We have heard about the Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, but there is one at the famous Louvre in Paris. The central courtyard of the Louvre is occupied by Pyramid of glass. It was commissioned by Francois Mitterrand, who was the headed the French government and designed by Pei. The construction work of the base and the lobby was designed by Dumez. It is a must see for all the tourist who visit the Louvre.

The Louvre is treasure trove of sculptures, arts paintings and artifacts drawn from various countries and civilizations.

After scrutinizing each and every piece of art I slipped into the Promenade of the famous Champs Elysees. It is one of the famous avenues in the world where everything under the sun is available. One of the most expensive areas in the world it is called Elysian fields which means the place of the Blessed in Greek Mythology.

It extends up to two kms from the Palais de la Concorde in the east with its Obelisk and Arc de Triomphe in the west. There are tall trees lined on either side of the boulevard which stand as sentinels and forming a canopy which defies description. Since I aws strolling in Champs Elysees during the day I could enjoy the panoramic view of the trees silhouetted against the azure sky.

This place is lined with theaters, cafes pubs ,restaurants, luxury shops etal. I stood watching The unending human and vehicular traffic which passes through Champs Elysees and Arc de tiomphe.

Every year during the Bastille day the largest military parade passes through this Esplanade and the President of France oversees this military marvel It is carnival time during Christmas and New Year. There is an interesting story about Champs Elysees.

(To be continued)

UshaRaja
usharaja60@hotmail.com