Monthly Archives: April 2016

Europe: Day 14 (April 18)

DSCN0749After a great breakfast, we headed to the train station about 8:30. We had no problems getting the train but were surprised at the number of people on it. It was standing room only almost the whole way to Barcelona. The route was mostly right along the Mediterranean and very picturesque. At a couple of points along the way, it seemed they carved barely enough room for two tracks out of the cliffs. We arrived in Barcelona without any problems but without a city map it was difficult to find our way around. We had hoped to take a 2.5 your walking tour similar to the one in Granada but ended up taking a bus tour instead. The city is very crowded with residents and a surprising number of tourists. Considering the crowds we encountered in April, we wouldn’t want to be here in July and August. There are some interesting sites in Barcelona. We focused on an overview on the bus and took a guided tour of the famous Sagrada de Familia.

DSCN0763For those of you who may not know the story, more than 150 years ago a rich Barcelona man commissioned an architect to build a Cathedral. He disagreed with the first architect and then hired young Antoni Gaudi. Gaudi died in 1926 at 72 years without finishing the Cathedral. Over the years attempts to finish the cathedral were interrupted by war and lack of money. However, work has been continuous since mid 1950s and they hope to complete it by 2026 – the centennial of Gaudi’s death. Viewing the 4 spires ànd part of the cloister that Gaudi completed, it is easy to understand the source of the word gaudy. It is hard to describe our first impression. Wayne thought it was some kind of carnival. All the construction is being based on Gaudi’s original plans that are available. Some were destroyed in the Spanish Civil war

DSCN0785We were very glad we took the guided tour of the inside. Our guide was very knowledgeable and explained Gaudi’s symbolism. The interior is very elaborate but reverent. Gaudi was a very religious man and his appreciation of religion and nature influenced all of his work on the Cathedral which is named for the holy family. His architecture shows the influences of nature and religion. There are no straight lines; his pillars all lean a little. The windows sections are stained blue and green to reflect the sky and sea with another red for the blood of Christ. Since we were there late in afternoon we could really appreciate Gaudi’s vision. He also has some white windows for purity. The effect of all these colors is stunning. Despite the exterior the interior was very moving.

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It was a very interesting day in Barcelona but after the Cathedral tour we were ready to find our way to the train and back to Tarragona. With the help of the city map we got this morning Wayne navigated our way to the station. It was l little challenging finding the commuter train as opposed to the local metro but with the help of a fellow traveler we got pointed in the right direction. Beer, wine & dinner sound good about now, so we will bid you buenos noches.

Cheers,
Wayne & Peggy