Barcelona is teeming with artists...both old and new. The old artists have left their marks all over the city...painting world-renowned art, sculpting breathtaking statues, and building towering cathedrals. New artists have covered Barcelona the same way...with modern sculptures along the beach, interestingly shaped skyscrapers that reach for the sky, and even some of the most beautiful graffiti art I've ever seen scrawled on doors and in alleys...
(although I have a problem with people who spray paint something illegible on a medieval building...it seemed the REAL artists...the ones that were actually painting ART...kept to brick walls and metal grates...the annoying "taggers" had far less respect for their predecessors and should be shot)
One of my favorite artists was an architect, and a fairly modern one, at that. His name was Antoni Gaudi. Gaudi lived from 1852 to 1926, and spent primarily all that time in the Catalan area. He is best known for his part in the Modernisme art movement. His work is thoughtful, inspirational, deeply devoted to his religious persuasions and his love of nature. He believed all creativity stemmed from the people of the Mediterranean...while the people of the North could only imitate .
The bountiful amount of art I saw in Barcelona leads me to believe he may have been on to something.
In Barcelona...we got to see several example of Gaudi's genius...
The first was the Parc Guell, originally designed to be a Master Planned Community, and now a beautiful park with an amazing common area surrounded by a giant mosaic undulating bench.
I could go on and on about this park...from the Hall beneath the common area, the aqueducts, the buildings...and the sheer genius of Gaudi and how he thought of every little thing even how to drain the excess water when it rains...
His mosaic work, though...was the real treat. He pioneered using "trash"...broken glass, teacups, plates...ANYTHING...to make amazing mosaic accents to most all of his work...
We also had the opportunity to tour Casa Mila...one of the most recognizable examples of his work...with it's characteristic "cake melting in the rain" facade. Although the house and all it's intricacies is truly beautiful...the most stunning part is the roof...
With hills and valleys, tunnels and tile work...it's a playground several stories above the bustling Exiample district below...
With panoramic views of the quaint streets and inner alleys and gardens of Barcelonas people...and most importantly...
A gorgeous window to the pièce de résistance of Gaudi's work...the La Sagrada Familia.
No trip to Barcelona would be complete without taking even a whirlwind tour of this stunning church. I could spend pages and pages describing his inspiration, the plans, the genius...everything...but being that this is a blog...and needs to sum up a story quick...let me just tell you...
It's breath-taking.
There is NO comparison. You simply wander around...unable to close your mouth...forced to ignore the crick in your neck as your eyes are raised ever higher and higher...
The stained glass is brilliant...and soon with grace every sunlit opening...
There is even sunlit being funneled from within the lofty columns to shine through great glass ovals that are strategically placed to light the church within...
Gaudi died before the church was completed...but he knew he would, and left extensive notes and plaster casts and models so future architects would be able to complete his vision. Many of those artifacts were lost in the Spanish Civil War...but with what has remained, and with computer technology, they continue work on the church today...feverishly trying to finish it before it's hundred year birthday in 2025.
There is another famous residence built by Gaudi in Barcelona...just 4 blocks South of the Casa Mila...known as Casa Batllo. Gaudi built it as a symbol to the patron saint of Barcelona, St. George (as in the St. George who slayed the dragon).
If you use your imagination...you can see how the roof resembles the back of a great dragon, and the chimney a sword with a cross on the handle, piercing the dragons back. The balconies look like skulls.
In the first picture, you can see a queue of people lining up outside this house, desiring a tour. They had come a long way to explore this magnificent home...but were bring turned away.
See...the house had been reserved for a private party that evening, and since they were setting up...tours were cancelled that day. The people were very upset...but although Jason and I wanted to go inside...we weren't upset...because that private party was actually for The Cheesecake Factory.
That's right...our Gala dinner in Barcelona was to be in the Casa Batllo, where we would have free run of the building and it's docents all night long.
We had a marvelous evening there...touring the building, learning all about Gaudi and his work...I even got to ride in the teeny-tiny elevator. Everyone said it was like being in the house of Dr. Suess...all twisting and turning without a straight line to be seen...
But I loved every minute of it...and so did Jason. It was such an amazing opportunity to play and dine inside one of the most beautiful houses in the world...
And at night...looking up at the house with it all lit up...those balconies really DO look like skulls...
I loved every bit of exploring Barcelona...and there is just so much more I want to share with you...the restaurants, the hidden corners and gems, the interesting people we encountered along the way...
Until next post...
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