Cadaques

Going to take a little break from all things Deutschland now. April is a wonderful time along the Mediterranean, and few villages are more picturesque than Cadaques, a little whitewashed cove along the Spanish coast a couple hours drive north (and a little east) of Barcelona.

The town has about 3,000 people and swells to maybe 10 times that size during tourist season, but there were a manageable few at this time of the year. The streets of the old part of town are cobblestone, and just about every other kind of stone. The streets are so narrow as to make driving anything bigger than a moped pretty uncomfortable and impractical. Each street is cuter than the next.

Cadaques would seem like the perfect tourist hideaway, tucked just a little way from the French border, except for two facts. First, it takes about 45 minutes on a winding road to reach the town, while much of the coast is more accessible. Second, there really is no beach to speak of, other than a few little rocky outcroppings, so those who seek to lie out in the sun stay farther south along the Costa Brava. Fine with me -- they weren't missed.

Cadaques and Port Lligat, about a kilometer away, was the longtime home of Salvador Dali, the reason for the trip up this way in the first place. Between Cadaques and Barcelona is Figueres, where Dali's Museum attracts off-kilter art lovers by the thousands. The museum itself is as odd as any Dali paiting. His house, now a tourist attraction of its own, is stranger. But they will get a post of their own.