I got "home" (really not home, but home for now) from Barcelona last night around midnight. Yesterday morning I was basking in the sun, dipping my feet in the Mediterranean, and last night I was welcomed home by chilly temps and gusty wind...it could really mess a person up! Barcelona was ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!! This is a view from the top of Parc Guell; a park designed by Antoni Gaudi-an architectural phenom whom designed numerous houses, parks, and is most famous for the cathedral of Sagrada Familia.
We stayed in a flat about 1/2 mile from Sagrada Familia. It was a really nice place with brand new accomodations.
The kitchen was hidden behind sliding screen panels.
Where I crashed during my stay :)
Mary, Erin, Christy, and I celebrating after navigating our way to the flat :)
The next morning we woke up and had a huge day planned! We went to Sagrada Familia, Parc Guell, and La Pedrera; all masterminds of Antoni Gaudi.
Sagrada Familia! An absolutely stunning church which Gaudi took over construction in 1883. He combined the architectural styles of Gothic, Curvillinear, and Art Nouveau.
It is absolutely humongous!
At the back of the church, the Passion Story is carved/sculpted into the structure. Every piece has a story behind it. Gaudi was heavily influenced by nature, so there are many animals carved throughout the outside of the church.
The entry to the doors on the backside have casted in bronze, the stories of the 4 Gospels.
I had never seen pictures of the inside of the church, so when I entered, I was in awe!
The altar.
The intricate carvings on the front facade.
We got to take the lift up to the spires, which represent Jesus, Mary, The Apostles, and The Evangelists. The view was breathtaking from the top!
It was a beautiful day!
Christy, Erin, Mary, and I crossing from one spire to another!
A man working on the side of the church. The church has been under construction since 1883, and will not be done for another 30 years!!! The construction was haulted in 1926 after Gaudi himself was killed after being hit by a bus; construction was thought to be somewhere between 15-25% completed. Construction continued under a new architect until 1936 when the Spanish Civil War erupted and many parts of the building were bombed, but started up again in 1940.
A model of what Gaudi had envisioned as the final product.
Spiral staircase leading down the spire.
The Nativity Story carved in the front facade of the church.
The ceiling.
After Sagrada Familia, we went to another wonder by Gaudi-Parc Guell.
We didn't really know where it was, so we kept following the signs. This is where we started...and the little black dot at the top was where we ended...
We made it to the top! There were some escalators carved into the hillside, but it was still quite a workout!
The park was filled with tons of vegetation. I felt like I was walking through Yellowstone, except there were cacti.
The view from the top of Parc Guell. You can see Sagrada Familia dominating the skyline in the middle.
While we were at the top, a policeman came and busted the vendors that were illegally selling "Barcelona" merchandise. All of a sudden I saw the vendors take off with their sheets of stuff without realizing what was happening, but then I saw the policeman casually walking up the hill. One man wasn't by his things and the cop started to confiscate it, but he got out of it by paying a fine.
There was a man playing the steel guitar to a bunch of bluesy songs who was absolutely fantastic!
The main attraction at Parc Guell-a mosaic salamander.
This structure is designed to feel/look like the ocean.
After Parc Guell, we went to La Pedrera...wait for it...yet another Gaudi masterpiece :)
The middle of the building is built like a courtyard with apartments lining the walls.
At the top of the building stood structures that could only be found in a game of Candyland.
Christy, Me, Erin, and Mary.
The sun setting on La Pedrera.
One of the many archways at the top. They are purposely placed to look through and see other works of Gaudi, or significant structures of the time such as other cathedrals.
A little supermarket-Isabel-also my goddaughter's name :)
We ate at the Gaudi-Sagrada Familia restaurant. I got La Paella de Marisc - a rice dish with shrimp (heads,eyes,and claws intact...interesting), calamari, and oysters. It was really great and the seafood was super fresh.
For desert, I ordered my favorite Spanish desert-flan :)
Click on the next blog entry for Day 2 of my excursion :)
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