Off the Beaten Path - Paris Travel Guide

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When you’re at the Louvre, don't just admire the sculptures, paintings and artifacts, but spend some time watching the people as well.

Inside the museum, you’ll run into many groups with tour guides. I try every way to avoid being in the same room with them. However, I always drift toward the students with their history teachers. The students don’t look at things as most tourists do: they don’t go from one piece to another, snap a picture, check off their list and then move on. They’re there only to learn about one certain aspect of history, and they do it well. They all sit on the floor; the teacher is on the same level with the pupils. Teacher teaches and students learn, but now and then, the roles are reversed when a discussion becomes a new lesson for all.

These history lessons are like a scene out of Raphael's School of Athens. This is the same method of learning and teaching that gave us Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, Euclid, Epicurus, Diogenes, etc. That is what I love the most, the serious but inspirational lessons without the tour guide add-on commentaries to amuse the crowd.

Walk around the museum and into rooms where the art students sketch the same sculpture. Discreetly peer over their shoulders, you’ll find that in fact, people don't share the same view or see the same thing.

Walk outside to the courtyard and see young children learn to draw the first time. Once, I was fortunate to witness a young artist at work. She must have been about 7 years old; her model was her grandmother. Both artist and model were serious at their work. The young artist drew, then erased, then drew again. An hour passed and not much was done. The model suggested it was time for a snack. The artist did not think the flow of her inspiration should be interrupted. The connection between the two was so beautiful, touching and mesmerizing.

You can find similar scenes often in the courtyard. It's especially evocative when children's crayon works show their innocent interpretation of the immortalized works of masters.

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