I have been fortunate to be able to visit Paris several times in the past and it is a bit different coming in September than during the December – February months as on previous trips. While the weather is certainly prettier in many ways with blue skies and no rain, there are loads of tourists and it was so hot in the Louvre yesterday that both Margaret and I felt sweaty and uncomfortable for most of our visit even though we were wearing cotton shirts and lightweight jeans. Not that I want you to think we don’t appreciate a chance to be here and see this together, but I know the next time I visit Paris I’ll choose cooler month when less people are traveling.

I tend to prefer images of the Louvre taken from the inside looking out.

Turning my camera to the inside, I want to give you a glimpse at how huge everything is in scale.

I always love to visit this room to see the famous painting on the left. I could sit and look at it for hours. I was sitting on the seat across from it for a few minutes when a tour came through and the guide encouraged everyone to take a seat and I swear they practically pushed me off my little spot on the end. Just as I was giving up my seat, they all jumped up and hurried off to the next painting. I find most small groups or individuals were very considerate, but the tours I had to watch out for because they were on a mission and if you weren’t part of their tour, you were just collateral damage if you got in their way.

I loved this guy and I’m not sure why. I think because he looked so real to me … more like someone who actually drew breath than some of the other figures. He had a good spot for viewing the room too.

I wondered if he worried about his double chin the way I worry about mine.

He was protected in a case so I have a bit of a reflection.

I shot this when we arrived and Margaret photographed it at the end of our day and the same two men (only one you can see) were still there sketching when the Louvre was closing.

I took this because I wondered what this woman was thinking. There were tons of people photographing this sculpture from it’s most photographed side, but I was more interested in her story.

This was an enormous sculpture and it was his outstretched hand that drew me in at first.

So I photographed his hands and then noticed that he had a mustache, which intrigued me as it is something you don’t often see on sculptures of this kind.

Does that look like a mustache to you?

Look who showed up for a wedding shot.

In the History of the Louvre section there were paintings throughout the ages of artists capturing the looks of visitors as they viewed the museum. Two caught my eye. This one above because of the outrageous faces people are making and the one below because of the neat uncluttered look of it. We are off in a minute for another full day. I hope to be back with more images tomorrow.