Travel and Donation #4: The Louvre Museum (Paris)

I visited the Louvre Museum in 1993. It was my first trip abroad, and I was eager to visit the Louvre, as it was synonymous with Paris.
I was amazed by the vastness of the museum and, above all, its enormous collection. When I found the "Venus de Milo" and the "Winged Victory of Samothrace," which I had seen in art textbooks, I was thrilled to see the real things. I have a vivid memory of the "Mona Lisa," which was so famous that it was surrounded by a crowd and strictly guarded by several security guards.

The Louvre boasts one of the highest numbers of visitors in the world, but like other museums, it was forced to close for a long period during the COVID-19 pandemic, and visitor numbers dropped significantly. Although operations were maintained with the support of the French Ministry of Culture, as a measure against the loss of revenue,they focused on new initiatives, such as expanding online content during the closure and raising funds through a charity auction called "Bid for the Louvre".

I feel that the expansion of online outreach is a welcome change, especially for places that are not easily accessible. That said, nothing beats the excitement of standing in front of the real thing.