After 3 straight days of walking around Barcelona, we were ready for a break from the city. The four of us rented a car and drove out to Figueres to visit Salvador Dali's museum - Teatro Museo Dalí. I had been to this museum twice before and it's one of my favorites. I was very excited to bring my parents and Chris!
Getting There:
If you are traveling with more than 2 people, it's worth renting a car. The car rental cost us just 33 Euro and the tolls amounted to about 15 Euro. A round trip train ticket would have cost around 35 Euro per person.
Teatro-Museo Dali
Dali is one of the most famous surrealists of all time - known for his edgy artwork and eccentric showmanship. He was from the small town of Figueres in Catalunya Spain, right near the French border. The mayor of Figueres once tried to acquire one of Dali's paintings for the city. Dali's response: Where, if not in my own city, should the most extravagant and solid examples of my art remain?
Instead of bestowing just one painting to the town, he built an entire museum. He chose to build the museum in the town's old theatre because it was right next to the church where he was baptized and it's the first place he ever exhibited his artwork. The museum was completed in 1974 and is considered the largest surrealist object in the world. It's also home to Dali's crypt.
The building itself is a work of art. Figueres is a relatively average town, but then you turn a corner in the city center and see a most unexpected sight: a Pepto-Bismol colored castle with large eggs in place of ramparts.
Getting There:
If you are traveling with more than 2 people, it's worth renting a car. The car rental cost us just 33 Euro and the tolls amounted to about 15 Euro. A round trip train ticket would have cost around 35 Euro per person.
Teatro-Museo Dali
Dali is one of the most famous surrealists of all time - known for his edgy artwork and eccentric showmanship. He was from the small town of Figueres in Catalunya Spain, right near the French border. The mayor of Figueres once tried to acquire one of Dali's paintings for the city. Dali's response: Where, if not in my own city, should the most extravagant and solid examples of my art remain?
Instead of bestowing just one painting to the town, he built an entire museum. He chose to build the museum in the town's old theatre because it was right next to the church where he was baptized and it's the first place he ever exhibited his artwork. The museum was completed in 1974 and is considered the largest surrealist object in the world. It's also home to Dali's crypt.
The building itself is a work of art. Figueres is a relatively average town, but then you turn a corner in the city center and see a most unexpected sight: a Pepto-Bismol colored castle with large eggs in place of ramparts.
The museum peeking out over a courtyard in Figueres.
Teatro-Museo Dali. Dali used eggs to symbolize hope & love. He also covered the exterior walls with plaster bread loaves, an object he commonly used in his paintings. He used bread as a personal emblem - a symbol of his art - to become an object of mass consumption, to be devoured by art fans.
We waited about 20 minutes in line and then entered this bizarre museum. We saw every single exhibit and were amazed at the variety of styles and mediums (they even have a jewelry exhibit). Here are some of the highlights:
Monument to Catalan philosopher, Francesc Pujols.
Inner courtyard & Gala's Boat (Gala was his wife)
Main hall of the theater. It was crowded!
Face of Mae West Which Can Be Used as an Apartment (1974)
The Persistence of Memory
Taking a quick rest in between collections!
My favorite Dali series is less well known. He dedicated an entire floor to a variety of paintings featuring figures comprised of colorful rocks. Here are a few examples:
After spending a few hours at the Dali museum we drove to the coast to visit an adorable little town called Tossa de Mar. I visited Tossa back in 2001 and always remembered it fondly. It's an old Spanish city built on a peninsula along the Costa Brava. We had lunch by the beach and then hiked up to see the ruins of the castle with views of the rocky coast, and then walked through the winding streets of the old city.
Tossa de Mar. We had lunch under those orange umbrellas :)
Nice shot of Mom on our way up to the castle!
Stunning views!
Tossa's theater
View from the old city wall
We drove back to Barcelona and dropped off the car. That evening we walked around the old bullfighting ring, which has been changed into a mall since Catalonia banned bull fighting. Then it was time to say goodbye to Mom and Dad as they had an early flight the next morning. We had a perfect day to end a wonderful week in Spain!
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