7/8/2023 The Great Sphinx and the Mona Lisa

This fine morning we woke up and spent the day near the Louvre. We had a walking tour that was pretty epic. Our tour guide lead us through the gardens and surrounding neighborhood providing all sorts of fun and historical facts. Paula, our guide, was an aspiring actress and she did everything she could to make our tour as enjoyable as possible. She did NOT talk the entire time like our guide in the Netherlands. She made it personal, speaking with each individual group as we walked from spot to spot. And, she had just visited San Diego for the very first time which was a nice touch.

After the tour, we got about as close as you could to going inside the Louvre without actually seeing any artwork. We found a Starbucks, had Thai food for lunch, and honestly spent a couple hours catching up on everything else. We decided four nights in Paris was not enough, and that we should extend our trip for a week in total, one of our best decisions so far.

Then it was time. We bucked up the courage to fight the crowds in the Louvre, and we entered through the subterranean entrance. We decided there were four must-sees: The Great Sphinx of Tanis, the Code of Hammurabi, the Winged Bulls of Khorsabad, and the room dedicated to Michelangelos work. We raced through the museum and saw just about everything you could possibly see in two hours or less. We made it to the Winged Victory if Samothrace, Venus de Milo, Sarcaphogus of the Spouses, Diana of Gabbi, Mary Magdalene by Gregory Erhart, and Psyche and Cupid. And if all of this is gibberish, yet somewhat amusing, here’s a great website that speaks to the masterpieces held in the Louvre. Reading this article might save you a day in Paris. https://www.artnews.com/list/art-news/artists/louvre-museum-paris-what-paintings-art-1234653787/

We also did see the Mona Lisa. We intentionally tried to avoid it because of the crowds. But at one point we got so close we had to give it a glance. It’s very neat, but we had much more fun trying to avoid it and giggling at the crowds flocking towards.

It was HOT outside when we finished. We were museum-exhausted and needed an ice cream, quick. Fortunately, the gardens outside had our first favorite (of many) dairy-free gelato. The perfect reprieve and our day was complete. Between the tour, lunch, and walking through the gardens, we spent about 6 hours outside the Louvre compared to just under 2 inside. Perfect if you ask me.

~ J