The Dali Triangle

Love him or loathe him, its impossible to ignore Salvador Dali. We’ve been staying in the heart of what is known as the Dali Triangle; Figueres, Portlligat and Pubol, the locations of his homes and studios.

Therefore, we couldn’t leave here without a few words on the subject…

Born (and now resting) in Figueres over 100 years ago, his legacy is everywhere; from aptly named delicatessens to restaurants and hotels that claim he was an almost daily patron (he must have been very busy!!!).

Its difficult to miss Dali’s self-styled Theatre Museum as well as his influence on other businesses in this otherwise fairly ordinary town.

The Theatre Museum is well worth a visit if you fancy looking into the flamboyant world of what must be the best know surrealist.

         

Try and go out of season as it can get seriously busy. You have to book ahead and slots are meticulously timed. Once inside, you may have to scramble to see the works, but it’s worth it, particularly if you were one of the 80/90s students proudly displaying “The Persistence of Memory” on your wall!

Dali holidayed in Portlligat with his beloved wife Gala and the villa there is well worth the stroll from the beautiful seaside town of Cadaques. (If you don’t feel up to the whole tour, you can visit the spectacular gardens, worth the visit in their own right).

                          

Picasso was also a regular visitor to the area and its easy to see why, given the spectacular light and location. Again, advance booking required. Avoid public holidays (unlike us when we visited!)
Dali built a castle for his wife in the hamlet of Pubol, near Girona. The castle is charmingly understated and well worth a visit. Maybe it was Gala’s influence that makes this a relatively simple and uncluttered space (she was the business brain after all!) This is my favourite of the locations as you can get to see Dali’s work room and easel as well as his car collection (including a rather fine gold Datsun!)

   
It must be said that opinion is somewhat divided over the artistic merit of Dali’s work, in the Taste Adventures camp, (like we know anything about art!). However, we’re both agreed over the 1969 logo he designed for Chupa Chups lollipops, which to us will always be emblematic of Spanish holidays!