Sunday, August 10, 2014

The centre of the world moves

No it wasn't an earthquake or a magnetic field shift.

Coming back from Geneva I checked out the new part of the La Gare de Perpignan when we changed trains.

I looked up to see Salvatore Dali's painting that covered the waiting hall's ceiling (sample section above). When he finished it he proclaimed it the “centre du monde,” the center of the world.

IT WAS GONE!

The painting was as much a part of the station as the trains. 

Dali was a Catalan and Perpignan is part of the Catalan region.

Why, oh why, was this taken down? Was it part of Barcelona wanting to be separate from Spain?

Were the French afraid that the Pyrenees-Oriental region would try to separate from France???

Although I expected no answer, I still asked at the Information Desk. Because the person womaning the desk couldn't have been more than in her early twenties, my expectations plummeted into the minus area.

So much for prejudgement.

"There was a problem with the ceiling falling. It was dangerous." Then she added, "Don't worry, it has been preserved at the Dali museum in Figueras.

Whew.


  

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