:: March 29 ::

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The crossing from France to Spain is marked by a small sign and by the deteriorating relic of the immigration and customs station that was needed before there was a European Union. Well, we should write, before there was "The Shengen Agreement".

"The Schengen Agreement" does not readily roll off our tongues, but it was signed on June 14, 1985 as a treaty that led most European countries to abolish much of what we think of as national borders in order to build a Europe without borders.

The Dali Museum

We add only a few words to the pictures that tell of our experience in the City of Figueres where our only stop was the Dali Museum.

The city asked its famous local son, Salvador Dali, to contribute one of his paintings. Dali responded that he would not only contribute a painting; he would contribute a whole museum. He then undertook the detailed design and conversion of a once theater and adjacent spaces into his museum. He also reserved the wall of a small gallery as his tomb; there lie his remains today. That is in keeping with Dali's surrealism. For the museum is a surreal experience that we much enjoyed. This came as somewhat of a surprise for Bob, the once art major. He sees Salvador Dali as a kook with great talent wasted on surrealism--which Bob does not like. Yet, he recommends a visit to the museum.