Marble Louvre!!!

Hello, dear! How are you? It's already the end of November!
If you are my Japanese mixi friend, I'd like to tell you! I just connected this blog to mixi. So, now I can inform you when I republish new article! Don't worry, I seldom republish it;) I write my articles in English just because I want to practice using it...and sometimes I may use some French words. If you have time, welcome to my blog!! Recently, I have still been writing about my SUMMER trip in Europe. One article is what happened in just ONE day . There are three days left...I really hope I will finish writing them within this year!!!

On the morning of July 16th, my hubby and I were waiting in a line to enter Musée du Louvre (ルーブル美術館）. Have you ever seen the glass Pyramid? Yes, it became more famous after the movie, Da Vinci Cord!! The appearance is the left picture. If you go downstairs beside the Pyramid, you will reach the entrance of the museum. In the basement...the pyramid is upside down like the first right picture!!
I don't have to mention it, but Musée du Louvre is certainly one of the most popular tour sites in the most polupar country for tourist, France... Thus, there were hundreds of people!! Even though we had Carte Musée Monuments which were prepaid tickets, we had to wait to enter it for 40 minutes!!

Inside Musée du Louvre...the expanse of it was beyond our imagination!! I had read a guidebook said,"If you want to see EVERY artwork here, it takes more than THREE DAYS." My hubby and I said, "No way! The author exaggerates it!!"
However, once we stepped into the museum... we muttered, "He is right..." It was like a huge PALACE.
Probably other tourists knew how large it was, so everybody walked at a smart pace!! We couldn't stop in the hallway, so my hubby said his theory again. " Let's go to the place where many tourists are gathering! There must be a famous picture there! "

Then, we reached the first work of art. That was Victoire de Samothrace(サモトラケのニケ). However... we were overwhelmed by a BUNCH of people around the ancient art. So, I forgot to take a picture of the sculpture itself! The title of the right picture is; interested people around the worldwide famous artwork, Victoire de Samothrace...

Next, we encountered the highlight of Musée du Louvre. You can guess it! Yes! That was La Joconde(モナ・リザ！）　Our guidebook said, "There is no one who doesn't come to see her in the Louvre." Yes, it's true... But actually, I wanted to add," There is no one who can see her quietly!"
It was like a big bargain sale place after the Thanksgiving... People jammed each other to see her. I barely took a picture from the distance, but we couldn't go closer to her!!!

However, after we passed through the super-famous artworks, like Victoire de Samothrace or La Joconde, we could get some space to enjoy pictures. I am not an art buff at all, so I didn't check the title and painter...but, for example, isn't this left religious painting beautiful? I think this picture discribes the Christ's splendid birth scene. The color, texture, expression...beautiful!!
The right picture is...I thought it was a famous one by Rembrandt represents Joan of Arc. But I am not sure. If you know who painted this, please tell me!

After awhile we looked around the French panting section, my hubby asked me like a child. "Why do ladies expose their breasts? In the United States, it's prohibited!" Well? Yeah, for example, in the Joan of Arc picture, a lady showed her breasts...
I said, "Boy, they are ART!!! Not for a vulgar purpose!"

"OK... this one is also??"
Then, we looked at another picture... That one was Gabrielle d'Estrèes an bain avec une de se Soeurs(ガブリエル・デストレとその妹）.
I see....it must be wierd for a kid to see a lady who is pinching the other lady's nipple! I had read a guidebook, so I could explain.
"The right lady was a mistess of Henri IV de France, Gabrielle. The left one was her younger sister. Pinching a nipple means she wanted to say, "You are pregnant, Gabrielle!!""
"Really?? Interesting!!" Yeah, art is sometimes hard to understand, my kid... But the painting is cute& unique! I like this!!

The more we went downstairs, the less people hung around. This is the first floor of the Musée du Louvre. It's like a MARBLE Palace!!
We became relaxed, and tried to see details of the sculptures. Then, we found another superfamous artwork! Look! Vénus de Milo（ミロのヴィーナス）！！
Look at her! Look at her beautiful face!! By the way, where are her arms? Unfortunately, nobody knows... She was discovered almost 200 years ago!!

