Its Free Sunday, Free Louvre Day

On every 1st Sunday of the month, entrance to most of the museums in Paris is free. With le Louvre in the list, it  is not that difficult to pick which to go this weekend.

People have been giving us the "arghh to Free Sundays" look when we say that we are going to le Louvre, simply due to the "confirm plus chopped" snaking queue at the entrance. Very true...but, we bypassed that!!!! Once bitten, twice shy. I've queued 1 hr in summer just to get down to buy tickets, no way am I doing this again in winter!

To bypass that queue, 2 golden rules:

Rule 1: Go very early. It opens from 9am to 6pm, so plan to be there by 9am sharp.
We reached the pyramid at 8.55am, and the queue down to the hall has already started snaking.

The snaking queue at the main entrance

Rule 2: DO NOT go by the pyramid entrance. Instead, go in by Porte Des Lions Entrance, along Quai François Mitterrand. Just cut across Place du Carrousel, towards Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. You can buy tickets and deposit your jackets here as well. Basically, we were the only ones at this entrance, when the tourists were just waiting to go down to the main hall at the pyramid.

Since it's free entry, we decided to pay for 2 audio guides to have a more fruitful visit. It is E6 for each, definitely worthwhile if you do not want to just waste time snapping photos for the sake of telling people that you've been there.

Just key in the numbers found next to the pieces, and the audio guide will tell you the contents and details to look out for.

Note: There is another audio set that do not allow you to key in numbers, but just follow the highlights they have in the set. Try to get this with the option to key in numbers, as it is much more informative, and they cost the same.



Bits and pieces of our history and art lesson...

This is the only remains of the Louvre as part of the fortress in the early years, as the rest were given way to construct and extend the palace after that.

Anne of Austria's Room

 This was Anne of Austria's room. The ceiling is the works of Italian Romanelli. Ceilings of the 6 rooms are all different, and he personified mythology beings to depict a good government during her time.

 

A sarcophagus with the 9 muses. 

These rooms are now filled with sculptures. You can really see a difference in the sculptors' style as you progress through the ages. Pay attention to the details of their hair and cheeks if you are in this room, you can even pick up that since ages ago, sculptors have already realised that cruel rulers do have some distinct features. We were too busy studying the "heads" here to take photos.

Cour Puget/Marly

Cour Puget containing French sculptures

What is he looking at????

On a serious note, there are a lot of symbolism on these Four Captives (or Four Defeated Nations)...find out if you are interested..:P

Milo of Croton - OUCH!

Milo is a Greek athlete, and not that drink you have after a swim. But I guess I know how MILO got it's brand from now...This statue is a story of how Milo got sabotaged by his own weaknesses, simply put it in the Singaporean way: He "gay kiang" (aka smart Aleck), so try to split the tree trunk with his hands, but sculy got stucked and got killed by a wolf. The artist here was very kind, he sculpted a lion instead of a wolf to give Milo more dignity. 

Details to note: We cannot imagine the extent of the artist's attention to details. From the toes of Milo cramming onto the rocks, his protruding veins and the depth of the lion's claws, we can already feel his pain in this scene. And not forgetting how Milo's muscles are depicted to show a "caught in the moment" act.

Spartacus

Seriously, I'm not that into him to take this angle. This is entirely the Student's work, ego thing.

Set of tapestries depicting history of Scipio: Battle of Zama

A set of 10 tapestries, this being the last. Each piece is this big, using my head as measurement, this means each is about 50 of my head. This set of "cartoons" tells an interesting story, and basically tells you to forget about battling your enemy if you have brawn without brains. But then again, how do one who do not have brains know that he does not have one?

Hey, you millionaires out there, get one of these plates to serve your guests if you want to flaunt your wealth. These plates are so ravishingly decorated, that even the back are covered with motifs. The style is very signature, as only shades of black to grey are used.

Napoleon III Apartments

Drawing room

Grand dining room

2nd time to le Louvre, and this is still my favourite section, love the grandeur of the rooms and the decorations. With a dining room to hold more than 40 pax, no wonder he needs another smaller dining room.

I wanted to bring the Student right here the moment we stepped in, even higher priority than Mona Lisa. But its seems that the Student did not really share my likes after all.

Paintings

We spent a lot of time staring at paintings and deciphering the codes behind it. So much so that we forgot to take pictures of what we saw. Except for this one, need not explain why...A picture says a thousand words.

Gabrielle d'Estrées and One of Her Sisters

It is not what you think. Nipple pinching is not only a defence and attack technique, but is a gesture of lactation. Gabrielle is the favourite of Henry IV, and she is the one who got pinched. The lady pinching her is her sister,  Madame de Balagny. The nipple pinching symbolises Gabrielle's pregnancy, and the later birth of Henry IV's illegitimate child. You might wonder what's that extra doing behind the room. Well, she confirms the interpretation of the pregnancy by sewing a garment for the arriving child.

All in all, for any one reading this and is thinking twice about visiting le Louvre on free Sundays...GO FOR IT!!!! It is totally worth it...and get some form of guide and explanations on what's going on for a more fruitful trip.