Paris - Day Three

Our alarm goes off at seven thirty, and this morning we are on a mission! We arrive at the Louvre around eight thirty - half an hour before opening, and are confronted by a line the same length as the one from yesterday. More people are arriving by the minute, and as we can't defer it another day we hop in line. Half an hour later and I would estimate that there were a good thousand people in the queue, which now extends around the square. Apparently the Louvre is free today. Oh gosh...

Once the doors open, we get in pretty quickly. It's so weird to enter the pyramid and the area below reminds me of the entrance to the Vatican. We grab a couple of bulky audio guides and head up to the Mona Lisa before that room fills totally to capacity. I don't really get the obsession with that painting, it's lovely but some of the other works are just so much more interesting - in my opinion.The standouts for me are the collection of French paintings, which as a group I think I prefer to the Italian, the ceilings, and the room that contains Napoleons jewels. These are all incredible, and I feel privileged to have been able to see them all in person.

My very favourite part is the collection of Ancient Egyptian artefacts. I was obsessed as a child and to be able to revisit this obsession as an adult was quite special. I spent a lot of time listening to the commentaries and peering into display cases in room after room after room, poor Willy.

On our way back to the audio tour return, we found ourselves under the Louvre, surrounded by ancient stone walls. Turns out that we were walking through the moat of the fortress that had previously occupied the site. The more you know.

I hate to say that I almost suggested ditching the Louvre. We have seen so many wonderful museums, but our eyes have been glazing over at the thought of any more of them. There are only so many museums, churches, ruins, that you can appreciate in a six week period! I am forever thankful that we didn't skip it. The Louvre is by far the best museum that we have visited, it's just so incredibly impressive. It's definitely in a league of its own.

After the Louvre we walked up to Montmartre and took the obligatory photo outside of the Moulin Rouge - we toss up going to the show, but at two hundred euros each it's a little much for this stage of the trip. We follow the main road, past the strip clubs and sex shops, and I browse another market full of junk. The last little stretch before our metro station is horrendous. It stinks of urine (not unusual in Paris, but this was especially pungent), there are homeless folk everywhere, there's a lot of rubbish, and just before the entrance Willy spots a large pile of vomit. Gross.

I was prepared to find Paris naff, filthy, and a bit disappointing. Despite it being dirty, smelly, touristy and expensive, I have to say that I have enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. I would totally come back. I did however find it quite depressing - in a different way to Berlin, but depressing just the same. The poverty level here seems high here, higher than Turkey or Italy, which I know is unlikely to be accurate but that is certainly how it appeared to me. I don't know, maybe I just expected it more in the other places so it shocked me less.

We enjoy our last dinner just around the corner from the hotel. We both have veal, Willy's comes with fries but mine comes with half a plate of green beans. The beans are cooked to within an inch of their life, but yay vegetables! I am so looking forward to having consistent access to balanced meals. Tomorrow we hop on the plane, take us home!