WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14
It was Louvre day. But first, and perhaps of equal importance, vegan bakery. Passing the Gare L’est, we walked parallel to St. Denis through neighborhoods busy with life and animated people, gesturing, laughing, conversing in restaurants and sidewalk cafes. Lines of people waiting for takeaway food or to get into restaurants blocked the sidewalks. The street was abuzz with energy, and style – as only the Parisian have it, manicured, classic, elegant. A line had also formed at the bakery, Laelo ( sadly now permanently closed). It was very popular.
VEGAN BAKERY – YUM
Chloe bought a croissant, an almond croissant, a palmerierre, and carrot cake. That was like a week of sunshine for her. Happy, happy.
We decided to walk to the Louvre, the bright sunshine just too enticing to abandon for the subway. We stopped for lunch at a burger place, fancy French burgers, and a salad for Chloe, and somehow found our way to an old, enchanting, Alice-in Wonderland-like enclosed gallery with everything imaginable inside from antique books, tiny ateliers with the artists working away inside, little restaurants and shops, watch shops, a children’s book store and a tiny hole in the wall with Little Prince paraphernalia where we bought a Little Prince magnet.
MORE SUNSHINE AND FUN
The massive city library, the old, clunky Bourse and the Bibliotech were on the way to the Palais Royale Garden, which we arrived at by happenstance, our route uncharted but perfect. The dirt and pebble path, wide so people could be seen strolling, surrounded the green space and fountains like a sandwich. As in the Tuileries the day before, a round pond and fountain was surrounded by chairs pulled to the pool’s rim. Sun worships formed front and back rows around it. Some read the news, others simply shut their eyes and soaked in the heat. Amongst the fallen leaves, flowers bloomed, the grass was freshly cut.
We found two chairs, not front row, and not lounge style as all of those were taken, and like the others, shut our eyes to feel the sun and listen to the fountain in the protection of the massive columns and walls of the Palais Royale that protects the interior garden.
Before exiting the courtyard we passed by a playground of black-and-white podiums of various heights. Mothers and children chased each other around them. One couple posed for their photos atop a pillar. A man dropped a magnet on string through a grate between the ground tiles, fishing for coins below. One man was creepily photographing strangers. Chloe climbed atop one podium for her photo.
When we exited the pillar playground, we just happened to be at the Louvre.
LOUVRE, EVERYTHING WE EXPECTED AND BETTER
No line, early afternoon and November. The perfect time for a visit. We bought tickets, put things in a free locker, and sat down to plan our approach. I was nervous that we would be exhausted as that was my past experience in the Louvre. Strategy was key. We swept through enough of the second floor to experience the Palace aspect of the Louvre, then headed down a flight of gorgeous marble stairs in pursuit of the Mona Lisa, passing The Winged Victory of Samothrace, the most beautiful winged goddess ever from 2nd century Greece.
She stands as a testament to why some art retains its prominence forever, forever. I doubt any person from any culture at any time would not see her exquisite perfection. Her power and beauty have a way of penetrating the soul, touching the heart. She stands/flies under a high ceiling on the grand staircase, the long winding stairs leading up and down to her base, the bow of a boat. A wind blows through the vast white marble space across her wings and skirt.
MONA LISA
In route to the Mona Lisa, we walked along a hall of Italian paintings from delicate Botticelli frescoes to da Vinci’s and other masters, and turned into the Mona Lisa’s room. Yes, there was a crowd, but not so many that we weren’t soon in the front, staring at her staring and smirking back at us. No disappointment at all.
Davy, the guide from the day befoer, told us Leonardo De Vinci’s Mona Lisa lives under thick, bulletproof glass, has her own wall, is guarded by four guards, and viewed my multitudes who must remain behind a cordoned off area for a strange reason. There is no question she is amazing, and eerily lifelike, but her fame came by chance. A guard who worked at the Louvre took her off the wall after the museum had closed and walked away with her one day. In other words, she was stolen. It was a disaster for the Louvre when two days later another guard noticed the painting was missing. Paintings don’t just go missing at the Louvre. It was a huge embarrassment.
Previous to the theft, the Mona Lisa had not been a main attraction, but after her unusual disappearance, pamphlets were printed with her image and circulated, in hopes someone would know where she was. Her image went viral, which raised her popularity but didn’t help find her. After two years, the guard who stole her tried to sell her in Italy. The potential buyer turned him in, he was arrested and she went home to the Louvre– Like Madonna after her Blond Ambition tour. The guard/thief argued that he was merely returning the Mona Lisa to her country of origin, where she belonged. His argument seemed sound to the judge and he was imprisoned for only six months.
THEN MORE, BUT NOT TOO MUCH
Satisfied we headed for “The Last Supper,” then down to Roman sculptures on the floor below, and near Eastern and Greek art below that. We spent about four hours in total inside the museum, the perfect amount, not too much, not too little.
St. Denis, the street we walked back to the apartment, is multicultural and lively. People called to one another across the street, popping on and off the sidewalk, crossing the street to greet friends. Home late. Chloe gets a message from her modelling agent in Vancouver that two agencies are interested.
