Musee du Louvre

After a steak pie and coffee, I strolled over to Victoria Station for my Underground ride to St. Pancras Station, embarking point for Eurostar magic carpet ride to Gare du Nord, Paris. Little did I know how nice the trip over would be, and how bad the trip back.

Only about half the seats were filled, and I was able to sleep around the serving of coffee and breakfast. I decided to go First Class since it was not much more. It also avoids the thousands of school kids trekking over to Paris on school trips.

The Eurostar is quite nice, almost as nice as the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) in Japan. The seats are not as nice, nor are the people. The train also is limited by British rail, badly in need of an upgrade. The top speeds are reached only on the French side of the chunnel. The seats do not recline, and the toilets stink.

Once in Paris, I had some problems with my credit card. But a nice African fellow just gave me one of his three Metro tickets. He refused to take any money, even after helping me try to get my fare completed in the machine. So, off I went on the 5 Metro, then transfer to the 7. So far, so good.

I got off at the Louvre stop, and walked through the massive entrance, took some photos, and headed down the glass pyramid. The admission is a very reasonable 9 Euros for an all day pass. So, I, along with almost everyone else, except probably the Muslims, headed to see the Mona Lisa, then a short jaunt over to Venus de Milo.

This is where the French really irritate me. Can they just sit or stand there without creating a big scene in front of probably the most famous piece of art in the history of the world? No, no, no. They have to push, shove, jump, holler, stomp, and otherwise karate chop their way to the front of the line. Then to take the cake, as it were, stand there wanting a photo of themselves with M Lisa. Quite gauche, I say.

It was not quite as bad at Venus, though if she had arms, she would have pushed everyone away. Do you think it might be possible to enjoy perhaps one of the greatest sculptures of all time, without screaming, and pushing? What would it be like to study her in total silence? I will never know.

The Louvre is kept quite warm, I would assume, to keep the moisture or humidity low. It is downright WARM in all of the main galleries. The food there is mediocre at best, so somewhat of a disappointment. But, the real frosting on the cake is the U.S. style shopping arcade along the exit of the Louvre.

All things said, the trip was okay, and I am glad that is my last visit to Paris and the Louvre. The English people I met were very polite and friendly. They agreed with my assessment of Paris, and the French in general. If I had been smart, I would have cashed in my Eurostar ticket and paid the scalper price for the Boss at Glastonbury.

The Eurostar back to London was very crowded and noisy. Basically, too many drunk Brits and their alcoholic wives. Many were falling in the aisles, and the captain had to stop serving wine to them. I guess they must have had a tougher time in Paris than I did.

The weather is much cooler here in London today, than in Paris. It was great to get back here, turn the AC up high, and strip down to skivvies. I need my rest tonight, since I head back out to Wimbledon in the early morn. I think I will take Tuesday as a rest day, shop a little, see a few sites, and maybe order some custom shirts. Maybe not.

While I have enjoyed this trip, it has not been relaxing. I have been on the go constantly. Plus the queuing for tennis takes its toll, as three hours is a long time to stand in a line. But it has been an interesting experience. It is one I recommend for any of you tennis fans, or the culturally challenged.

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