Gaudi

I felt like Barcelona was sort of like a tour of Gaudi. Not only does the city house many of Gaudi's important works, but also the city itself seems to mirror the architects work in its eccentricity. In a lot of ways I thought that Paris (and Madrid, too, as a came to realize a few days later) is like a classy, streamlined outfit that never goes out of style. Barcelona, however, is a pair of trendy shoes, a colored stocking, a flashy dress, and a boa around the neck. Although outfit number two is the attention grabber, that doesn't mean it goes together. Barcelona has so much going on in such different styles that it's a little dizzying to fit into. It's full of wows and that's awesome!s, but it takes a certain type (maybe of the modern-art-loving, trend-setting, relaxed beach-going, party-hopping variety) to truely fall in love.

So getting back to our architect friend, I'd have to say that La Sagrada Familia is "the" Gaudi structure. Gaudi was a devout Christian, and he dedicated most of his life to his faith and his artistic work, specifically La Sagrada Familia, which he acutally lived in for several years during construction. The entire church is infused with meaning, so if you do go I'd recommend an audioguide to give you all the tiny, interesting details on why and how things are placed where that I can't remember.

To me, the Nativity side of the church just looks like a drip-sandcastle.
It's the scenes of Jesus's crusifiction and death on the other side that interested me. I was far more fascinated with how Gaudi could infuse such emotion in sculptures made of simple curves and shapes than how many layers of detail he could pile up for the nativity scene.

You can climb Gaudi's church for a wonderful view of the city, and the building the Spanish call "el pene" (guess which one it is).


If you get a chance, visit Park Guell. Intended for a community, the area got no interest from potential residents, and instead became a fanciful park full of quirky sculptures and desert flora. You can join a million other tourists in the open center for a view of the city, or stroll around the edges to buy chachkies from vendors before finding your way towards peace and quiet.





A final stop on the Gaudi sequence includes an apartment building. It was a little weird to encroach upon people's homes, but they separate the tourists from the residents pretty easily, and you can make your way up to the roof (because the inside of the building isn't really anything but a tribute to Gaudi and his work, which you don't need to see as you'll have just from La Sagrada Familia and Park Guell ).


Have you ever seen a more elaborate roof?

When you're done with your Gaudi gazing, don't forget to relax in a restaurant with your own personal pitcher of sangria, or stop on the street for a hot, ham sandwich. Either way, it'll make for a great end to a great day.