No doubt you have noticed that, so far, I have stood in this perch and panned from west to east, but through the south only.

Why have I avoided the northern hemisphere of the view from this round dome? Because it is looking into Paris suburbs like Saint Quen and Saint Denis to the north, and not into the main part of Paris itself. But since you asked, here is a view to the north:

Since we seem to now also be taking in some views of the roofs of this cathedral, let’s throw in a few more cathedral roofs including some of the external stairs used in the tour (I won’t comment on the obvious and point out the San Michel statue):

Enough roofs? Good, because now it is time to head down on wobbly legs [I am getting older, I can tell] and see the crypt (included in tour) and a piece of the cathedral itself, a very small piece. What caught my attention in the crypt first is this treasure of an altar behind thick security glass:

You noticed the beginnings of a picture frame to the right? Good, here is a better view.

The painting is arrestingly beautiful and emotional. It is the grieving Madonna by Christian Gaillard:

The Pieta Chapel is the central feature of the crypt and its centerpiece is this emotional work of art:

Going into the main cathedral now, part of my emotional attachment to this place comes from this powerful sculpture of the Madonna and child by Tronc. When I first saw it in the early 1980s it gave me a thrill to realize that this was an illustration of the feminine face or aspect of God (my God-sense has radically changed since then, but contemplating this sculpture began my inner expansions on that theme):

My favorite meditation spot in all of Paris is very near this work of art in the chapel dedicated to Mary. (No picture : disturbing those praying here would not be polite.)

Anxious to get back into the daylight on the roof? Not me, but, have it your way. Here without further comment are some additional views from that circular vantage point:

I had a nice late lunch and stayed up working on this page until 8 PM, did my evening ready for bed routine, took two Tylenol PMs, and slept for 8 hours!!! Phenomenal for a first night in Paris.

I am declaring victory over the evil forces of jet-lag for this trip. Prematurely? We shall see, later in the week, during my long days of meetings at the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

So, now came the time that I have been looking forward to all day: going home (hotel room) to clean up and sleep!

The next day found the city free of clouds and bright and sunny. It remained that way the whole time I was locked up in meetings. If I looked out the meeting room window long and hard enough, on the right side of the Eiffel, just to the right of and above a building with some white and black in it, I could again see the Sacre Coeur!

To see it, try this: Above the ship’s mast is a relatively long and low white building with a black center. Just above that black column rises the dome of the cathedral. See it now? Good!

You don’t see it? Well it is a nice Seine-scene anyway, isn’t it? But don't despair, it is the photographer's fault for taking the picture on a hazy day, not yours. So here is one last attempt to make up for the photographer's deficiency: a blowup of the area where the Sacre Coeur can be seen if you already know it is there and stare very hard:

See it now? The dome and one of its towers hovering above the black, white-roofed building? Great!