The Enigmatic Mona Lisa Smile and other wonders

Visited the Louvre and rushed to the Hall of the Renaissance Italian paintings. In the middle of the hall was the iconic Mona Lisa, surrounded by a gaggle of American and Japanese tourists looking in awe at La Gioconda and clicking away furiously. It was a dream come true, after years of gawking into the illustrated coffee books. The painting is placed behind specially-made bullet-proof glass, amidst high security. But, one thought that the painting was seriously ageing as the Mona Lisa looked darker compared to her earlier photographs.

I was in for a pleasant shock when I discovered my favourite childhood painting at the Louvre - Self portrait of Elisabeth Louise Vigee LeBrun and her daughter Julie. I used to collect biscuit cans and match boxes bearing this image. Remember falling hopelessly in love with it.

The Louvre is a gigantic museum showcasing more than 30,000 pieces of great art and sculpture and even after spending two whole days, I have covered less than one-third of the Louvre. I know people here who have been visiting the Louvre for the last 20 years and still end up learning something new.

The Glass Pyramid, completed in 1989 by the famed Chinese architect, I.M. Pei, is a provocative contrast to the Louvre and a piece of art in itself.

The Egyptian Art section was fabulous with its array of artefacts like The mummies, sculptures of Pharaohs, the hieroglyph tablets and other rare pieces. The most famous art piece was The Seated Scribe of Saqqara