After we finished touring Musée du Louvre... We took just three hours for the place which is supposed to need three days to look around...
We went to the most academic place in Paris. La Sorbonne(ソルボンヌ大学）!!
Actually, there is no "The Sorbonne University." That was a nickname of the college of literature and human scinence. Now, Sorbonne means Paris' Third University and the Fourth.
We quietly walked on the stone pavement, thinking about the University's alumni, like Victor Hugo(the author of Les Misérable,) Pierre and Maria Curie (physicists,) Nicolas Sarközy (the current French president...) Wait a minute! This is an international university. So, there are some famous Japanese who studied here...like Kyozo Nagatsuka (長塚　京三、actor,) Taro Okamoto(岡本　太郎, artist,) and even a notorious former CEO of an English school NOVA, Nozomu Sahashi(猿橋　望！！！）

Behind La Sorbonne, an huge neo-classic building appeared. It was rhe Panthéon. This was one of my desired spots to go to!!
The Panthéon was a chapel which has huge crypt. We just walked around La Sorbonne, but many alumni have been buried here... Victor Hugo, Pierre and Maria Curie, etc, etc!! Two hundreds years ago, they studied, talked, and ate just behind the Panthéon...but now, they are resting in this quiet, solemn place. Hmmm... one of the most interesting things to travel is to FEEL the history on the place!!

Panthéon has another historical object which attracts tourists. Look at the left picture! In 1851, Léon Foucault(レオン・フーコー, ）a physicist, used this pendulum to prove that the earth turned on its axis!! In this era, many people believed in the rotation of the earth, but nobody had proved yet. When Léon Foucault, who was not famous at all, proved that by using this, people thought that was so simple that somebody might have done that earlier. However... Léon Foucault was the very first one who proved that!

Sometimes many people don't notice very simple, but the most important fact.

After we left the Panthéon, we aimed at our final distination. That was...here! Café du Flore!!
In Tokyo, if you walk to any corner, you can find one or two CONVENIENCE STORES.

In London, you can find one or two PUBS on any corner!
In Paris...you can find even two or three CAFÉS there!!
Now, we can figure out the great importance of culture. In Paris, everybody goes to cafés daily!!
My hubby and I watched a TV program about Parisian cafés. We heard one girl say, "Since I spend most of time here, I had my mail delivered to this café!!" WHAT!!?? Isn't it OK!!?? Here, Paris, some people actually LIVE in cafés!!

Because of the culture, a garçon is a popular occupation for parisiens. A garçon means literally "a boy," but in cafés or restaurants, it means "a server." Popular garçons could earn several hundreds thousands dollars per year!!
Every June, many people all over the world come to Paris to see "the garçon marathon race." In the race, garçons run for 5 kilometers holding the cafés' specialities on traies!!

Even generally, being a garçon is one of a parisien' dreams...but, "being a garçon of Café du Flore" is special.
Café du Flore is one of the longest standing cafés in Paris. It opened in 1887, near Église St. Germain de prés(サン・ジェルマン・デ・プレ教会).
Jean-Paul Gaultier, Juliette Gréco, Boris Vian… Many French celebrities came to the café.
It is said garçons in Café du Flore are like "actors" in the most prestigiouos stage. Parisiens and parisiennes come to the café not only to have cups of coffee, but also to "watch" the garçons' elegant movements!!

In the TV program I mentioned before, they reported Café du Flore hired a first "non-French" garçon in their 220 years history.
He is, actually...a Japanese!! When my hubby and I wathed the TV, (it was just before we left for Paris,) we screamed, "Wow! It must be fantastic! Let's go to Café du Flore to see Monsieur (Mr) Yamashita!!"

Then, we...met him! He looked like an ordinary Japanese guy around in his early 30's.
We were excited to see him as if we met a celebrity.
"Hello, Monsieur Yamashita! We came here to see you from the U.S!!"
He didn't smile. "Well...thank you."
We talked a little bit, but...that was it!! I think he is nice, but, not like a friendly American guy. He was quiet maybe because he was busy, and he didn't want to interrupt us. And also... probably, French garçons (he is a Japanese, though...) don't talk too much with unfamiliar customers.
Once they admitt we are "clientele," they might often come to us.
Were his movements so elegant?? We watched him carefully...but frankly speaking, we had no idea!!
My hubby said, "What is a difference between a Japanese or American server and a French garçon!? Why are they so popular?? Why do French people want to LIVE in such a café paying 7 euros for a cup of coffee & tipping every time they go to a restroom???"
"Well, it's because this is Paris..." I tried to say my cliché, but knew it didn't make sense. I don't know... this is also a cultural difference!!

Being still confused, we left Paris the day after. Then...we arrived in Belgium, the city finally let us relaxed!! I will talk about this city later!
À bientôt!(See you soon!!)