A Smile of a Memory by Bob

A MEMORABLE MOMENT

by Bob

Certainly we all have had memorable moments which remain crystal clear in our minds as we reflect back upon them. One of those moments for me was when I entered the enormous palatial room at the Louvre in Paris and suddenly there it was, the Mona Lisa, the most famous and valuable painting in the world. That was in June 1998 shortly after I arrived in France on a seven week tour of Europe.

This time I was traveling alone with no schedule as to where I needed to be on any given day or week. The freedom of traveling without a time schedule is truly a wonderful experience.

Exactly 40 years before, in June 1958, I was part of tour group which began its tour of Europe in England and from there went on to France and then to several other countries. Though we moved from one country to the next as a group, we often had free time to visit or take tours within the cities where we made stops.

In London, while visiting Westminster Abbey, I met a lovely Fraulein from Dusseldorf who was studying English in the city. The result was that I remained in London while the tour group went on to France. When I caught up with the group in Paris a couple of days later, there was not enough time for me to visit the Louvre and see Leonardo da Vinci's famous work of art.

Thus, because of that morning visit to the church where kings and queens are crowned, I waited 40 years for the next opportunity to visit the world's largest and most famous museum.

It was a thrilling moment to finally see the Mona Lisa. Was it beautiful? Well certainly, after all, everyone says that it is. Would I have paid $10 to buy it at a garage sale?

The truth is, probably not unless I knew what the painting was. Yes, I did take a course in art appreciation while in college. Apparently the course did not help me very much.

Mona's smile has brought wonder to most of our minds. Bob just had the courage to put in print what we've all thought. Little did we know as we were traveling with Bob that it would bring us to unexpected humorous end. One we could all relate to. Our laughter made that evident. This was an enjoyable, informative, and entertaining read. I don't know about you, but I'll be back for more. Know of any good yard sales?????

NOTE: If you would like to take a look behind the scenes of Mona and her travels, click on Mona Lisa and enjoy.
Also, for some interesting pix on Mona, Google Mona Lisa and click on IMAGES.

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