Museums, Crypts and Scenic Vistas

Day 7 - Paris

Sorry this post is a day late -- I was too tired to make it online yesterday because it was a very full day.

Started the morning at the Louvre and was treated to the French sculptures (5th to 17th century) without any other tourists. The sheer number of works in that museum amazes me. Spent about 3.5 hours there in total. Saw lots of exhibits, including the Napoleon apartments, French paintings, and more egyptian exhibits (including tombs). The most interesting parts for me were the Mesopotamia, Antique iran and Levant exhibits. The Code of Hammurabi was very interesting to see, as was the Venus de Milo (which is the only work in the entire museum to have its own room!)

I headed across the bridge and stopped in at the museum of money. I have visited the museum in Ottawa and I had low expectations for this one (but hey, it was included with the pass). It actually turned out to be pretty interesting -- really old coins dating back to 3rd century B.C., Roman coins, and coins from all over Europe dating back almost 1000 years. They also had lots of different minting equipment on display.

I then made my way around the corner to Notre Dame to check out the crypt beneath it (it was built on the Roman ruins of an old sea port). I also went up to the top of Notre Dame, which provided some very interesting views of the city.

I walked around the Sorbonne area for a bit before heading to the Panthéon. This was really an amazing site to see, and a place i probably would not have visited if it wasn't included in the pass. The crypt below serves as the final resting place for many famous French nationals, including the Curies, Dumas, Zola, Hugo and Voltaire.

I accidentally stumbled across Jardin Luxembourg -- a beautiful (and massive) garden at the site of Luxembourg Palace. Many locals were there just enjoying the day. Then I visited the Middle Ages museum, which is located in a Gothic church. It was "okay" overall, but it did have some magnificent tapestries. This includes one of the best known work from the Middle Ages -- the Lady and the Unicorn.