When we docked at Barcelona we noticed 5 other cruise ships berthed there too, which, in theory, could have meant there being an extra 10,000 people in the port. We had a great 2 days though, the highlights being the Sagrada Familia and the Parc Guell.
THE SAGRADA FAMILIA
is probably Europe`s most unconventional church and is the greatest work by Antoni Gaudi.
It became his life`s work and he lived like a recluse on the site for 16 years from when he started the project in 1882, but at the time of his death only one tower had been completed.Work continues on it today and several more towers have been completed with a target date of 2030, the finished church having a central tower which will be encircled by 4 large towers representing the Evangelists,4 towers on the Glory facade will match 4 on the Passion facade and 4 on the Nativity.... that`s a lot more building! To be honest I don`t know what the problem is, I built the Sagrada Familia on Cannes beach in ten minutes...(!)
PARK GUELL
was well worth the climb in my sandals!
Antoni Gaudi designed a fabulous park to be built on the side of a rugged mountain. It spanned 15 hectares and is surrounded by a wall with paths, walkways and communal areas, all vibrantly coloured and loaded with symbols.
The dragon on the steps is actually an overflow for the cistern located below the market place, it is brightly coloured with ceramic tiles.
The sloping pillars
The curly squirrly undulating bench is not only a seat with a view-point but also a drainage system for rainwater. Broken tiles, bottles and crockery decorate it.
The ceiling vaults of the market place are decorated with 4 suns and 14 moons, lamps were hung from hooks in the centre of the suns
We had a brilliant time there(and look at that blue sky)
2 comments:
Oh lucky you seeing Gaudi's architecture in person! I love his work - beautifully bizarre.
Hi Anne, it was brilliant. HOW does he think up these things?? And it`s all functional too. Very clever.
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