The Best Things in Life Are Free

Louvre (Personal Photo)

The Louvre: originally a palace, it lost its function as the king’s place of residence after Louis XIV—the Sun King— chose to reign from his newly built palace in Versailles. Since I tagged along with my uncle on his way to work, I arrived early enough to be one of the first in line. Again, my wallet breathed a sigh of relief as my Carte de Séjour paperwork earned me complimentary entry.*

Once I had a map, I made a beeline for the Mona Lisa, knowing it is one of the most famous works on display in the Louvre and would soon become overrun with tourists eager to snap their own photo of the Giaconda maiden. The Mona Lisa was tiny! I should not have been surprised—I have heard this comment before—but yet, I still was. 

View from Notre Dame (Personal Photo)

In reality it is a fraction of that size at 30 by 21 inches. A glass box encloses it, and a metal barrier prevents you from getting close, both under the watchful eye of a security guard. I took my obligatory “I was there” photo and went to explore other exhibits, including The Code of Hammurabi, one of the oldest examples of writing in the world. By lunchtime, my head was swimming, although the rain had stopped; spending the morning indoors had been a wise decision.

My feet carried me to the Île de la Cité, the island in the middle of the La Seine. Although the sun had yet to show its face, I visited Sainte-Chapelle, a Gothic chapel renowned for its beautiful stained-glass windows. I am told it is spectacular in the sunlight, but I did not know if I would have the opportunity to visit it before I left Paris. Soon after, I scaled the towers of Notre Dame and viewed the city alongside stone gargoyles. Compared to the Eiffel tower’s climb (700 stairs), it was a breeze at 400 stairs, although the spiral staircase seemed nevertheless unending.

Notre Dame (Personal Photo)

During the afternoon I wandered around the south side of Paris, the Latin Quarter, munching on a panini and a sugar crêpe en route to the Pantheon (not to be mistaken for the one in Rome). There I saw the crypts of Rousseau, Voltaire and Marie Curie, among others before strolling the Jardins de Luxembourg and exploring a few antique bookstores. When it was time to meet up with my uncle, my feet were begging for rest and my stomach for supper. Although the traffic was sluggish, our dinner was hearty, my hosts were gracious and the wine, again, was superb.

*Sainte-Chapelle, Notre-Dame's towers and the Pantheon were also free for the same reasons.