1/15/2020
(Above: Winged Victory. A statue that is over 2 thousand years old.)
Active Summary: This morning I woke up, performed calisthenic exercises, and then ventured outside with my brother. On our way to the Louvre, we stopped by the same mini-restaurant as yesterday and procured another delicious ham / cheese / egg crepe. It was after eating and after my brother was attacked by a seagull for his food (he did not let go and shoo’ed the bird away), that we arrived at the large museum. We wandered that place for about 6 hours before heading back outside. Now, we are back at the room where I am presently compiling images and words for this entry.
(7:28 PM Update:) Just got back from a pleasant meal at a French restaurant about 4 minutes away. The name of that restaurant was Louise, and I’m pretty sure she was the elderly woman that ran it all. The food was put together quickly, which means that it likely was not made entirely fresh, but it did not have to be. My brother got the Penne 3 Fromages (three cheese noodles) while I got a small salad, Duck Parmentier (a bit of roasted duck hidden under a square-mound of savory mashed potatoes), and a very inexpensive glass of red wine called Languedoc which was probably one of the best I have had yet. Dessert consisted of an Opera for myself and another Lemon Tarte for my brother. Total, the entire outing cost less than 50 euros.
TIL: Today I learned many different tidbits of history. One of the more interesting facts, though, was that Greeks and Romans along with the Egyptians entombed their middle-class and rich folks in stone (or lead) sarcophagi. Lead was especially used by the Romans because they knew how to use sand to create molds for the molten metal.
Commentary: There is only so much art a fellow can look at before it starts to become a mishmash of assorted images and figures. Today’s record was 6 hours. This is a testament to the splendid variety of exhibits to be found within the Louvre. In an ordinary museum, I usually last about two hours at maximum.
As far as highlights go, I would say that today’s most interesting was being within two feet of a statue that was carved over 9,000 years ago. Though it was not the fanciest of sculptures, the fact that it still bears a semblance of humanity (or any form at all) after that length of time is quite amazing to me. Other than that, the entire Louvre visit was a highlight in its own right. I’ve included some of the most interesting displays down below along with a couple extras:
Old steps leading down from our current Airbnb stay. 
Inside the Louvre’s pyramid. 
Zeus. 
Arnor the river god. He appears concerned. 
The scaredy cat. I don’t know what it’s actual name is. 
A massive rug as seen from above. 
It was actually not a rug. It was a mosaic. 
Phoenix mosaic. 
Interesting tiles fitted together. 
Ornate gold work. 
Colorful hand-crafted beads and a turban flask on the right (the amber-colored object). 
Opulence. 
The courtyard. 
Though it was by no means ‘fancy’, this exhibit was the oldest in the Louvre. It was sculpted about 9,000 years ago. 
My brother inspecting his favorite artwork – the Louvre map. 
A very ornate sculpture. The women at the bottom have legs made out of snakes. 
Top the interesting sculpture. Note how well the wheat was sculpted. 
Satyrs and wine. 
More satyr and wine shenanigans. 
Brother in front of big stairs. 
Plenty of seafood. 
A painting of an art gallery. 
Hall of massive pictures. 
Hall of massive pictures, from the other side. 
A rather disturbing picture. 
A painting named “Vanity”. 
A painting with a man displaying regret? 
Cows. 
Chaos. 
Vesuvius. 
A soldier, waiting. 
Roman and modern vandalism on the soldier’s leg. 
Ridiculous intricacy. 
Oh ok. 
Brother looking at his favorite picture again. 
Not sure what this was. 
Artisan tools. 
Brother in front of giant pot. 
Brother still in front of giant pot. 
The name of that giant pot. 
Sarcophagi. 
Egyptian hieroglyphics on a tablet. 
A land of ice and snow. 
More information on the prior picture. 
A Phoenician Sarcophagus. 
Name of Phoenician sarcophagus. 
A cattle-pillar. 
Cattle grazing beneath an elm. 
Another cattle picture. 
A sleeping cat. 
Oh no. 
The award of ‘Most Naked Women’ goes to… 
Scenery. 
Baby is not for eating! 
Cows on their way to Parisian market. 
Mocking. 
Brother standing in front of his favorite picture. 
Aw… 
Ooooh. 
A massive painting. 
Brother jumping in front of massive painting.
Final Note: Tomorrow my brother leave this busy metropolis for lands that are hopefully a tad more peaceful. We will be doing this via high-speed train.
Okay, too many comments to share here now on this post, but the cat definitely looked dead… somehow the cow pictures make our farm seem less ridiculous… ‘brother in front of big stairs’ is actually artwork by the way and the words shared through out are very much appreciated