The Louvre

You can’t go to Paris without seeing the Louvre. It is the largest art museum in the world, displaying some of the most distinguished pieces throughout history. Before stepping foot into the glass pyramid, Dave and I made a game plan of which exhibits we wanted to see to avoid getting overwhelmed on our first visit. We started the day at Angelina where we fueled up with croissants, hot chocolate, and a Paris Brest almost too pretty to eat.

We made a beeline to one of the museum’s most acclaimed pieces, the Mona Lisa. We weren’t the only ones who had her at the top of our list; a small crowd was already forming, and the doors had only been open for fifteen minutes!

In three hours we saw other prestigious pieces like the marble sculptures of the Winged Victory of Samothrace and Venus de Milo. In the basement, remnants of the original 12^th century fortress walls were still intact. The extravagant crown jewels once worn by French royalty provided a glimpse into another era. And even after all of this, it still felt like we only scratched the surface of the Louvre.

After working up quite an appetite, it was time for lunch. Through the black and white columns of the Jardin Royal, we grabbed the last two barstools in Ellsworth – where we had unbelievable fried chicken. Leave it to us to come to the country of cheese & baguettes, and find classic southern food!

Tucked away in the Tuileries Garden is Musée de l’Orangerie, where Monet’s beloved water lilies are on display. Unlike the Louvre, this museum offered a more intimate experience. The oval rooms wrapped around visitors, immersing them in the delicate watercolors of each painting.

We returned to our hotel to rest and freshen up before heading back out for dinner. In the evening, when the Louvre is closed and the lines of tourists have dispersed, you see a completely different side of the courtyard and gardens. It was more relaxed and tranquil. In the soft light of the setting sun, we felt like locals simply admiring how great of a city Paris is.

Although we were in France, we enjoyed an Italian meal at LouLou. For starters, we shared a green bean salad. For entrées, Dave had pasta with summer truffles, and I had pea ravioli with mint and lemon.

We decided to walk off our dinner by searching for dessert. Our favorite thing to do throughout our trip was to aimlessly wander the streets of Paris. We traveled to Saint-Germain, and took an indirect route to the Breizh Café, one of the city’s top crêperies. We sat outside with our banana-caramel and chocolate crepes, soaking in the scenery and reflecting on our incredible day.