How to visit Le Louvre
By Jean-jacques Barbet
27 Oct 2009
1. To begin with, leave your camera alone.
Leave it in your bag or, even better, leave it at your hotel it will keep you from the uncontrollable urge of taking pictures you won't ever have any look at when you'll be back home.
Ok, let's assume you're one of those compulsive tourists who can't make a step without shooting whatever's round you, the following tips are for you.
2. Don't use your flash. Ever.
I know you don't know how to prevent the flash to pop out, you don't know how to find the 'Museum' preset in the endless menus of the technologic wonder your mate just bought you last Christmas, but please make an effort... you have had more than six months to read the user's guide, and it's a pity to find you now surrounded by museum attendants threatening you to throw you out.
3. Don't ask strangers to take a picture of you and the love your life with the Joconde as a background. Or any piece of art, it was just an example.
In the first place, you can't imagine how stupid you look on this kind of pictures.
You can do that say, on the rim of the Grand Canyon or on the deck of the bateau –mouche. My advice, though : it's a bit cheesy, even for a tourist.
4. Don't even think about asking ME to take a picture of you and the love your life with the Joconde as a background.
Maybe you've heard about how grumpy Parisians could be. Well, those stories are true.
So don't you dare asking to make one of those crappy flash shots with this 12mgpx apn you're so proud of.
The last one who asked me so was a young six foot & some inches american, one of those students who must be basket ball player, at least a head taller than I am... well I had to accept, "Yes I can" do that for you.
5. Stop considering having spent a few ours in Le Louvre will allow you to show some pretention, saying something like "I've been in Paris and I visited Le Louvre".
I try to come here once a month and every time, I still loose my way and I still find something I hadn't seen during my previous visits.
6. Don't be pretentious. No matter how long you intend your visit to be, you'll be exhausted before having seen a tenth of what your travel guide (yes, the one in which you can read that French people, specifically Parisians, can be so rude!) urges you not to leave the place before without having seen them.
7. Don't rush, take your time.
By the end of the day, or back home, just pretend you've seen everything you intended to (or were told to), no one will see the difference, maybe not even you : you won't be able to even remember what you've seen and what you have not.
8. Don't forget to bring your children with you.
The younger they are the easier it will be, as they grow up, to get them interested to this kind of place.
They will also prevent you from staying too long. One hour, maybe two, and you will have to cope with the usual "I'm hungry", "I wanna pee", "I'm tired", etc... That will give you a good reason to leave this place that bores you sooo much!
Ok, that makes 8 out of ten, and it seems I'm getting short on "don't..." or "Stop...".
See, we're not only grumpy, we're also lazy!
:)
2 responses
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Rhio9 (Rhio Hirsch) said (10 Nov 2009):
excellent tips and attitude. i was under the impression that taking photos in a museum was not allowed anyway, but i suppose there are those who do it, or try to.......anyway, i've never been there....
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Jean-jacques Barbet said (10 Nov 2009):
the attendants would have a hard time managing a complete interdiction of taking pictures,
and they already have hard times preventing flash to pop out
...
and fact is that I do (obviously) take pictures in the museums but I try to keep a low profile
:)
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