Heh, and I somehow had a feeling you were about 20. Well, take it as a compliment.
The Pavane is a very special piece, true. Very moving. And there's that hilarious comment made by Ravel to a student, 'play it like a Pavane for a deceased princess, not like a Deceased pavane for a princess', something like that. He was a witty man. My first Ravel piece was - you guess correctly, Bolero. But it really is a good composition, no matter how overplayed it might be.
My favourite Ravel pieces, though I haven't heard too many, are La Valse, Pavane, Left Hand Concerto (this one in particular), Gaspard and the String Quartet. As you say, everything by the man is flashing with colour and incense.