Paris: Day 3

Today, all day, was spent in the Louvre. The morning was spent in a lecture looking at the sculpture of tombs and then the afternoon I dragged myself around some of the antiquities parts of the museum. I say dragged, I wasn’t feeling well. And because I went in as a group I didn’t have a ticket, which meant I couldn’t leave the museum to get food and then come back in again. Most irritating.

The Louvre – Tomb of Philippe Chabot

The Louvre – Cour Marly

Seeing the Assyrian Guardians in natural light was incredible. They are much more beautiful this way than how they are in the British Museum.

The Louvre – Assyrian Sculpture

The Louvre – View from inside.

For anything popular – this is the view. I’m going to take Adam to see the Mona Lisa later in the week and I expect it to be worse.

This, by the way, was the Venus de Milo.

The Louvre – Venus de Milo

The ceilings in the Louvre are one of the best bits. They are spectacular and ornate, and reflect various parts of its history and French nationalism.

The Louvre – Ceiling

The Louvre – Roman(?)

It’s quite remarkable to think that this was, at one point, basically someones house. This was one of the service corridors that would have led to the stables and other utility areas.

The Louvre – Inside one of the Etruscan and Roman Galleries

And of course if your service corridors are that grand, then they must lead to grand places. This was the indoor riding school – above the stables. Look at the beautiful ceiling. And the capitals of the columns were all carved with gorgeous animals – I’ve included some of my favourites here.