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October 1 - Today we visited Casa Museu Salvador Dali in nearby Port Lligat,
explored the seaside town of Cadaqués, Spain, then enjoyed a boat trip
around the coastline of the Cap Creus Natural Park.
ABOVE LEFT - Early morning shot of Cadaques from our balcony at the hotel.
ABOVE MIDDLE - A little later, sun is still rising
ABOVE RIGHT - Sun is up now, not quite fully illuminating the town.
ABOVE LEFT - Sun is up a little higher.
ABOVE MIDDLE - The white-washed town of Cadaques in full sunlight.
ABOVE RIGHT - Port Lligat - The current House-Museum in Port Lligat was Salvador Dalí's
only placed of residence, the place where he normally lived and worked until 1982
when, after his wife Gala's death, he moved to the Púbol Castle.
ABOVE LEFT - In 1930, Salvador Dalí set up home in a small fisherman's hut in Portlligat,
drawn to it by the landscape, the light and the isolation of the place. On the basis
of that initial construction, over the course of forty years he created his own house.
ABOVE MIDDLE - Small portion of this personal library with a few of Dali’s feathered friends.
His book collection was quite large. The library contained a substantial number of first editions
of his works as long as publications written and illustrated with other artists and authors from
the surrealist period. From a thematic viewpoint the library reflects the painter's interests
in art in general. Of particular mention, the books on the Renaissance period, especially
on Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, as well as Spanish classics
such as Velázquez and Dutch masters
such as Johannes Vermeer.
ABOVE RIGHT - As he himself defined it, it was "like a real biological structure. Each
new pulse in our life had its own new cell, its room." Furthermore, all the rooms have
windows of different shapes and proportions framing a landscape
which is a constant point of reference in Dalí's work: the Port Lligat bay.
ABOVE LEFT - His studio contains a very large easel that can't be captured
with my camera - probably 10 feet high and 14 feet wide with pulleys.
ABOVE MIDDLE - Nice collection of paints and mediums - for my artist friends
ABOVE RIGHT - Another part of the studio where he worked on smaller paintings.
ABOVE LEFT - Obviously, this is a small fraction of brushes and art supplies left behind.
ABOVE MIDDLE - Another part of his studio with an easel set up.
ABOVE RIGHT - Bedroom of Salvador and his wife, Gala. Below the foot of the bed
is a mirror angled with a view out the window that allowed him to see sunrise from bed.
Packed with a multitude of objects and memoirs belonging to Dalí,
each room is decorated with features that make it particularly cozy.
ABOVE LEFT - The resulting form of the house is the current labyrinthine structure
which, taking, the Bear Lobby as the starting point, spreads out in a succession
of spaces linked by narrow corridors, slight level changes and
blind passageways. Here we are on one of the patios.
ABOVE MIDDLE - We toured several flamboyant, eccentric and amazing rooms
in Casa Salvador Dali. This is his Pigeon Loft on the terrace.
ABOVE RIGHT - The egg is a positive symbol and represents life, renewal,
continuation and the future. Here we are hatching from one of the eggs.
ABOVE LEFT - The outdoor space is so peaceful and calming.
ABOVE MIDDLE - View from the rooftop looking out at the Port Lligat Bay.
ABOVE RIGHT - The weirdest installation is a giant man made of wood lying
in the gardens looking much like the character of Gulliver from Gulliver’s Travels.
ABOVE LEFT - Salvador Dali designed his estate with this phallic shape swimming pool.
Just a little example of the crazy/genius mind of Dali.
ABOVE MIDDLE - Dali loved swans so they are everywhere inside and out.
The red and yellow objects are giant snakes.
ABOVE RIGHT - Sculptures everywhere - around the pool, in the gardens, etc.
ABOVE LEFT - Pirelli tires and lip couch at the poolside
ABOVE MIDDLE - View from the road of the main portion of the Dali house and Port Lligat.
ABOVE RIGHT - Esglesia de Santa Maria in Cadaqués. Built 16th-17th century
ABOVE LEFT - Gilded altar in Esglesia Santa Maria in Cadaqués
ABOVE MIDDLE - Virgin Mary and child
ABOVE RIGHT - Stained glass window in the church.
ABOVE LEFT - Beautiful hotel in Cadaques
ABOVE MIDDLE - We explored an island in Cadaques
ABOVE RIGHT - Our sailing vessel for the day, built in 1925 - Sant Isidre
ABOVE LEFT - Enjoying the boat ride. So relaxing after all of our hiking
ABOVE MIDDLE - Leaving the port of Cadaques on our sailing vessel
ABOVE RIGHT - Swimming in the Mediterranean from the boat
ABOVE LEFT - Time to test the water
ABOVE MIDDLE - After the swim - really was nice!
ABOVE RIGHT - Pulling up the anchor after the swim
ABOVE LEFT - Salvador Dali and his wife Gala's boat
ABOVE MIDDLE - In and out of coves
ABOVE RIGHT - Watch out for the rocks!
ABOVE LEFT - Beautiful coastline around Cap de Creus
ABOVE MIDDLE - The Cova de s'Infern - Cove of Hell
ABOVE RIGHT - Cap de Creus lighthouse
ABOVE LEFT - Looks like a storm coming in.
ABOVE MIDDLE - Salvador Dali statue in the harbor
ABOVE RIGHT - Thunder and lightning all night!