Magnifique

Finally! I get to see the Mona Lisa. This was my last thought as I drifted off to sleep.

The following morning brought a different level of elation. Dressed in my favourite pair of black Jeans, purple turtle neck top, a black ankle length boot and for added confidence, sprinkled a modest amount of Versace's Yellow diamond, I set off to catch the 9.00 am train from Massy-Palaiseau to the Louvre without having any breakfast. I was too excited to eat. I got off at the Pyramides station to do the three minute walk to the Right bank of the Seine where the Louvre was located, all the while appreciating the uniqueness of my new environment.

On approaching the 652,300 square feet edifice, my heart began pounding twice as fast as before. I quickened my steps, as if that would diminish the long queue at the entrance of the Galerie du Carrousel. Even at that, the rush I was getting from the anticipation of the goal ahead was enough to send my patience level to a new threshold.

After gaining entry, nothing prepared me for the sight I beheld, The inside of the pyramid was magnificent. The dome shaped ceilings, the marble floor and the coffee coloured interior came together beautifully, making me pause momentarily to catch my breath.
I headed straight for the painting wing, slowly walking its length while stopping from time to time to admire the impeccable works of talented artists like Raphael, Michelangelo, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Bellini, Rubens, Titian, Poussin and Monet. These paintings gave this wing an other-worldly feel.

Finally, I was almost in front of the purpose built and climate controlled enclosure housing the best known, the most written about, the most sung about, the most caricatured and the most revered work of art in the world: Da Vinci's painting of the Mona Lisa!
When I finally got close enough, I looked up as a 20 watt LED lamp illuminated the 30 x 21 inch portrait behind the bullet proof glass, the painting that caused the Louvre to be shut down for a week when it was stolen in 1911, the painting that has been a source of awe, controversies and arguments among the best literary minds around the globe, and in that moment I felt privileged and as I stared at the Mona Lisa and her mysterious smirk, guarding a knowledge only she was privy to, I felt like she was giving me her undivided attention, a feeling that gave an added spring to my steps as I walked away.