Roadblocks of tourists and cows in Catalonia
Dali Museum, Figures, Spain | Photo by Lauren Girardin
After we say farewell to the Baron and Baroness, Todd and I skip out of Barcelona for a side trip through Catalonia, Spain. Mainly, we’re indulging our artsy-fartsy side by wallowing in Daliwood.
Forgive me, but I can’t help but relate the main Dali attractions – his home in Port Ligat and ego-tripping museum in Figueres – to a theme park like Dollywood.
Though both Dali sites are wonderful, mind-bending pilgrimage points for any artist looking to break a few rules, they are also overrun with massive tour and school groups snapping photos with cell phone cameras and mocking the guards when they try to enforce the “no flash” rule. All that’s missing is a roller coaster, and the coastal town of Cadaques complies by carrying the tourists over the hill to Port Ligat in a kitschy trolley.
Surrealistically satiated, we head to Ripoll for distractions more bound to the ground. As we hike in the foothills of the Pyrenees, we are nearly gored by a feral cow on a steep, overgrown trail and face the constant threat of finding ourselves ankle-deep in fragrant cow patties. Beyond that, our day is filled with wild blackberries, boundless misty mountain views, and Catalan independence graffiti in the most unlikely of places.
Feral cow blocks the trail, Ripoll, Spain | Photo by Lauren Girardin
Was ust checking out your flickr photos and am psyched to see you were in Turkey – isn’t it awesome??? those underground cities and the houses and temples built into the tufa are so incredible and istanbul is cool, too. Are you guys planning to write about that or will you be skipping straight to India?
Hope you enjoy all the cows and the friendly honking! And careful about the streetfood, it generally does not pay to eat that in India, tempting as it might be.
Yup, we’ll be posting some dispatches from Turkey…Istanbul, Cappadocia, and more…we’re just catching up on a bit of a backlog on posts – going out for dinner in Spain at 9 or 10 at night does not leave a lot of down time for writing!
We’re just in Delhi now, leaving for Rajasthan tonight. Even though we’ve been to India – and Delhi – before, this city is culture shock after all our previous travels.
And yea, street food is a mixed bag. We approach with caution and Immodium!