Paris: Day Three

Today we started off with a delicious breakfast at the hotel and a slow meander to the Eiffel Tower.  From there, we hopped back on the bus tour and hopped off at the Louvre!!!!  The lines weren't too bad and we got inside pretty quickly.  I made a bee line to the Mona Lisa, since I figured it would only get more crowded as the day wore on.

From what I had heard, I was expecting to be underwhelmed by the Mona Lisa.  But, I was pleasantly surprised to still be in awe of the work even after seeing it in person, albeit from a roped off distance and through tinted glass.  After taking a few pictures (no flash, though I felt like the only person obeying the rules), I wandered at a more leisurely stroll through some other points of interest in the museum.  Highlights for me include: Winged Victory, Cupid and Psyche (my personal favorite), and Venus de Milo.  Some of the ceilings were just phenomenal too.  A really amazing museum and well worth the visit.  From there, we hopped on the bus again and took a few short stops at Notre Dame, Arc de Triumph, and Palais de Chaillot.

Cupid and Psyche

It was a pretty relaxed day topped with a delicious dinner at a wonderful restaurant called Paris Home.  Mom and I shared a pizza and Dad had some salmon.  The best part though was the service and the company.  There was an older couple who came in after us from Rochester, NY.  They were trying to figure out the menu and the waitresses with our efforts managed to explain what "chevreuil" was in English.  The waitresses tried to explain that it was Bambi, with a very thick French accent, which I decoded into venison.  It was a pleasant evening.  Now: time to pack for our return to Dublin!