Day Two

Start day two with a traditional Parisian breakfast of café au lait and croissant, energizing you for a day at the Musee du Louvre. Enter through the 71-foot-tall I.M. Pei glass pyramid, a marvel of architecture completed in 1989 (interesting enough, many French residents hate it, feeling it destroys the balance of the Louvre’s courtyard).

 

You might want to opt for a 90-minute guided tour (given in English) to get you started. It gives you a great overview of the facility, allows you to see the major sights, and provides you with an idea of what you want to come back to. The most famous site, of course, is Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. After a major facility renovation, she is now situated in her own private room, encased behind protective glass. Two other pieces most tourists try to catch are the famous classical Greek sculptures, the Venus de Milo and Winged Victory of Samothrace (also called Nike of Samothrace).

 

The Richelieu Wing houses French paintings, decorative arts, French sculptures, and Asian antiquities. There are also fragments of the Parthenon’s frieze. The Grand Galerie is dedicated to Italian paintings, mostly from the Renaissance years, with works from Raphael and da Vinci. Other collections include Greek, Etruscan, and Roman antiquities.

 

When you are ready for a lunch break, try either Café Richelieu or Café Marly. Take a break from the beauty and nourish yourself with lovely sandwiches and pastries. When you are finished, continue your journey through this massive collection of treasures, aiming to finish in the late afternoon.

 

When you finally tear yourself away from the Louvre, make your way over to the Left Bank for an evening stroll through St-Germain-des-Pres and place St-Michel. If you have time, continue your stroll on down to the Latin Quarter, home of the famous Sorbonne.