Barcelona: La Sagrada Família, Casa Milà, Casa Batlló and Casa Amatller, Mercat de La Boqueria and lunch at Pinotxo Bar,
Palau Güell, Bar Marsella, Real Santuario de San José de la Montaña, Parc Güell, dinner at Conesa, chocolate and churros at Granja M. Viader, Camp Nou for the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals FC Barcelona versus Arsenal, night at Hotel Sidorme Viladecans
Barcelona:
We bought tickets online before the trip for La Sagrada Familia with access to the tower which includes an audio guide. La Sagrada Familia opens at 09:00 a.m. and our scheduled time to go up to the tower was at 09:30 a.m.
From our hotel we took the train and switched to the metro to get to La Sagrada Familia. Waiting in the park across the street for La Sagrada Familia to open in the morning. La Sagrada Familia is suppose to finish construction in the year 2026. Barcelona, Spain.
A bird resting in the tree and the flowers are beginning to blossom. In Plaça de Gaudí waiting for La Sagrada Familia to open. Barcelona, Spain.
This is the Nativity facade on the East, which represents the birth of Jesus and faces the rising sun. It was the first facade to be completed. There will be a total of three facades. The Passion facade faces the West, the direction of the setting sun, and represents the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Glory facade will face the South and will represent his present and future glory. La Sagrada Familia. Barcelona, Spain.
Looking up inside La Sagrada Familia. The columns were designed to mirror trees and branches. Gaudi used nature as one of his inspirations. In terms of the geometric forms, each column is a double-twisted column formed by two helicoidal columns. The base of each column has a cross-section that is a polygon or star,
which as it twists to the right and to the left, transforms into a circle
higher up. "continuous forms are the most perfect". - Antoni Gaudi. La Sagrada Familia. Barcelona, Spain.
Gaps in the floor in the apse allow you to view down into the crypt below. The crypt is covered by a large vault and Antoni Gaudí is buried in the crypt. You are allowed to go down into the crypt free of charge, but only at certain times. La Sagrada Familia. Barcelona, Spain.
At 09:30 a.m. we took an elevator to go up the Passion towers. La Sagrada Familia. Barcelona, Spain.
View of Barcelona from the Passion Towers. La Sagrada Familia. Barcelona, Spain.
From the Passion towers, you need to walk back down to the apse through a set of spiral stairs. There are several spiral staircases in La Sagrada Familia, forming helicoids, which according to Gaudi's iconography, was believed to represent the rising movement that links the earth with heaven. La Sagrada Familia. Barcelona, Spain.
The doors of the Passion facade contain words from the Bible in various languages, including Catalan. La Sagrada Familia. Barcelona, Spain.
The main nave with Jesus Christ on the cross above the altar. La Sagrada Familia. Barcelona, Spain.
A hollow hyperboloid in the central nave allows light into the vault. "The helicoid represents movement, the paraboloid is the father of geometry, the hyperboloid is the light and the tetrahedron is the synthesis of space". - Antoni Gaudi. La Sagrada Familia. Barcelona, Spain.
Looking up inside La Sagrada Familia. The floor plan is that of a Latin cross. As you look up, the lighting gives the impression of sun rays poking through a forest canopy. La Sagrada Familia. Barcelona, Spain.
The Passion Facade representing the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Gaudi wanted to use the effects of chiaroscuro, dark angular shadows contrasted by harsh rigid light, to emphasize the brutality of Christ's sacrifice. La Sagrada Familia. Barcelona, Spain.
The Passion Facade showing the flagellation of Christ in front of the gospel doors. It is positioned between the sculptures representing the denial of Peter and the betrayal of Judas. La Sagrada Familia. Barcelona, Spain.
Casa Milà is a modernist building designed by Antoni Gaudi and built from 1906-1912. It is known as La Pedrera, meaning "The stone quarry". Barcelona, Spain.
Casa Batlló, the building on the right side of the picture, was designed by Antoni Gaudi and built between 1904 and 1906. The facade is decorated with colorful mosaic made from broken ceramic tiles and coloured glass. The roof is arched in the shape of an animal's back and likened to that of a dragon or dinosaur. Casa Amatller, the building on the left side of the picture, is a modernista building designed by Joseph Puig i Cadaflach and built between 1892 and 1900. Barcelona, Spain.
The entrance to Mercat de La Boqueria on La Rambla. Barcelona, Spain.
Inside Mercat de La Boqueria. Produce and meat. Barcelona, Spain.
Inside Mercat de La Boqueria. This market was filled with multiple stalls selling fresh fruit juices. Barcelona, Spain.
Inside Mercat de La Boqueria. We ate lunch at Pinotxo Bar. Barcelona, Spain.
Juanito Bayen. The man at Pinotxo Bar. Mercat de La Boqueria. Barcelona, Spain.
Top left: rabbit with mushrooms. Top right: Callos or tripe. Bottom left: steak. Bottom right: Butifarra or sausage. Pinotxo Bar, Mercat de La Boqueria. Barcelona, Spain.
Palau Güell or Güell Palace, is a mansion designed by Antoni Gaudi for the industrial tycoon Eusebi Güell, and built between 1886 and 1888. The home is centered on a main party room with a high ceiling that was used to entertain high-society guests. The guests entered the home in horse-drawn carriages through the front iron gates. Barcelona, Spain.
Bar Marsella was opened in 1820 and is supposedly the first bar in Barcelona and visited by Picasso and Hemingway. They specialize in absinthe. We didn't have time to visit when it was open, so we just passed by the front. Barcelona, Spain.
Real Santuario de San José de la Montaña. We passed by this walking to Parc Güell. It consists of a church, chapel, and convent. It was built between 1895 and 1902 and is of the Neo-Romanesque style. It was designed by Francesc Berenguer, a regular collaborator of Antoni Gaudi. Barcelona, Spain.
Parc Güell. Eusebi Güell commissioned Antoni Gaudí to design the park and it was built between 1900 and 1914. It was originally an estate for well-off families with 60 plots of land to build luxury homes. That plan failed and it became a public park that opened in 1926. Barcelona, Spain.
Parc Güell. From here you have a view over the Plain of Barcelona all the way to the ocean. You can also spot La Sagrada Familia sticking out from the surrounding buildings. Barcelona, Spain.
Cat art somewhere in the alleyways of Barcelona. Barcelona, Spain.
We wanted something cheap and inexpensive for dinner and ended up eating sandwiches at Conesa. It's been open since 1951. Barcelona, Spain.
After dinner was chocolate with churros and lady fingers at Granja M. Viader. This place was good and I thought it was a lot better than Chocolatería San Ginés in Madrid. Barcelona, Spain.
Camp Nou for the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals FC Barcelona versus Arsenal at 8:45 p.m. We bought last minute tickets via their website online. Their online ticket system is messy and the tickets they email you are missing the gate number, so they would not let us through. We had to find the ticket office so that they could give us hard tickets in order to pass through the gate. I saw a number of online ticket holders lost and the stadium staff members not knowing what they were suppose to tell these people. Their security system is also messy. Some entrances were letting people through with their bags and others would not. Their system is very unorganized for being the largest stadium in Europe and for holding such a high number of prestigous events from the Olympics, to World Cup games, to a Michael Jackson concert, to a mass by Pope John Paul II. Despite all that, it was worth it to watch the fútbol game. Barcelona, Spain.
FC Barcelona beat Arsenal, 3-1. Neymar, Saurez, Messi each scored a goal. It was cold and rainy that night, but it was a super fun game. Camp Nou. Barcelona, Spain.
After the game we walked to the train station to take the train back to our hotel. We ended up taking the very last train for the day.
