The "Secret" Entrance to the Louvre

So today we're going to the Louvre. I've been warned about the horrendous line coming from the pyramid and have been told by no less than 5 people about other so-called "secret" entrances. It turns out many of these entrances are no secret as they are on the website for the Musee du Louvre complete with a map which shows you where they are. The entrances I've been told about so far are:
-Carousel (located in the jardin- the entrance leads down some stair cases which lead to an underground ticketing area)
-Rivoli (on rue de rivoli at number 99 - look for these number in gold- there is a door. Go through it and it will lead to the inverted pyramid and ticketing area)
-Porte des Lions (on the opposite side of the street from the large pyramid towards the end of the large building surrounding the jardin are two entrances to underground ticketing areas).
-Metro entrace (supposedly there is a way to get to a ticketing area directly from the metro station stop.
-Stairs in the garden Tuileries (lead down to ticketing areas. Look for statues above the staircases)

France Day 2

I'm going to this tomorrow:
http://www.grandpalais.fr/programme2.html

Process behind the exhibit: http://www.grandpalais.fr/pics/2008/monum08.jpg

Today we saw Notre Dame. It was amazing, beautiful, and dizzying (especially the stair case heading up to the tower!) We had lunch at a cafe with enormous cheesecake and boissons compris. Apres, I fell asleep for 3 hours. The metro is a bit nullifying in the summer.

Now on the TV: French rap.

Going to France

I'm flying to France tomorrow. It'll be my first trip to France even though French is the only language I've seriously studied. It's particularly funny that it's taken me so long because I've traveled to so many other places. Ha. I'll be staying in Paris with Schnitzel's aunt and cousins. We're bringing them German soccer hooligan wigs for house warming presents that are colored red, yellow, and black. Yay Deutschland.