I somehow managed to spend 5 and 1/2 hours in the Louvre this morning, and I did not come close to seeing it all! Egytian, Greece, Roman, Mesopotamian, French, Italian, Baroque, Gothic, Renaissance, etc etc...I saw A LOT!! Towards the end, though, as I was going into art overload and my legs were getting tired of my slow circling progress, I started to notice the other people in the museum. I looked to see how they traveled, whether it was straight out of a guidebook complete with fanny pack and sun bonnet, or laden with cameras, maps, guidebooks and audioguides, or simply with nothing at all. You can tell a lot about a fellow traveler by what he or she decides to carry. Camera=anxious to bring back a slew of show and tell photos, OR they love art and want to capture it for their own betterment and enjoyment (I can usually tell the difference given a few other factors); fanny pack=a conscientious traveler who takes the advice and expertise of others seriously, especially when venturing into the unknown of other cultures, places, and languages. Then of course you have the annoying tour groups and school groups, only a small portion of whom actually care about the art. Lastly, I noticed the kind of footwear my fellow Louvre visitors were wearing, and as each interesting ensemble meandered by, I could not help but wonder if their feet were killing them as much as mine. Surely my Timberlands are more suited for the floors of the Louvre than the high heels that constantly clicked by! But I got to a point that I thought everyone's feet appeared better off than mine, and that was when I decided it was time to find the closest 'Sortie' i.e. EXIT...But it was SOOO worth it.
Also ended up by the Eiffel Tower by chance, and did my tour of it at sunset, when Paris became a mesmerizing city of lights and spectacle. At the top of the hour, the Tower lit up and sparkled with the remnants of its Millenium celebration decorations for ten full minutes. Talk about a marvelous monstrosity!
Last day in Paris tomorrow...
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2 comments:
well, i can only imagine the sights you are seeing - since I haven't heard of more than a couple of them! can't wait to see photos :) school is heating up here (it was a balmy 40 degrees or so here) in more ways than one! I have lots of things to do and so little time to do them. I shall think of you at our first Colloquium on friday and miss you! keep up the posts so we know what you are up to! I love reading your musings - LOL :) Take care!
Peter Schramm mentioned your blog on NLT, and I stopped by to read. Now I seethe with envy. Most unChristian of me, but it is seventeen years since I was at the Louvre, and I also loved it.
Enjoy! And we will enjoy reading about your enjoyment.
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