Paris- Louvre

Up early to make a trip to the Louvre without too many people- group booking is the way to go- headsets and a Guide- and still we don't know how to use our elbows in crowds- others do- or have someone take their photo in front of the picture the Guide is talking about.  Crowds are a new tourist phenomena, we are not used to.  The Louvre is an immense building- loved the shops and the inverted dome glass before we even reached the main quick exhibits- the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.

Our French guide can just be seen in front of the Venus de Milo.

Of course the Louvre began life as a fortress, then a French Palace- so remnants of the grandeur are still there.

The Guide took us to the French collection- Eugene's Delacroix's 'Liberty guiding the People" and could explain all the personalities and the political statements behind the artwork- amazing.

Another painting she explained in detail was 'the miracle of the wine' by Veronese- wonderful!  How the monks who commissioned the work were each painted into the picture as wedding guests and how the painter himself was there also- and how the glass and riches of Venice as well as the animals were also integrated.

Here are the crowds and is was hot- but I managed to buy a souvenir book and postcards:

Then away to the Eiffel tower!!!