What I love about Barcelona: Gaudi

Though I am not a fancy architect like Dianne, it does not take much training to be in awe of the Gaudi architecture sprinkled around Barcelona. We had the pleasure of hitting the highlights below:

Sagrada Família

My jaw literally dropped when I laid eyes on this magnificent church. I can only pray that it will be done sometime in my lifetime, and before I am too old to hobble out there and see it, but I'm sure that is what people thought in the 1880s when they started building it. There is so much history in every nook and cranny, and the details are absolutely amazing. 

Park Güell

It's almost heartbreaking to enjoy the park so much and think that it was considered a failure during Gaudi's lifetime. Originally built to be a housing development, only two houses were built, and Gaudi bought one! We loved the wall designed to look like a surfing wave and the sculptures everywhere, though I had to explain to Patrick that the dragon spitting out water was not, in fact, a public water fountain. If you have time, this is a relaxing break from the city - Gaudi even designed the benches to be exceptionally comfortable. I can only imagine what the houses would cost if they redeveloped it today... 

Casa Batlló

Along with purchasing a big house in Park Güell, I would love to go back in time and be the middle class family for whom Gaudi designed this house! I can't decide if I liked the mosaics covering the front or the skull balconies better. Either way, this is worth gazing at for a good while! 

La Pedrera

At the advice of our friend Caitlin, we actually paid the steep entrance fee to see the inside of La Perera (also known as Casa Milà). The apartment furnished in early 1900s style showed just how painfully meticulous Gaudi was. He even designed the door handles to fit your hand as you opened the door or window. The attic houses a small museum of Gaudi's works. The real gem; however, was at the top. Not only were the rooftop views fabulous, but the architecture of the roof showed, yet again, how Gaudi thought his projects all the way through. The chimneys were even beautiful and looked like women looking over the city in a cluster. In the picture above, Patrick and I are standing next to one such chimney that was decorated in a broken wine bottle mosaic. The rooftop alone was definitely worth the entrance fee!