Travis Dolynny: Get Your Neo-classical On

This morning we almost made it to the info booth where we bought our museum passes and there was this really nice mini parked on Rue de Lyon. It was my first photo op of the morning and when I pulled out my camera, the screen reported 'No memory card'. Bummer. I told my true love that I decided it was too warm for a jacket today, so we must go back to the hotel (to get a memory card)! She agreed. "It's hard to tell how warm it is outside cause our hotel is so warm". Yeah, I know. Phew.

Problem solved, we got our museum passes and set off to check out Musée du Louvre. I've seen photos of this place online and on video and always wondered if those glass pyramids were out of place. When you realize how much fun it is to try and take a photo of someone pretending to place one, they actually fit quite well amongst the grand architecture surrounding them. If there's anything I can say about the French, it's that they got their architecture right.

I take photography quite seriously. When I take a photo, I carefully consider the light and composition. If there are unwanted elements, can I edit them out later? Well, those 'serious' photos can wait until I get back to Canada. You're going to see some of the Louvre through our (somewhat weird) eyes today.

The Mona Lisa was a huge hit with the tourists. Leonardo da Vinci probably had no idea that thousands of people would flock to a room full of much larger and equally impressive paintings to get a glimpse of her every day. It would be nice to think that you could enter the room, approach the painting with an almost child-like curiosity and stare at her until the full glory of her petite smile brought the same small glimpse of happiness to the corners of your own mouth. But no. There's probably a hundred tourists in front of it at a time, all cramming to get a snapshot.

I did enjoy the Mona Lisa, but couldn't help feel a little bad for the other pieces in the room.

This is a nice painting of two dogs that get passed by everyday.

This is what Mona gets to look at.

After visiting the Denon wing of the Louvre (there's still two more we have to go see), we decided to act on a tip to go for French onion soup at Au Pied de Cochon from our friend James. We walked down Rue du Louvre towards Rue Coquillére where a nice man stopped us to make sure we were on the right track (I tend to hold my map out like I've got bifocals or something... The obvious tourist). Rue Coquillére was a pleasant surprise with nice trees and a feeling of luxury as we approached Au Pied de Cochon (at the foot of the pig).

The soup was divine!

After lunch, we acted on another tip from my friend Quoc. We made our way toward Hôtel de Ville (city hall) to check out an optical illusion they have set up. Here is what it looks like from the ground.

Here is what it looks like through carefully placed cross hairs.

After city hall, we had done what we planned to do for the day, but still had time to play. Why not check out the Conciergerie where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned before her beheading?! I forgot to mention that we were drinking wine at Au Pied de Cochon, so naturally, our inhibitions were lowered as we explored the prison.