We had another GREAT day today ! We woke up and ate breakfast at the hotel. The girls have done quite a bit of culinary exploring. (And don't worry, Marie, Kyle hasn't done too badly either!
After breakfast, we headed out to continue our exploration of Paris. We took the Metro (subway) today and went downtown to the Louvre. The line was long but moved very quickly and we discussed what we wanted to see as we waited. The building itself is phenomenal and we had a lot of conversation in line about the building itself. It is so large, that it is difficult to even understand how big it is, and I shared some "tricks and tips" with the kids that I use when I want to get a better idea of the scope and size of things in Europe. (the tip is... look for a person on the stairs, on a balcony, or in a window to give you a sense of scale. It works in photos too...
I am posting a link below... drop in the little yellow man and give it a try! You can look around a little bit and try to get an idea of what the kids saw this morning... although - as the kids keep saying - there is NO WAY to convey these things in a picture or with words... the only way to really understand it is to see it. (they have been discussing how to get you, their parents, here....) For now, you will have to make do with Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/U8b8WgjprjC2
You can't get the whole building in a photo, so here is a link to the floor plan, if you want to see what the kids visited: http://www.louvre.fr/en/plan I will explain more below
Once we got in, we decided to head for the Richelieu wing to see the Apartements de Napolean. I am a total history nerd, so I regaled them with stories and drowned them in info and useless tidbits of information. I always worry that I will bore them, but Kaitlynn said that she actually enjoyed it much more when she got the history and understood what she was looking at - so I was glad for that.
We had the option to leave early to do something else, but all of the kids felt that the Louvre was worth staying for and we remained at the Louvre until the last minute before it was time to leave. We saw the clocks/watches, jewelry, furniture and tapestries, and MANY MANY MANY famous statues and paintings. We saw the Wedding Feast at Canna (I think that was Emily's favorite), the Coronation of Napolean, and - of course The Mona Lisa, among others... We saw the throne of Napolean (Kaitlynn's favorite) and his wife's jewels. It was a remarkable morning! For more information on the Louvre, please check out this website: http://www.louvre.fr/en.
At around 2pm, we sat down to rest our aching feet. (The kids are not used to walking so much and their feet are suffering a little bit.) We sat under the famous glass pyramid and aate AMAZING sandwiches and desserts from the cafe at the Louvre! (delicious!!!)
At 3pm, we met the rest of our group and headed off again, taking the subway to Montmartre, the artists district where Picasso, Matisse, Degas, Dali, Renoir, Van Gogh, and others worked. Of course, Hemingway lived there, as did F. Scott Fitzgerald, JD Salinger, and Josephine Baker and many other creative types. At the top of the hill at Montmartre, stands Sacre Coeur - the highest point of the city. Built in the 1800s it is very "modern" by European standards, and we toured the church from foundations to Dome.
Sacre Coeur is known for its mosaic tiles. Check them out here: http://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com/
I have much more to tell, but I am falling asleep and we have to be on the bus at 6am tomorrow to say goodbye to Paris and catch the train to Avignon!
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