My knowledge of Salvador Dali consisted of two things. First is that iconic mustache and the other is the painting above. I now know that picture is titled The Persistence of Memory and not “The Melty Clock”. This year one of the Chateau Relaxo goals is to get away somewhere each month, yes more nights in hotels. This month we decided to head across the state to St. Petersburg, FL and visit the Salvador Dali Museum.

St. Petersburg is an easy two-hour drive from Orlando, most of which is on the most deadly Interstate in the U.S.……… I-4.

Before your visit here’s what you need to do.

• Take the online virtual tour.
• To save time buy your tickets online.
• Download the Dali app so you don’t have to wait in line for audio tour equipment.
• From yoga to lectures the museum is always hosting events. Check the calendar to see if something interests you.

Things I learned….

Dali was a master at double image paintings. I’m sure there’s a fancy art term to describe this style, but I’m sticking with “double image”. For example, Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea Which at Twenty Meters Becomes the Portrait of Abraham Lincoln (Homage to Rothko).  A fitting title, because depending on your perspective you will either see Gala contemplating the sea or Abraham Lincoln.

I never realized that Dali had a sense of humor. He exhibited this in the Aphrodisiac Telephone (Lobster Telephone). The story runs along the lines that this piece was created because Dali demanded to know why, when he asked for a grilled lobster in a restaurant, he was never presented with a boiled telephone.

Make sure to head out back and visit the wishing tree. Take off your admission band, write your wish on it and tie it to the tree. Get your wish or desire out into the world. The tree in itself is a piece of art as well.

The museum grounds were almost as interesting as the exhibits, everywhere we turned there was something to see. I’m not a huge fan of gift shops, usually, my lone purchase is an ornament for the tree. The museum’s gift shop was a bit different, the prices we actually reasonable, and we left with several matted prints plus an ornament, the melty clock.

Besides the permanent Dali collection, there was also an exhibit of sculptor Eduardo Chillida’s work. Chillida’s work showed how something as simple as a single strand of thread could truly tie a piece together.

The only difference between me and a madman is that I’m not mad. Salvador Dali. Wondering how that would look as my next tattoo?

Admission for two was less than $50.00, and a solid value for what we paid, but you’ll need to pay $10.00 to park. This is an easy day trip, so don’t miss out.

Find me on: