Paris, Part II

We did a long exploration of the Louvre today. It was great to see a lot of the works that I have studied in art history classes, both recently and in the past, up close and in person. We got to see the Venus De Milo, many works by Botticelli, and of course, the Mona Lisa. Many people have told me that the Mona Lisa was a waste of time to see because it is very small and not Leonardo's best work- that it was a lot of "hubbub" over nothing. I still wanted to see it though and I have to say that I fully disagree. Even standing behind the plexiglass, the first barracade, the second barracade and about twenty people, I still found her to be breathtaking- and certainly something special and worth seeing. I will fully agree that she may not be one of Leonardo's most magnificent works- there are many that could give Mrs. Lisa a run for her money, but make no mistake, she is special. There is something about the look on her face that would tell anyone that she is worth all the hubbub. So, that's my two cents.
Then we went and saw Notre Dame which was also amazing, both inside and out. We climbed to the top (or almost to the top- i'm not the bionic woman you know...) and saw magnificent views of the city. Over all, I have to say that I am quite fond of Paris and that her food and sights make me retract any prejudice I may have had about the French- even if the prejudices are still true...anyone who thought of putting chocolate in a crepe is fine in my book. I hereby retract all negative statements ever made on the grounds of good food.
Tomorrow we are getting our rental car and moving out...going to see what other people in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands can do with chocolate.