Day 40 Paris

Art Deco Metro entrance

The day does not start well. The hostel is noisy all night and our room is above the smoking courtyard that seem populated all night too.

We arise late, grab a cup of coffee on the way, great stuff coffee!

Arrive the Louvre from the Metro entrance and initially it isn’t clear where we get tickets where were go once we have them.

There’s huge line up for tickets, cash only and no-one for the auto ticket machines that take the card-quick and painless.

We then head for Mona Lisa to tick her off the list, get lost, find Venus de Milo briefly, get lost, get lost again and finally Mona is found, looking her usual enigmatic self.

Mona too far

No wonder with so many people looking at her all the time.

I don’t bother try and get in close. Been there done that.

Jo breasts the crowd and gets to the front OK and takes the obligatory picture through the two layers of glass that protect her.

We then head off for lunch, quickly, then back in to find Michelangelo “Slave Statue”, then the Greek and Roman sculptures, which I love (the high-light for me of the Louvre).

Venus de Milo

Then Napoleon III’s apartments, garish and opulent and terrific.

By this time it is after three and we are foot sore, however we do make it out to the Tuileries and walk down the promenade from the Grand Pond to the Octagonal Pond before heading for the Metro.

It’s 24 here in Paris today and that is quite hot.

Tomorrow Versailles