Barcelona (2)

On Sunday, we took a guided tour of Park Güell and La Sagrada Familia, two of Antoni Gaudi’s architectural works of art, both heavily influenced by his devotion to religion and to nature.  We met our guide at the entrance to the Park, initially intended to be a 60-home development for Barcelona’s elite.  After 3 homes were built, WWI started and construction stopped.  However, Gaudi had already built much of the infrastructure for the development and that is what we came to see.  I’ve inserted pictures to give you an idea of his talent.           

  

A wall of one of the buildings

   

Top of the guard house at entry to Park

A road supported by tree-like stone.

The roof above the pillared market channeled water for the development.

Roger and Kathy on whimsical bench overlooking the city.

After touring the Park, our small group was bused to La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s famous cathedral started in the early 1900s and still unfinished.  One can see this huge building from nearly everywhere in Barcelona.  It simply dominates the landscape.  The 4 exterior faces of the building depict various scenes from Christ’s life.  However, when you step into the cathedral, you feel nature all around you: the posts holding the roof are trees with branches at the top; the stained glass windows bring splashes of cool colors and warm colors, representing spring and autumn.  It was simply a serene, peaceful place that illustrated how Gaudi felt that in nature one finds religion.  These pictures do not do it justice. 

 

Another day, we walked around the Eixemple district of Barcelona to view more of Gaudi’s work  and other modernists of his time.  They all tried to out-do one another. 

 

 

  Barcelona is such a fantastic city!