A Break in Barcelona

During my recent trip to Barcelona, I was very interested in visiting the various works of Antoni Gaudi.
Having visted Parc Guell and The Unfinished Church, we then went to visit La Casa Mila, or 'La Pedrera' as it is more commonly known.

Placed in Paseo de Gracia, work on La Pedrera began in 1905 and finished in 1910, it is the last commissioned work that Gaudi undertook, before concentrating his last years on La Sagrada Familia (the Unfinished Church).
The owner, Pere Mila Camps had purchased the land, and having seen some of Gaudi's other work, he commissioned him to build a large building of rental flats on his land.


A first look at this five floor building is enough in order to understand it's nickname: La Pedrera ( the stone quarry). Standing outside looking up at this building, I really thought it looked fantastic, with its curves and rounded balconies, working on the theme of Gaudi's thoughts : 'In nature, there are no straight lines'.
Our guide told us it is described as a stone mountain with caverns which open to the facade. A building of impressive, visual strength. I must agree that is quite an accurate description.

The facade of this building is composed of a series of waves that go along with the movement of the whole structure.
Gaudi himself declared "...the sun will invade everywhere and it will be like an image of paradise on earth..."

There was quite a long queue outside of visitors waiting to gain entry to the building, but fortunately we did not have to wait too long. Inside you can visit an apartment, ( many of the apartments are privately owned ) and I thought these look even more unusual when inside, with rounded, waving walls and curves.
There is also an exhibition on the main floor.
Deep courtyards, sculptures, gardens which stick out into an empty space, I really have never been in a building anything like this! It really is very clever and beautiful in a strange way.

Climbing up to the attic and terrace of this building, you once again appreciate the fantasy of this revolutionary architect. I loved the unusual chimneys and sculptures up on the terrace.

We were told that there were various problems with the city chiefs during and after construction, mainly due to size limits being exceeded.
The main problem was the height of the building exceeding the limit imposed. This lead to the City Hall ordering the attic to be torn down, or the owner would have to pay a fine of 100,000 pesetas, which was almost one fifth of the cost of construction.
Eventually after many arguments, a meeting was held, and it was decided that the building had great artistic value and became exempt from the imposed limits.
Gaudi was so happy that he asked for a copy of the official minutes.
I am pleased that the issues were resolved without the attic having to be torn down as it was one of my favourite parts of the building.

Open daily, entrance to La Pedrera is 9 Euros, however, if spending some time in Barcelona you can purchase a discount card from tourist information centres and online. This gives you free unlimited transport on the Barcelona transport network, and free entry or discount to many attractions.
Discounts are also available in restaurants and shops on production of your card. You are also given a map and guide - invaluable when sight-seeing as this city is huge!
The Barcelona card is valid from 2-5 days, with the price varying depending on how many days you choose. A two day pass is 26 Euros , rising to 42 Euros for 5 days, so the longer you choose, the more you save. A reduced rate is available for children.
Visit Spainbookers.com for more information regarding booking online.

If you are a fan of Gaudi's work, as I am, then no trip to Barcelona is complete without a trip to La Pedrera. It was declared a World Heritage site in 1984.

No visit to Barcelona is complete without a visit to the fabulous spectacle which is the Magic Fountain.
I had first seen the Magic Fountain on TV back in 1992 when Barcelona hosted the Olympics. It is situated not far from the outdoor Olympic Pool and stadium. I can remember being quite impressed by the fountain and thinking it would be nice to actually visit and watch the show.
Sixteen years on my wish came true, as myself and my partner were on holiday in Spain and having longed to visit Barcelona, we booked a day trip to the city. We liked it so much we returned again this year.

The fountain stands at the foot of the steps leading up to the impressive National Palace, situated high up on Montjuic, and performances take place in the evenings - four times a week in the summer and twice a week in winter. There are around five shows an evening, and they usually begin around 9pm and then every half hour until 11pm.

We visited the fountain on a hot summer evening, as part of an organised trip which had seen us sightseeing and spending the day in Barcelona, and then on to the fountain show in the evening. We were taken to witness the 10pm show as by then it would be getting dark, and you can then witness the full effect of the changing coloured lights, which accompany the music.

On arriving at the fountain I was surprised at just how many people were there. I had noticed all the coach parties arriving, along with ours, but actually seeing the thousands of people gathering in the Palace grounds and on the steps leading up to the Palace, was a pretty amazing sight!

