Last Night at the Louvre

I’m on target to get my money’s worth from the Amies du Louvre membership card I purchased in the first days after my arrival in January. It cost 60 euros, which allows me free admission for 18 months; I’ve already visited four times (the single admission price is 8,50 euros). And when Suz is here, she’ll be my guest (saving her the admission) at least once or twice. Plus, yesterday, it allowed me free admission to the Delacroix museum. It’s nice to be able to take the Louvre in small bites, sauntering leisurely through the enormous amount of galleries and displays. You don’t feel rushed or obligated to see everything in two or three hours, which is an impossibility anyway. Last night, as I mentioned yesterday, I went directly to the gallery in the Louvre where the paintings of Delacroix are displayed. I revisited “Liberty Leading the People” and studied some others that were mentioned at his museum. Then I cut through Mona's room—believe it or not, there were only about six or seven people standing in the roped-off area admiring her painting. I took another turn and ended up at the beginning (or the end) of the Grande Galerie recently made more famous by its starring role at the beginning of “The DaVinci Code.” Notice the parquet floors in the picture.

The Gallery was built between 1595 and 1610 and linked the Louvre Palace to the Tuileries Palace, which is no more. A decade after the museum was finally opened in 1793 under Louis XVI’s reign, architects created openings in the vault and divided the 442-meter-long gallery (about 483 yards) into nine bays using columns and ribs (the length was eventually reduced by a third to build another wing). End to end, they say, it is almost equal in length of three football fields. Later, they opened up the ceiling vault to provide the overhead natural lighting. It was only last night as I walked outside the Pyramid that I noticed the lights from the Grande Galerie and realized its position in the grand palace that is the Louvre. Ahhh, now I can see the bathroom window from where Tom Hanks’ character threw the bar of soap (another fabrication since there isn’t a bathroom in the Gallery with windows). A little trivia for you.

While following the Sortie signs to leave the Louvre, I turned out of the Grande Galerie to see Winged Victory again. If you think she looks familiar, look at yesterday’s blog with the picture of Delacroix’s famous painting, “Liberty Leading the People.” Did I read somewhere that he modeled her after Winged Victory or did I dream that? Who knows—I read so much stuff. Oh yes, here it is in Rick Steves’ book. Well, then that surely makes it fact…..

It was only 36 degrees when I walked home from the Metro station last night (I did take the bus two different times yesterday). It seems warmer for some reason at night—quieter and definitely more beautiful.