Paris - Louvre Denon - 1er

Plate XII - Louvre - Denon Wing and Grande Pyramide ...

Visiting the Louvre is a little like eating the proverbial elephant – it is best taken in small pieces at one time. Of course those with limited time in Paris will try to (sadly even need to) fit it all into a single visit. I pity them for the art indigestion they will suffer. Even with my having taken several trips to the Louvre in the course of my first stay, I found myself at times numbly walking through an area thinking, “Wow! - more great paintings.” I consider myself to be an art lover, and when I realised one such occasion was after an almost cursory glance into the salon containing the (Peter Paul) Rubens’ Médicis Cycle – one of the major achievements of his career – I knew it was time to quit for yet another day.

On this, my first trip to Paris, I had one major disappointment with the Louvre – the grand French master-works of the 19th century were out of the museum on a touring exhibition. I mention this, not so much in anger, but more as a cautionary – it can happen. Recently, in 2009 even the Mona Lisa had the day off, as she was repositioned in the gallery. Amongst the must see works I had hoped to view were Jacques-Louis David’s Madame Récamier (a personal favourite), Napoléon on Horseback, and Napoléon Crowning Josephine (an identical work by David on view in Versailles, and which I did see, has an enigmatic but notable difference in that one of the ladies-in-waiting wears a pink gown in Versailles, but wears white in the Louvre version). Then, there were the works of Géricault, Ingres and above all Delacroix’ iconic Liberty Leading The People. All out. I rationalised that it is good to know that the Louvre shares its treasures by doing such loan exhibitions, and of course if any reason were needed to revisit this city, this would be it. There was still so much else to see here and my first day in the Louvre was spent trying to complete the works within the Denon wing - the French sculpture in the Cours Marly and Puget, the Oriental Antiquities, the Chambers of Napoleon III and the German, Flemish and Dutch paintings. Not to mention the Decorative Arts displays. Still quite a sizable jumbo.

I could not take it all in!!

Paris - Tuileries Gardens - 1er

Plate VII - Tuileries Gardens - towards the Grande Louvre

One of the first places I head for when revisiting Paris is the oldest and largest of the Parisian public parks, the Tuileries Gardens. Nothing could make anyone feel more immediately French than a cheese baguette or croque monsieur and a good Burgundy wine taken in the convivial surroundings of the gardens.

Originally the setting of the Tuileries Palace, the gardens that remain hint at what was to be enjoyed with a royal lifestyle. Destroyed by fire during the Paris Commune on May 23, 1871 the palace was named after the ‘tuiles’ or roof tile kilns (tuileries) that operated for many years near the site. The gardens are still largely as laid out in 1664 by landscaper Henry le Notre with fountains and pathways, and many statues have been placed around the grounds while the vision of the Grande Louvre becomes a completed reality.

The acres (some 60 or more) of limestone gravel found here started me on an unusual habit of collecting an interesting piece of stone at each place I have visited. This stone collection that now covers many places of interest in Europe, the UK, America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East all started right here in the Tuileries Gardens. I can still recall the origin of each piece. I will occasionally succumb to a local curio (‘No more stuff’, my wife’s voice echoes in my mind), but mostly these stones along with many enduring images are my souvenirs, and best of all … they’re free.

Paris - Tuileries Gates - 1er

Plate VI - Tuileries Gates ...

As a portal into the city’s 1st arrondissement the gilded gates to the Tuileries Gardens separate the gardens from the Place de La Concorde. Beyond the gates lay extensive work as the Grande Louvre was taking shape. An area of Paris as old as the city itself, I doubt that work and change of some nature will ever cease here. But it is always done with the care for a visitor that is a trademark of the French – making you feel that it is being undertaken for you alone and therefore, in a strange way, you welcome it. Informative signage explains exactly what is being done, and plans for the eventual end result are generally on view to further inform the traveler.

Beyond the Place de la Concorde the seemingly ever-present Eiffel Tower towers (what else would it do?) to give all visitors their bearings in the city. Despite a generally poor sense of direction elsewhere in the world, I never lost my way in Paris. Surrounded and populated by many landmarks, anyone taking a few minutes, at one of the many vantage points (I have suggested the Grande Arche at La Défense), to familiarise themselves with Paris’s layout will find navigation through the often labyrinthine streets and byways quite simple. Besides, if you do get momentarily lost you are likely to find some place of interest in almost any area that it will make it more a pleasure than an annoyance. A good book on Paris walks is therefore almost a must, as many a gem will be missed if you don’t know what you’re looking for.