I took an art history class in high school. Not only did it make me feel super cool because I learned how to talk about art, but it gave me a deep appreciation for the different types of art and how scattered across the globe the world's greatest pieces are. So it was a privilege for have free access to a whole new set of them for five full months.
I should start by mentioning that my living situation in Paris, though it came with some challenges, was the most centrally located place I could've ever hoped for. Let's take a look:
Google says it takes twelve minutes to get to the Louvre, but I promise that it was more like seven. And what a great seven minutes those were, since they were all that separated me from entrance to the world's most visited museum and all the art I could ever want. I would go every week or two, whenever I felt like seeing something new. Nocturne Louvre, when the museum is open for four extra hours on Wednesday and Friday evenings, was like a dream.
The night that all my friends left Paris, I grabbed my headphones and wandered around the museum for the final time of my study abroad trip. I meandered, going wherever looked interesting and taking as much time as I wanted, visiting pieces I'd never seen before and rooms I'd never stepped foot in. I haven't even come close to seeing as much of the museum as I want to - but there's plenty of time to go back and see it all.
I'm not here to convince you to visit the Louvre. I assume if you're going to Paris for the first time, you probably will, even if it's just to visit the Mona Lisa, a painting so popular that there are whole signs in the museum directing you to her location.
Instead, I ask that after you visit Mona, stay awhile. Look at all the other paintings and sculptures and art pieces that are just as cool. Visit the Napoleonic Apartments. Visit the sculpture garden. Hang out for a while and people watch. There's some pretty crazy things to see if you're willing to look for them.
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The Louvre is closed Tuesdays. More information here.
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