Gorgeous Grand Gaudi

Sagrada Familia, The Facade of the Nativity ~ Barcelona, April 2009

I have so many photos to share that I took during my recent visit to Barcelona. I haven't even started to edit them yet due to an extensive Spring cleaning project but thought I would share a few with you now.

A visit to Barcelona would not be complete without a visit to one of the most easily recognisable buildings in Europe, the Sagrada Familia. We arrived there early in the morning to find an already sizable queue snaking it's way around the outside of the church, so we decided to walk around outside and return later to go inside. Either side of the Sagrada Familia are two park areas where people sat and took in the sun and the surroundings while some of the locals played Boule under the pink blossom. The first photo was taken from one of these parks. We wandered around, taking in the souvenir stalls and taking photos before heading off elsewhere to return later that day.

When we returned in the evening we were pleased to find that the queue had all but disappeared and so we went inside. I was immediately stuck by two things: the sheer size of the space inside and the amount of scaffolding that filled it! Sagrada Familia has been under construction since 1882 and is probably Gaudi's best known work. Guadi is synonymous with Barcelona and his architecture is unique, being largely inspired by the organic forms found in nature and influenced by Gothic architecture.


Gaudi devoted much of his life to the design and construction of the church until his death in 1926 and only lived to see four of the twelve bell towers on the facade built. Currently, eight of the towers, dedicated to the Apostles, have been built and at 100 metres high they are quite imposing to behold. In addition to these are four belfries awaiting construction which are the Facade of the Glory, a 170 meter central dome dedicated to Christ, the tower of the Virgin Mary (125m) and the tower of the four Evangelists.


Once inside, despite the scaffolding, it was easy to see that the impressive vaults of the main nave were finished, with impressive tall columns which reminded me a little of octopus suckers.

As it was early evening, the sun cast wonderful patterns inside, echoing the shapes of the windows, and it also shone through two stunning stained glass windows, which my photo has not done justice to. It was quite cool and dark inside however, as we queued for the tiny elevator which would take us to the very top of the towers.

The view from the top was nothing short of magnificent! The day was sunny and clear and all of Barcelona lay spread out below me, with the sea on one side and hills on the other. The photo below shows the Agbar Tower which is the third tallest building in Barcelona, standing at 142 meters and stands at the intersection of three major thoroughfares, one of which is the Avenue Diagonal on which our hotel stood.

The photo below shows the Avenue Gaudi stretching off into the distance, flanked by typical buildings in the city.


The photo below looks down on the Placa de Gaudi which is where the beautiful blossom trees were in our morning visit. You can just make them out on the right of the photo.


From the top we could clearly see much of the construction work that was being done as we looked across the nave to the other towers on the opposite facade.

We opted to walk back down the spiral stairs and every now and then there were unglazed openings through which we could peek and see wonderful details like the mosaic effect of the tiles that covered the finials and other architectural details, and are typical of Gaudi. It was a long walk back down increasingly narrow and dark stairs that were open on one side. It felt very claustrophobic and I was alarmed to find my hands sweating and my mouth dry and my breathing turned more to a shallow panting. Claustrophobia runs in my family but I have never experienced it before! I managed to keep my panic under control but have never been so glad to reach the bottom and come back out into the sunshine.

Afterwards, we spent far too much in the souvenir shop and then headed back to the hotel with aching feet before heading out to find somewhere to eat. If you visit Barcelona, then make sure you visit this iconic piece of architecture, even if you choose not to go inside the walk around the outside is a very pleasant way to spend and hour or so and will reward with with a magnificent view of Gaudi's masterpiece.


I will be posting more of my Barcelona photos soon, including pics of La Padrera, Barcelona Zoo, Port Vell and Las Ramblas.

Back again!

What can I say? I loved loved LOVED Barcelona! It was a wonderful city awash with history, wonderful architecture, sights and things to do, colourful and vibrant. I was only there for a short time but I saw and did so much! I visited La Pedrera, the Sagrada Familia, Barcelona Zoo, Monjuic castle, Las Ramblas, Port Vell and walked for miles and miles until my feet and legs ached at the end of every day. I also met up with my blog friend, Mar of Maremagnum.

We arranged to meet on my first evening in Barcelona as Mar was heading off on a trip of her own, skiing in France. I had arrived in a rather damp and grey Barcelona and I was tired by the time I got to the hotel. The trip across the city via train and Metro was not as simple as I thought it would be but it was a useful lesson in how the system worked and served me well for the rest of my visit. Once I had freshened up, M and I set off to find La Pedrera, one of the famous Gaudi buildings, which is where we had arranged to meet up with Mar.

It was raining when we got there and La Padrera was surrounded by French school children. I was worried I would miss her in the throng so we stood by the door of the souvenir shop , while Mar waited inside because of the rain. Anyway, she spotted us and it was like meeting an old friend. We went for coffee in a wonderful place nearby that was full of scenes made from chocolate including, quite bizarrely, Sesame Street characters and one based on Japanese architecture, complete with a Samurai warrior that appeared to be executing an Easter chick! Still, it all smelt delicious when we went in and sat drinking coffee while we waited for Mr Mar to finish work. Alas, Mr Mar could not join us but we got a great view of La Pedrera from the office building and it was lovely to meet him. So we went for Tapas with Mar while she waited for Mr Mar to finish, at a wonderful and bustling little Tapas bar where we sampled some tasty Catalan food.

