Rodin Museum (Musee Rodin)
This was the first museum that Micah and I went into and it was one of the most unique we've ever been in! It is both an indoor and an outdoor museum. The inside is many rooms, filled with Rodin's sculptures of many materials, as well as other works by his student and mistress, Camille Claudel. However, despite the rain, we most enjoyed the outdoor gardens filled with sculptures. Beautifully designed and manicured, it enhances the setting of such famous works as you will see below... Rodin is perhaps the greatest sculptor since Michelangelo!
The Thinker
(And Micah, posing as him!)A view of the indoor museum from the back of the gardens.
Mozart by Rodin
The Hand of God
Notice how big it is compared to Micah's hand! You can even see me with my camera in the mirror reflection!The Kiss
A view of the gardens from a second floor window.
The Gates of Hell
Many of Rodin's sculptures were works of art that he perfected in order to include them into this one INCREDIBLE sculpture... you can see some of the detail in the picture below, but it is really difficult to describe or show the incredible design and effort put into one of these masterpieces.
The Louvre (Musee du Louvre)
This is Europe's oldest, biggest, and greatest museum. The architectural design contrast between the historical building of the museum itself and the pyramid entrance in front of it is a striking example of just how much history has past since many of the paintings and sculptures were first created.
First of all, as you walk towards the museum from the Tuleries Garden in front of it, you come to the Arc du Carrousel. You can see the immense museum and the pyramid behind it.
The museum's building started as a fortress in the 12th century, then was a dwelling place for kings, and has been a museum since the late 1700's. 
The glass Pyramid was built by I. M. Pei in March, 1989. So you could say that we were there for its 18th anniversary. :) Though this pyramid serves as an entrance to the museum to ques (lines) are VERY long here, so Micah and I choose to enter it through a metro station.
This is the under-side of the pyramid... and incredible design!
Now for a few of the excellent exhibits! I could photograph sculptures, but am not allowed to photograph paintings, so I'll show you what I can!
Winged Victory of Samothrace
Without title, but not without awe-inspiring beauty! Even the ceiling inside The Louvre is art... some rooms are painted such as this and others have intricate architectural design.
Venus de Milo
The museum's building started as a fortress in the 12th century, then was a dwelling place for kings, and has been a museum since the late 1700's. 
The glass Pyramid was built by I. M. Pei in March, 1989. So you could say that we were there for its 18th anniversary. :) Though this pyramid serves as an entrance to the museum to ques (lines) are VERY long here, so Micah and I choose to enter it through a metro station.This is the under-side of the pyramid... and incredible design!Now for a few of the excellent exhibits! I could photograph sculptures, but am not allowed to photograph paintings, so I'll show you what I can!Winged Victory of Samothrace
Greek art that used to be on the prow of a ship, then later stood on a hilltop to commemorate a great naval victory. She now stands on the landing between two great staircases in the museum.
Without title, but not without awe-inspiring beauty! Even the ceiling inside The Louvre is art... some rooms are painted such as this and others have intricate architectural design.
Venus de MiloThis is Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love (c. 100 B.C., from the Greek island of Melos, but discovered in 1820). The rarity about this statue is that most "Greek" sculptures found are actual Roman copies, but this one is a rare original.
This is a snapshot of one of the many staircases in the museum... I tried to capture just how worn down the stops are. You can see the worn edges closes to the hand-railing... so many footsteps have made their way up and down this path over the years.
Above a large room filled with statues, Micah navigates and plans our next move... a person can EASILY get lost in this museum, even with the detailed map provided free with your entrance fee. There are a dozen different languages that the map is written in, which really gives a person perspective on how many people visit this museum each year.
The natural light coming through the sky-lit room provides an excellent atmosphere for viewing the sculptures!
Signs such as these are on every sculpture... basically it says "Don't touch this or the guards will come and get you."
Sculptures are full of drama, like this one by Pierre Puget...
And this one by Michelangelo!
This is a snapshot of one of the many staircases in the museum... I tried to capture just how worn down the stops are. You can see the worn edges closes to the hand-railing... so many footsteps have made their way up and down this path over the years.
Above a large room filled with statues, Micah navigates and plans our next move... a person can EASILY get lost in this museum, even with the detailed map provided free with your entrance fee. There are a dozen different languages that the map is written in, which really gives a person perspective on how many people visit this museum each year.
The natural light coming through the sky-lit room provides an excellent atmosphere for viewing the sculptures!
Signs such as these are on every sculpture... basically it says "Don't touch this or the guards will come and get you."
Sculptures are full of drama, like this one by Pierre Puget...
And this one by Michelangelo!
Micah and I discussed this very question as we gazed at the masterpiece. An older couple walked by us while we were doing so, and we overheard the woman say to her husband, "This is the only time I will ever see the Mona Lisa in my whole life!" In her tone was the sound of desperation, of a life lived with regrets for waiting so long to truly live. That's when the thought came to me - perhaps "Mona" is thinking, "Why are you all standing there staring at me? Stop staring and LIVE... live you're life while you still can. Live each day to the fullest. You don't have to see the world or the famous things in it, in order to live it, but you do need to take advantage of each day God gives you, and to live without regrets." I couldn't help but think, Carpe Diem - Seize the Day! On the other hand, as Micah said, she could just be thinking, "Hurry up and finish the painting da Vinci. This pose is killing my back!" Who knows? The speculation sure is fun though...
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