Retire Early Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler

In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this financially independent lifestyle, they invite you to take advantage of their wisdom and experience.

The Louvre and a Bar Nearby

Paris, France

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

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The Louvre, located in Paris, France, is one of the world's largest and most famous art museums. 

Having gone though this magnificent place several times in 1979 we wanted to go this time, to see the gardens or perhaps some of the amazing gilded aristocratic rooms.

But, sometimes ya just gotta take the hint.

We legitimately tried 4 separate times to purchase tickets to the Louvre, and were rejected.

Going to the Louvre website to buy entrance tickets, I could not enter my credit card number. Thinking the ticket office was closed (?), I tried again the next day and again, no luck.

Next, I downloaded the Louvre app on my phone and at the payment stage, once again, my credit card number was not taken by their online system.

At this point we took a Bolt car ($13 Euros) from our hotel directly to the museum to wait in line.

People, people were everywhere and at the ticket counter there was a LOOOOOOOOONG line - probably 2-3 hours of waiting - and we weren't going to do that.

So we took the hint that this was not going to happen for us today, and instead, decided to walk around to see what we could see.

Cour Carrée, the central courtyard of the Louvre Palace in Paris.

Did you know that Vikings attacked Paris?

What is now known as the Louvre was originally built as a fortress in the late 12th century under Philip II to protect Paris from these attacks.

But then later in the 14th century, it was converted into a royal palace.

The Louvre museum in Paris is made up of 3 main buildings, called pavilions.

The Denon pavilion in the center houses some of the most famous artworks in the world, including the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.

The Sully pavilion located to the right has a variety of collections, including Egyptian antiquities, Greek and Roman art, and decorative arts.

The Richelieu pavilion has collections of sculptures, paintings, and decorative arts from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. This is where the gilded rooms were located that I wanted to see.

Denon Wing

The Denon Wing is one of the busiest parts of the museum.

The French revolution started in 1789, and it abolished the monarchy. At that point, in 1793, the Louvre became a public museum showcasing all the royal collections which included the works amassed by the French crown.

Not only that, but this was a new concept within the history of museums. The transferring of private collections of the ruling classes (monarchy, aristocracy and the Church) went to publicly owned galleries to be enjoyed by all society.

This became a precedent and model for several museums after that.

The French Revolution dissolved monasteries where monks and nuns lived, and the new government took over their lands, buildings and treasures. They also changed the calendar removing Christian influence and in any way possible, weakened the power of the Church.

Any property or treasure that was abandoned by escaped nobility was also seized.

Billy and Akaisha in front of the famous glass and metal pyramid

The most iconic modern addition is the glass and metal pyramid designed by I.M. Pei in 1985, completed in 1989, which now serves as the museum's main entrance.

A closer look at the pyramid

There are 673 glass segments and metal poles making up the pyramid.

It is 71 feet high and 115 feet at each side of the base. At night, this pyramid is beautifully lit up.

Underneath the pyramid is a whole underground complex that houses the museum's main entrance, ticket counters, shops, and restaurants

Initially, this design was met with significant controversy and public outcry in France. Many felt it was an inappropriate juxtaposition with the historical buildings of the Louvre, but these days it has become a symbol of the museum itself.

The hallways of the Denon Wing

From these long series of arches in the Denon Wing, we looked out onto the Cour Carrée.

Sometimes we'd peek into the windows of the museum and see crowds of people, but we weren't getting into the place today.

So after some time about the place taking photos, it began to rain. Then it rained harder and HARDER.

Leaving, we ducked into doorways on the streets to get ourselves re-grouped. We put plastic bags over our travel handbags and got an umbrella up.

All I could think of was those people still standing in line. They had to be getting absolutely DRENCHED.

Cold, wet, windy… Paris in the Fall.

Bar/Cafe near the Louvre

So we find this bar/cafe somewhere across the bridge and we tuck ourselves in.

It looked warm and inviting and we were ready to shake off the damp chill.

Drowning our sorrows

Well, we didn't get into the Louvre today - but we were grateful for having seen it in 1979 when we basically walked into the ticket office, bought passes and went inside.

In fact, we went several times over the course of our stay in Paris, and to this day we have wonder-filled memories of our visits.

Cheers to you!

Billy is sending you some cheers from Paris!

Would we recommend you visiting the Louvre?

Of course!!

In writing this piece I visited the Louvre's online site, and nearly a year later I read: Our site is currently experiencing technical difficulties which may cause an error during the booking process. We are working hard to fix the problem as soon as possible.

Yes... working hard and the problem is still the same. Am I being mean by saying "It shouldn't be this hard, guys?" I mean MILLIONS of people visit the Louvre on a yearly basis and a techie can fix a payment system? GRRRR.

We would recommend purchasing tickets online if possible to help avoid the long lines at the Louvre itself. Also, visiting early in the morning or late in the afternoon can be less crowded. But however you get in, you will be gobsmacked by the glorious items inside.

The museum is vast, covering over 652,300 square feet of exhibition space, so allow yourself time to enjoy as much as you can.

Typically open from 9 AM to 6 PM, with late-night openings on certain days. It's closed on Tuesdays.

__________

Musée du Louvre

Address Palais Royal

75001, Paris 75001

Website: https://www.louvre.fr/en

For more stories, photos and videos of France, click here.

Retire Early Lifestyle appeals to a different kind of person – the person who prizes their independence, values their time, and who doesn’t want to mindlessly follow the crowd.

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