The Lourve is so massive and volumes have been written about its contents; art and history lovers can spend days inside and since I am neither, I will just give the highlight of the tour, namely the post popular items on display. So it is just a "being there, seen that" like most visitors to the Lourve.
A lady guide led us through the security check and we started our tour. First we went through some Greek sculptures and then some Renaissance paintings.
Of course you cannot miss his ever popular Mona Lisa that is the top draw in the Lourve and probably the most viewed item in the museum. Never can get a good shot because of the crowd.
Actually the painting is rather small expecially when it is displayed right across the room in front of the huge Marriage af Cana. Always wonder why such a small painting can be so popular. So it is all due to perception and size really does not matter (in this case.)
We then went through some French paintings, the notable one was Liberty Leading the People, one of the many topless ladies that I would encounter later in Paris.
Another one was The Coronation of Napoleon which actually shows the coronation of Josephine, his empress. I would see this almost similar painting again in Versailles later. (Quiz: spot the difference between the two, no prizes.)
The next famous piece was The Winged Victory.
We saw some lovely decorative art pieces in the room full of items from the gloriuous days of the emperors and kings of France.
Finally we met the armless Venus de Milo
These are but a few of the celebrated items in the Lourve and the tour ended at the shopping arcade where there is a big Apple store for Apple fans.
The inverted pyramid is also here and it makes some very good geometric compositions for photography enthusiast.
After we have met up with the other group members who did not join the Lourve tour, we went to our hotel which was Hotel Mecure Porte St.Cloud that is on the western part of Paris. We had our dinner near the hotel and it was Chinese mixed rice (again, since my wife was not too keen on the local fare) and there were not many other choices and we did not want to venture further to the square near the metro station where there are more eateries.
At 8pm, we set out again on the coach to watch a cabaret show in Montmartre. Before that, we had a photo stop at Moulin Rouge, the famous Red Windmill cabaret, made popular by the film of the same name. This has become another tourist spot in Paris.
This is also one of the red light areas of Paris as you can see.
Since the show at Moulin Rouge is too costly, Cosmos has arranged for another cabaret show nearby just down the road at Neulle Eve or New Eve.
The show was quite enjoyable and fun with songs, dances, juggling, mime, acrobats and of course the mandatory can-can. Plus a number of topless ladies dancing every now and then but nothing erotic, just flashy flesh. And just as well since my wife was next to me. As photography was not allowed during the show, I have nothing to show here though the ladies showed a lot of their assets. There were some audience participation so practise your dance routine and prepared to be picked and you may be lucky and end up being kissed by one of the lovely ladies on stage. Anyway, it was all good ,clean fun.
The show ended almost at midnight and by the time we got back to the hotel, it was already the next morning. To end my post, I cannot resist to show the moving red windmill here, it is so touristy.
Ronald Kwok
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