Vermeer at the Louvre

Small and perfectly formed, this is a truly lovely exhibition of umpteen Vermeers and contemporaries, thoughtfully hung by subject matter to facilitate comparisons.

Save yourself trips to London, the Netherlands and Germany etc., buy tickets and queue up for ages even though you have a ticket. Take a friend to talk to, or a good book.

Patience is certainly rewarded, but please be tall to see over everyone's head, or be prepared to wait for those gaps in the crowd and tour groups when you will have the Lacemaker and Milkmaid et al to yourself.

Enjoy these jewels while they shine in Paris and ask yourself why all the windows are on the left.

Islamic Art Galleries, The Louvre

Opened by Francois Hollande on 18 September, the new galleries are seriously well worth a visit.

Candelabra beaten from a single sheet of metal

Arranged chronologically, the art works are mainly ceramics, glass, metalwork and calligraphy on all kinds of surfaces. I love art that is basically a celebration of the word.

There is an impressive selection of mediaeval Persian carpets and the mosaic tiles are all fab.

Moghul jewelry and jewel-encrusted daggers could have found their way home in my pocket, along with the odd sanctuary lamp, rock crystal ewer and lustre-glazed bowl.

Worth the price of admission to the Museum alone. Try to pick a less crowded day - public holidays are probably not the best choice.