After a 3 mile hike to the Louvre on Wednesday only to discover that it had been closed due to a staff boycott due to pickpockets, (read: Louvre closes due to staff boycott over pickpockets) we went back today to spend the day wandering the vast museum.  When we first got to the museum, we were quickly reminded of what a popular place it is: an average of 30,000 visit the museum every day.  (That's like fitting a decent-sized city in the museum!)  The outside of the Louvre is gorgeous, and the glass pyramids in the middle of the square have become an icon of the museum.

After wandering around some of the exhibits, we made sure to locate one of the most famous paintings in the world: the Mona Lisa.   We spotted it's location quickly by finding the painting with a large crowd around it.  After patiently waiting, and slowly wiggling our way to the front, we were able to admire the extraordinary painting, and get a quick picture!

The crowd gathered around the famous painting, now protected by bullet-proof glass.

After seeing the Mona Lisa, we spent some time exploring other areas of the museum.  Here are a few more pictures from our trip to the Louvre:

Crowds wander the Louvre.

Bryan admiring one of the many large paintings.

A view out the window.

The famous Venus de Milo statue discovered in 1820.

Laura in the Greek and Roman Exhibit.

Getting clever with some of the sculptures.

Walking through some of the walls of the original Chateau du Louvre.

The Grand Sphinx de Tanis.

Although we covered a lot, it would take days to see everything the museum has to showcase. Unfortunately, we don't have enough time on this trip, but that just means we will have to come back!

Laura and Bryan

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