Today started with an early wake up call so we could make it to Sagrada Familía to get a good place in line. We did buy our tickets ahead of time so our line was significantly shorter than the line for those who did not buy their tickets in advance. We were very grateful for that! When I first looked at the building I was speechless, it is so big and SO beautiful. To be honest I don't think I have ever seen anything as beautiful as the Sagrada Familía. One of the things I find the most interesting is that consturction started in 1882 and still continues today. They hope that by 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death, it will be completed. They sure do have a lot of work ahead of them though! The architect of this church, Antoni Gaudi, focused on classics, nature, and religion. This church represents all three. Inside and out, a goal of the church is to bring the lessons of the Bible to the world. As of now there are two main sides. The Nativity facade, my favorite, represents Christ's birth. Above the doorway shows Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus in the manger. It's the Holy Family- Sagrada Familía- for whom the church is dedicated to. The tree of life stands in between two towers and is covered in doves. We went up into the towers and the view is absolutely beautiful! You can see the whole city and beyond! The other side of the church represents Christ's death. It is not as detailed as the Nativity side and it displays scences such as the last supper and Jesus hanging on the cross. In between the two towers on this side is a statue of Jesus which represents his ascension into Heaven. On the interior of the church there are many columns, arches and stain glass window's. Underneath part of the church is a museum which has all kinds of pictures, Gaudi's tomb and remakes of Gaudi's blueprints for the church, since his were burned in the war. I hope I can make it back to Barcelona some day and see it all completed!!
The rest of the afternoon was spent traveling through all of Barcelona on an open air double decker bus. Some of the stops we got off at include Park Gūell and the beach. Park Gūell, also designed by Gaudi, is most famous for its grand staircase monitored by a trademark dragon and a 360 bench. Everything there is covered in mosaic tiles from broken glass, dishes and even china dolls. At the beach we walked down the board walk and admired the Mediterranean from a distance. Some other places we saw were the Olympic stadium and the soccer stadium. It was a nice and fun relaxing way to see the whole city.
After a "siesta" we made our way to find dinner. We settled on place and ordered several tapas. My favorite had scrambled eggs and ham. For a treat I got a lava cake and It was delicious! The food here is very good and there are so many different variates. Tomorrow on the intermarry is Pablo Picasso art museum, the market and the beach. I will be sure to add pictures from today later! Goodnight!
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