Barcelona 4

We’ve visited the Sagrada Familia, Park Guell and saw the procession of the three kings - all in one day.

As an aside - Dave yearned after this coffee machine.  Seen in a cafe that had thunder and lightening storms played out.

The Sagrada Familia was simply beautiful, we have visited loads of churches, temples and mosques around the world but this is the one that took our breath away.  It is totally unique in design and its construction.  After 140 years almost 70% has now been completed and they are hoping to complete it completely in the next ten years.  It has also been built solely using donations from local people and visitors; no church involvement at all.  In prosperous times the build has been quicker as more money comes in, but during the depression work almost stopped as nobody could afford to donate to the project.

The building is too big and surrounded to get a full exterior photo

The dark bits are completed; the pale parts still to be built (30% still to do)

The interior has only recently been made waterproof as Gudi designed and built the facades first, so that each generation could see progress being made with their money.  They are now building the final towers and completing the last facade.

Very difficult to choose which photos to include

Inside, the columns are of different sizes and colours and also leaning slightly to make the interior look like a forest.  The colours of the light entering the building emphasises dawn through to evening.  The detail is incredible.  The facades change in style from beauty and nature for the nativity through to angular cubism and some violence for the crucifixion.  It is simply phenomenal.

The angular, crucifixion side

Gaudi also did a lot of work in Park Guell - a failed town planning project of which the park was supposed to be the centre piece - the park succeeds but the developers idea of a grand residential area surrounding it didn’t.  Park Guell is now one of Barcelona’s favourite leisure areas.

Gaudi buildings are always interesting

The procession of the three kings (arrived on camels) celebrates the arrival of the magi into Jerusalem and is a carnival-like parade with hundreds of floats inching their way around the city.  

This is the largest annual procession in the Barcelona calendar 

Horse fix??

A sculpture of Gaudi - he hated having his photo taken, so very few of him exist

I will leave you with a few photos of the interior - built like a forest 

Today is a jobs day, sorting the washing and the boat stuff out ready to leave Barcelona tomorrow, I think we are both ready to leave but also looking forward to returning in the future as there is much more yet to explore.