Our final day in Paris, we explored the charmingly narrow streets and colorful buildings of Montmarte. Crowning the tallest hill was the gleaming white dome of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica (Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris).
We spent the morning at the basilica, playing on the playground, riding the carousel, enjoying crêpes, and eating a fabulous gelato flower cone.
After spending the morning in Montmarte, we made our way back to the Louvre and hung out in the sunshine until it was our time to enter. I chose a Friday evening time slot in hopes of avoiding the crowds, and I’d say, without having had any prior experience, that we managed to do it pretty well. It worked out well for our family anyway because we walked the museum for about 2.5 hours before everyone was worn out, and it worked out well for bedtime anyway. If we had gone in the morning or early afternoon, I don’t see how we would have been able to do much else that day.
First and foremost, of course, is the lady herself.
I had already read how much smaller the actual painting is than you expect, but I really believe that it is made to look even smaller because it is literally the only thing on a huge parchment-colored wall. And other than one gilt-edged painting on a side wall, it is even the only thing at all in a huge, parchment-colored room. So it is dwarfed in comparison to all that emptiness. If the Louvre had a comment box, I would suggest a whole exhibit in the room of da Vinci’s work so that people could not only see the painting in context, but also have other things to look at while you’re waiting for your turn.
Even so, it was worth seeing.
The kids were delighted with the interactive maps of the museum on their own personal Nintendo 3ds devices. It provided maps of each exhibit, stories about the main pieces, and fun tidbits and highlights to keep them engaged.
Theo asked me why the statues were all naked. I tried to explain that the Greek and Roman cultures were fascinated by the human form and wanted to show it in all its realistic, natural beauty.
He just looked at me with the face shown above.
Winged Victory of Samothrace, or the Nike of Samothrace
I tried to keep looking up, because the ceilings were incredible. 
La Grande Odalisque 
I studied these paintings in college! I even drew a self-portrait in a similar style, made of butterfly wings. I still have it in storage. It was amazing to see them in person! 
I loved this painting. It had a front and a back. 
Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss
Venus de Milo
Furietti Centaur (with Eros on his back)
A family favorite: Diana of Versailles. Theo was excited that she wore clothes. 
I know we didn’t even scratch the surface of what the Louvre has to offer, but for our first visit, I think we did pretty well. We plan to see a new section every time we go to Paris, especially because the kids get in for free!
By the end, even the vents were exciting.
And 1,100+ pictures later, that was our first trip to Paris. Whew!
Next up, the video.
