Church Towers to Human Towers

Today started off a little later than we had intended. We apparently take our siestas in the morning hours and start the day around noon. We had a scheduled entrance at the Caterdral de la Sagrada Familia at 1:30 so we had to get a move on. There was some slight apprehension as we went underground to use the subway for the first time but it was easy to understand and we made it to the cathedral with plenty of time to spare. After a quick cup of coffee at a cafe right around the corner from the cathedral we made our way inside. 

(Picture above: Nativity Facade, dedicated to the birth of Jesus. Constructed between 1894 and 1930)

We opted for the audio guide which we have found is a great way to see a museum. Go at your own pace and skip what doesn't seem interesting to you. Words can not do this place justice. It is on a scale of beauty and complexity that we have never see before. We added on the trip to the tip of the towers (spires) and were able to walk across from one side of the nativity entrance to the other. 

(Picture above: ceiling)

A few interesting facts:

- Construction began in 1882 and is still underway. Sagrada Familia is not supported by any government or official church sources. Money from tickets purchased by tourists and private donations are used to pay for the work.  

- In the museum area there are a few of Gaudi's designs... His method was to hang weighted string from the ceiling so that by manipulating them he could see natural arches form. 

- The pillars in the cathedral were designed to resemble trees with their branches running along the ceiling. They start out square and change into octagons and so on until they become circular. 

- When Gaudi died only 15-25% of the cathedral was complete. Work continued per models and design left by Gaudi until interruptions by the Spanish Cival War in 1936. Parts of the unfinished building and Gaudi's models were destroyed.  The present design is based on reconstructed versions of the plans that were burned as well as on modern adaptation. 

- Only eight of Gaudi's planned tower have been constructed. The remaining 10 have a completion date of 2028. 

- Gaudi was buried in the chapel of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the crypt of the Sagrada Familia. 

After finishing the tours we walked down the street and finally got breakfast, which was basically a supreme pizza slice on a split baguette. Our guess was the this place was the equivalent of a Famous Rays in NYC, but it did the trick. 

Next in the day's agenda was Park Guell which is the other that pops up in your google image search of Bracelona. 

However, we didn't quite realize the hike we were about to embark on. It was basically a 1.5 mile hike hill from the Cathedral to Carmel Hill. It didn't sound bad on paper to us either, but the end was result was too sweaty americans waiting in line to get into the park and take a picture along with everyone else. The place itself sits on the top of a hill over looking the city Barcelona. It was originally designed by Gaudi and Guell to be a place for the affluent to build small residences as an escape from the city. The location proved difficult for building so it became what we see today. 

A few of the hundreds of multicolored mosaic pieces in the park:

For our trek down the hill, Ashley did some research and found a neighborhood festival that was on its last day. La Fiesta de Gracia is a network of streets designed in themes throughout the neighborhood and on this night they do a running of the human tower and then another larger human tower. This was very cool to see as it only takes place in this area once a year. 

It was finally time to head back and grab a shower before grabbing dinner near the apartment. We went with a recommendation from our hosts and it didn't disappoint. We get the feeling that the area we are staying is what Williamsburg was even before we moved to NYC. Very gritty but lots of young people opening up restaurants here and there to attract a different crowd. Needless to say dinner was good and made us feel like we were home a bit. 

Solid last full day in Barcelona.