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The secret life of the Louvre: inside the world's biggest museum

The secret life of the Louvre: inside the world's biggest museum

Times14-05-2025

While reading Adventures in the Louvre, Elaine Sciolino's entertaining deep dive into the history — and dusty cellars — of the revered Paris institution, I experienced a flashback to my teenage years. One summer in the late 1980s, I moped — dragging my feet, vocally miserable — on a family tour of the museum's interminable galleries, gardens and corridors, and a seemingly endless assortment of Louis-the-somethings and Charles-the-whatevers. For a whole day.
Sciolino sympathises. The subtitle of her book — How to Fall in Love with the World's Greatest Museum — could be read as a plea for patience. 'The museum exhibits more than 30,000 works of art in more than 780,000 sq ft of exhibition space,' she writes, making it the biggest museum

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Gemma Atkinson turns to crowdfunding to raise £500k to launch her beauty brand, but angry trolls rage she can ‘do one'
Gemma Atkinson turns to crowdfunding to raise £500k to launch her beauty brand, but angry trolls rage she can ‘do one'

The Sun

time17 minutes ago

  • The Sun

Gemma Atkinson turns to crowdfunding to raise £500k to launch her beauty brand, but angry trolls rage she can ‘do one'

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Meet world's most expensive AI girlfriend who can serve coffee & speak 4 languages – but costs same as three-bed house
Meet world's most expensive AI girlfriend who can serve coffee & speak 4 languages – but costs same as three-bed house

The Sun

time17 minutes ago

  • The Sun

Meet world's most expensive AI girlfriend who can serve coffee & speak 4 languages – but costs same as three-bed house

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'This full-bodied robot features expressive facial movements, motorised arms, and customisable aesthetics, including options for ABS plastic or silicone-covered legs. 'It supports multiple languages – English, Chinese, Russian, and Korean – making it suitable for a global user base. 'Powered by advanced AI with ChatGPT integration, the X04-SYNC2 can hold natural, context-aware conversations, learn from past interactions, and respond quickly thanks to its high-speed processor. 'Its modular structure allows for easy maintenance and a plug-and-play setup. 'This robot is ideal for anyone looking for a sophisticated, interactive companion that merges advanced technology with realistic design.' Deep-pocketed customers can choose from thousands of different faces along with skin and eye colour. 6 6 6 The dolls can be controlled by connecting them to Wi-Fi and using a dedicated app. It is the site's most expensive doll and is thought to be the most expensive of its kind anywhere in the world. Doll fanatics seeking a cheaper option will also find Emma the Sex Robot available at £3,299. This model offers a choice of six faces, seven height preferences, three eye colours and even a choice of feet. Emma has a self-heating mechanism "ideal for cuddling" and uses TPE material for the skin. Like the Companion robot, it holds conversations and learns as it goes along. ChatGPT has become a household name after exploding onto the scene in 2022 as an AI chatbot. AI model dubbed Spain's 'hottest woman' A NEW type of influencer has been taking the internet by storm earning big bucks and racking up a 'phenomenal' 250,000 Instagram followers in just six months. Aitana Lopez is a sight to behold and with her luscious pink locks, snatched waist and flawless skin she is envied by many - but she has one astonishing secret. The 25-year-old - who models for Spanish fashion agency The Clueless - is a state-of-the art AI creation designed to save the company money and time. 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People left horrified as mum shares eye-watering amount she spent at Disneyland
People left horrified as mum shares eye-watering amount she spent at Disneyland

Daily Mail​

time18 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

People left horrified as mum shares eye-watering amount she spent at Disneyland

A mother has shocked the internet by revealing how much money she spent on a trip to Disneyland. In a video posted on TikTok, Ashley Bradford (@ashleyb_ox), shares exactly what she bought with €270/£229 at Disneyland Paris. The mother first spent money on a Little Mermaid -themed bubble wand, which she explained cost €30/£25.64. Next, she spent €19/£16.24 on face painting for her daughter before buying two Disney-themed macaroons for €5/£4.27. One of the pricier items on her spending list were two burger meals and a kids meal for €49.50/£42.30. She then buys three lollies for €12/£10.26, with a Lilo & Stitch and Minnie Mouse theme, before getting another three lollies for the same price. The family purchased lots of sweet treats throughout the day, including a sweet stick €6.50/£5.56, a Mickey Mouse cookie for €3.50/£2.99, popcorn for €6.50/£5.56, candyfloss for €6/£5.13, a Mickey Mouse donut for €6.50/£5.56 and two crepes for €15/£12.82. When it comes to savoury food, Ashley and family also purchased three hot dogs, one fries, chicken nuggets and three drinks for €60/£51.28, on top of their earlier burger meals. The last buys on the family's spending list were an Ariel-themed key ring for €8.50/£7.26 and a light-up Mickey Mouse toy for €25/£21.37. But while Ashley and her family might have enjoyed their trip to Disneyland, people were pretty horrified by their high spending costs. 'Francescondon79' says: 'Why would anyone throw away their money like that'. 'Heather Simms' adds: 'The bubble wand at 30 euros had me almost choking on my own down Disney.' Another person says: 'I don't understand, this is a place for kids and they sell the things so expensive!' However, many TikTokers weren't surprised by how much the family had spent. One person says: 'I just got back from there. Spent £2,100 spending money in five days there, I have five kids. Soon adds up.' And 'Tiffany Ashworth' says: 'Is it just me that doesn't think this place is expensive?' But Ashley replied to the comment saying: 'If you think though park tickets on top of that at €200/£170 plus a day for a small family. If you've a few kids, it soon would add up.' It comes as a father who took his family of five on a day-trip to Orlando's Walt Disney World resort revealed the unexpectedly high cost of their outing. The man, from Florida, US, took to social media to break down the family's outgoings throughout the day, which later sparked a heated debate among viewers about the importance of budgeting. In a video, reposted by @financedystop on X, the father documented the price of the family's tickets, parking, meals and snacks, as well as the staggering cost of items in souvenir shops. Before the family even entered the park, the father revealed he forked out $30/£22 for all-day parking.

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