On the way to the Musee du Louvre - June 2





  

As you walk the banks of the Seine on your way to the Louvre you see the darnedest things:

like boats,







and bridges with outrageous stone bas reliefs;

and bridges with gold bas reliefs;

and golden winged horses being ushered around by some golden goddess brandishing a sword

Then there are these beautiful cherubs posing (in the nude no less) on a very ornate lamp post.
























In the middle of this ornate bridge are more cherubs who appear to be jumping into the river. 

From the bridge we saw a very large, very old, government building and it looked as though some successful French lobbyist or marketing firm had gained sole rights to an ad campaign -- on the building proper.

Then we came across this odd tradition of placing a commercial lock on the guard rails. 

The locks were replete with initials and other love signs painted on them.  Paris, the "City of Love", go figure.

We also saw some less expensive tour boats that we think may have taken on water from time to time.

When it was too late we found there was a far better way to tour than walking.

Sure 'nough here is that government building now directly across the river from us, let's see what our tiny camera's telephoto will show us:

Yep, it is a huge huge marketing poster and another beautiful and huge success for capitalism.

Then we saw this beautiful, old, end-cap of a building and it was, sure enough

one end of the horse shoe style construction the
French call the Musee du Louvre

 -- we knew we had arrived and it only took one week of walking to get here but remember on the map every cute little thing is right next to every other cute little thing.

So, dehydrated and with no soles left on his shoes, Ralph walked around this end-cap of a building and discovered that this wing of the Louvre was only five miles long -- surprise, surprise -- he is headed for cartography to kill a map maker just as a gesture of love.

The Louvre with its modern glass pyramid is truly spectacular

and it is huge...

four wings with four floors each and this isn't counting the huge underground mall where you can buy Louvre souvenirs or a Big Mac.

And, again with the statues.  I think a lot of painters and sculptors were auditioning when this place was built.

and what's with the women's aero-squadron?

And, then we went into an underground entrance -- that was a mistake...