June 18, 2021
Many of who live in Touristburbia, in the shadow of Cinderella Castle, have opted to get the cheapest version of the Annual Pass. This means we have blackout days on the weekends, around busy holidays, and for much of the summer. I opted for this plan because I don't like being in the parks on busy days. I prefer the days when it is less crowded. Having Disney blackout days means I can use those days to explore other attractions in Central Florida. This week, my husband and I took a day trip to St. Petersburg to visit the Dali museum. We were not disappointed!
We started our day at the Hangar Restaurant, less than a block away from the museum, inside a private airport. Food, service, and ambiance were all excellent. We also got to watch small planes taking off and landing!
Then we walked over to the museum, and checked out the outside of the museum, and the surrounding area, while we waited for our reserved ticket time. The museum is located on the bay, near a marina. The outside of the museum lets you start experiencing the art of Dali before you enter.
When we were able to enter the museum, we started in the gift shop. The gift shop area included a Dali work based on an actual Rolls Royce! Rain was falling inside the car. Lightning flashes during the rain storm revealed the head and torso of a mermaid. Her tail stuck outside the back window of the car. I was not able to time my camera to coincide with the flashes of light that revealed the mermaid, but I did get a good view of the undersea explorer in the driver's seat.
Next we went into the museum to see the largest permanent exhibit of Dali art in the world! Some of the pieces I was familiar with from art history classes and books. The exhibit includes his early works, which show influences from impressionism and pointillism, then moves on to his later works, including several enormous masterpieces. These works are the size of a three story building, but were filled with surprising details that could only be seen and appreciated up close. Dali was a master at optical illusions!
If you look at the image below from a distance (or shrink the image size) you will see a portrait of Abraham Lincoln. Up close, you see a woman looking into a sunset.
My reflection in the glass over the artwork adds another layer of surrealism.
Detail:
Another detail:
Here's a detail from the painting:
Stare at the two women in the archway below, and see if a face appears, with the women's faces as the eyes!
Before we went out to the sculpture garden, we noted that the spiral staircase was a work of art on its own!
There was no art in the rest room, but someone did leave a brief review on the plumbing for the urinal:
We ended our day at the museum with a tour of the gardens.
The road trip was well worth the time and effort! The drive was about 2 hours each way. We spent an hour in the restaurant and touring the grounds, and then spent about 3 hours inside the museum and the museum gardens. Tickets to the museum should be purchased in advance. https://thedali.org/visit/buy-tickets/
