Love for The Louvre
The day has come. Our visit to The Louvre.
Having heard the museum is massive and over crowded we had decided to book a small group guided tour that included both The Louvre and Musée d’Orsay. They advertised 6-10 people and had the best reviews we could find. So boy were we thrilled when we ended up being the only two people on the 6 hour tour! That’s right, we got a private tour and had the most amazing, passionate and informed Croatian man as our guide.
And our trip was oh so memorable. Mato, our guide reminded us exactly why we love museums when we know the history and significance behind each piece. The best guides tell a story and that is exactly what we were treated too. We got to hear about how the school of line and the school of color clashed and how the best artists were always pushing boundaries. We saw great sculptures and paintings and fell in love with Michelangelo and Raphael all over again.
The collection was massive and we were so happy to have a guide to lead us through it. The crowds were also a bit overwhelming, no where so much as in front of La Joconde.
This is the real name for the painting we know as Mona Lisa and Mato insisted we learn to call her by her real name. The mass of people and multiple barriers in front of her definitely took away from the experience much in the same way they did at the Sistine Chapel. But Mato reminded us of why she was so remarkable and it was fun having her stare you down, even as you drifted through each corner of the room.
For me the highlight was The Winged Victory of Samothrace. It is one of only a few original marble statues from the Hellenic era, coming in at well over 2,000 years old it was truly a marvel to look up at.
Next up was d’Orsay where we were walked through the transformation from classical academy style paintings through to the impressionist era. I love seeing a topic, any topic really, through the eyes of someone truly passionate as it enhances the experience tenfold. I find myself loving something, whatever it is, through them and can’t help but get swept away in it.
So our much anticipated day in Paris could not have gone better. We even got free tickets to cruise the Seine to round out the evening. Tomorrow is another big bucket list item of Tommy’s as we head out to Versailles!