Barcelona's Basillica

 

This morning we had a farewell breakfast with the Wigrens and the Millers before they made their way off the ship.  These last nine days have gone fast!

It was such a joy to have them all aboard, just wish Jolyn could have enjoyed more of the ports we visited.  Finally it was time to take one last selfie with my sister.

Our tour today turned out to be much more of a panoramic adventure than I had anticipated but I realize that I can be happy with whatever we end up seeing.  Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain with a population of about 1.8 million who live in the city and a total of 4 million if you add surrounding areas.  We first bussed to the top of Montjuic, named for the Jewish cemetery that was atop the white stone hills.  Many of the buildings in the city had stones quarried from this "mountain".  On the right above you see the Olympic Ring Tower from the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

There are all kinds of buildings and types of architecture in this city and we only saw a few of them.  The structure on the left looks like it ought to be some sort of government building but it actually housed the first factory in Barcelona to use electricity.  The tower on the right was one of two built for the 1926 World Exhibition.

Bullfighting is no longer a sport in Spain but remnants remain in the form of old bull fighting rings.  This one has been repurposed into a shopping mall.

In the middle of the city is the University of Barcelona, its buildings run for a block or two.

It was hard to get a good shot of one but this building is typical of many, many of this type in Barcelona.  They are made of stone, have stone or wrought iron balconies, and wooden shutter doors.  They are quite lovely.  

Another former bull fighting ring has been turned into a museum about the former "sport".  Barcelona has some pretty strict animal laws these days.  It is illegal to keep any kind of animal in a cage, including birds, dogs, lizards, anything.  They have also outlawed pet shops.

The name of this bakery made me smile because it was just down the street from the city's star,

Basilica de la Sagrada Famila.

This UNESCO World Heritage Site has been under construction since 1882 and still has a ways to go, ten or twelve years, before it's completed.   This church is dedicated to the Holy Family and while it is incredibly unique on the outside the inside is the showstopper.  But let's take a look at the exterior before going inside.  Here you can see some of the summer seasonal fruits that top the towers on the current entrance side of the structure.

There is so much going on with this buildings, both inside and out it's really difficult to take it all in.  The east side of the basilica is all about the Nativity, including a sculpture of a Christmas tree.

Much of that side looks like it's a sand castle, something a child would love.  The basilica will have a total of 18 towers, only 13 are done thus far.  

Twelve towers are dedicated to the Twelve Apostles, four are for each of the Gospels, one is for Mary ,and one is for Jesus & Mary.

You have to go across the street for the best views of the entire building.  My thanks to Cecilia for her great reflection photo that I used in the postcard for this post.

The darker stone is the oldest part of the structure.  Antoni Gaudi, mastermind architect of Sagrada Famila was born here in Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia.  His Modernist/Art Nouveau style is found all throughout Barcelona, with buildings that curve, swirl, sparkle and soar with nary a straight line “because they don’t exist in nature” according to Mr. Gaudi.  He continued to build until June of 1926 when he was knocked down by a tram on his way to Sagrada Familia one evening.  Following the accident he lost consciousness and was taken to the hospital where no one knew who he was as he had no identification on him.  Finally recognized by a priest from Sagrada Familia, the city mourned when he died three days later at the age of 73.  His Catalan Modernism legacy lives on in his unique structures in Barcelona.

It's hard to pick them all out but some of the stories in stone on the Nativity side include Mary riding to Bethlehem on a donkey.

I think this one is the Annunciation.

Not sure of the meaning of each of these but I love the one of the children, and also the one on the lower right with Jesus learning carpentry.

This one is really sweet as well with Mary bathing her baby.

This entrance is huge and has soooo much going on.

Then you walk through the doors and all the light and color begins.

All the stained glass with all the colors literally takes your breath away.

It surrounds you with the cooler colors on the east, or Nativity side, and the warmer colors with reds and yellows on the west side, which is the Passion, or Crucifixion side, as you'll see with the sculptures on the outer west wall.  Aren't these glorious?!

The columns throughout are there to give the illusion of tree trunks so that you feel like you're in a forest.  They come in various colors of stone and various shapes, but each branches out at the top.  The spiral staircases throughout are supposed to remind you of snail shells.

Building details.

Looking from what will be the entrance end of the basilica towards the altar.

Again, a really unique crucifixion view.

No idea what they are but they adorn the ceiling throughout the building.

When Sagrada is completed this will be the main entrance.

Just Karl and I and a little incredible stained glass.

These vibrant colors are absolutely gorgeous.

Looking towards the entrance from the exit side, looking east from west.

Just one of the amazing things about this stained glass is that you can't tell its there from the outside.

The door you exit is filled with words.  I picked out the most important one for a church.

The west side is all about The Passion, the Crucifixion, with Christ on the cross high above the doorway.

These sculptures are much more modern, and rougher than those of the Nativity side.  I love this one of the Last Supper.  Look at the detailed folds of the cloth on the table.

Just as on the east side, various scenes from the Savior's last hours are depicted.  The one where Judas betrays Him, is especially touching to me.

Alongside that sculpture is this set of numbers.  We noticed it but weren't sure what it was supposed to mean.  I figured it out when I got back to the ship and really looked at it.  See if you can too.  I'll tell you at the end of the post if you don't know by then.

This scene is Pilat washing his hands, something he probably wished he hadn't done later on.

From this side you also have a good view of Mary's tower which is topped with a glass star that glows at night.

This is the unfinished side of Sagrada Familia.  In order to complete it the building across the street that I am standing next to has to be demolished.  Supposedly everything is in place to begin that process at some point.  With all the money being raised by tourists entering the basilica money to complete the church should no longer be an issue.

Another of the unique buildings of Barcelona, the Torres Glories.  It houses the city's water supply company.

I had hoped for an actual stop for a photo op here at Gaudi's Casa Batllo but no such luck.  

We made a stop in Old Town Barcelona and wandered past

Santa Maria del Mar.  Built between 1329 and 1384 it is the only surviving church created in what is know at Catalan Gothic style.  We only saw the exterior, no tickets for inside.

Some interesting stonework in the building above.  It was different here in Barcelona because our guide, Olga, kept warning us to keep to the side on the sidewalk, to make sure to not do anything to upset the locals.  I guess they are tired of millions of visitors to their city every year with the crowds and the traffic they create.  They do, however, like the money we bring into the country, so yet again, another Catch 22.

Just one of the streets of Old Town.  Balconies were definitely the norm here.

We stopped for some lunch and I spotted a gelato place across the street.  Today's flavors were Torrone, Crema Catalan, and Nutella.  The last one was my favorite.

As we headed back to our bus we took a selfie with LeaAnn and I in our twin hats.  Karl and Chuck photo bombed us.

Back in port it wasn't hard to say farewell to Olga and our driver.  There had been a miscommunication about tour start time so we were outside way too early, then the bus came late.  Not optimal planning on their part.  Olga blamed it on the Saturday traffic.  She was astounded when we told her it was Wednesday.  Her actually response?  "Are you sure?"  Look lady, we have an elevator that tells us the day of the week every single day, we know what day it is!  We were thinking that both of them had partied too much last night after Spain beat France in the Euro Cup semifinals.

One last Barcelona photo from our balcony.  They are racing the America's Cup here in Barcelona next month and so the sailboats are here practicing already.  It's been pretty fun the last couple of days to watch them skimming across the water.  I don't know which country's boats those are but they are fast!  It's off now to Valencia!  Oh, and if you didn't get the meaning of the numbers, add up any of the numbers in the columns or rows in any direction and they add up to 33, the Savior's age when he was crucified.