Exploring Dali's favorite towns: Figueres and Cadaques

Just a few hours north of Barcelona, and right below the Spain-France border, are two towns that were very dear to Salvador Dali.

 

Figueres is home to the Dali Theatre & Museum. When asked why he chose this specific location, Dali replied: 

"Where, if not in my own town, should the most extravagant and solid of my work endure, where if not here? The Municipal Theatre, or what remained of it, struck me as very appropriate, and for three reasons: first, because I am an eminently theatrical painter; second, because the theatre stands right opposite the church where I was baptised; and third, because it was precisely in the hall of the vestibule of the theatre where I gave my first exhibition of painting."

And "eminently theatrical painter" is quite the understatement. It wasn't just paintings. Dali worked with so many different media - from shadows, to sculptures, full courtyards of figures and so much more.

I wandered through this museum without a real sense of direction, as Dali's intention was to let the visitor make the self-guided tour a part of the experience. It was overwhelming, jaw-dropping, puzzling, intriguing and...random. I'm glad I got to have a little peek inside Dali's brain, but would not revisit this collection of eccentric art.

After our museum visit, we headed to a town called L'Escalas and spent the afternoon on the beach.

This town is known for their anchovies. I didn't try them, but someone in our group did.

THIS was my lunch. Classic. 

We spent the night in Roses, an empty town past 8 o'clock because it's full of elderly travelers. Not joking. So, we did our best to have some fun and got up early for a boat ride to the beautiful coastal town of Cadaques.

Picasso and Dali were both drawn to Cadaques for its unmistakable beauty. It's known for its white buildings, slow pace of life and delicious seafood.

Cadaques was one of my favorite stops thus far! It was so gorgeous and a great trip overall. Highly recommended.

You can find more pictures from Figueres and Cadaques on my Flickr account.