Tiki Touring New Zealand Travel
One Tree Hill in Auckland

Visit Tiki Touring for the best ideas of where to stay and what to do in New Zealand

 

- Visitor Information -
Map of New Zealand
Currency Converter
Car Hire
Distances Between Cities
City & Street Maps
Inter City Coachlines
City Hotel Search
Latest Tour Deals
NZ Duty Free
- Major NZ Cities -
Auckland
Where to Stay
What to Do
AA Map of Auckland
Street Maps
Transport Journey Planner
(Bus and train timetables)
Inter City Bus Timetables
Climb Auckland Harbour Bridge
Latest Tour Deals
Auckland Airport
Flight information
Wellington
Wellington Suggestions
Wellington Sights & Events
Wellington Hotels
Christchurch
Christchurch Suggestions
Christchurch Sights & Events
Christchurch Hotels
Dunedin
Dunedin Suggestions
Dunedin Hotels
Dunedin Tours
 
- Regions of NZ -
Bay of Plenty
Rotorua Suggestions
Rotorua Sights & Events
Rotorua Hotels
Tauranga Sights and Events
Tauranga Suggestions
Tauranga Hotels
Mt Maunganui Suggestions
Mt Maunganui Hotels
Canterbury
Akaroa Tours
Kaikoura Hotels
Coromandel
Coromandel Suggestions
Coromandel Hotels
Thames Hotels
Hawke's Bay
Hastings Hotels
Hastings Tours
Napier Hotels
Napier Suggestions
Napier Tours
Manawatu
Palmerston North Hotels
Marlborough
Blenheim Hotels
Blenheim Tours
Nelson Hotels
Nelson Tours
Picton Hotels
Picton Tours
North of Auckland
Bay of Islands Ideas
Bay of Islands Hotels
Bay of Islands Tours
Russell Tours
Paihia Tours
Whangarei Hotels
Far North Hotels
Otago
Arrowtown Hotels
Cromwell Hotels
Fox Glacier Hotels
Fox Glacier Tours
Franz Josef Hotels
Franz Josef Tours
Queenstown Suggestions
Queenstown Hotels
Queenstown Tours
Te Anau Hotels
Te Anau Tours
Wanaka Hotels
Wanaka Tours
Poverty Bay
Gisborne Hotels
Taranaki
Taranaki Hotels
Taranaki Suggestions
New Plymouth Hotels
Wanganui Hotels
Taupo/Ruapehu
Taupo Hotels
Taupo Suggestions
Ohakune Hotels
Waikato/Waitomo
Hamilton Hotels
Hamilton Tours
Waikato Suggestions
Waitomo Caves
Waitomo Hotels
Waitomo Tours
 


Mona just too popular

Louvre, Paris, France

 

Mona Lisa, Louvre, Paris, France

 

 

By Richard Moore

 

IT IS the most famous painting in the world - and the most expensive – valued at an estimated $760 million.

It was created between 1503 and 1506 by the Italian master painter, sculptor, designer and creator Leonardo da Vinci.

The Mona Lisa, as she is known, is called La Gioconda in Italian and La Joconde in French. It is a half-length portrait of the wife of a wealthy Florentine silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo.

Her name was Lisa and the Mona means my lady.

Da Vinci painted the work on white-painted poplar wood and it measures 77cm by 53cm. Not really small, but many people are surprised that it is not bigger.

The Mona Lisa has been housed at the Louvre Museum in Paris since 1797 and has had a pretty adventurous life for such an elderly lady.

She has been kidnapped – well, stolen, in 1911 by an Italian Vincenozo Peruggia who wanted to take it back to Italy.

She didn’t have a good year in 1956 when she was stoned – someone threw a rock at her – and before that survived an acid attack.

There have been other attacks, but now she sits snugly behind bullet-proof glass staring in amusement at the absolute chaos she causes among visitors to her gallery.

And boy is it mayhem as more than six million people a year pop in to catch a glimpse of her.

Actually, it is more like swarming by for those precious moments.

To get a longer view is a bit of a battle, that is if you are lucky enough to avoid the cameras, iPads, mobile phones, selfie sticks, selfie takers all holding their arms up as if they are surrendering to someone.

It is an absolute bun fight and photographing the goings on in the crowd is more fun that trying to elbow your way to see Mona Lisa.

Sometimes, beautiful ladies can be just too popular.

 

 

 

Copyright Richard Moore 2018 | Contact Us