I fell in love with Barcelona 15 years ago, the last time I was there. It is an amazing city, with such a vibrant culture and feel. We took our first day to work out jet lag kinks, spend some time relaxing in the Mediterranean and just walking through the city.
Here we met a fish monger hawking some AMAZING looking seafood. Unfortunately we found him right after finishing up dinner. Raif was not happy about that. Note the octopus on the left side of the cart.
The next day we spent touring the works of one of Barcelona's most famous residents, Antonio Gaudi.
For those who don't know, Gaudi is considered one of the most unique architects of the early 20th century. If Tim Burton was an architect, he would be Gaudi. Gaudi's work, to me, has a whimsical fantasy style - something that kids would dream up, not a grown up. He never used a straight line and took his inspiration from all things natural. What I love is that you can walk down a city street in Barcelona surrounded by what you would consider normal buildings and out of nowhere pops out one of Gaudi's work, like a fish out of water.
We visited two of his most famous sites - Park Guell and La Sagrada Familia.
Park Guell was Gaudi's vision for city life combined with nature. A housing development surrounding a common park. Most of the park was completed before his death (he was run over by a bus - ouch) but the housing was never finished and today it is just an amazing park on the outskirts of the city.
(Entrance to the Park)
La Sagrada Familia is Gaudi's most recognizable work. Like Park Guell it was unfinished at the time of Gaudi's death but unlike Park Guell it is still unfinished (Gaudi died in 1926). Since his death there have been 4 architects working continuously on the church, keeping in part with Gaudi's vision but adding there own flavor. They told us that the church should be done in 2026 - one hundred years after Gaudi's death.
(The original spires constructed by Gaudi)
(The obvious change in style from one architect to another)
(Top of one set of spires. Nothing says Jesus like fruit)
(The outside of one of the facades. Each facade is suppose to represent a different aspect of Jesus's life from birth, death, to resurrection. This side is the resurrection - note Jesus just hanging out in the middle of the columns. I don't know why I find this so amusing, I guess I never really pictured Jesus as a kicking back and hanging out kind of guy)
(Pic from inside the church. Not the best to show the architecture but I like it because it looks like Greyson has a halo)
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