my eyes and nobody else’s.
First, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that even without the art, the Louvre itself would be a worthy attraction.
One way to describe being in the Louvre is that it’s like being trapped in a giant maze, only the walls are covered in art. For hours, we walked from room to room, past painting after painting, most of which I will never remember. Doug didn’t bring his camera so that he could just enjoy the day, and we didn’t take many photos on our phones either so forgive the paltry collection:
One that I do remember well is The Wedding at Cana by Paolo Veronese. This painting with its bright colors, elaborate detail, and energetic interpretation of Jesus’ first miracle, is the largest painting in the Louvre. No wonder it captured my attention. I’m bummed that we didn’t get any photos that convey the size of the piece, but someone did and you can check it out here.
I am so thankful for technology like cameras and the internet which allow me to revisit these pieces long after I’ve left Paris…
Because the photo we took really doesn’t do it justice:
Some other highlights were:
The Crown Jewels
Not much can compare to seeing the British crown jewels, but I’ll cut France some slack because most of their crown jewels were sold off during the revolution. That said, not too shabby:
The Persian Collection – including artifacts from King Darius’ palace (where Queen Esther lived), an ancient carving of Baal, and a seven-foot-tall black stone stele inscribed with the Code of Hammurabi.
The Sculptures
More than anything else at the Louvre, the sculptures captivated us. As Jacquelyn said, we’ve seen plenty of paintings, but we had never been in the presence of so many sculptures. Room after room after room of them. From the majestic to the whimsical to the haunting and everything in between.
Cour Marly and Cour Puget
Cupid & Psyche
Zephyr and Psyche
(my personal favorite)
Cupid Presenting a Rose to a Butterfly
Venus de Milo
The Three Graces
Michelangelo’s Slaves
Some of Doug’s Pics (notice a theme?)
And Others
This Stressed Out Baby, which makes me laugh every time I see it! (officially known as “Distressed Genius”)
And finally, a rare sculpture of Apollo taking a selfie (but really there’s supposed to be a sword in his hand)
Our biggest disappointment of the day was that the Dutch painters exhibit was closed, so no Rembrandt or Vermeer. (very) Sad face.
Leaving
When we eventually decided to leave the museum sometime in the mid-afternoon, it was because we had reached our capacity for processing new information, and simply could not adequately appreciate the artwork anymore. We were good and truly overwhelmed.
Somehow getting out of the Louvre is much more complicated than getting in. The worst part is they dump you in one of my least favorite places on earth: a shopping mall. And then you have to climb seven thousand stairs to get back outside. Well, it felt like seven thousand stairs.
I should probably mention that I never had lunch. Around midday, we stopped for a quick bite at one of the museum’s several cafes, and though the others were able to get something, I couldn’t eat anything at all. (This is why I carry Babybel cheese in my purse.)
So by the time we were leaving the Louvre, I was pretty wiped out and the stairs were not my friend. I am assuming that there must be an accessible exit somewhere but we did not find it. Best of luck to you!
Doug and I did manage to snag a small box of chocolate squares at a shop in the mall, so I snacked on those while we sat on a bench in the gardens waiting for the girls to finish up in the souvenir shop. It was a beautiful day, even if a bit hot. When we noticed covered patio dining nearby I walked over and asked for a table.
Why, France, Why?
…Which brings me to one of my least favorite french traditions: restaurants closing from 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. When traveling, our family typically eats one big meal a day, usually in the late afternoon. This saves us time and money, and we avoid crowded restaurants. This is such a way of life for us, that all throughout our trip we kept making the mistake of waiting too long to eat and then finding ourselves stranded and hangry!
So no. We did not get a table at that restaurant, as they had closed for the afternoon.
NOGLU GLUTEN-FREE BAKERY & CAFE
Which was really fine because we were already planning to visit one of Jacquelyn’s favorite spots: Noglu, a gluten-free bakery and cafe. We have been eating at Noglu in New York City for many years now and we were so excited to visit their flagship location in Paris. In fact, there are only three Noglu locations in the world, two in Paris and one in NYC.
Three out of four of us had great meals at Noglu. Sadly, every single bakery item at Noglu includes cornstarch and I was unable to eat anything but a very plain salad. However, if you don’t have a corn allergy, Noglu is a great place for all sorts of pastries, sandwiches, breads, and sweets. We highly recommend eating there, whether in Paris or NYC. Though I do hope they switch to a corn alternative someday!
Can you guess the two things that NYC Noglu has that the Paris location doesn’t? Air conditioning and ice. By now we had come to expect the lack of AC. And even though the small size of the cafe and lack of windows made for an uncomfortable meal, we weren’t surprised. But no ice? This is Paris, not the outback for crying out loud. Let the people have some iced coffee!
I confess that I was feeling pretty grumpy while drinking warm water, sweating through my clothes, and watching everyone else load up on carbs, so I stepped outside to let my family enjoy their food in peace. (Don’t forget all I’d eaten all day was a Babybel cheese, some chocolate, and some lettuce.)
I really enjoyed strolling the streets and visiting some of the local shops.
My “Eiffel Tower”
After Noglu, Doug and I tried to see the Catacombs but they were all sold-out. It was something I really wanted to do, but given our full itinerary, and that the girls were not at all interested in touring underground caverns filled with human skulls, we left it for “when we have time.” That’s the danger of not purchasing tickets in advance. Oh well. The Catacombs may just be my “Eiffel Tower.”
LUXEMBOURG GARDENS
In lieu of the Catacombs, we all went to Luxembourg Gardens, which turned out to be one of the most relaxing hours of our time in Paris. The temperature was in the high 70s, low humidity, the sun was shining but we were in the shade. We chose a spot on the green, laid down and stared at the sky. Forgive us, but we didn’t even walk around the grounds; we just admired it from our spot in the grass. And it was glorious.
After the gardens, we took the metro back to our Airbnb, stopping for some photos on the bridge and then on to the grocery store.
For dinner, we ate snacks and leftovers. We did some more laundry because it would be a while before we had the opportunity again. Here we are using Google Translate to read the dryer:
And, of course, we watched the sunset and the Eiffel Tower light up for the last time.
(Next up: Disneyland Paris)
Lightning Bug 
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