So Here's Our Vacation Blog...

So today we actually had a very relaxing day, but there’s lots to tell so grab yourself a beverage and start reading...it’ll take a while to get through this one!

Woke up to a sea that was little more calm than yesterday, but one of the historic wooden rowboats moored just outside our window was gone, so the Policia were outside taking pictures of the bay with no rowboat - evidence, I guess.  The sunlight was just coming over the tiled roofs brightening the boats in the harbor.

Went to Mass at Santa Maria de Cadaques as I said we would, and it was really enjoyable.  Marge said even though she didn’t understand a word the priest said she enjoyed listening to him.  I followed along in the missalette and said the prayers in my best Catalan accent (sorry to those natives around me!).  Afterward we got to take a few photos before the lights went off.  The altar is probably 60 - 80 feet wide and 80 - 100 feet tall.  Unbelievable!

In addition, there were many side altars, of course, and oil paintings of the Madonna to equal the Old Masters of the Renaissance.

Plus an homage to Mary in the choir loft.  They do love the Blessed Virgin in this part of the world!

Stopped in at a bistro on the sea for breakfast.  Marge asked for a croissant with honey but they were out of croissants!  She settled for a toasted baguette, which was equally delicious, especially since she eats like a bird.  I opted for a tostada patatas, which said Spanish Omelet on the English menu, and found out it was a frittata on a baguette!  Eggs, potatoes, peppers, cheese, fluffy and hot - deelish!

Next we walked to the Cadaques Museum for a quick tour of artists with a link to Cadaques, and found they had a special exhibition for Joan Josep Tharrats, which were...unusual, in the most part.  A few were comfortable to look at, but he was pushing the envelope from the 1950s  - 1990s, and had ties to many famous painters including Dali.  Here’s a tame one, which at least was pleasing to the eye..

There was one that we thought Elizabeth might like, named “Figurins par a un ballet,” but we thought the figures looked a little scary.  Bad hair day?

There were a few photos of Salvador Dali and his wife, Gala, who of course had a huge presence in Cadaques.  The following photo is of them in the mid-1900s just below our apartment.  We tried to recreate it by asking a passer-by to snap a photo.  I now call Marge my Dolly and she calls me Sal.

Then off to the real deal, the Salvador Dali Exhibition, where we saw a huge number of his original works.  He obviously had multi[le obsessions, with naked women, chicken beaks, toothbrushes, body orifices, as more than half of the paintings carried these themes.  Very scary.

Don Quixote was cool.

The original of Dali’s most famous work, La Persistencia de la Memoria (The Persistence of Memory) is in MOMA in NYC, but this was a small-run tapestry he commissioned of the original.

Next a stop at the market to pick up a few items for our patio time.  Wished we were here longer, because they had really fresh fish I never heard of for less than half of what we’d pay at home.

Then there are the Iberian hams.  Wish I could sneak one in my luggage.

On the sidewalk on the way back to the apartment we spotted this little item, wondered if we could get Anastacia to try Flamenco dancing, but figured momma would have none of it.

One last attraction before we made it home, the Casa Blau, which has an interesting history.  Evidently in the 1800s it was quite depressed in Catalonia, and a lot of people moved to Cuba.  When they returned decades later, they brought some of the architecture with them, and this house, which is privately owned (!) is said to be the best surviving example of this Indiano style.

So now comfortably back in our perch overlooking the bay, watching all the ‘tourists’ walking about feasting on gelato, I saw a couple trying to moor their boat in the rough water.  Cool boat, a Rio 750 Open, which is kind of like a Pachanga or Scorpion with a large sun deck.  He had a windlass, dropped anchor, and was backing the boat against a solid rock seawall.  His mate was trying to step off to tie off the stern.  That was not going to happen, so being a good boy scout I trotted down and had her toss me the line.  No way was this boat going to stay put with the stern so close to the 300 year old sea wall - I had to push him off a couple times and knew who was going to win.  I told him to pull up the anchor and move it over 25 meters to get a better angle, which he did.  We finally got it stabilized and they were grateful.

So a couple items about the place we’re staying in.  It’s probably the most prime apartment in Cadaques, from the standpoint of the view as well as being very opulent, and having so much space - about 1000 square feet plus a private 30 x 18 patio.  That just doesn’t exist here.  As we look out the window people look up at us and point because they think Marge is Princess Grace reincarnated.

The living room has ceramic tile half way up, all custom hand-painted - very pretty.

Even the bedroom is unusual, with a stone wall that is part of the building’s structure combined with an all glass bathroom.  Very modern and chic.

The patio is the coup de grace.  So large that we could invite two dozen friends, with nice furniture and a place for our Catalonian lunch.

Marge was enjoying herself immensely.

And just for you, she wandered over to the sitting room so I could photograph her toasting all our friends and family back home.  Cheers!