The Louvre and The Grand Colbert

Day three was one of my favorite parts of the entire trip. We began by visiting the Louvre, which is so much larger than I ever imagined it. The size of it alone is jaw-dropping, but when you combine the beauty of the architecture and the charm of the history, there is no experience that can compare. As we entered the giant glass pyramid (familiar to many because of the Dan Brown adventure), the immensity grew even more because not only is the Louvre extensive and three stories tall, it goes far underground as well. There’s even a portion where you can walk through the original foundation of the building.

                As a group, we decided to visit the Mona Lisa, which is one of the most famous pieces in the museum. Walking through the museum was incredible, and I nearly broke my neck gaping at all of the ornate, gold-leafed, carved and painted ceilings. Although the room where Mona was located was rather large, it was packed from wall to wall with people. I fought the crowd to get a good look at her, and the painting is actually kind of small and worn. It was more about the experience, however, which no one will ever be able to take from me.

                After that, the group split up, and we had to pick and choose which exhibits we wanted to see most since it would months to see everything that the Louvre has to offer. We saw Egyptian pieces, the Seated Scribe, the Code of Hammurabi, Venus de Milo, and a lot of other really cool things. Keep in mind that this is all throughout a huge, beautiful mansion filled with something interesting to look at e very way you turn.

                My favorite exhibit that we saw was Napoleon’s apartments. This portion, the actual rooms he lived in and floors that he walked on, was so grand and unlike anything I will ever be able to step foot into again. Some of the features were a formal dining room, Napoleon’s bedroom with his actual bed (very small), and original furniture and knickknacks such as jewelry and chandeliers.

                That night, after some rest from all of our walking, the group headed out to a fancy restaurant, The Grand Colbert, for a nice dinner as part of our cultural experience. We had wine and champagne and ordered very extravagant meals. In fact, it is the most money I have ever spent in a restaurant. I tried new things, such as oysters and “real” French toast, and we all had a really fun time laughing together. It was an extravagant day walking amongst the mansion of great kings and then dining like a queen.