Monday at the Louvre

The first time I came to Paris, I was 17 years old, touring France with a group of high school senior girls. Back then, the trip was intended as a cultural historical and spiritual trip, which took us to places like Tours, Lourdes, Lisieux, Thésée, and other religious or historical sites related to the foundation of Montreal in 1642. By the time we got back to Paris, I was rather fed up with highly cultural activities. So when we were given the choice between an afternoon at the Louvre or shopping at Les Galeries Lafayette, I chose the latter. Needless to say that I had lots of fun shopping with the girls, but today, more than 14 years later, I figure that it would be a sin to be in Paris a second time without seeing the Louvre. So I woke up early yesterday morning to be at the entrance at the opening (9am). I went in by one of the alternate entrances to avoid waiting in line -- the main entrance at the Pyramid is always way too crowded -- and spend the morning at the museum. This was a very pleasant way to spend time alone in Paris yesterday. Seeing so many masterpieces gathered in one single place was quite impressive and inspiring. Then, when I left the museum around 1pm, I walked down the rue de Rivoli to Le Marais (gay area) and the Place de la Bastille. In case anyone is wondering, I did do some shopping, after visiting the Louvre this time...