Monday, February 6, 2017

Just the Louvre

Winged Victory from Samothrace
We initially planned to visit two places today (one must make the most of the Paris Museum Pass). But when we arrived at St. Chapelle it was closed for the next 30 minutes.  Not a pair to waste time standing in a line, we headed for our second destination, the Louvre.  How does one approach the Louvre collection?  By following the crowds, of course.  We used the crowds and The Winged Victory as our kick off point.  She, being Greek, pointed us directly toward the Romans...er Italians.  I love Italian art. From the Medieval early Gothic to the late Renaissance, it simply speaks to me.  I can visualize the little monks working away on all those Annunciations, Caravaggio posing prostitutes, and Botticelli making the sweetest faces.  We spent the entire afternoon in that long Italian gallery.  When we tried to exit we found ourselves trapped in an underground area of very upscale shops.  It seems that exit through the gift shop has evolved at the Louvre into exit through the mall.  

We've been taking different routes home to explore the area.  What we've noticed are small shop after shop of every variety of clothing, antiques, art.  They are always empty.  How do they survive?  Our street, St. Germain, is very busy and also filled with restaurants, patisseries, boulangeries.  But we find the better of these choices are on the side streets.  

Our apartment owner has notified us that he is selling the apartment.  Paris is cracking down on VRBO rentals.  He cannot conform and cannot afford to maintain the apartment otherwise.  
Pictures at flickr.