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Europe

The Art and Royalty of France

I could’ve easily spent my entire time in Paris strolling through the extensive world class museums with my rainy day mix playing through my headphones. But I hardly even scratched the surface because the weather was too perfect not to be getting lost outside. Oh and that whole “I have no money” thing was a minor factor. But I did make it a point to check out the Louvre and Musée Rodin, and make the trek out to the Palace of Versailles.

The Louvre was majestic. The perfect architecture was complemented by the perfect landscaping. The interior was like a fairytale palace adorned with pieces only fabled in the art history books of my college years.

Really, the Louvre was just Louvrely. Okay I apologize for the cheese. I’m done writing. Forever. Actually no, that’s a total lie. But I’ll spare you the lame puns and share some pics.

What a Louvrely tree!
I want to slide down that glass so bad
Oh this interior garden area was disgustingly ugly, clearly
When I build a house I’m going to make the front entrance like this
Cupid’s Kiss (aka second base)
Turning the corner and seeing this literally took my breath away. Without a doubt my favorite piece I’ve ever seen in any museum, ever.
So beautiful
Size doesn’t matter in the art world
Finally pushed my way to the front for a pic
A semi-awkward pic of me outside of the Louvre

On my last day in Paris we were trying to dodge the intermittent showers by hiding out in museums so we bought a pass for admission to the Rodin Museum and the Marmottan Monet Museum. I just wish we hadn’t stopped for cheese and whiskey in between because we ended up getting to the Monet Museum four minutes after the last admission. And there was no refund. Fail.

The Thinker
Roses in the gardens at the Rodin Museum


The Gates of Hell
Really awesome use of mirrors here
I can almost hear a scream
Monet!
These expressions are mildly frightening but fully awesome
Looks like more than just a kiss to me…
The Thinker

One particularly warm day we jumped on the RER and headed out to Versailles. The palace was almost overwhelming with its elegance. It was ridiculously ornate and as expected, absolutely gorgeous. After touring the inside I highly recommend renting a bicycle and biking the gravel pathways for the afternoon. Just don’t do it in a short dress like I did.

For a second I questioned whether or not I was actually dead and standing at the gates of Heaven
Laying in the grass after a sweaty bikeride
The pristine landscaping at the Palace of Versailles
Endless windows and plenty of natural light, no big deal
A little bummed that we didn’t catch a fountain show
Wardrobe malfunction
These made me hungry for BBQ ribs
The massively gawdy yet beautiful Hall of Mirrors
Chandelier in the Hall of Mirrors