The Mona Lisa

Today we decided we had to return to the Louvre, having avoided it last time we were here.  It normally attracts huge crowds and long queues, but maybe in the middle of winter it's not so bad?  Sure enough, I bought tickets on-line and there was NO queue at that entrance - although those buying tickets on the day did have a short queue of 50 or so.

Entrance to the Louvre

Inside the glass pyramid (eyes shut!), beside neon "lightning"

The glass pyramid marks the entrance to the Louvre, and is also the only above-ground sign of a huge modern entrance hall and adjacent shopping centre and roads beneath the courtyard and gardens in front of the Louvre.  So to enter the Louvre you first enter the pyramid and descend into the entrance hall, then go up again into whichever wing of the Louvre you wish to visit.  It is such a huge museum that you must narrow yourself down to some specific part to visit.  Trying to see everything will just result in exhaustion, sensory overload, and possible collapse into a coma.  We decided to go for (a) the Moroccan exhibition (tying in with our visit to Spain), (b) the Mona Lisa, and (c) the Egyptian collection.  On the way to and from these we also saw all sorts of other distractions.

Follow the signs to Mona Lisa

There she is!  Actually bigger than we remembered...

Napoleon crowning Josephine.  The second biggest painting in the Louvre!

Some tiny Egyptian statuettes

Silver and gold horse's head, Iran 4th century AD

Gilded mummy

The large shopping centre hidden beneath the Louvre was full of people and there were christmas decorations everywhere.  Further down there are bus and car parks, and the whole complex links directly to the adjacent metro station.  No need to go outside when it's cold.

Shopping beneath the Louvre

Finally - a decent box of chocolates!  Pity about the the price...