"An elegant women is one who despises you and has no hair under her arms."
A friend from the United States made a return trip to Barcelona recently and was interested in going up to the Salvador Dali museum, which is located about two hours away in Figueres. I wasn't super into it but hadn't been so we rented a car and...zoom zoom...Dali-wood!
"Everything alters me but nothing changes me."
One of the first things I noticed was that Figueres was relatively cheap compared to Barcelona. Our first stop was lunch, which cost about €6.50 (~$8 U.S. - gotta' love the dollar right now!). Remember, meals in Spain are typically two-to-three courses with a glass of wine/beer and a coffee all included. In Barcelona, the same might cost 50% more. I know that a couple of dollars isn't a big deal but multiply that by the hundreds-or-so little costs over the year and it can add up. Anyway, lots of Spanish folks have told me this but it doesn't hit home until I'm away from town.
"So little of what could happen does happen." (I need to work on this one.)
The museum and everything inside was designed by Dali himself. It's partly set in an old theater located right in the center of town. Just like when I went with Pili and Pau a few years ago to visit Dali's house up in Cadaques, there's a hint of eccentricity, no, almost a madness, about it as opposed to say when we were in the Canary Islands and visited some of Cesar Manrique's work.
"The only difference between me and a madman is I'm not mad."
Dali's a surrealist artist, whatever that is, who's maybe best known for his pointy mustache and melting-clock paintings. Of all the works, I was strangely drawn to this Sistine-Chapel-esqe, giant-feet painting on the ceiling of one of the larger rooms:
"Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it."
The room below is reminiscent of the Dali House with its furniture and unusual adornments like the gold skeleton in the corner (and melting-clock painting in case you forget where you are):
"The difference between false memories and true ones is the same as for jewels: it is always the false ones that look the most real, the most brilliant."
The museum's definitely worth a visit but what I probably enjoyed more than anything was having the rental car for the day. Once we got back to Barcelona, we decided to go visit some friends out near Sitges and hung out for a few hours. Zoom zoom! It was almost like being back in San Diego, the ease at which we "just" cruised out to see those guys.
Anyway, Dali's a bit of a super genius in artist clothing; a bit eccentric but...WOW! My friend from the U.S. was thrilled even if a bit jet-lagged. The scene outside the museum (what's with those eggs?):
Probably my favorite Dali quote is this one but I'd challenge him to substitute "person" for "artist":
"A true artist [person] is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others."
To be that person...that is the goal.
