Only the Greatest Artist in the World...No Big Deal or Anything

Today, as we have for the entire week, Frau, Emma, Alana, and I got up a little earlier and went for a run. This is one of my favorite parts of the day, because it provides an opportunity to explore the city a little on our own, and cover new ground. For the past couple of days we've been running along the boardwalk and the beach, however today we were thrown off course because of last nights festivities. One of the traditions of the celebrations is for everyone to crash on the beach for the night, so when we went for our run we discovered that the entire beach was closed off and guarded by the national guard and police, as they tried to clean up the mess and restore order. We met lots of interesting people today.

This morning the group started off our day with a bus ride to the Dali museum. I think I'm not alone in saying that the bus ride was welcomed with open arms after our day of walking yesterday. I thought the museum was absolutely AMAZING!! I'm a huge Dali fan, so I may be a little biased, but everyone else seemed to like it alot too. His work is so out of the ordinary, and no matter how long I look at a piece, I can't even begin to contemplate what he was thinking. The way that his mind works is absolutely astounding, and it's the different interpretations that can be inferred that make his work so timeless and well known. The museum had 22 exhibits, and you start from the top and work your way to the bottom. The museum comprised of a majority of his sketches, and a wide variety of sculptures. I'm not a huge fan of sculpture, but it was nice to have some variety thrown in, because Picasso was mainly paintings. The museum was very interactive, and gave you a good look in to the madness and brilliance that is Dali.

We left the museum at 1:30 and loaded the buses again, bound for Casta Brava beach for lunch. We enjoyed our sandwiches from Micky's. Cheese on bread, or tuna for the vegetarian folks. It's been absolutely gorgeous here, and any chance to sit in the sun or on the beach has been universally welcomed.

We got back to the hostel tonight and had about an hour or so to chill and relax. I spent a majority of the time on our balcony, enjoying the scenery and the people watching. The culture here is so interesting, and the city is constantly teeming with life. I feel like I could spend another year here and still have not seen even the beginnings of what the city has to offer.

We walked to Micky's for dinner and emerged once again stuffed to the brim. The four course meals that are so common here are probably one of the biggest things that we've had to adjust to. All in all though, the foods been good, and dinners as a group have never failed to be very entertaining.

It seems that the days have been creeping along without my knowledge once again. It seems like just yesterday I was saying good bye to my host family, and now I face saying goodbye to another wonderful experience. Tomorrow we look forward to a Gaudi tour, which should be especially interesting considering how close his style is to Dali's as far as the surrealistic aspect goes.

Thanks for keeping up the interest in our expedition! I think at this point the idea is bittersweet. Everyone is ready to see their families and their own beds and showers, but I don't think that ending the trip is near the top of anyone's list.

Happy reading!