The Louvre was high on our list of things to do in Paris. I was looking forward to seeing the glass pyramid and the Mona Lisa, with a few other things. If you’ve seen or read The Da Vinci Code you’ve already imagined yourself there. It’s a must-see. Or is it? Although I don’t regret going, I’m not absolutely certain it was worth the trouble.

1. Ticketing is confusing. Everything I read said I had to buy my tickets in advance or I could stand in line all day. In reality, the lines really weren’t that long. We had purchased passes online and didn’t have to wait in line but if we had it really would not have been a big deal.

2. The glass pyramid is freaking hot. In August, it was a truly uncomfortable way to enter the museum and not a great place to stand in line. If you want to see it, walk past it. It’s just the ceiling to a basement from inside.

3. Hard to get to. Although we did the Paris Metro to work quite well for us most of the time, there is no stop really close to the entrance of the Louvre.

4. Too much security. The Louvre has numerous wings. And you must go through separate security and show your ticket for each one, as well as when you come in the main entrance. More lines than I want to deal with.

5. Too many people. Usually I am prepared to deal with crowds when there is something I want to see. The crowds at the Louvre are beyond ridiculous. If you want to see Winged Victory (this with the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo are the top three attractions), you have to shove your way through crowds on a steep staircase. If you pause to take a photo, there’s a good chance someone will shove you and you’ll topple down the marble stairs.  The Mona Lisa is impossible to get near unless you prepared to just push your way forward through a room that is wall to wall bodies. The sheer number of people all trying to get to the same place you’re going makes it an unpleasant experience.

6. Pickpockets. Although we fortunately were not affected, the Louvre is supposed to be one of the worst places for pickpockets. The sheer volume of people and the closeness of other bodies makes it a danger zone. Therefore, I was paranoid the entire time and it’s hard to relax and enjoy yourself when you feel as if you’re going to be robbed at any moment. One of the room monitors (not sure if these folks are technically security guards?) shouted at my daughter when she walked by with part of her purse partially unzipped (there was nothing of value in it and we would have appreciated the warning had the woman not appeared angry with us!).

7. Terrible signage. We had a map. I had read in advance about how best to navigate from one thing to the next. We still got lost. Over and over. Since everyone in the damn place is there to see the Mona Lisa you would think they might have a sign pointing to the entrance to the room. It was difficult to navigate every step of the way.

8. It is gigantic. And nothing you want to see is near anything else. We went to almost every wing to see the 4 things we were there to see (Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory and Napoleon III’s apartments). Wear athletic shoes and be prepared to go up and down a lot of stairs. It takes

much longer than you anticipate to walk anywhere and it’s never a straight shot. There are twists and turns and unexpected staircases. And there is always a tour group walking slowly in front of you.

9. There are other amazing place in Paris that have none of these problems. High on my list of recommendations is Musee de l’Orangerie. This wonderful museum is in the corner of the Tuileries, has absolutely no crowds, is small, and has two gigantic rooms of HUGE Monet paintings that cover the entire walls. You can get up close and

personal with them. I would pick that any day over the Louvre.

 

The Louvre was high on our list of things to do in Paris. I was looking forward to seeing the glass pyramid and the Mona Lisa, with a few other things. If you’ve seen or read The Da Vinci Code you’ve already imagined yourself there. It’s a must-see. Or is it? Although I don’t regret … Read more →

I can find an excuse to eat chocolate just about everywhere I go, and Paris is no exception. Choco-Story, the museum of chocolate made it pretty easy for me. Located on the Boulevard Bonne Nouvelle, right in front of the Bonne Nouvelle Metro Station, this museum was easy to find. It doesn’t compare on the outside to the other grand museums you will likely visit while in Paris, but it’s bigger than it looks. The museum is three stories and at 9 Euro a person it is well worth a visit for anyone who enjoys chocolate.

This museum pays special attention to the littlest visitors. Each exhibit has a child’s level explanation in Lego (I adored these little Lego dioramas that illustrated the point of the main exhibit) with simple text for the youngest visitors.

The main gist of the museum is to guide you through the development and 4000 year history of

chocolate. Chocolate originated with the Mayans, who used it as an unsweetened hot drink only allowed to the nobility. You follow the history of chocolate as it is used by the Aztec, then comes to Europe and the colonies. The museum has an astounding amount of information and displays. You could easily spend an afternoon here if you wanted to read everything (and there are English translations of just about everything).

In addition to learning about how chocolate has been used in different cultures, you can see the actual plant and pods and learn how it grows, is processed, and cooked with. Cacao was not only used as food, but also as a monetary system (personally I would have no problem with being paid in chocolate!). Detailed exhibits explain

how chocolate has been prepared through the ages. Recipes are posted for visitors’ use as well.

The third floor of the museum has displays that pertain to current and mainly American use of chocolate (are they trying to say something?). The huge display of beautiful chocolate pots and cups fascinated me. Chocolate molds reminded me of the ones my father-in-law used to use. You’ll also see some chocolate advertisements.

The basement of the museum (which is the last part of the visit) contains some videos, but also has an interactive computer quiz you can take that assesses your tastes and recommends a type of chocolate and a country of origin for it that you are

most likely to enjoy. Everyone in my family loved this part of the museum.

Also in the basement is the chocolate making demonstration. We were very interested to go to this, but it was a huge disappointment unfortunately. The chef leading the demonstration spoke in rapid fire French. Someone in the audience asked if he could speak “En Anglais, s’il vois plait” also. He slowed down for a moment to say he was also speaking English and then proceeded to continue speaking in an fast and indecipherable way – presumably in French and a very heavy English accent. No one had a clue as to what he was saying. The demonstration began with samples of different types of chocolate. Then the chef turned on a machine that poured melted

chocolate into a mold. He put it in the refrigerator, pulled out one that had already chilled and dumped the chocolate out. This was the entire demonstration. In my book, that’s not making chocolate, it’s just molding chocolate. There were more samples at the end which kept us quiet. It’s hard to complain when your mouth is full.

After we had explored the museum, our path led us to the gift shop (always my favorite part of a visit to a museum). We bought different types of chocolate to bring home (white chocolate for the husband, dark orange chocolate for me and dark chocolate for my daughter). At the conclusion of the visit, you get a cup of hot chocolate in the flavor of your choice. There are about 8 different flavors to choose from. One was traditional Mexican with chile in it. White chocolate, hazelnut, dark chocolate, and orange chocolate

were all options. You are handed a cup of hot milk and a piece of chocolate on a stick. You swirl it in the chocolate until it melts. There’s just one small bench to sit on and enjoy this, but there are some public benches in front of the museum if you can’t find a spot.

This was a sweet ending to a fun afternoon for us. When we visited on an August weekday, the museum was not crowded at all. This is not on most people’s radar, so at this point, it’s still a hidden gem you can enjoy without crowds.

I can find an excuse to eat chocolate just about everywhere I go, and Paris is no exception. Choco-Story, the museum of chocolate made it pretty easy for me. Located on the Boulevard Bonne Nouvelle, right in front of the Bonne Nouvelle Metro Station, this museum was easy to find. It doesn’t compare on the … Read more →