I really like the Louvre- It is in no way an overstatement to say that the Louvre may be the best museum in the world.  From the architecture of the building itself to the collections, it is just incredible.  I’d been there before, but this time I made a point to check out some parts of the museum I’d never visited.

The Louvre was originally a fortress that was eventually modified into the structure that it is today.  There is a path to the lower levels that include some of the original donjon and the only remaining portion of the medieval complex.  They were uncovered during excavation to put in IM Pei’s pyramid in the courtyard.

I also made it to the Egyptian area.  Some of this really struck me.  How can you not like a culture that would sculpt happy/hungry hippos in a variety of colors?

They also have an impressive collection of Egyptian sarcophagi.  I’d not seen them displayed in a line like this with the lids before.  The interesting part is that a number of the lids were decorated on the inside.  That just seems like a practical consideration from a people that gave a lot of thought to the afterlife.

The Middle Eastern room was really something to see.  The corridor leading into it was amazing and I really like the happy Iranian.  Sadly, my picture of Hamurabi’s code failed to come out. Damn.

I was the biggest dork in France- In a land known for their abiding love for Jerry Lewis, I may just be dorky enough to develop my own French following.  I certainly made a valid try at it while I was in town.  I went on a Segway tour of the city on Sunday and it was amazing.  If you go to Paris, look up City Segway Tours.  Here’s their card.

Segways are great.  Over the course of about four hours on a very cold morning we covered a ton of ground.  Our guide would give us a bit of the history and then we’d zip off to our next destination.  The key to effective Segway driving, according to our guide, is watching out for the four P’s: people, poles, poop and poodles.   It was cold and snowing a bit, but I’d absolutely do it again in a minute.  This is my new favorite way to see a city.  Here are some of my best around Paris.

Check out all of my Paris pics here.