June 19 Day 6 Barcelona

If you have followed  Patti and Dick’s grand adventures in the past, you might realize that we often assign ourselves seminar tasks or themes. It could be Japanese internment camps, California missions, or presidential libraries, or civil rights sites, or Civil War battlegrounds. We have a lot of different interests. In Barcelona, we knew we were going to have to learn about Antonio Gaudi. We begin that journey a couple of days back with an orientation tour with a local guide. Then, we went to Park Güell yesterday. Today was the main event: three different iconic Gaudi sites. With some counsel from friends, we were able to make three reservations for an intensive day of seeing some of the major Gaudi sites.

We started the day at Casa Botlla: A wonderful building that Gaudi was commissioned to totally re-construct. It started as an ordinary apartment building. By the time he was done, it was an amazing place that looked like it was made out of bones, and of the ocean, and was filled with light. They made a great use of smart audio/visual personal sound system. You told the young woman at the desk what language she wanted and voila: as you walked between rooms you got to hear a recording in your language, plus when you held the recorder up, it showed you in virtual reality what the room had looked like 100 years ago when it was being created. Amazing! Our tour took us throughout the home, as well as up on the patio and the roof. We even took advantage of a rather cheesy opportunity to step out on a teeny little balcony and have a photo taken of us high, high up on the outside. It is difficult to describe what these buildings are like. His innovative use of light and material and mosaic was really astounding.

The next site was Casa Mila, or La Pedrera, The Quarry. Here we had another huge apartment building being created for another newly rich family on the same very exclusive address street. Again, a great use of personal audio sound systems in your language of choice. This one seemed to be a receiver and when you would move into a room, it would pick up information in the language that you sought. Gaudi attempted to create a forest inside this home. 

After some background information, we took the elevator to the roof where dozens of fanciful Dr. Seuss-like chimneys and shapes filled the sky. Being able to look out over the city of Barcelona was fantastic. Trying to understand what was really happening and what the architect was thinking, was mind blowing. We really enjoyed watching some craftspeople who were in the process of restoring some of the mosaic tiles. And we also enjoyed getting a chance to get inside one of the very, very lovely apartments. Inside there were also some models of a variety of different of Gaudi’s work with some background of what was happening in the social and economic world of that time. We were so happy to add on to our knowledge that we had gained in our introductory talk a couple of days back, as well as at Park Güelle yesterday. Our hearts and minds were full as we finished the second tour about noon.

We came back and had another siesta (nap) of a couple hours. We are growing fond of this custom. After a quick lunch at a place that reminded us of Souplantation, with salads and fresh veggies and an ice cream machine which we couldn’t figure out how to make a stop, we were ready for the final tour of the day.

The final Gaudi site was his unfinished cathedral: Sagrada Familia (The Holy of Sacred Family). Gaudi was commissioned to be the main architect for this building when he was a young man in his 30’s. The most basic form of a traditional Basilica or Catholic church had been established at this site. Gaudi then moved into making it not an ordinary church. Some people have described the outside appearance of a wedding cake that was left out in the rain.  When you got close up, though, you could see distinctly different details: one side focusing on the nativity of Christ, another and the passion and death, and another on the resurrection. But these are not ordinary sculptures. They are filled with amazing detailed as such as angels playing the bassoon or concert harp, with other figures that looked decidedly like Star war's storm troopers. .One door included all kinds of bugs: ants, crickets, beetles and spiders. There are turtles and tortoises. There is a giant box of numbers that looks a lot like Sudoku, with all the numbers adding up to 33, the years that Christ lived before being crucified. 

So, the outside is amazing, but inside it is filled with light! The Stained glass windows is are so joyful. The windows were different rainbow colors throughout the Basilica. There are soaring ceilings and amazing decorations. The church has been under construction since 1882 with the plan to have it finished in 2026 which will be 100 years since Gaudi‘s death.

We joined a group for an English-speaking tour with an earnest young woman tour guide who told us many stories and focused our attention on so many of the fanciful details. We also got the treat of hearing part of an organ concerts. The Basilica had been consecrated by Pope Benedict with 6000 people gathered for that service. Once it is finally completed, there will be four organs, as well as room for over 700 choir members in the balcony. This is the place that you really have to see in order to understand it. Wow, just wow!

So, we walked or kind of trudged back to our apartment. Today we walked 14,000 steps, nearly 7 miles. We’ve had a lot of heavy walking days, more than we’re used to at home. Then, to the grocery store, ate some wine bread and cheese for dinner, took a little nap and then off to work with photos and do some writing.

Such is life on the road.