On the second day the clouds pulled in accompanied by a little drizzle, but that didn't stop me! I had Tenzig out of bed, off to a cafe for coffee and a piece of pain with beurre, and then onto the beginning of a LONG walk, at the end of which was the Eiffel Tower. From the hotel we walked to the river through the courtyard of the Louvre and the Jardin des Tuileries. On this my first trip to Paris I had decided to use my time getting to know the layout of the city while saving big museums visits for the next time. We spent some time in the courtyard examining the wealth of details left behind by the trail of history. Napoleon III's giant "N" made me wish I could carve my own giant initial on a building or two!
Before I left for Paris I had started to read The Queen of Fashion, a biography of Marie Antoinette focusing on the influence that her style choices had on the path of French history. Through the book I became immersed in her world; it was arresting to think that I was walking in gardens where she had once walked and that I stood in front of the arch built on the site of her beheading.
I leave you with these lighting bolts from the gates of the Louvre, telling anyone who wishes to enter that power and glory await within. Until they are taken away...
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