Monday, February 17th continued: after Rose and I did our morning run to the Eiffel Tower, we all went to Sacre Coeur and the Louvre together!
Once we showered and ate breakfast [second breakfast for me], Jeff needed a nap so we relaxed for an hour before heading out to take the metro to Sacre Coeur around 11am. Stairs, stairs, stairs! Getting up the Montmartre hill requires lots of stairs, starting with 180 stairs out of the metro station (no escalator). Next came the first set of five long flights of hillside stairs, followed by at least two more sets like that.
Together at Sacre Coeur.
We didn't go inside the Sacre Coeur basilica; we just admired the view from the outside. The sun was bright and the sky was blue, so the city view was great! We only stayed at Sacre Coeur for 20 minutes before walking down the stairs to another metro station for a ride to the Louvre. We had timed entry tickets for 12:30pm. We arrived 10 minutes early and bought overpriced sandwiches at a bakery in the Louvre complex before heading into the museum just before 1pm.
Mona was just as small and nondescript as I remembered her being. Jeff and I have been inside the Louvre one other time, 17 years ago back in 2008. Crowds flocked to the Mona Lisa back then too. It was crazy! I didn't actually get to look at the painting; we shuffled forward in rows as directed by the museum official, who gave the front row about 10 seconds to take a picture before moving them off to the side exit. Jeff, Jay, and Amber got shuffled away before Rose and I. It felt like we were being pulled apart! They wouldn't let me go with Jeff! So Rose and I stood on the front row looking at the Mona Lisa for another 10 seconds before reuniting with the rest of our family.
After the Mona Lisa, we agreed to meet back under the glass pyramid at 3pm. Jeff, Jay, and Rose went one way, and Amber and I went to the Arts Décoratifs wing. I followed her around while she ping ponged back and forth between different displays. She was basically on a treasure hunt, looking for gems and minerals. It was fascinating watching her. We saw a section with Ancient Egypt in that mix too, and ended with the Napoleon III apartments. That was one of my favorites--they were so fancy! Amber was amazed at the dining room that could seat 42 people at one table "that could fit both sides of our family all at one dinner!" Amber said. I also really liked a diamond encrusted crown and a tablet of detailed colored hieroglyphics. And the adorable tiny pocket watches and fancy snuff boxes. Every now and then I had to look up a French word to understand what a label said, since the museum label cards for items on display were mostly in French.
After two hours in the Louvre, we reconvened under the pyramid and headed homeward. We stood in line for 20 minutes at the metro ticket machine connected to the Louvre but couldn't figure out how to get metro tickets (later we realized our mistake, haha--in the classic French-rebuffing way, the machine made it look like you were failing but you actually had to press another button on that failing screen to navigate to the temporary paper tickets).
We ended up walking the 1.5 miles back to our Airbnb. It was so silly, we could've walked back in the time we stood in line for metro tickets! It was a lovely day for a walk, and we got kebabs and pastries on the way home. Jeff took the kids and kebabs home while I ducked into one of our favorite patisseries of this trip, Bo & Mie (pronounced boh-eh-mee), for some pastries. I didn't have a great French accent when I spoke in the patisserie, but I did understand and respond coherently when the patisserie ladies spoke to me. That was satisfying! The kebabs were tortilla wrapped and very flavorful. The pastries were rich and heavenly (I selected a tart a citron--a lemon tart-- for me, a creamy pistachio caramel Paris brest for Jeff, and three raspberry croissants for the kids. We shared bites.)
We ate dinner at our apartment.
Metro time!
Walking through the underground warren of metro tunnels to change lines and find the proper exit was always interesting.
City life is a very active life!
This was an exceptionally long underground walk. Amber enjoyed jumping down the stairs.
Montmartre has a cute village-ish vibe that's kind of separate from downtown Paris.
A cute street in Montmartre with a pretty yellow storefront on the left.
More stairs up ahead between those two buildings!
Climbing, climbing.
Walking through Montmartre together on the cobblestones.
Sacre Coeur!
The view of Paris from the top of the hill--Sacre Coeur was behind us.
Amber couldn't handle the sun in her eyes, and made hilarious faces!
Surprisingly busy for a February morning.
That iconic triple domed roofline.
Heading downhill, with Sacre Coeur peeking out behind us.
Amber loves baguettes!
Inside the Louvre pyramid! We never got a picture together outside by it, so this will have to do.
Looking out the Louvre window at the pyramid.
There was this interesting past-present fusion exhibit going on, where they had current fashion designers create clothing (mostly gowns) using various rooms in the Louvre as inspiration.
Gold!
View from a Louvre window.
Rose in the Louvre.
Reminders that the Louvre museum is inside a former royal palace were everywhere, with fancy trim and gilded ceilings.
A skylight surrounded by carvings and gold.
Ceiling art.
This ceiling was absolutely stunning! The room was massive and the ceiling just kept going with the fanciness.
Amber, walking through the long fancy gallery.
Amber admiring a jewel crusted crown with a few random tourists.
Jay and Rose feeling the gilded vibes.
Mona Lisa, with her throngs of admirers. We each took a picture with Mona. They weren't amazing pictures, but we did our touristic duty.
I snapped this picture as we were being walked off to the side after our turn in front of Mona.
Jeff gave the kids historical analyses of a few key famous paintings.
Amber, posing triumphantly like the famous French painting.
Jeff really got into expounding this painting, with darkness, death, and despair at the bottom rising to life and victory up top.
Amber and Joan of Arc.
Amber was most engaged when looking at the many small items with gems and minerals involved.
I have always liked hieroglyphics.
Amber loved all of the fancy gold and designs on these dishes.
Sailor's navigation kit.
The apartments of Napoleon III were so pretty! It was almost like Versailles all over again, but with more furniture and chandeliers.
What would you even do in a room like this? Something royal.
The massive dining room!
On our way back to the central pyramid, we passed through this bright sculpture garden.
This shop was made for Amber. Les Mineraux! Minerals!
The invisible building: That building is covered in mirrors to hide the construction that's going on.
Another street, another massive Gothic church.
For a few seconds, the girls convinced Jay to hold hands with them all in a row as we walked past St. Eustache.
Amber noticed how I liked to hold Jeff's arm while we walked, so whenever his elbow was free, she started taking over my spot.
This was good kebab meat.
Jeff's pistachio caramel Paris Brest was interesting. We decided we preferred the original cream version.
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