La Cour Napoléon

I can't walk by the Louvre without paying homage to Mr. Pei, the architect of the famous pyramid entrance to the museum. When I first lived in Paris in 1981, the museum entrance was tucked away in a corner of the courtyard, which doubled as a parking lot. The only way to find it was to look for a line of people waiting to enter.

The entrance to the Louvre museum in the Cour Napoléon.

Today, cars are all but banished from the Cour Napoléon. The pyramid and fountains around it clearly mark the entrance to the museum, even from a distance. The façades of the old buildings have been meticulously cleaned and restored. The overall effect is majestic. Quite fitting for a former royal palace, I think.

Pointing skyward.

The courtyard brims with activity, none of which is impeded by the line of museum visitors waiting to enter. There's a café under the arcade of the Richelieu wing to the north. People sit or lie in the sun on the sides of the angular pools around the pyramid. They gather on the steps up to the passageway to the Cour Carrée for photos, or a quick snack.

Old and new.

I walked through slowly, snapping a quick shot now and then, and made my way into the Cour Carrée. I remembered that just under my feet lie the restored foundations of the Louvre castle of the middle ages; Ken and I visited that part of the museum many years ago.

Every courtyard should have its own cleaning machine.

I made my way through the Porte Champollion, which gives out onto the river and the Pont des Arts. Through one of the glass windows I caught a glimpse of the Institut de France and its dome. I passed through to the bridge and left the Louvre and the right bank behind me.

L'Institut de France.

More tomorrow...