| Monday, June 17, 2013 -- Paris, France -- Day 2, Part 1 |

We woke up to rain and felt right at home in Paris, coming from Seattle. Our plan was to walk along the Seine from our hotel to Place Sainte Michel in the fifth district, where we were to meet a docent at 9 AM who was going to take us on Context Paris walking tour of gothic architecture.

However, shortly after we left the hotel at 8 AM, the rain turned from light to heavy and then to full on downpour. The rain slowed our progress (we kept ducking under cover) plus I made a navigational error requiring us to double back. Finally we were drenched to the bone and it was raining so hard, combined with intense lightning and thunder, that we ended up taking refuge in a cafe to dry off. Fortunately the cafe had wifi and we contacted our docent and rescheduled for 3 PM.

When the rain let up we crossed the seine on le pont des arts (pictured) and visited the Louvre. An expansive collection of art to say the least. Dylan wanted to see the Mona Lisa, the line to which felt like a giant mosh pit at a Pearl Jam concert from the 1990s.

After that Dylan bought a lock from a Gypsy, attached it to the rail along with a wristband from his rock band, Gecko Bob, and professed his love for the band as he threw the key off the bridge. Well he through away the key anyway -- he did not know that the locks were intended to symbolize one's true love.

After lunch we visited the Cluny museum where we saw the decapitated heads from statues that used to be on the Notre Dame cathedral prior to the French Revolution.