Surrealism made a madman or did a madman make surrealism?

Joan´s aunt, Joanna, works at the Dali Museum so she scored us some free tickets and we took an hour drive to tour the Dali Museum. It was incredible to see all of the art he created, the sculptures and how he changed the way of thinking about art for so many people.

I could tell you about the drive to Figures and the beautiful scenery but truthfully I slept most of the way there.

When we arrived to Figures, (pronounced Fig-air-us for you American friends of mine) it took Joan and I 10 minutes to find a parking space because if I haven´t mentioned it before, people in Spain don´t have parking lots like we do here. Everyone just parks wherever they want, on both sides of the street in any direction and you´re very lucky (as Joan tends to be) if someone leaves at the precise moment you are arriving you can get a spot and that´s what exactly happened just as I told him "You are never going to find a spot, who is going to leave?"

We made our way to the Museum which Isn´t hard to miss...it is a gigantic building covered by large eggs, it´s kind of charming I guess. The museum had over 20 rooms we had to weave our way through. I still don´t think we saw everything although we did spend an hour and a half in there. Our mind, by the end of it, was sort of....well the best way to describe it is a clusterfuck.
To stand in front of Salvador Dali´s art is a wonderful experience ;if you stand there for too long you start to wonder about what he meant by it and if you stare at it even a moment longer- you start to pick it apart and your brain melts.

We went to lunch after at this wonderful place called Miru and had calamari, pasta and a wonderful hot fudge sundae. I think I have failed to mention that in winter it is very hard to find ice cream or gelat as it´s known as here. So I was very excited to have a chocolate sundae even when it was a bit chilly out.

The next day we went to Portlligat to see Dali´s house. It was so beautiful out there. Granted, we spent 25 minutes driving up a mountain at about 10-20 mph because it was so curvy and so narrow. We stopped along the way to enjoy the view, the green mountains and the brilliant blue of the Mediterranean accented by the stark white homes that lined the shore no wonder Dali chose to spend his days there. We took a very interesting tour of this very interesting and eccentric design of his home. A polar bear is the first to greet you, along with a quirky owl that still strangely seems alive. His rooms are of no normal design, you won´t find anything like it anywhere else in the world. This home he shared with his wife Gala and it was strictly for them. The house boasts a garden, a yellow room where he kept his canaries and a small cage that was once home to his cricket. The pool is odd as well, with such decor as a couch designed to look like hot pink lips, a stuffed lion and bear and other strange things.

Again, I would tell you about the drive back from Portlligat but I slept again. I get my best sleep in a car.

Today we had lunch by the beach at this Italian restaraunt DaPaolo. We took the day to go shopping in the next time, Blanes where I finally got my New Years dress and shoes! I have to say, I love shopping in Spain!

Tomorrow we are going to Barcelona and we will stay in Xevi´s fathers flat until Tuesday morning. We are bringing in 2008 by dinner at the exclusive restaraunt Le Gourmand, which is located inside the Barcelona Casino. We are having dinner with Xevi, David and his girlfriend Allison (she is from the states and I met them both while in Florida) and German. After we will go out for some drinks and end up at some club in Barcelona until very early in the morning. It is tradition here in Spain to have chocolate with Churros the next morning...sounds good to me.

That is all for now, I hope all of you have a wonderful new years eve. I wish everyone an abundance of happiness, a better year than the last and the courage to make the decisions that they know are right for them-no matter the consequences. I miss all of you very much and my thoughts will be with you on this night. I will post again after New Years.

*Besos*

European Style

I got a new haircut and color. We went to this place in Blanes, called Rafael Page, it was a little difficult when everyone spoke Catalan, except for the owner who spoke minimal english. Juliet´ did my hair and let me just say she did great. Joan helped translate any questions she had and vice versa but it went really well. It took two hours but it was well worth it. Joans mother and father paid for it as a Christmas present. (thankfully) it was many €uros! The head massage was great, the color was so vibrant (blonde and red) and she styled it perfectly. European style isn´t bad.

Today was a Post-christmas lunch with Joan´s mothers side of the family. It went well, I met her brother and sister and their families and we opened presents and there was a tradition that the kids do, where they beat a piece of wood, like a log (that has a face on it) and tell it to "Poo something good out, not fish or anything bad, or they will beat it harder" a bit creepy yes, but so funny. The parents cover the log with a blanket and underneath is candy and treats. The children go and wet the end of the stick while the parents hide more sweets and toys under the log and the children do it again. It was so funny, a bit different but good. I have really become an ambassador for America, dispelling the rumors about Americans and their inability to distinguish one European country from another.

Joan is in Girona now meeting his friend Carlos. Carlos plays hockey for some team in Spain, I can´t remember which one but he hasn´t seen him for awhile. I was going to go but decided to stay here in Lloret, watch some episodes of FRIENDS and just hang out. It has been 24/7 with Joan and we are not on each others nerves at all but it is probably good we have this break, even if it is for just two hours or so.

I know it one of my previous posts I said I wasn´t sure about living here- and I still may not be sure but each day I learn something new about Joan, traditions in Spain, this new lifestyle; I think it could be possible I could stay here. Stay here for a few weeks? A few months? A year?
Who´s to say,? Each day gets better and I´m learning about what I want from life and what direction I want to go with it.

Tomorrow, Joan and I are going to the Dali museum a couple of hours away. His aunt works there and got us tickets, apparently it is very impressive. His house is there as well as a castle. We went to a castle today in Tossa, it was absolutely gorgeous. I will be sure to post pictures soon.

I will finish this now and post more soon, I miss all of you in the states!

*Besos*

Bones Festes

Merry Christmas!

We just opened presents this morning, Sergi gave me a bracelet from the company Tous, it is silver and just perfect, I will put pictures up soon. Joan gave me a necklace and pearl earrings, perfect as well. His parents gave me a giftcard to go shopping at Zara, a english to spanish phrase book (which will come in handy this afternoon when we go to his grandparents house). It wasn´t akward like I thought it might be, I felt very at home here and everything was great.

Who knows what the rest of the afternoon will be like but I will be sure and update you as soon as I find out. ;)

Happy Holidays