The Louvre is just a few minutes walk from our hotel.  After a bit of rest, we got back to our feet and on to The Louvre.  (Transportation options)  We entered via Passage Richelieu, which is near Palais Royal - Musee du Louvre metro station.  The main entrance to The Louvre Museum is via the Pyramid.  However, for those with advanced tickets, those included in the tour groups and holders of Paris Museum Pass can use the entrance in Passage Richelieu.

Passage Richelieu

Pyramids of the Louvre

Pyramid Entrance

Once inside, there are elevators going to the different areas of the museum.  You just need to present the ticket to get through the entrances.  There's an information booth in the center (below the pyramid), ticket booth in one of the corners, luggage storage and a place where visitors can leave their coats.

After going past the museum-ticketed gates, it's a maze of sculptures and paintings.  Our goal is to see The Mona Lisa, which is in Denon Hall.  We took some detour to make the most of our time in the museum.  While inside the galleries, we took off our jackets due to the warmer, controlled temperature.

Our prize... seeing The Mona Lisa... It's in a glass case though, far from reach of her visitors.

After seeing what we came for, we looked for the exit and headed out of the galleries.  We followed the signs to Jardin des Tuileries.  This is where we saw the inverted pyramid.  One doesn't need to buy the tickets to Louvre Museum to see this.  It's inside the building but outside of the ticketed areas.  It's near the shops at the Louvre.

Inverted Pyramid

The next day, we came back to The Louvre to take some pictures outside when it's not yet that crowded.

The part enclosed by the plants is the area above the inverted pyramid.  It's off limits.

Angono is a first class urban municipality in the province of Rizal.  It is known as "Arts Capital of the Philippines", and located 30 kilometres (19 mi) east of Manila. (Source: Wikipedia).  In fact, it is the hometown of two national artists, Lucio San Pedro for music and Carlos "Botong" Francisco for arts.

Angono Tourist's Landmarks

From our area in Taguig, it's just a 30-40 minute ride via C6 road.  We got there just before lunch so we decided to go to Balaw Balaw first.  It's a restaurant and art gallery in one.  It offers exotic dishes, as well as traditional Filipino dishes.

What is Balaw Balaw? It is a delectable appetizer and sauce the Tagalogs serve together with sinigang. It is made from small shrimps mixed with rice gruel and “angkak”, an herb that gives reddish coloring. The mixture is preserved and fermented in earthen jar for 3 days. After this, Balaw Balaw is ready to eat of sautéed with young bamboo shoots. (source)

Address:	#16 Doña Justa St., Doña Subd., PH1, Angono, Rizal
Contact Number:	+63 2 651-0110
Email Add:	balaw2x@yahoo.com

 Facebook Page

To get there, follow the signs to Thunderbird Resort.  The restaurant is one house/establishment from the main road (left side when coming from Manila), a block (or was it blocks) before a 7-11 convenience store where one turns left for Thunderbird Resort/East Ridge Golf Club.

Balaw Balaw (the sign can be seen from the main road)

Facade of the restaurant

While waiting for our order, we looked around at the art pieces in the restaurant.

 

There's an eerie feeling about this room.
It might be these big heads which might have been
used during the Higantes Festival,
or it's something else...

Artworks from floor to ceiling

Sculptures and Paintings

View from the 2nd floor

Faucet

Restroom

At last, our food was served.

Nilasing na hipon for PhP130.00

Minaluto for PhP970.00 (Medium size good for 3-4persons)
Consists of steamed rice, mussels, prawn, crab, water spinach, eggplant, okra, pork adobo, tomato and salted red egg

Bucoroco for PhP130.00
Young coconut with halo-halo & ice cream

Next Stop: Angono Petroglyphs