France's Famous Museums Will Open 7 Days A Week

(Versaille) 

Three of France's most well-known and visited museums

are about to stay open seven days a week. 

The Louvre, the Palace of Versaille and the Musee d'Orsay

will no longer be closed one day during the week. 

And according to an article in The Local, 

not everyone is happy about it.

The French union for The Louvre announced that money over conditions is 

not necessarily a good thing stating that fewer rooms would be able to be open. 

Versaille's union says night cleaning will cost more. 

But the Ministry of Culture has said

they will make sure the incoming revenue will outweigh the costs. 

And France will be going the way of 

some of the world's other top museums as in London and New York. 

It also means one more aspect of France

changes to conform to the rest of the world. 

But I'm for this one!

What do you think? 

(photo via Marc Vassal and Wikipedia)

(Story from The Local)

Pickpockets at Louvre caught

Gangs of thieves who have been working together 

targeting Paris' tourist hot spots

including the Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, the Eiffel Tower and Versaille,
have recently been arrested.

This past spring,
workers at the Louvre went on strike
to protest the upsurge in petty crime
and this month, the police finally caught a group
hanging around the most heavily-crowded areas of the Louvre
such as near the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.

While this was a sophisticated group,
only about ten were arrested, so there are certainly more.
The police, and the Louvre website, have posted safety measures
to follow while visiting crowded sites.
From the Louvre website:

"Pickpockets may be present in the museum.

They operate in crowded areas while you are looking at or taking pictures of the artworks.

Please follow these rules:

* Keep your bags closed and hold them in front of you

* Do not keep your money on display

* Divide up your cash and keep it in several different inside pockets

    or in different compartments of your bag

* Do not put your wallet in your back pocket. 

* Do not follow the advice of strangers at ticket machines

* Pay attention to your bags and pockets while taking photos

* In the event of a problem, contact a security officer for assistance."

I caught young teens trying to steal my wallet in the Louvre several years ago

as well as in the metro so not all groups are sophisticated. But they are everywhere in Paris. 

These rules are good to keep in mind no matter where you're visiting

to save headaches, heartache and peace of mind. 

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)