Today I saw a little boy trip and drop his bottle of soda onto the base of the Code of Hammurabi. That's right, the actual Code of Hammurabi, the one dating from ancient Babylon that's now on display in the Louvre. The one that contains a priceless record of one of the earliest known sets of laws, inscribed in cuneiform on a slab of basalt circa 1760 B.C. You know -- THAT Code of Hammurabi.
Thankfully his soda was closed, and therefore I was able to laugh at the fact that he almost desecrated an irreplaceable historical artifact. But seriously, I have no clue why the Louvre allows people to carry around food and open bottles of soda in the galleries. Most of the works aren't behind glass, or even any sort of proper barrier. If I had the inclination, I could run around pouring orange soda over ancient Greek sculptures or smearing fries into paintings from the Italian Renaissance. The Louvre rent-a-cops would stop me before I got too far, of course, but they couldn't prevent me from destroying or at least damaging a work or two. The Georgia Aquarium won't even allow gum into the building -- they will make you dispose of gum that is still unopened and in the plastic-wrapped package, gum that is perfectly good and was just purchased the day before (not that I'm bitter or anything ... grrr.) And what are they protecting? Fish. The loss of a fish would be regrettable, of course, but it's completely replaceable. As for the Louvre, home to some of the most precious art and pieces of cultural heritage in the world? Come on in and bring your sticky, greasy goodies! It makes absolutely no sense.
To switch topics abruptly, I did in fact make it to the French Alps last weekend. Our morning train ended up being canceled because of the strike, but we were able to catch another train later that afternoon. Once we were in Grenoble, we ate some fondue (delicious!) and then spent the next two days hiking and enjoying the mountains. The weather was cold, the air was thin and the trails were steep, but the amazing views from the summit more than compensated for any struggles on the way up. The crisp weather, cute little houses and gorgeous mountain scenery reminded me a lot of Germany. I'll post later with photos and such.
Au revoir!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Wow, no bitterness about that gum, huh?!?
I agree. no soda, no candy,no food of any kind where precious artifacts are displayed. Your Grandmother says that I am probably the oldest living fossil that she know of, so be careful around me.
I am exceedingly jealous of your weekend jaunt to the alps. Lame. And also, I haven't talked to you in at least 8 years. Check facebook or something, woman.
Your hearting bro,
Michael
Post a Comment