Morning at the Louvre!
To start off our third day in Paris, we spent our morning at the Louvre! Despite it being a Wednesday (and rainy!), lines were already stretching outside the entrance. We waited outside in the rain for about 30 minutes until we were finally able to come inside and meet with Professor Cadero-Gillette.
Our first stop was of Michelangelo’s Slave series. One of the statues from this series is shown below, known as ‘The Rebellious Slave’. The figure looks as if it is struggling to break free from its marble encasement. As Professor Cadero-Gillette explained, Michelangelo believed that the figure was already ‘alive’ beneath the stone; his job was to chisel away the stone to reveal the figure that lies within.
Next, we made our way to the Mona Lisa. The crowd to view the painting was unbelieveable, it filled up half the room! In order to get a view of the painting, we had to push and shove our way to the front. Da Vinci is most famous for sfumato, which is a painting technique that transitions between colors seamlessly. The painting itself was quite small, but even from afar the sfumato shines through.
We learned from Professor Cadero-Gillette that Da Vinci was never quite satisfied with the Mona Lisa. Although it was originally a commission, it was never delivered to his client for this very reason! Da Vinci would often revisit the painting to touch-up on small details, continuing to work on it for fifteen years leading up to his death.
We concluded our day at the Louvre by The Winged Victory of Samothrace, a statue depicting Nike, the ancient Greek goddess of victory. By the time we left the museum, it looked like the rain had just about cleared. After the museum, my friend Melany and I decided to explore the area around the Louvre.
Wandering Around Paris
From across the Louvre, we could spot the Arc de Triomphe in the distance: that’s when we knew what our next stop would be! As we made our way to the metro, we ended up running into a quaint, little tea shop named Sereni-the Paris. Melany and I decided that it would be a great place to recharge before we left for the Arc. Inside, the store was beautifully decorated with traditional Chinese lanterns and decor. We chatted with the owner, who shared that they specializes in preparing traditional Chinese tea and homemade snacks, making it a hidden gem on our journey.
After searching through the extensive list of teas, we finally made our orders. Melany got the Oolong Passionfruit tea, and I got the Jasmine Lychee tea. For a sweet treat, we shared a Mango cream cake. I expected the tea to be served in little to-go cups, but I was surprised to see the owner come out with a traditional tea set. The tea was made with fresh fruit and was accompanied with snowflake crisps. The tea, the cake, the fruit— everything was delicious! The next time I’m in Paris, I would definitely come back.
After our little break, we finally got to the metro and made our way to the Arc de Triomphe.
Arc de Triomphe
We arrived at the Arc de Triomphe at the perfect time, just as the sun began to set. The golden hour light made the Arc look even more grand against the surrounding buildings.
After a long day of exploring, I finished the night off with a Doner Kebab and Fries from a shop near our hotel!
