It's Paris and the Louvre!

French Frog at the Louvre

The Louvre is the home of the Mona Lisa and many other famous paintings by such artists as Giotto, Raphael, Titian, Botticelli, and other names familiar from art classes. The building in which the museum is housed is so extensive it could take several days to walk through all the rooms and see everything, let alone absorb it all. We were allowed to take photographs without the flash, and our mission for today was to photograph a sculpture from an interesting angle or lighting source. We had about five and a half hours to spend there, and it was not nearly enough time. Connie and I looked at paintings by Flemish artists, Etruscan statues and carvings, Italian Renaissance painters, and the time was nearly gone. After allowing a little time to locate and peruse the gift shop and find the sortie (exit), we met up with the class and headed back toward our hotel. Then a group of us went out to a little Thai restaurant nearby and enjoyed some Asian cuisine to top off the day. I will post pictures when we can get them through on the Internet.

Stone Lion Carving

Front View

Etruscan Carving

This is how you feel after spending all day at the Louvre. Seriously, it is actually part of "The Repose of the Holy Family" by Gentileschi, but that was the first thought that crossed my mind when I looked up and saw this gentleman sleeping.

Platform 9 3/4 and the Eurostar to Paris

A horizontal view of St. Pancras Station

Thursday was a railway station day. First we went to King's Cross Station to Platform 9 3/4, which is the point of departure for Harry to go to Hogwarts. He actually leaves from St. Pancras Station, which is right next door, but the platform is at King's cross. It even includes half a trolly going through the wall. We all posed for pictures. Then we walked down the street to the British Library, which holds such treasures as the Gutenberg Bible and a copy of the Magna Carta. There are also original manuscripts by Jane Austen, Lewis Carroll, song lyrics written by the Beatles, and religious volumes from the Orient and Middle East.

After the library, we collected our suitcases and boarded the Eurostar for Paris. The Chunnel really offers nothing to see except blackness, but we enjoyed the beautiful French countryside once we had passed through. The train arrived in a little over two hours and ran as smoothly as butter. After stopping at our hotel to drop off our bags, we headed via metro to the Eiffel Tower. We got there while it was still light out, but it was growing dark before we came down, so we got to see the city begin to light up. We also had a bit of excitement along the way home. When we were approaching the tower, we encountered all sorts of souvenir sellers hawking mini versions of the tower for various prices. And while we were walking back, we saw several of these vendors running through the crowd. At first I thought they were lightheartedly cavorting because they were finally off duty from a thankless job, but then it became apparent that the police were chasing at least one of them. He pushed me out of his way once, then doubled back and pushed me again, then stood panting to my left, while to my right a police officer was beckoning him to come out of the crowd. He was arrested while we watched. There was actually quite a police presence around the tower. It didn't seem like a good place to commit a crime and get away with it. The rest of the trip back to our hotel was uneventful.
When we can get through on the Internet to post pictures, I will.


A vertical expression of the horizontal photo of St. Pancras


There really is a Platform 9 3/4


I didn't make it all the way to Hogwarts, but I did get to Paris


The Eiffel Tower is beautiful at night