What started out as an interesting day of getting lost temporarily on the RER, turned out to be a great sightseeing day where we definitely pushed it a bit - but it was all worth it in the end. Here is a link to our original itinerary which included catching RER C to Metro Invalides, walk through Esplandade des Invalides to Musee de l'Armee, then across the street to Musee Rodin, and finishing off (time permitting) to Musee d'Orsay. This was our actual itinerary. Well, we get to the train station alright, but took the train in the wrong direction. Easy fix right? Just go on the other side of the tracks and catch the train going the other way. Apparently some RERs are set up such that ALL trains on a given platform head in one direction. Long story short, we ended up at Gare d'Austerlitz which turns out to be one GHETTO station. From the platform we take the only exist we could find that lead to a dimly lit series of 12 switchbacks with graffiti literally covering 95% of the walls. By the time we get to Musee de l'Armee we were almost 2 hours behind schedule. We made the most of the day by staying at Musee de l'Armee for 3 hours and took advantage of the Louvre being open to 10pm that day.
Musee de L'Armee (4.5 of 5)
A common theme that you will notice with many Paris museums is that the ground that they are built on are worth visiting even if you don't manage to make it in. This museum is no exception as the gardens surrounding the monster complex that houses Napolean's tomb is majestically lined with lime trees as you approach from Metro Invalides. In the UK, there are 5 separate museums that make up the Imperial War Museums. Imagine if all that content was in one place? This is what Musee de L'Armee offers to its patrons. A stunning collection of the history of war from ancient times right up until WWII. I was a huge fan of the Churchill Museum's high tech Mission Impossible feel and France's answer is an entire basement level dedicated to Charles De Gaulle where it is just as high tech straight from the Minority Report. In the North side, there is of course the tomb of Napolean along with other French war heroes encased inside a golden chapel. Thoroughly impressed overall and should make it on anyone's visit list if you have any interest in the art of war.
Musee du Louvre (5 of 5)
One caveat with this review, we didn't get a chance to see the whole museum. We only saw 1/2 of one wing (Denon) and will be back for more for sure. I'm confident that my rating won't change here though. The Louvre is a spectacle in itself where the architecture of the old (the 16th century palace) and the new (glass pyramid) meet in harmony on a grand scale. According to Rick, the Louvre is Europe's oldest, biggest, greatest, and second most visited (after the Vatican). The kids were getting VERY TIRED at this point, but Chloe had enough energy for one treasure hunt... the Mona Lisa! The info packet they give you actually point out the major displays on the map and Chloe found all 8 of them, with the final achievement being the mystery woman herself. It's funny, you are allowed to take pictures in the Louvre, as long as there is no flash. At the Mona Lisa, nobody seems to listen (or care) since it looked like a Paparazzi mob. Forget about whether you like art or not, it's just great to be part of the great vibe and energy of the place.
