barcelovely

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this past weekend found me in barcelona, on the second trip arranged by my program. although it was a quick jaunt, we got to spend nearly a day and a half in barcelona itself, seeing the sights and tasting the tastes. we spent our nights in an unpleasant quasi-resort town that was brimming with old folks playing cards and staring suspiciously at all of the youngsters that were sitting in our hotel lobby staring at us. this town was filled with saloons, and odd amusements, and it was a good 70 minute bus ride into barcelona. barcelona, however, was wonderful. i escaped without being pickpocketed, so i enjoyed it all the more. the subway was clean and looked new, with the subway cars sporting all kinds of clever technology. the architecture of the whole town was unique, not just the buildings designed by gaudí. we did visit sagrada família, the large church that has been in the process of construction since 1882 or so, and park güell, where there is a well-known mosaic lizard. we ran into two other gaudí buildings, but the lines were long and costly to enter them, so we were content to look, and move on in hopes of finding an h&m. on sunday we visited another large park near the city's arc de triomphe, in lieu of going to the picasso museum, which had a very long line. there was a sort of festival there, with booths and stands dedicated to good health, other cultures, and the environment. it was a lovely morning, and after leading barcelona we headed for figueres, where we visited a dalí museum that he had set up himself. there were all sorts of neat little tricks that had been planted throughout the museum, and i spent a total of 1euro20 paying to run little machines that he had built. i had previously only known about his paintings with ugly clocks and the lobster phone that is at the mia, but i have a newfound respect and interest for his art after viewing this museum. back in montpellier, however, i'm nearing the end. although i have three weeks left to the day, i only have six more days of class. on thursday my class level is taking an excursion to some surrounding sights, so i will have a few photos to show for that. until then!

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Photos

here is sagrada família
be prepared, there are a lot of pictures to follow of this church!

inside the church there is a display that talks about the different kinds of stone
used in the construction

this is near the "entrance" which may actually be in the back of the church.
it was difficult to tell

beautiful stained glass inside the church
(obviously)

the ceiling is in better shape than the ground
which is covered with slabs of stone and tools

here is what else there is in barcelona
there is actually a lot more

Comments

[mum]

Splaff Forever!
Love your comments, as usual--what amazing architecture! I can see why you are glad that you went.

[sue hoyt taff]

architectural delights
Emma, I've always wanted to see the architecture in Barcelona.. it looks wonderful. It is fun to read your creative narratives...I can almost hear you describe your experiences.