Ahh...vive Barcelona!
I love Spain. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE SPAIN. Can I say it enough? This place is beautiful, the food is delicious, and the shopping is positively perfect. Not to mention the metros are clean, air conditioned, and not as crowded as Paris. We had a great day!
We started in the Parque Guell--it is built into the hillside in the very northern part of the city of Barcelona. It's history is very interesting; it was bought by el señor Guell, who planned to build 60 houses on the land to sell to locals. He commissioned the great designer and architect, Gaudi, to help him design this community up in the hillside. They built one model house, where Gaudi lived, and placed it on a plot near the front of the property. Gaudi designed the land with stunning landscaping and stuctures, along with a system of paths for the future residents to drive on. Obviously, no one ever bought into this community. It was too far away from the hype of the main area of Barcelona. So, the park was finished, and Guell sold it to the city of Barcelona; then it became open to the public.
More on the architecture--Gaudi didn't want the structures to stand out in the nature. He believed that understanding nature was the first way to becoming inspired and enlightened. All of the paths, buildings, and archways are made from the same neutral colored stone. He based most of his designs off of the hyperbolic arch, or a parabola, and a few of his designs looked like crashing waves. It's a beautiful place to go and walk and connect with nature while observing such an artistic masterpiece.
The park is also well known for the bright colors of the tile used in the main square, in the dragon statue, and in the lizard statue, as well as in the ceiling below the main square. Gaudi was basically a genius. (PS: Cheetah Girls 2 was filmed here. Cool!)
Then we moved on to the very famous work in progress basilica, La sagrada familia. It has been under construction since 1882, and in November of this past year, the roof was finally finished! The pope came to celebrate the first mass there, and it was a grand ocassion. We didn't get to go inside, cause the line was so long, but we took plenty of pictures of the exterior. There are many cranes surrounding it and lots of noise, since the construction is going on every day. It is truly an amazing basilica, it was designed once again by Gaudi, and it's expected to be finished in about 30 years. Woohoo!
Then we headed down to the vey famous street, called Las Ramblas. It has mmay shops and vendors, as well as a great place to eat churros y chocate (a yummy Spanish treat that I absolutely love). I spent most of my time in El Corte Ingkes--my favorite department store that can only he found in Spain. 9 floors of everything you could possibly want or need. I got a super cute dress and a top. Gotta love the shopping!
We headed back to the hotel for some dinner (and a little wine), and now we are off to bed before our last full day in Europe tomorrow. This trip has been full of excitig events and surprises, and I'm sad see it start drawing to a close. But I'm excited to be coming home to share my experiences and to spend time with my family all together on father's day. :)
Off to the beach, more roman ruins, and Picasso museum for our last day tomorrow. Buenas noches--vive Barca!
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