Mona Lisa...What A Babe!

A complete thrill for me. We had been going to so many museums and every time we were checked through security I would whisper to Stagg that they were checking for soup. e got to the Louvre very early one day to drink coffee ad walk around outside. We were meeting a tour guide but we wanted to see the area first. We had to get a tour...because all the tickets were sold out and the only way we could get entry was to sign up for a tour. I always thought such a tour would not be for me but we were desperate. How could we go to Paris and not see the Louvre!? I had actually been here when I was a teen with my French class...but that was a long time ago and Stagg had never been As we drank coffee we noticed two or three police vans show up...right before we met our tour guide. When the guide arrived he told us we may not be able to see the Mona Lisa because protestors had thrown paint on her. I cheered! Yay! That's why the police arrived! Well, they cleaned her off...as she has bullet proof glass on her...and so we were able to not only spend a wonderful few hours at the Louvre but we saw all three of the special ladies there. Nike, Venus and Mona.

Look at the people take pics of themselves ignoring the art!

And here she is....why is she so famous? There are thousands of other pieces all around her..yet the crowds stop here. Why? One idea is that she smiles mysteriously. That's probably not it. Another is it is a selfie...of Da Vinci in drag. Hm...maybe. That is fascinating. But more likely...it is because an Italian nationalist stole her in 1911. And kept her hidden...lost. People flocked to see the empty spot where she used to hang. The Italian thought she should return o Italy but he could not transport her. Two years later she was found. He was arrested...and she has continued to draw crowds ever since.