Opera Garnier, the Orangerie, and the Louvre

Today (July 8, 2016), we started by touring the Paris Opera House. It was a beautiful building, very ornate. The tour guide was great, he told us the story of the Phantom of the Opera and we got to see the Phantom's private box. We also got inside the auditorium and saw the ceiling painted by Marc Chagall as well as the beautiful chandelier.

Then, after a shopping walk featuring more stores we couldn't afford, we headed to the Orangerie, which features Claude Monet's Water Lilies. We really like this museum because it was smaller and the art seemed more accessible. After the Orangerie, it was off to the Louvre for what turned out to be a four and a half hour private tour. Our tour guide was excellent -- he was an art history major whose goal was to teach us something about art and history. The tour was great, we got to see things we never would have even thought to look for on our own, and never had to worry about getting lost in that giant museum. I would recommend this tour to anyone going to the Louvre for the first time. I think its the only way to appreciate that museum without becoming overwhelmed. Since it was Friday, the Louvre was open late, so that by the time we left we were almost the only ones there.