Figueres – October 28-30

On the day we were scheduled to move out of our old apartment in the Gothic we had already made plans to travel by train to Figueres for 3 days to visit the Dali museum and explore nearby Costa Brava. The friendly staff at Lugaris Beach agreed to store our luggage, so prior to our departure we brought our stuff there and then said an easy goodbye, for good, to our apartment in the Gothic.

Buying our ticket, and traveling on Spanish trains, notorious for bureaucratically poor service, was easy after we learned that there are several types of trains and different stations in Barcelona where they stop and 2 stations in Figueres where they arrive. The train was packed and we were not quick enough in getting seats together so we sat separately. It was a pleasant 2 hour ride and we arrived in the late afternoon to a cold, grey and drizzly town. Luckily our Airbnb was only a couple blocks from the station and our host met us there and provided a map and directions to the town center where we could get dinner. We had pre-booked tickets for the Dali museum for the following morning so we set out to get our bearings and explore the town. Unlike Barcelona, the shops and restaurants in Figueres close during siesta time so there was not much to see, but the restaurant our host recommended was open throughout the day, and despite it touristic appearance ended up being quite good.

After a nice little breakfast in our condo of eggs, fruit and a baguette from a bakery at the end of the street, we walked the 10 minutes to the Dali Museum. We arrived at a perfect time just as cues where starting to form at the entrance, one line for ticket buyers and another for those of us with previously purchased tickets. The museum swung open its doors right at the chime from the church across the square, and we were some of the first people in.

The front of the building had been a good preview for what was inside with a bizarre assortment of sculpture and imagery, symbolic as well as disjointed. Inside the building which had been a closed down, fairly grand opera house style theater that Dali chose to renovate and house his museum. After passing thru the ticket and coat-check room, you can either walk down the wings to right or left or enter into what feels like a giant courtyard, but was once the main theater hall. We headed straight in, and in front of us was the car we had read about surrounded by sculpted figures on the window ledges of what were once the balconies. Every vantage point presents a perfectly arranged scene of interesting sculptures and architectural details. Every piece of the museum’s architecture and decoration is a work of art and we were immediately aware of Dali’s artistic genius even before seeing any paintings. Every angle inspired reflection. The artwork that was hung gallery style showed an enormous breadth of artistic style and skill , ranging from traditional realistic to grotesque sketches. Even without a dozen of his most famous pieces that are hanging in museums around the world, the collection was amazing. Unlike other historical collections of one artist, like the Picasso and the Miro, which we had recently visited, every single piece of work by Dali here is inspiring. No simple stepping stones, and all completely worthy of viewing. The museum also features the work of a couple other artists that Dali apparently nurtured, and both are beautiful. Overall, we all agreed that we had never seen as many interesting, aesthetically pleasing or technically mind-blowing pieces of art under one roof. The amount of variety is amazing. Many of Dali’s works play with illusion, like a giant collage that forms a portrait of Abraham Lincoln when viewed from afar and a set of furniture and objects that resembles Mae West from a viewpoint. We learned a lot about the surrealist movement, not enough to really understand or explain it, but enough to be curious and appreciative. In general, it seems Dali was a master of tapping into his self conscious to create scenes both on canvas and in 3D. After more than four hours we finally left to get lunch at a nearby restaurant before returning for another hour to look at the collection of jewelry designed by Dali, which like everything else, was impressive and attention-grabbing.

I am not aware of another situation where an artist was able to create such a monument. And I feel that essential for Dali’s financial success was his “brand.” Without the iconic mustache, the bugged out eyes, the eccentric philosophical quotes and his ambiguous sexuality, he would have been rejected by most proper society. He is one of the few who truly pushed the limits, and not only did he get away with it, he thrived.

The next day, when we had hoped to visit Cadaques, the coastal town where Dali set up his home studio, was cold, rainy and windy. And since our visit would have involved a busride, hike across the hillside to Dali’s home, and then back to wait for a bus several hours later, we regretfully opted out, completely satisfied with our visit to the museum.

We instead found an excellent farmers market downtown Figueres and wandered the streets a little bit, stumbling on a charming courtyard playground and interesting sculptures. Our apartment provided the most quiet night for sleep that we had had since the mountains of Slovenia. The train ride was comfy and convenient to and from Barcelona, making a trip to the Dali Museum in Figueres totally rewarding, even without making it to Cadaques. We recommend it highly. Make sure to book your tickets to the museum in advance, entering right when it opens.