John and Val’s cousin Linda came along with the four of us to visit the museum, and we were glad to have a docent to guide us through the galleries of paintings. With a small flashlight, she pointed out interesting elements of some of the more fanciful works, and recurring images, such as melting clock faces, a rose, a crutch, and the face or figure of Dali’s wife, Gala.
The collection came from A. Reynolds Morse, an Ohio businessman and his wife, Eleanor, who developed an interest in Dali’s work in the early 1940s, and eventually built a museum for it in Cleveland. When it grew too large for that venue, they decided to move it to St. Petersburg, and it found its current home in 2011 – an unusual piece of architecture with bulging glass windows overlooking the bay filled with yachts and sailboats, yet built with thick, concrete walls to withstand any hurricanes that might blow in.
After our fascinating and educational tour, we explored the museum grounds, which included a Wish Tree where people could tie the paper bracelets received on paying admission to the museum, along with a wish, and a circular maze that led visitors to a stately cypress tree at its centre – and out again! There was even a park bench with a melted clock draped over it, and one end of the bench that oozed over a crutch! It was a very interesting afternoon, which came to a pleasant conclusion at Linda’s place with another delicious supper before we headed home.
Our entertainment this afternoon was another visit to the cinema, this time to see Zero Dark Thirty, the story of the hunt for Osama bin Laden, and his demise. It was very well done, with some pretty suspenseful moments, and we could certainly see why it has been nominated for five Academy Awards, including best picture, best actress and best original screenplay.
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