PERI: Girona and one month to go!!

    Well, I can't believe it, as of yesterday I only have one month left in Spain!  It is crazy how fast the time has gone!  I must confess I am very excited to go home, I know there is a lot waiting for me.  Thanksgiving and my birthday without my family will not be the same, but I am thankful that I am going to Sevilla to visit Mitzi for both of these holidays! :)  As for the rest of my time here, I am still trying to improve my language skills every day, finish up my school work, and make the most of the rest of my time.

     This past weekend we had our last ISA excursion to the historical town of Girona and the Salvador Dali Museum in Figueres.  Girona is a beautiful city located on a picturesque river just north of Barcelona.  We took a walking tour around the city and visited the ruins of the Roman city walls, the Jewish quarter, and other notable places in the city.  Unfortunately it was a drizzly, cold day so after the tour was over, a group of us decided to warm up indoors with a lovely Menu del Dia.  In Spain, lunch is typically the big meal of the day, so almost every restaurant offers a multi-course meal in the middle of the day at a really reasonable price.  I love sitting down and having a nice long meal with good conversation.  After the bread and olive oil, lasagna, roasted chicken, potatoes, and chocolate cake, needless to say... I was stuffed!!

Classic Girona river scene

We then got on the bus for a short drive to Figueres where the Salvador Dali Theater Museum is.  Don't let the name fool you... it is not a theater museum.  It is an art museum, designed by Salvador Dali himself (in a theater-like setting), that houses most of Dali's greatest works.  Dali is the father of the genre of art called surrealism.  Let me tell you, it does not get much more surreal than this place!! Every inch of the museum was decorated with some strange, off-the-wall piece of art or sculpture or some other installation... it was a sensory overload for sure!! I do really enjoy Dali's art, but it is a lot to take in at once. **One side note... when we got to the museum, there were a lot of people waiting outside, and after a while, one of our directors told us that we were not allowed to go in yet---- because someone had just died inside!!!  We had to wait for the coroners to come and remove the body before we were allowed to enter!  It was sad and very odd.

One of Dali's classics

Hair= big curtain, eyes= large inkblot paintings, nose- fireplace, mouth= couch