Sorry, this is just a zillion photos (I heart Gaudi)

Just  a warning, Alisma and I shared a bottle of wine for dinner so I am either a bit tipsy or really tired or most likely both.  I wrote this earlier but my photo choices may reflect my current state.

Monday, October 3

Again I am using the train and notepad to write this post.  Our last full day in Barcelona.  We had three planned events over the course the day.  First a visit Park Guell, another Gaudi site, in the morning. And then the interior of Sangrada Familia at 5pm.  I think we were lucky to have heard to buy our tickets ahead of time.  We couldn't get any for the previous day and when we showed up to both, there were signs that the next available entrance time was like 5 hours later.  And our third event, we booked a paid tour with Runner Bean, The Dark Past Night Walk.

We slept in a bit since we had stayed out late the night before. Then off to breakfast (another cured meat sandwich for me, another potato quiche thing for Alisma).  Then we jumped on the metro to get to the 'burbs' for Park Guell.

We may have gotten off at the less-advantageous stop.  We ended up climbing a major hill.  But climbing might be an overstatement.  There were at least three escalators, which I took to calling funscalators until we came upon an actual Funicular.  This one for free!  I got to practice my Spanish a couple of times asking for directions. Unfortunately, I  chose a woman with no teeth as my first try.  I'm not sure if I didn't understand her because of the teeth or because she was trying to tell us we were a million miles away.  Either way, it didn't help.

We walked and walked, up a hill, back down the hill.  We were starting to worry that we might miss our entry time of 11:30.  But just as we were starting to despair (not really but it sounds more dramatic), we turned a corner and there was the entrance.  We may have gone the long way but we got some amazing views of the city (AND Funicular!).

So high up

Stairs, with outdoor escalator!

Funicular!

Barcelona

Guell was Gaudi's patron and friend.  They planned this as an upscale housing estate overlooking the plains of Barcelona.  There were 60 planned lots.  They ended up building one house for Guell. Gaudi lived for a couple of years in the guard house.  But in the years before it went bust, Gaudi designed two houses at the gate and an amazing terrace thing. Plus an amphitheater under that and some sort of drainage system that looked like caves.  The benches around the terrace are so beautiful, they could make you weep for the utilitarian claptrap they build now.  We spent a few hours there.  They let guests into the gate houses.  Guell's house has been turned into a public school but the two gate houses are open, one for tours and one as the gift shop.  Gaudi does not do corners.  Everything he makes is rounded and curvy and soft on the eye.

I took so many pictures of tiles.

This is the inside of the bench that surrounds the veranda

This is the outside, that lip is for drainage. Even the eves are gorgeous. 

close up

People sitting on the benches.  That dog head in the bottom right
corner is a drain spout.

Here is that weird canal, drainage. cave system that I don't understand.

Here is under the veranda.  The ceiling as crazy tiles that look like ocean creatures.

 Here are some random shots from around the park

Another type of parakeet

There was a wedding going on

And some shots of the gate houses.

they look like ginger bread houses

The roof

the window trim

No straight lines to be found inside

View of the iconic staircase

Seriously, there is more.  I can't stop posting pictures, each section is so amazing.  Here is the staircase from below the veranda to the entrance/houses.

Pigeon water fountain

this is a water drainage spout if you can believe

See the water draining

More Tiles!

More beautiful drainage

OK, I will stop now.  (for a minute because we are about the enter the church of stained glass.

After Park Guell, we were booked into Sangrada Familia for 5pm so we just went home to rest a bit since we would be in the neighbourhood anyway.  Then we went out for lunch around 3pm.  I really wanted Paella.  We had sussed out one place close by so we went there.   But  had to order the Paella for two and I wanted seafood and Alisma wanted chicken or vegetarian.  So we jumped to the next place.  Restaurants are ofter just tables, chairs and umbrellas set up in the middle of boulovards.  You have to really search to figure out which restaurant belongs to which tables.  Anyway, we ended up at a disappointing place.  It turned out to be an ice cream shop that sold Paella.  As you can imagine, this was not what I was looking for.  I am pretty sure it was frozen or rehydrated (or both).  Plus, they didn't have chicken or veg so Alisma ended up with a cheese crepe that looked like crap.  We should have found another place, but this one was the only one with a free table.  Sangria though.

Ok, the Sangrada Familia.  We did the outside yesterday and it was crazy intricate.  But my jaw literally dropped when we stepped inside for the stained glass.  We picked a great time of day becuase the sun was low  in the east so the windows on that side were ablaze.  I probably shouldn't even try to describe them.  Even the pictures won't do.  Everyone has to enter this church at least once in life.  There were colour blocks of reds and greens and blues.  It was overwhelming.  And all above head so the hoard of tourists were not even that distracting.

LOOK AT THIS!!!

Gaudi used trees to inspire his columns.
This design  was the only way to
make them strong enough

This is super cool.  That is the light through the windows onto the ceiling

After I took a million pictures of glass and light, we went outside and oogled the exterior for a while.  We could see the crypt through a floor height window and we had heard Gaudi was buried down there.  I asked a guard how to get there and he said it would open at 6pm.

The Passion

So, a visit to the basement (different than the crypt) which has displays of the construction over time.  And the gift shop (where I bought nothing which can't be said for Park Guell).

Then we went down to the crypt. The reason it was open was because that is where they have mass and a service was going on.  They kind of drape off the parishioners so we could walk around the edges.  Years ago, before Nanny died, I had promised her I would light a candle to the saint of lost things.  I couldn't remember who that was so I lit a candle for Nanny with St. Anthony because he was holding a child (like Nanny always was).  (note added later - remember this story, it comes back tomorrow)

Gaudi's grave

After that we had a couple of hours to kill.  I noticed on the map that we hadn't visited the cathedral.  So we went there in the Gothic district. We found the church but we were pretty churched out by then so we didn't go in.  Instead, you guessed it, we wandered around a bit and then stopped for tapas at Santa Anna restaurant.  For some reason, I ordered a mango mojito which was fine but I should have stuck with wine.  We rushed through dessert to get to our meeting place for the 9pm start to our Dark Night Walk.  We met at yet another Arc de Triomf.

Back of the Cathedral

Front of the Cathedral

Mango Mojito

Clockwise from left: Eggplant with maple syrup
Papas Bravas, chicken skewers,
Garlic Prawns

Dessert. 

Not a lot of pictures from this tour.  It was mostly walking around the Born district.  Born means tournament in Catalonia.  This area is so old, they used to have jousting tournaments there.   Lots of creepy, dark alleyways.  Our guide, Ruth, lamented that it used to be creepier and darker but they are sprucing the area up with sparkly lights.  We learned too much about how the Spanich Inquisition used to torture and kill people. I will spare you the details. It was a pleasant evening with some fun stories so it was all good.  My feet were very unhappy but that is to be expected.  Then home by midnight.  Another late night for us.

Arc de Triomp #3

Just some graffiti along the way

A lady's face on the street corner indicated
that a house of ill repute could be found
on this street

Ruth in a no-longer creepy alley

This morning, we got up late(ish) again and packed up for our 10am check out.   Off to the train station, breakfast (cured meat sandwich, potato quiche sandwich) and now here we are on the fast train to Madrid.

Sorry again for the overload of photos.  I have to finally post this, our time in Madrid is almost over and I am still living in Barcelona time for this blog.