Unfortunately it rained in Barcelona when we arrived – but that
didn’t stop us from getting up and about!
Barcelona really is the home of Gaudi, and it seemed fitting
that we spend our first day in Spain seeing some of his works. We stayed at an
Air B&B apartment nearby a train stop, so it was pretty convenient for us
to get around.
Our first stop
was Casa Battlo, a remodel of a previously built house; built in an Art Noveau
style. I initially wasn’t certain that it would be worth the visit (I mean, it
was just a house).
I ate my
words – it wasn’t just any house.
It was
interesting enough on the outside, all curves and colourful mosaics making up
the walls, but the inside was gorgeous. The curves were apparently inspired by
the sea, and it became prominent to see how much inspiration Gaudi had plucked
from nature itself, from the blue hues of the wall, to the shell-like lights
and mosaics, to the supposed dragon on the wall!
The house
itself had about four floors, including the roof, and you could borrow an audio
guide that would give you some insight to the madness. Even more interesting was
the SmartGuide, which used video technology that combined augmented reality to
bring the scene to life – you could hold the screen up and the fireplace would
suddenly spew mushrooms and smoke, for instance. With the surrealism of the
house itself, it added a nice touch to exploring the building.
Cheesy tourist photo |
Tickets were
EU22.5 (or EU27.5 for the smart pass) – but we just walked past to see how long
the liens were and just bought it online on the spot!
Our next
spot was the Sagrada Familia, which was about ten minutes away on public transport
or a twenty minute walk if you’re keen. It was my second time in Barcelona, but
I actually didn’t manage to see the Sagrada the first time round because they
had run out of tickets!
We were lucky enough that it was rainy
and we managed to book tickets after a half hour wait in line but I would
otherwise definitely book in advance. They only allow a certain number of
visitors in at half hour intervals, so we had to leave and walk around first
while waiting for our allotted slot.
The Sagrada itself looks impressive on
the outside. It definitely is nothing like any church or cathedral you’ve seen
before – try and spot the brightly painted fruits on the turrets of the
outside. The ongoing construction just makes you wonder what else there it to
come.
Can you see the fruits on the turrets? |
The inside is nothing short of
stunning, with the amounts of light and colour, and the sloping ceilings -
Gaudi definitely was a man of vision, and there is something definitely very
reverential about the building, even with the masses of people walking through.
It was one of those places which didn’t feel too packed despite the number of
people who were walking through the doors, and it was lovely to walk past and
admire the stained glass windows, or try and make sense of the columns reaching
up to the ceilings in no particular order; as with much of Gaudi’s work, there
was a lot of fluidity in the design.
Definitely something that shouldn’t be
missed - I think it's one of those buildings that is just so different to anything else that's been built, and the most interesting part is the fact that it's still a building under construction based on the late Gaudi's design from over a hundred years ago - a legacy that is still ongoing even today.
You can get a ticket here for EU15 without a
guide, or EU22 with an audio guide.
I have to say that I really enjoyed these two attractions, and it's nice to be able to take your time and admire the architecture and the mad genius of Gaudi, as I like to call it. It really is like falling down the rabbit hole!
I have to say that I really enjoyed these two attractions, and it's nice to be able to take your time and admire the architecture and the mad genius of Gaudi, as I like to call it. It really is like falling down the rabbit hole!
Last but not least, Barcelona wouldn't be complete without a stroll in Park Guell! I'll find some time to write a little bit more about it, because I really do think Park Guell deserves a bit more attention!
UPDATE: Finally got around to writing about Park Guell - you can find it here!
UPDATE: Finally got around to writing about Park Guell - you can find it here!
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