Gaudi Mania

You can't come to Barcelona without taking a walk around town and admiring the architecture, especially those buildings and structures created by Gaudi. So after my visit to the cathedral, I took the metro to the Sagrada Familia Church for the begining of Gaudipalooza 2008.

Sagrada Familia has been under constrution since the late 1800s, and it was expected to be finished by October 2008, though I read in the paper that it's looking more like 2010. Maybe they finally factored in all the siesta breaks?

The church looks like giant novelty candle that has been left in the sun and started to melt. Or like when you make little towers of wet sand at the beach. But every nook and melted curve has significance, with parts contatining sculptures depicting the nativity and other important bible tales. It's very cool.

Casa Mila, or "La Pedrera", is just a few blocks away. It's another interestingly shaped building, and apartment house in this case, that makes you think sooomeone might have been high when they designed it. Or that maybe they use Fred Flinstone as a consultant. Yabba-dabba-doo!

I read that when they first opened it, people didn't want to move in because they were concerned about their furniture fitting into the rounded rooms. Ha! A crystal wall and they would have been more worried about the german tourists walking through their hallways at all times.


Casa Batllo is a little further away on the Passeig de Gracia, in a very busy avenue close to La Rambla (and Topman and Burberry!). It seems little more structured, with very interesting window shapes and mosaics adding color to the exterior.

Locals refer to it as House of Bones because the balconies and windows are said to be...ummm...bone shaped. It's maybe supposed to represent the battle between Saint George and the dragon.

After the three buildings, I decided to take a break and head to the beach for a little lay-out. Parc Guell will have to wait for my next visit to Barcelona.