May 16, Barcelona, Gaudi and more

Monday, May 16

Slept in this morning till 10:00!

We have a light breakfast here.  Manuel & Olga provide bread for toast, a few pastries, milk, coffee, juice and assorted fruit. It is a fix-it-yourself and clean-up-after-yourself kind of place.  We meet one other couple from Italy.

 Today is some kind of religious holiday and Manuel warned us that some things may be closed. The nearby St. Catrina market is closed. We decide to try Sagrada Familia today since it is on our list of "must do's".  We "walk and gawk" our way there and will take the Metro home.

We first go by the Arc de Triomph and park.  There are many people out enjoying the beautiful day, including roller skaters doing patterns, balloon and other vendors.















From here we head north into the area called L'Eixample, which means the expansion.  When Barcelona became important in trade and travel, this area is where the city expanded to. It has wider boulevards and nice shopping and residences.

We arrive at the Sagrada Familia and find that many other people had the same idea...we get in a short line for tickets but the tickets are timed and next available is for 5:15.  We get tickets and then take the Metro farther north to Park Guell (pronounced like parkway).

The Park, planned by Gaudi as an exclusive residential area, never really took off in that way, but as a park it is quite nice.  It is an uphill climb from the metro stop, aided a bit by a funicular.

Then a steep road and, just when you think you'll die, you reach a set of escalators that deliver you into the park. I am beginning to get an idea of why this didn't succeed as a residential area! At the top of the escalator is a pitch for chocolate and churros.  The Spanish do seem to like their sweets!
















 Quite a few people are out and about and we are thrilled to pay 1 euro for a bottle of ice cold water.

Looking back towards the city

There are actually three crosses on this mound.

Nice rocks, flowers, trees, benches and views of the city.  A few musicians play here and there and a few vendors.  We eventually find the section of the park that requires an admission and discover that it is sold out until 5:30 as well, so we set off to explore what we can.

 We tour Gaudi's house which was built in 1903 as a model for the development, and in which he lived for nearly 20 years till near his death. (He was hit by a tram and killed when in his 70's.)

 It is fairly simple and contains some furniture and other items he designed, as well as a small chapel.  Gaudi was very religious and prayed here daily before attending services in town.  Most of his life here was spent on the Sagrada Familia, though there are a host of other buildings he designed throughout town.

From here we go  through more gardens and we come to towers and the "gingerbread" houses that he designed.

Part of the surrounding wall.

Leaving the park, we take a different route back down towards Sagrada Familia.  Fortunately, there are  several outdoor escalators to make the descent a little easier.   Some nice shops along the way.

 We stop at El Bravo for a pizza for lunch - ham and cheese and a nice thin crust. Tasty!

The weather is perfect as we approach the cathedral.  We sit in the shady park across the way since we are a tad early, and people watch.  Lots of US-based tennis shoes - Converse, Adidas and Nike and many T-shirts with US-based products.  Anything goes, as far as clothing, with the older folks dressed more nicely generally.  Tattoos, braids and torn jeans seem somewhat popular.  Many people are wearing red faces from yesterday and today's sunshine!

We head into the Cathedral at our allotted time and it nearly takes our breath away!  Gaudi's religious fervor and love of nature are everywhere, inside and out.  The low sun illuminates the stained glass beautifully, painting patterns on other walls.  The huge supporting pillars look like tall trees that branch near the ceiling.

Tree of life - outside

Organ reflecting colors from the windows.

Can't capture the grandeur with a camera...

Spiral staircases, modern statues.  Outside, one facade features the nativity - with statues of the nativity, complete with three kings, shepherds and angelic choruses.

 Another facade features scenes from the Passion and Death of Christ.

  Far above, colorful balls and spikes etc. reach for the heavens.  Beth takes the Passion Facade Elevator 215' up to get a view of this work in progress as well as the surrounding city.

 And then climbs the dizzying spiral stairs back down.

 We go downstairs to see the designing and building displays. This is a model of the finished cathedral - optimistically planned for 2026.

 This is one of the many many models Gaudi used in planning.

 This building adjacent to the cathedral continues the modernism theme.

We find the nearest Metro and head back to our apartment for a bit of r&r before walking to Al Bawadi restaurant for Paella Miata, which includes chicken, prawns, squid, mussels, peppers and peas.

This is clearly a Middle Eastern restaurant, with many hookas lined up, but only one being used.  The tv screens are showing short romantic- type melodramas featuring middle eastern/Indian people.  Each one has a beautiful women, a handsome man and simple storyline.  Here we are, eating dinner at 9:00 - feeling quite European.

 We passed this unusual building with a cascade of balls on the way back to our apartment.

Interesting building on walk back from dinner