Place Full Of Illusions: The Dali Theatre and Museum

The Dali Theater and Museum is located in the home town of Salvador Dali, Figueres in Catalonia. The museum opened in 1974, it houses the single largest and most diverse collection of Salvador Dali`s works, the heart of which was from the artist's own collection.

The way to Figueres.

Catalonia is famous for its wine. But sometimes vineyards may be in a sad condition.

It is rather easy to find the Dali Theater and Museum. Indications or a map will always help tourists. The museum has red walls decorated with golden details and a spherical dome that became a symbol not only of this town but also of all the country.

Previously this building was a ruined city theatre. The construction of the museum required 14 years and practically all Dali`s fortune.

"I want this museum to be a monolith, a maze, a huge surreal object. It would be an absolutely theatrical museum. Visitors would leave it thinking that they had seen a theater dream," - once said Dali.

The parquet and stage in the art deco style welcome visitors and invite them to the museum full of illusions and hints.

Not only museum but also every exhibit is saturated with abstractness and surrealism.

 The statue of painter Meissonier whom Dali admired.

Tristan and Iseult, 1944.

The yard with symmetric niches. There is a feeling of a world turned over, so you may feel giddy here.

The rainy taxi, 1938.

The museum has 2 floors, the upper one divides it into additional levels. The huge glass dome creates an atmosphere of an experiment, where a visitor is an experimental object.

The Barcelona model, 1927.

Picasso`s portrait, 1947.

Naked Gala

Abraham Lincoln, 1975. It was the first usage of digital methods in painting.

The decoration sketch for the Labyrinth ballet, 1941.

Another portrait of Gala.

Sex-appeal in ghost appearance, 1932.

Mae West`s face, 1934-1935.

Galatea with spheres, 1952.

The constancy of memory, 1931.

American poetry, 1943.

Saint Caecilia`s rapture, 1955.

Petra By Night

Back again we are in wonderful Petra. But today we'll tell you about a night show that is reguarly held in Petra.

The most famous construction of Petra - the treasure house that meets all tourists who come out of the kilometer-long canyon leading from the entry to the ancient city ...

This is how it looks in the daylight. Pay attention to the man to feel the dimensions...

At night it's dark here, and inside the canyon such paper boxes with candles are placed.

And thus they light up all the canyon more than for one kilometer long!

If there are no tourists around, you will feel that all this is unreal.

Occasionally the road is paved.

And so many stars in the sky.

Here is the place where many tourists will come soon and be treated with tea. Some guy will be playing the ancient bedouin instrument, and people will be discussing how unique Petra is.

Swim Together With Shark-Rays

Swimming with dolphins is not a thing to surprise you anymore, isn't it? But what about swimming with a stock of shark-rays? That's the pleasure you can pay for and try in the Cayman Islands.

Such a piratic ship is the first adventure...

Our destination is the Cayman capital - George town. And this is the local White House. It's a former British colony, so everything is neat, beautiful, but the driving, as it's supposed to be, left-hand. 

You won't be thinking how to entertain yourself. Day spent on the water gives much pleasure. One excursion costs $40 for a person, but soon you understand that in fact it might cost 100 times more...

The open waters of the Caribbean Sea.

The reef boundary. Unreal turquoise color of the sea...

Cruise liners

A guy has caught a shark-ray, would you dare?

Sweet kiss...

Everyone have been brought here, water is knee-high, and 20-50 shark-rays are swimming around, catch any you like ...

Unusual massage.

By the feel shark-rays are like dolphins below, and skin above is a bit tough.

Cayman numbers

Underwater world.

Hovering like a bird...

Birth of Indian Tea

The first tea was brought to India from China in the middle of the 19th century. On the same occasion there was founded the first tea company to trade with England, and by 1900 India had become one of the main tea suppliers to the international market. Today India is the second world's tea producer after China, and Indian tea is characterized by its rich taste, but not as good as Chinese black tea.

Munara tea plantations are from the most high-mountain Indian plantations. They are situated on the heights from 1800 to 3000 meters above sea level. South Indian teas are a bit harsh, that's why they are often drunk with milk.

In Kerala, most of plantations belong to the famous Tata company, which is also the main car and metal producer of India.

Performance rate is at the same time awful - every worker has to collect 25 kilograms of tea leaves per day, and earns no more than $150 per month!

In these bags leaves are delivered for weighing.

Woman's hands...

Delousing spray treatment.

And here is the tea fabric itself. Here, on 75-year-old English equipment, Indian tea is made...

...and packed.

Searching For the Whitest Sand

In the eastern coast of Australia are lots of various beaches. They are mostly similar to each other, but among them all there is quite a unique place named Jervis Bay...

It's located 20km to the south from Sydney. One part of it it belongs to New South Wales state and another - to Australian Capital Territory.

The population is bit more than 600 people.

More than 700 thousand tourists come here annually, mostly for New Year and in January. However even in this time there is no feeling of crowd here.

The bay is very rich in different fish and dolphins can be often watched right from the shore. Despite the summer heat, the water of the bay is never warm enough.

One of the beaches is marked in Guiness Book of World Records (Hyams beach) as a place with the whitest sand in the world. 

South Bavaria, Alpine Royal Castle

Neuschwanstein Royal Castle is situated on one of the Alpine cliffs, in 350 kilometers from Füssen town, South Bavaria, Germany. The castle built by Ludwig II is the most popular place of interest in Bavaria -  more than a million people visit it annually!

The centre of Füssen. Here is a railway station and a big tourist information centre. Although the town is very cute, let us move the castle itself.

Here is a bridge, from which the most exciting views open.

One of the most popular and accessible views of the castle. The main disadvantage of visiting that place in winter, is that the castle is lit with sunlight only for a short period of time, and mainly stays in the shadow.

Do You Like Gaudi's Architecture?

Antoni Gaudí was a great Spanish architect with a perfect sense for geometry and volumes. One of his wonderful works is Casa Milà, that is fortunately available for exploring.

Casa Milà is a house built for the Milà family in the beginning of the XXth century. It was the last Gaudi`s secular work. Now this building corresponds to the capital sights of Spain.

The house has a ferroconcrete construction with supporting columns.

This project was a novel for its time: there was a considered ventilation system, partitions between rooms and an underground garage. Even lifts were planned but they appeared later on.

Firstly Catalans did not like this house because of its heavy and rough facade.

Roofs are very impressive.

Inlays on a block of flats.

Fences spoil the view a little.

A look on Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family.

Three little courtyards are special elements in Gaudi`s works. He used them to fill buildings with light and fresh air.

The furniture in rooms is less exiting but still rather interesting.

In 1984 Casa Milà was put on UNESCO World Heritage List. Now this building is used as an exhibition hall and offices. Some Catalan families still live here.

Casa Batlló is a house built in 1877 for a textile magnate and reconstructed by Gaudi later on.

Gaudi added 2 facades to the previous version.

There are practically no straight lines. Facade details have wavy shape.

The most probable symbol of the main facade is a giant dragon, that is Gaudi`s favourite personage.

Gaudi constructed the Palau Güell, the city house, by the order of a Catalan manufacturer. And it was also put on UNESCO World Heritage List.