Barcelona, featuring Gaudí

Arriving into Barcelona at 7.30 pm Saturday night we were very thankful for Yvonne’s directions and to see Alexandra who was representing the apartment’s agency. She gave us a quick cook’s tour and advised us to waste no time in visiting the supermercado across the road as on Sunday there would be very few stores open. Armed with the basics, we headed back to the apartment to celebrate having safely made Barcelona, only to find there were no wine glasses! Seriously, what were they thinking?

Wine tastes just the same from a whiskey glass however, so we settled back to pizza and albarino.

The works of Antonio Gaudí were high on our priority list and the next morning we headed off to the Paseo de Gracia to find the Casa Batlló. Words cannot describe the magic of this building, the 18 euro entry fee totally worth it.

Apologies for the art/architecture lesson but there will be many Gaudí photos to follow….

Antoni Gaudí (25 June 1852–10 June 1926) was Spanish Catalan architect and figurehead of Catalan Modernism. Gaudí’s works reflect his highly individual and distinctive style and are largely concentrated in the Catalan capital of Barcelona. (Thanks Wikipedia)

 

 

His inspiration was based in nature and he rarely drew plans for his work, preferring to work from 3D models.

Our first Gaudí building, the Casa Batlló, was a private residence designed by Gaudí for the Batlló family and built between 1905 and 1907.

 

It is a whimsical creation with underwater inspiration and I couldn’t stop snapping photos.

The use of tiles and flowing curves rather than straight edges was stunning. I especially liked the central atrium designed to bring light to the internal part of the building which was fully tiled. He used darker tiles at the top where there was brighter sunlight and paler versions at the bottom.

 

 

The roofline is a fanciful interpretation of a dragon’s tail complete with scales and once again a beautiful use of colour with mosaics which are a feature of his work.

 

 

The outside of the building is also a riot of colour and curves and by the time we finished the admission queues were growing longer and we were glad we had started out early.

Feeling a little weary at this stage, we decided to fork out for a 2 day pass for the hop on hop off bus and orient ourselves to this massive city. I had pre-purchased our tickets to Gaudí’s still unfinished Sagrada Familia, and we also needed to find a Servicaixa ATM to print them off. (This system works by inserting the credit card you used to make the purchase online into a special type of ATM and it then prints your tickets out. A huge timesaver for attractions with long lines like the Sagrada Familia was sure to have.)

The bus was fun and informative but when we reached the Sagrada Familia stop, all eyes turned skyward and the rest was forgotten.

 

Gaudí’s masterpiece, the Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family,
begun in 1882 and projected to be completed in perhaps 2026 (100 years since his death), is simply stunning.

Even the ever present cranes (photoshopped out for postcards!) cannot take away it’s grandeur and we walked around soaking up the outside and salivating in anticipation of our visit to the interior tomorrow.

 

 

 

The detail has to be seen to be believed, have a close look at the colored objects on the top of the spires in this photo – they are, in fact, representations of fruit. Each grouping highlighting the bounty of a particular season.

 

 

 

The Church will have three main facades, the Nativity (which has the most of Gaudí’s influence), the Passion and the Glory, yet to be completed and obviously more influenced by the architects to whom the project has been entrusted since his death.

I could go on and on but will try and pick the best of the photos to show you how impressive it really is.If you ever get a chance to visit Barcelona, this alone will make it worthwhile!

 

 

If you would like to read more, try:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagrada_Família

 

 

 

 

After collecting our tickets from the ATM for tomorrows visit, we were back on the bus to visit yet another Gaudí legacy – Parc Güell.

Parc Güell is a garden complex housing several architectural elements that had been destined to be a housing development. An idea which never really took off. Only two houses were ever built.

Today it is a huge recreational complex and is one of seven Gaudí sites to have been awarded Unesco World Heritage status.

 

 

 

 

As you can see, we weren’t the only ones to think it was a fine way to spend Sunday afternoon.

The lady in the striped dress on the stairs spent a considerable amount of time posing on various structures around the site much to my frustration!

 

 

 

 

 

The lizard at the entrance has assumed iconic status and can be found in various forms in nearby tacky tourist shops.

It seems to be the done thing to drape yourself over the lizard and hold your hand under the water for a photo opportunity.

I waited about 10 mins to get an unadorned lizard shot, the best I could do!

 

By this stage I am totally in love with Gaudí and have decided that if he could cook as well as Russell (and if he were still alive!) I would commission him to see what he could do at 29 Rose Crescent. He was tragically killed whilst crossing a road in Barcelona when he was hit by a tram.

His legacy however, lives on.

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