We arrive in Paris France. Since this is not part of the planned trip, we were going to Italy, I whip out our Rick Steve’s book for France and start calling hotels. We can’t get a hotel room in Paris that Rick recommends until the next day, so we get a room in Melun. The following day we return to Paris and stay at a hotel near the metro entrance at Bastille.

 Clock inside of Vaux-le-Vicomte.

I think we have located the bust of one of my father's ancestors. The resemblance is uncanny. 
 

 Inside the Louvre. They had an exhibition of Egyptian works. I was very pleased because the Egyptians have always fascinated me. Of course we took a picture of the Mona Lisa. It is not as large as I imagined, it is behind glass and hard to photograph. We had a very bad experience entering the Louvre. First of all, enter underground through the subway entrance. The above glass pyramid is a waste of time. Secondly, be aware that the price reduces in the late afternoon. Don't buy any tickets from people that "have changed their mind about going in." Thirdly, the two guards at the escalators seemed to single out U.S. types (and it is easy to spot us), and make them go to the check-in area with their bags. I watched this for several minutes because I got through and had to wait 20 minutes for Ron. They wouldn't let him in with his bag. I watched from the top as others tried and it didn't take long to see a pattern. You can take a camera bag in, video cameras, still cameras, etc. Finally I went down to see what was up. The people at the bag check-in said you can take it in. Ron tries, they wouldn't let him, and we go back to the check-in. They say you can take it in. We go back and finally they let us in. Each time through I have a bag that no one looks at.

 Ron Jones, Paul Scott, Durwood Slinker