Paris Organ J-Term: A study in beauty...

At Espace Dali, Montmartre. This museum holds around 300 original drawings and sculptures by Salvador Dali. Sara and I visited briefly today. The artist saw himself as 'soft time' in this unsuspected self-portrait sculpture. Notice the tilt to help see the mouth and nose with a tear running off. He depicted melting watches because time is both fleeting and noble in the Surrealist perspective.

Monsieur Frederic Blanc, curator and resident of the Durufle apartment. He treated us to a special afternoon considering beauty, musicality, spirituality in music and of the city of Paris, and demonstrating the Durufle's distinguished house organ.

At the steps below Sacre-Coeur on Montmartre. The domes are beautiful and impressive. The horse statues are at left Saint-Louis (Louis IX, King of France) and Joan of Arc at right.

The hall at Cite de la musique. This is adjacent to the present Paris Conservatoire. We heard three premieres and another piece of contemporary music.

Napoleon I lies within having been moved from his island of exile (St. Helena), surrounded by vigilant statues with laurels. He lies directly beneath the gilded dome. The design of the crypt is strikingly similar to the tomb of Ulysses S. Grant in New York City.

The spectacular interior of the Dome Church at Hotel-des-Invalides (inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome). A place for war veterans to live built by Louis XIV, later converted to house the remains of Napoleon and other French generals.

Back gallery of the nave, with cross-rib vaulted ceiling, wonderful arches, and Cavaille-Coll's first major commission.

Rose window in the North transept. (The matching South transept window was missing its glass.)

The nave of St-Denis. Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI are in the crypt (among others), which some of us saw.

"In this church, Tuesday, September 13, 1429 Joan of Arc prayed before God for Paris in homage to St-Denis, offering her army." (our best translation of the stone on the door of St-Denis)