The Louvre + THATLou Treasure Hunt

On my last day in Paris, I had the pleasure of participating in a treasure hunt at the Louvre for Bastille Day, appropriately named "All Things Gaul."  These treasure hunts are masterminded by Daisy de Plume of Treasure Hunts At The Louvre (THATLou) - an art fan and American expat that seeks to make discovering art a bit more interesting and fun. 

I'm not going to lie...even though I trust Mary Kay's recommendations, I was a bit trepidatious at first of the whole concept.  It had all the marks of a game-type activity that parents thought their kids would love and, no, it ends up feeling completely forced.  But I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to get into the challenge of finding proverbial needles in haystacks across the Louvre, scouring clues and taking pictures of the team doing funny things for extra points.  The tasks have to be split up quite carefully---there are map-readers, a photographer, clue-readers, and points-scorers (I was the last two).

Pretending we were being attacked by crocodiles.  (photo credit Mary Kay)

Sleepy in the old royal apartments.  (photo credit Mary Kay)

I believe we're supposed to be drunk at this point?  (photo credit Mary Kay)

The picture below is taken through the fish's mouth.  (photo credit Mary Kay)

(photo credit Mary Kay)

Hooded monks.  (photo credit Mary Kay)

Nope.  There are no words.  (photo credit Mary Kay)

With that one famous lady.  (photo credit Mary Kay)

I also contributed the oh-so-important limerick to our tally of points, based on the painting by Théodore Géricault called "The Raft of the Medusa."

There once was a raft on the ocean

Built hastily after a shipwreck and much commotion

The frenzied chaos that ensued

Meant that some sailors became finger food
Thirteen days of such horrors, what a notion!

I am such an poet.  (ha)

All in all, it was a lovely way to see the breadth of the museum, if not the depth.  And frankly, there is so much at the museum that it would be exceedingly difficult to feel like you've legitimately "seen" the Louvre unless you go every afternoon for about a month.  So, a treasure hunt like this is a fabulous way to be introduced to a place like the Louvre, and gives you a fun history of art lesson in the process.  If you're in Paris, I would absolutely recommend it!