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I actually arrived in Barcelona yesterday. By the time I got here, it was already mid-afternoon. I am staying in a serviced apartment so the room has a small kitchenette. The thought of actually cooking for myself was quite appealing. So I headed out to find a grocery store and just relaxed in for the rest of the day. It also gave me time to read up on Barcelona and figure out what I was going to do in the next couple of days.
The first thing on the list was of course the Sagrada Familia. This spectacular church was designed by Antoni Gaudi. He died in 1926 after being run over by a tram at the age of 74. The construction was not complete then nor is it now. They estimate that there is still another 20 to 30 years before the final vision of Gaudi is completed. So viewing the Sagrada Familia inevitably includes scaffolding and cranes. Once finished, it will have three facades and 18 towers. Right now ... there are two facades and only 8 towers. The inside is inspired by nature. There are details upon details to be seen. Gaudi considered lighting an important part
2 Kitchenette
It is actually a serviced apartment of architecture so there are beautiful stained glass but there are also tons of details included to ensure that there is a proper lighting. I have never a seen a church like this nor do I think I will ever see anything quite like this again. It was definitely worth the long wait in line. There is also a small museum dedicated to Gaudi and the construction of the church.
I then took the elevator up one of the towers. When riding up, the young girl told us that we would be going up by elevator but we would be making our way down by stairs ... some very narrow stairs at that. There were a few of us and when we reached the bottom, the door to get out was locked. One girl had been told that sometimes it was a little hard to open but that wasn't the case. It was outright locked. So for a bit we were actually trapped in the towers. One guard came to unlock the door and his buddies had quite a smirk on their faces!!
From there, I walked towards Casa Battlo. This is a home that was designed by
Gaudi. The visit includes an audioguide and it was interesting to hear about the inspiration or reasons for certain aspects of the design. The visit takes your through a number of the rooms, the attic, the terrace at the back and the roof. Just like the Sagrada Familia, there are details upon details to discover. I then walked a few doors down to see other homes designed by Gaudi.
Just those two things actually filled up the day. So after a quick stop at the grocery store, I went back to the hotel to whip up a quick supper. And now I am just winding down the evening with Sexe a Nuevo York ... it's a good thing that I have seen them in English before because I am just getting bits and pieces in Spanish.
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Gus
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Sagrada Familia's Magic Square
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_square