Louvre

Monday in Paris was just an awful day. Forecast was 8C and rain. SO planned trip to Monet's Garden was abandoned. Most museums are closed on a Monday too, so I felt there was nothing seriously left than another trip to the Louvre. Hardly the world's greatest hardship. And our apartment was only about 40 minutes away on foot so I walked it.

 The Louvre is of course, huge. The catch, even when arriving early, is the queuing. Not so much for tickets but just to get through security. An even less joyous experience when it starts to rain.

 I started with a little trip around the medieval foundations which are well presented, showing the early designs of the castle, as it once was.

Then I explored the classical rooms. Sorry from now on we are going to have largely ancient marbles. They are pretty photogenic, large, and not behind glass, so easier to shoot. And I like them. Basically the Greeks had sculpture sussed. Not really needed any further development in the intervening 2500 years.

 The Venus di Milo, one of the most famous statues in the world. cleverly photographed so as not to get the other thousand folk also trying to capture a shot of her, mostly oriental and mostly in tour groups only coming to collect the highlights of the museum.

The Islamic gallery is new since my last visit so I also made a bee line for this.

Another of the museums iconic works, the Winged Venus of Samothrace, above the heads of hundreds and hundreds of people. Thankful for zoom lens.