Barcelona

In Barcelona we took a Gaudi tour to learn more about this rather eccentric architect.

Gaudi's masterwork is La Sagrada Familia church, which is still under construction, and has been since 1882.	From this perspective you can see that the Cathedral is a blend of styles, none of them traditional.

The story of Jesus is told in the sculptures around the outside of the Cathedral.	Most of the forms are organic in inspiration, as these tree trunks and leaves form some of the interior columns.

The figure of Jesus over the main altar seems to float in the forest of columns. The use of light in the church is very important to the overall effect.

The stained glass windows cover two walls. The colors in the glass change through the spectrum along the wall, giving a rainbow effect inside.

Even the basin of holy water has an organic form.	The outside of the main facade looks rather like mud dripping with statues in high relief.

Gaudi designed the statues for the Birth of Christ facade, the first section completed.	After Gaudi's death a new sculptor was commissioned to do the Passion facade and used an entirely different style, which has been controversial.

The bronze doors	Access to the upper areas is by circular staircases that neither Pat nor Chuck had any desire whatever to climb.

Driving through town we passed another of Gaudi's landmark buildings. Few of Gaudi's works have any straight lines in them.	The Park Guell is another Gaudi showcase and is quite large, with steep terrain which make his organic forms blend in.

Surprisingly, the park was originally designed to be an upper-class housing development. The idea proved very unpopular and only this house was ever inhabited.	The serpentine bench is one of the most famous items in the park. Gaudi used reclaimed materials such as broken chinaware and pebbles for the mosaic.

Everything in the park is built on a large scale with lots of natural and faux-natural elements.

The Grand Staircase, on the other hand, is deliberately formal, in contrast to much of the rest of the park.	A dog set in a mosaic ring guards the staircase.

Even on the formal staircase there are touches of whimsey.	At the top of the stairs is another forest, this time of columns supporting a roof studded with sun, moon, and other natural themes.
Thank you for joining us on our tour! We hope you enjoyed it. Other vacation websites can be found at www.dintrone.com.

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