The first performance of the fountain was back in 1929 during the Great Universal Exhibition. The designer Carles Buigas commissioned 3000 workers to work on the project, and many felt his plans for the fountain were too ambitious, but after one year, the fountain was complete.
We were told by our guide that there are 4730 coloured light bulbs in the fountain, and the central stream reaches 50 metres high.
Around the base of the fountain are smaller fountains, and there are also other smaller fountains at the foot of the steps up to the Palace.

The show is a spectacular display of water acrobatics and colour, set in time to music, and we sat on a small wall at the foot of the Palace steps in front of the fountain to wait for the show to begin.

At 10pm, as the sky began to darken, a classical piece of music began, and the fountain came to life, sending streams of water up to 50 metres into the air, almost dancing in time to the music, while the colours changed.
Actually being there is an amazing experience, and one which I will never forget, as you cannot fail to be moved by the whole display.

After the classical piece finished, the song 'Apologise' by One Republic began and this was amazing also. Whenever I hear that song now, my mind drifts back to the fountain show.
Finally, the song 'Barcelona' the theme tune to the 1992 Olympics was played, sung by Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe, and this literally made the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, watching the dancing water streams and colour changes . Also at this point, nine beams of lights were cast up into the sky from behind the Palace. Each beam represents one of the letters of 'Barcelona' and combines perfectly with the forms and colours of the magic fountain in front of it. It was absolutely breathtaking, and a magnificent end to a great show!

Admission to the fountains is free, and there are various burger vans etc near the entrance as well as toilets.
As I said earlier, our visit was part of an organised tour of Barcelona with Thomsons, but if in Barcelona, it is possible to reach the fountain by taking the Metro to Placa Espanya.

The fountain show takes place on Thurs, Fri, Sat and Sun evenings from May - September, at 21.00, 21.30. 22.00. 22.30 and 23.00.

From October - April the fountain show takes place on Fri and Sat only at the earlier times of 19.00, 19.30, 20.00, and 20.30.
The Magic Fountain show never operates on Mon, Tues or Weds.

In my opinion, no visit to Barcelona is complete without taking in the Magic Fountain show. I would recommend you visit for one of the later shows, as the full effect of the display is better when it is getting dark.
Once witnessed, it will remain with you forever. A truly amazing spectacle, that won't cost you a penny!

Anyone who visits Barcelona will not fail to notice Tibidabo, and this is due to the imposing church of Sagrat Cor (Sacred Heart) which stands at the top of the mountain, and the impressive statue of Jesus Christ on the highest spire of the church.
On travelling in and out of Barcelona, seeing this church and statue on top of the mountain is a fantastic sight.

The church is the work of architect Enrique Sagnier, and building commenced in 1902 and took 60 years to build, so it is actually not that old!
The church is unusual in that it is built as a church on top of a church. The first tier is brown stone and the top tier is white stone.
Steps lead up to the entrance of the church, and standing outside looking up, it looks just as impressive as it does when viewed from a distance anywhere in Barcelona.
There is a paved 'square' area, which also serves as a viewing platform, giving breathtaking panoramic views of the city below.

We went inside the church (admission is free) and although it is small inside, it is absolutely beautiful, with its stained windows and detailed stone work. The altar has three parts with statues above, one of which being a copy of the Black Madonna. The original of this statue can be seen at Monserrat.

It is possible to light a candle in the church after making a donation (which I did) which goes towards the upkeep of the church.

The statue of Jesus Christ is accessible via an interior elevator, and there is also a further, higher viewing platform which again gives fantastic views over the city.

I had no idea until reaching the top of Tibidabo that there ia also a small funfair there on top of the mountain! The funfair is very old, opening in 1899, but had a major upgrade carried out in 1928 for the world fair, and it's latest upgrade was last year in 2008.
The funfair is very popular, featuring a rollercoaster and carousels, as well as a big wheel - as if you were not up high enough! I must admit I am not one for heights unless standing on solid ground, so I gladly gave the funfair a wide berth! However, it was unlike any funfair I have ever seen, due to it's unusual location.
You may think that a funfair next to a church is unusual, and may spoil the views and ambience of the area, but I personally did not think this is the case at all. You hardly notice the funfair from the church and it did seem very peaceful and quiet, despite the amount of visitors it attracts.
A cafe/restaurant is also situated near the church and funfair entrance.

