Architectural Mecca Indeed...and Other Fun

Hard to believe, but Carin and I are done in the city of Barcelona after this evening. We had decided before booking the trip that just a few days would be sufficient to see many of the major "touristy" sites we were interested in. We certainly haven't had time to absorb the culture like we did in Roma and Istanbul, but that's all the more reason to come back here some day. Tomorrow morning we head to the small town of Cadaques, 2 hours or so north along the coast. It should be a great drive and the weather is supposed to be nice, so we're really looking forward to it. For now, I'll tell you what we did yesterday and today.

Carin was good enough to allow me an entire day of Moderniste exploration yesterday, starting with one of Gaudi's most famous residences, the Casa Batllo. This was a residence that Gaudi "upgraded" for a rich client with water and biologically based themes. On the facade, columns reminiscent of bones and curvalinear forms abound. In fact, there are virtually no straight lines in the entire building. Ceilings look like whirlpools or drops falling into water, woodwork curves every which way, and chimneys become works of art, clad almost entirely in mosaic tile. It was really quite a site to see -- no book can do it justice.

We continued along the tour suggested by our Moderniste map we picked up on the first day and saw many other good and famous buildings along the route. That's all well and good, of course, but I am primarily here to, of course, see Gaudi. Therefore, what I consider to be our second "major" stop along the way was the Casa Mila or La Padrera ("The Quarry") as the locals call it, a large apartment building by Gaudi. Here, you take an elevator up to the attic to explore that first, where you are greeted by a multitude of models of Gaudi buildings and Gaudi-inspired work. It was really educational, but a bit more extensive than we were ready to trudge through at the moment. We quickly made our way to the roof, where we saw more great tile work on chimneys and a fantastic view of the city in the distance. After the roof, we were shuffled down to the fourth floor to see a "typical" apartment layout from the 1920's. It was interesting, but not half as interesting as I building I thought (of course). To me, Casa Mila didn't hold a candle to Casa Batllo at all. (4799)

Continue, more Moderniste, etc etc etc...but then...the grand-daddy of them all. Before I present this building, I just have to tell you this. This is my desert island building. If I could only take pictures of one building with me to a desert island, this one would be it. If all the buildings in the world were destroyed but one, I would want this one to survive. This building helped change the course of my education when I made the decision to study architecture, and its the only building I've ever been in that almost made me weep -- almost. I am talking, of course about La Sagrada Familia.

For those who may not know, this is an unfinished building of Gaudi's. Before he died in 1936 (or so...not quite sure) he was only able to finish 1 of the facades of what he considered to be his final masterpiece. The building was begun in 1882 and is still not complete. However, I must say, it is the most amazing incomplete building I have ever been in. The interior is made as if you are in a forest, under a canopy of trees. The "famous views" you always see of the "temple" (as he called it...not a "church") are really only a side elevation (pic with me to the left). When complete, the building will be capped with a 172 meter high tower. Convert that to feet and it spells "really freakin' big".

Carin and I took a lift up one of the towers, a trip which really only takes you about half way. She doesn't do too well with heights, but she was really brave for me and I appreciated the opportunity to enjoy this together with her. I took well over 100 photos while here, and many of them came out quite nice. I could post photos all day long of this magnificent piece of architecture, but I'll probably have to save the bulk of them for future slide shows I will share with everyone.

All in all we had an incredible day yesterday wandering around the city, experiencing architecture you can see nowhere else. Carin was a real trooper and I thank my lucky stars for her support of my chosen life-path every single day. THANKS!

Today, our last day in town, we had a great time finishing up some shopping on La Rambla, doing some more wandering around town, and heading up to Montjuic, a large hill in town that was the site of the 1992 Olympics, among other things. I got to see a communications tower designed for the Olympics by another of my favorite architects, Santiago Calatrava. We finished the day with a cable-car ride across the harbor of Barcelona, hundreds of feet up in the air with the best view we had yet had of the city.

I will certainly miss Barcelona, as I don't feel I really had enough time to get to know her. However, I am excited about "getting out of the city" and enjoying some countryside and some good old fashioned beach loafing. I also get to drive a car for the first time in many months, as Carin and I have rented one with a standard transmission for the days we are in Cadaques. VROOM VROOM! I'm not sure what internet access will be like there, but I will certainly post again as soon as the opportunity becomes available. Until then, Adeu!