The conditions are very good; we leave early without saying goodbye (we didn’t say goodbye to anyone last night) – we have more than 250 km to go, across the Mediterranean towards the mainland…
We have breakfast on the way. We are far and away the only ones out here; we see big, heavy, bulky transport ships from time to time, and suddenly we also meet dolphins. I reduce the speed, and sure enough, we are accompanied by about a dozen of these sleek creatures. Martina almost melts.
We decide not to dock in Barcelona, but further north in Roses – what’s the point of this huge city, which we have known for a long time? It’s much more interesting to see how life goes on in a manageable way, on the coast, now, when the season is slowly running out and winter is approaching. Another reason: Dali and Gala, whose footsteps we want to follow. It takes time, empathy, curiosity, too, to understand from where this tandem has drawn this energy, this creativity and this enthusiasm for work. For this – when the harbour is pleasant – we nestle in Roses and stay a few days, enjoying ourselves and what there is to discover there. After all, we’ve set a very sporty pace so far, now it’s time to pause.
Yes, Roses is fantastic. There are just a few French sailors in the spacious harbour, enjoying the rest of the summer before heading further north. The season is indeed over here in the north of Spain; almost all the boats have already been brought into the dry, the beach is no longer being seated daily, and people are preparing for the coming winter. Space in plenty for us – pure luxury (in my eyes).
Roses is ideally situated, well developed and clear, we visit Figueras, Dali’s work museum, and near Girona the house that Dali conjured up for his Gala, and in Portlligat their joint estate, where Dali’s private studio seems to be waiting for Gala to lovingly push him again and he creates more masterpieces with his brush. Or where frivolous parties are celebrated. They have never lacked illustrious and, above all, curious and fanciful guests…
But we also visit the local fish auction, where the daily catch is auctioned off by retailers and restaurateurs of the region. And of course, we visit various fish restaurants, where we enjoy the culinary delights… Or I lie on the beach, on one of the deckchairs already arranged for winter – there are hardly any tourists here, life seems to fall asleep. I enjoy doing nothing (oh wonder – at least for a few hours), while Martina works from her laptop in the ‘home office’, how could it be otherwise. Let her.
The days go by and without going into details: we have an amazingly good time together.