Paris Part I

We traveled up to Paris on the TGV and settled into our little (very small, but perfect) apartment in the Latin Quarter, about a 10-minute walk from Everything!! Lovely.

On our first day there we walked about for a couple of hours and then I took a tour of the Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay, which sounds impossible, except that I had signed up for a 'skip the lines' tour and so we did.  There were only three people (myself and a couple from Kentucky) and our fantastic tour guide and it was incredible.  We spent two and a half hours going through the Louvre and then we stopped for lunch.  We then walked to the Musee d'Orsay and spent another couple of hours being shown through that incredible museum (still so much more to see....must go back).  Our guide was a dear young thing from Boston who had spent three years already in Paris, studying, and who gave tours as a part time job.  She was extremely knowledgeable and had a bouncy personality as well. Such fun and what a great way to do a tour when one's time is limited.  My guy picked me up from the Musee d'Orsay and we went and had dinner with some friends of his who live in Paris.  They also gave us a ride back to our apartment for which I was pretty grateful, but not as grateful as my feet!!!

 Approaching the entrance to the Louvre Museum with that controversial not-so-invisible pyramid.

Everyone was carefully studying the many pieces of art in the museum.

Mona and her thousands of friends.

The former office of Louis XIV (I think....too much information that day!)  Not unlike Versaille's Hall of Mirrors .  Just a humble little room.  Do you suppose the secretary was outfitted with roller blades??

  

One of at least two frescoes by Botticelli that were found, restored, and then moved to the Louvre.

More pictures next time.  Here's a teaser:

I'm still trying to get over my jet lag.....ugh.
I'll be back...