Experiencing Paris

Throughout our time in Europe this fall we visited Paris three times. It wasn't until our last visit that we really experienced the city. We visited the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and Montmartre with the Sacre Coeur within two days. Maybe it's because we've been living in France, but I wasn't especially enchanted by the city. It was chilly and gray outside, and even in the off season, the attractions seemed crowded.

The Mona Lisa is probably the most famous painting in the Louvre, and the room of people pressing towards it seemed to prove it's popularity. She has her own guard, a railing, and a few layers of glass for protection. With so much traffic and cameras flashing, it's easy to forget how neat it is to see the original painting.

I was even more impressed with a few larger paintings by the French artists Ingres and Delacroix. These two artists created works that I studied last year. It was incredible to see the larger-than-life originals of images I'd only seen on a computer screen. It has been amazing to experience French/ Francophone art, literature, and history in their true context. The Eiffel Tour is really big and interesting, but I am most excited by the art I've studied.