The Intensity of Visiting The Louvre for the First Time

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Let's rewind time. January 2013.

Picture this.

I'm sound asleep one night when I get a strange phone call. from a German.

Let me be straight with you.

In my sleep, I totally hit "end call". *facepalm* It was 2 or 3 in the morning, and my first thought was "I don't want to pay fees."

I think.

It's hard to know what you are thinking when you are half-dead. ;)

Anyway, after pressing end-call, I groaned as I made a sudden realization: "was that …?" Grumpily, I take a second glance at my phone.

It was.

Ugh.

Still asleep (I think), I text a response "Are you ok?"

I can think of absolutely no other reason that I would be called so late at night. In the last 13 years of knowing this person, I've been the only one to ever instigate a 2am chat, and that was only ever online. Never a phone call.

And so I wait.

And wait and wait and wait.

What I will do if there really is a problem, I have no idea. Book an expensive flight to a place I've never been … to do what? Rescue a 6 foot+ giant from a criminal? *shrugs*

So when, like 20 hours later, I get a response, I am shocked! (It was more like 3 hours later, but, still, this German, in particular, is notoriously slow at responding.)

I had not gone back to sleep in the time since, choosing to edit an image and watch tv on my computer instead.

Anyway, in my 3 hours later text, I'm told the early-o-clock phone call was essentially a butt dial. Argh. But at least he's ok.

The chat continues for a bit (like 2 hours) until I'm informed, eventually, that he is now engaged. It only took him one butt dial and 5+ hours to tell me…

Now, let's fast forward a few months… July 2013.

I randomly text German guy about something random. My husband and I are on our way to north Georgia, and I'm bored. It's a two hour drive! So when I get a response, I'm totally up for chatting.

Unfortunately the conversation basically ends abruptly when the internet gets spotty.

Still, I had no reason to suspect anything weird. Our entire conversation had been about old cars, Lucky Charms cereal, and who knows what else. We may have talked about the wedding, but it wasn't anything specific, or at least I don't remember it being about anything specific.

And that's when the bomb is dropped.

He has invited us not only to his wedding, but also to explore Europe with him and his future wife for their honeymoon.

Here I was planning this small little one week trip where Justin and I go straight to Germany, see a wedding, a sight or two, then head back. How was I to know there was a whole tour of Europe being planned? All of a sudden, I had to think about asking for legit time off from work and finding flights at a good price. Could Justin and I afford to spend 3 weeks in Europe? Would I have a job when we got back?

Fast forward a few more months… to May 2014.

When we arrive to Germany, I'm basically freaked out, because I know my German language skills suck. Luckily, the wedding goes by fast and before I know it, we are on our way. We begin in Venice, then move on to Cinque Terre, Marseille, Provence, and Paris. It's a crazy whirlwind adventure. going by super fast and crazy slow at the same time.

And, of course, without knowing it, I'm doing all of the wrong things. I'm eating with just a fork, I'm walking around in flip flops, I'm failing at languages, I'm tripping over my own two feet. I'm nervous to the point of not being able to eat.

And then there is salami which is our lunch; I've never eaten salami and, up until this point, I've refused to touch it. What, exactly, is it? Which part of the animal would I be eating? I wonder. I don't eat sandwich meat at home, and, to a small extent, I think I could be a fruitarian. ;) Hesitating but hungry, I try it. Thankfully, salami reminds me of pepperoni, a flavor I like.

By the end of the trip, my feet are blistered and sore with cuts. I hold a disheveled appearance – the look of a weary traveler. Trying to impress … or at minimal, look like I know what I'm doing, has gotten old. Clearly I do not, and I just want to get to a point where I can feel like myself again.

Enter: the Louvre.

The largest museum in France featuring the one type of art I struggled to memorize in art history class, renaissance art. Argh! Could I pretend to enjoy it? Pretend to be happy and not in pain? Pretend to not be soooo tired?

Looking back, I'm not sure I was quite ready for the experience – for the intensity of it all, emotionally, mentally, or physically. And yet, here we were.

Now.

It has been almost two years, and writing this blog post is the first time, since then, that I have been able to actually look back on the experience with a bit of distance between me and the strong emotions of that day. I think the most interesting part is seeing how my photographs morph from wide angle views of the large museum rooms to close-ups of the art pieces, in which I make them "my own". Clearly, my frustration was giving way to something beautiful, something that I can look back on now and be proud of. I think, had my emotions, physical and mental energy, not been so entirely drained, my photographs would look like something else entirely. :)

Have you ever gotten to that point? where you are so tired and mentally drained that you essentially cut out "the noise" and focus on your real vision?

It's a really difficult position for me to find.

Check out the whole piece here.

Both photographing and visiting the Louvre are highly intense emotional, physical, and mental experiences. I don't recommend going when you are tired or overwhelmed like I did. Go when you have an abundance of free time and can just meander. Don't pick up a map. Visiting the Louvre is about discovery … not finding the Mona Lisa or spending exactly 1.5 hours there before moving on to the next tourist attraction.

I think, looking back, the Louvre should be a place where you go to breathe. People-watch. Look at all of the intricate details of a painting. Take a piece of paper and a pencil and try to draw one of the statues. Grab a bite to eat when you need a break. Take the Louvre in slowly. It is worth it.

What is your experience with art museums? Do you love them? Or hate them? Have you ever been to the Louvre? If so, is there anything you would recommend to a traveler planning to visit? If you haven't been, is there any particular art piece there that you want to see?