We reached the top of Tibidabo by coach. On the way up, our guide pointed out the Collserola Telecommunications Tower, also situated on Tibidabo. The tower was built to transmit the Olympic Games of 1992, and also has a viewing platform. Another building located here is the Planetarium, and there are also restaurants giving spectacular views across the city.

I must admit it was very steep in parts when travelling up Tibidabo, and I could not look out of the window! However, once off the coach and standing on the ground I was fine, and enjoyed the panoramic views of Barcelona below.
It is also possible to reach the summit via tram and the Funicular railway.

I would recommend a visit to Tibidabo and the Sacred Heart Church to anyone visiting Barcelona.
Later in the day on our trip, we were taken up Montjuic on the south of the city, and from here you had a great view of Tibidabo and the church in the distance rising above the city.
Breathtaking!

During my recent visit to Barcelona I visited Parc Guell, another place on my 'must visit' list, and a place I did not get to visit when last in Barcelona a year ago.
We visited Parc Guell as part of a city tour by coach and spent an hour there, walking around in the hot sunshine, although I must point out that in order to see the entire park, I would advise that visitor's spend at least a morning or afternoon there!

I am a fan of Antoni Gaudi's work, and the Catalan Architect designed Parc Guell after being comissioned by Count Eusebi Guell. Guell was an estate agent entrepreneur, and asked Gaudi to design and create a park with luxury houses for Barcelona's aristocracy.
The result was Parc Guell, built in 1900 - 1914. However, as our guide on the coach tour informed us, the housing project failed due to Guell running out of money, and only three houses were built.
Gaudi himself lived in one of the houses for some time, and this has now been turned into a museum and contains furniture also designed by Gaudi.

Parc Guell is situated on the hill of el Carmel in the Gracia area of Barcelona. As I explained earlier we visited by coach, which parked in the coach park up on the hill and opposite one of the entrances to the park. Parc Guell can also be reached by using Barcelona's Metro system, where you would get off at Lessops station and follow the signs.

On entering the park from opposite the coach park, there are a few stalls selling souvenirs and hand-crafted goods just outside the entrance.
Entry to Parc Guell is free, and walking down the pathway after entering the park you soon come to the house in which Gaudi resided, on your left. Gaudi lived here from 1906 - 1926, and the house now contains furniture and paintings and memories of the architect.

Continuing on, we came to the central area of the park which is a large square terrace with an unusual, and very colourful, curved 'serpent' mosaic tiled seat running around the perimeter, as seen on the photograph here. It is said that, in order to obtain an anatomic shape in the seating, Gaudi had a worker sit on a plaster cast!
From this terrace you are provided with an excellent view over the city.

There are steps either side of the square, which lead down to another square underneath, which is known as 'the room of one hundred columns'. These columns support the terrace above, although our guide told us there are only in fact 86 columns!
The columns lean in a way to produce a feeling of movement to the portico which is holding them. It really is unusual, and on looking up to the ceiling I noticed again some beautiful mosaic work and large colourful 'sun' mosaic tiles.

Walking down from the columns there are a double flight of stone steps leading down to another entrance to the park. Here you find in the middle of the steps , sculptures of animals covered in colouful mosiac tiles, including a dragon. Some of the sculptures are fountains.
At the bottom of the steps, either side of the gates, there are two unusual houses. Both buildings are coated with spectacular pottery in the collage technique which is so habitual in Gaudi's posterior constructions, and have unusual shaped roofs and pinnacles. They reminded me a little of the house in the Hansel and Gretel fairytale!
We were told that the park was conceived as a closed space protected from the exterior, which is why a wall surrounding the whole perimeter was built, and these two houses were built as defensive towers. The guard lived in one , and the other was the reception.

There are many walkways around the park, and some are raised and supported by rock pillars designed to look like tree trunks with their irregular shapes, with bird's nests built into the terrace walls. Gaudi was strongly influenced by natural shapes and they were always used in his work.

There are musicians playing Spanish guitar etc at various locations around the park and also a small outdoor cafe and toilets. Prices at the cafe were not cheap. A small bottle of coke costing 3 euros, but I suppose this is to be expected, and entry to the park itself is free after all!

Although the park was very busy with visitors walking around taking photographs, it is so big that it is easy to wander off and find a quiet area where you can sit and relax. What also amazed me was although it was busy, it also seemed very peaceful and has a very relaxing atmosphere. It was easy to forget you were in the city of Barcelona!