We talked so much and about so many things, from blogging (of course) to our lives, geography (the differences and similarities between things in Spain and the UK) and many other things. The visit was over far too quickly before we had to go our separate ways. It was wonderful meeting Mar. She comes over exactly as she does on her blog. Vivacious, friendly and warm. I liked her very much and I hope we get to meet again one day.

I took over 500 photos while I was in Barcelona and will be posting more about my trip soon.

Calpe Beach

So, I promised more photos of Calpe and thought I would share some of my pictures of the beach area. The apartment I was staying in was one of the modern ones built on the beachfront and had an enclosed balcony with a sea view. It was nice to sit here and listen to the sound of the waves breaking on the shore. I did my fair share of walking along the beach though and as ever I took my trusty camera with me. These photos were taken with my new dSLR and Calpe could not have been a nicer place to start practising. The photo above was taken looking back along the beach on such a walk. I had just climbed the steps back up the cliff face to walk back along the top by the houses that looked out to sea.


In these photos you can see the Pinon de Ifach which is the sister rock to the Rock of Gibraltar. It stands prominently at the end of the 13 kilometre stretch of coastline that covers the Calpe region. It towers over the sea to 332 metres, and has now been declared by the government as a nature reserve. You can walk around the base of it and up the side of it to where the rocky part starts. I did both and the walk up it was exhilerating as the view of Calpe below me expanded until I could see the beach below me stretch into the distance and everything became small.

The photo above was taken from the top of the walk up the Pinon before it disappeared into a tunnel through the rock. Apparently a local man who loved to paint (and also had some money) had the tunnel cut so that he could paint the view from the other side of the rock. In the photo you can make out the Marina where there were many boats and yachts and where fishing boats also land fresh fish. There are fish restaurants nearby that line the front so the fish goes from the sea to your plate very quickly!

You can also see the salt lakes behind the beach front apartments and then in the distance you can see Calpe Old Town climbing up the base of the mountains. It is hard to make out but on the beach front near the marina there are also rocky remains of an ancient Roman fish factory cut out of the rocks known as the Queen's Bath (Banys de la Reina). The Romans used to farm the fish in the rocky pools and then use the salt from the lakes to preserve them for food and trade.

The photos above and below were taken during walks back along the beach during sunset. I loved being able to walk along the sand just above the waves and watching the sun drop towards the horizon and turning the sky orange which would change colour as you watched it. When it was time to leave Calpe I felt that I had only started to scratch the surface of this vibrant and cultural town. I am sure I will return to explore it and the surrounding area some more.

Calpe Old Town

As some of you will know I spent Christmas in Spain and despite becoming ill (a la the Exorcist) I managed to explore and take some photos . I stayed in a small and vibrant town called Calpe in the Mediterranean area of the Costa Blanca. The town consists of beaches, shops, beachfront apartments and residential areas including the Old Town. The Old Town area of Calpe consists of lots of small plazas and narrow streets with bars, restaurants, shops and houses. The pic above is of a long flight of steps that have been painted with the Spanish flag down the length of them. This photo was taken from about half way up and there were narrow doorways all the way up the steps with lush pots of plants and flowers.

The next two photos are of typical streets in the Old Town area. The top one shows a fountain and there were many water features dotted in small plazas or in front of buildings. Although it was warm and sunny for the majority of the time I was there (apart from the days it rained!), it wasn't particularly hot, but I could imagine that when it becomes very hot in the summer these fountains would provide a cooling effect. Walking around the Old Town they provided a soothing sound in the quiet streets during siesta. Apparently in the high tourist season it can get very busy in the Old Town so I was pleased to seemingly have the place to ourselves, apart form the local residents going about their business.

In the photo above you can make out the start of the mountains in the background that provided a scenic backdrop to the town. The photo below shows another small plaza with apartments and on the right is a church. I very much enjoyed walking around the Town which rises from sea level, and climbs steeply up the main street to the Old Town. I took many more pictures which I will share with you next time...

I would also like to thank all of you who were kind enough to leave supportive comments on my last post. They were greatly appreciated.

Spanish Sunset on Christmas Eve

I am glad to report that I am feeling much better today, though still a bit 'tender'. I think Christmas might be alcohol free this year as I think my poor tummy would revolt again. Still, I was well enough to take a little walk by the beach today. It was very restful to walk across the sand and listen to the waves breaking on the beach and as I headed back the sun began to set, the clouds parted and I was met with this glorious sunset. I was so glad that I had my camera with me! The colours are fantastic and I love the reflection of the light in the Mediteranian Sea. I took many more pictures and will share them soon...

...Meanwhile as the sun sets on Christmas Eve here in Spain, I wish you all a Very Happy Christmas and hope Santa brings you something you deserve. Happy Holidays to those who do not celebrate Christmas too :0)