It is a beautiful place, and it was just a shame we didn't have time to walk around it all. I would love to go back and spend some more time there.

I visited Barcelona last year, and really wanted to visit the Unfinished Church (La Sagrada Familia) but did not have time as we were only there for the day and Barcelona is such a huge city it is impossible to see it all in such a short time. I loved my day in Barcelona but was disappointed not to have seen the chuch during my visit.
So we visited again this year and at last were able to visit the Unfinished Church, which I absolutely loved!

I must admit I do like to visit cathedrals and churches and am also a fan of the work of Antoni Gaudi, the Catalan architect who designed the church and whose work can be seen in many places in Barcelona. In Gaudi's works there are the most diverse construction techniques, and great architectural innovation due to his knowledge of geometry.
Unfortunately, Gaudi was run over by a tram and died in 1926, aged 73 and is buried inside the church. He had spent more than 40 years working on the church, and knew anyway that it would never be completed in his lifetime, but had drawn plans so that the church could continue to be built after his death, which is what has happened and continues to this day.
Four architects have continued to work upon the church and despite some of Gaudi's plans being destroyed in the Civil War, they have been able to continue with reconstructed plans.

On arriving at the church, there were hundreds of visitors both inside and out, walking around and taking photographs. We were facing the facade which is known as 'The Passion' and this is the facade you can see on the photograph here.
There are 3 facades in total : The Passion, The Nativity, and The Glory which is not yet completed.
We decided to walk around the perimeter of the church, taking photographs, and I was amazed by the work and detail which has gone into the two facades you can see. We were given a lot of information from our helpful guide, Teresa.

The Passion facade depicts the the story from the Last Supper and betrayal of Jesus, through to his crucifixion, with four spires rising above which represent four of the apostles.
The Nativity facade is the oldest facade and we learned that this facade is the favourite of many visitors because it was completed before building work was interrupted due to the Civil War in 1936, and it is also the facade which depicts the most Gaudi influence.
I found the detail amazing and very beautiful, and again there are four spires representing another four apostles.
When the Glory facade is completed, it will depict the Resurrection of Christ, and will include another four spires, making twelve in total to represent all the apostles. We were told there will then be a further group of four spires built to represent the four evangelists, and two further spires to represent Mary, mother of Christ, and Jesus Christ himself, making 18 spires in total!

We were told by our guide that various dates have been mentioned for completion of the church, but it is envisaged that the church will be completed by 2026, which will mark 100 years since Gaudi's death. No exact date can be given as the building of the church is funded entirely by charity and from the admission fees to visit the inside of the church.
Also, there are a block of apartments facing the Glory facade which is currently under construction, and our guide explained these have to be knocked down to allow the work to continue, and negotiations are ongoing with people who live in the apartments to agree compensation.

We were shown the crypt, the wall of the apse and facade of the Nativity, which were all parts carried out by Gaudi himself, and the susequent works which have been and are still being carried out by the architects, who were left the task of interpreting the complicated sketches and models which Gaudi left after his death.
The crypt , apse and Nativity begin in a neo gothic style and develop into an ornamental style based on natural and animal forms worked in stone.
What becomes apparent, when we walked from the Nativity facade round to the Passion facade is the differences between the two. Not only in the colour of the stone, which is dark with age on the Nativity facade and lighter on the newer Passion facade, but also differences due to the use of modern techniques and equipment which have been implemented over the years.

It felt to me like it is three buildings combined into one, as it is three very different styles, but somehow it works and fits together, making it probably the most unique building I have ever seen.

There is a small souvenir shop which sells small ornamental replica's of the church, as well as photographs and books, along with the usual bookmarks, fridge magnets, pens etc. I bought a few items and like to think I have contributed a tiny amount to the building of the church!

It really is a beautiful and very striking building, and I would recommend a visit if you are in Barcelona.
Our guide told us that some people have said that the work should be brought to a halt, and the church left as 'Unfinished' as a mark of respect to Gaudi, but most people want to see the church completed. I can see both points of view and I did think when walking around, that maybe it should have been left unfinished, but then the work which has been completed since Gaudi's death is also amazing, and I realised I would like to see what it will look like when it is eventually completed.

I only hope it happens in my lifetime, so I can visit the 'Finished Church'.