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| Barcelona |
For Veteran's Day weekend in November, Ryan and I took a trip to beautiful
Barcelona, Spain. When we arrived on Friday afternoon we checked into our hotel
and set out to explore the city and get the lay of the land. We strolled
through the city and down the beach. After dark we headed to the magic fountain
of Montjuïc to watch the show. The fountain was constructed for the 1929
Barcelona International Exposition. In the 1980’s, music was incorporated with
the light show and the fountain.
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| The Magic Fountain
of Montjuïc |
We started out our Saturday morning with a ride on the Hop
on Hop off bus. After our bus ride we decided to go back and explore a couple
of the Gaudí houses in Barcelona.
Antoni Gaudí was an architect whose works reflect his highly individual
and distinctive style. We visited Casa Batlló, which is a remodel of a
previously built house redesigned by Gaudí in 1904. We took the time to admire
the architecture of Casa Milà. This World Heritage site was designed by Gaudí
and built during the years 1906 to 1912.
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| Casa Milà |
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| Casa Batlló |
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| Ryan At Park Güell |
Park Güell is a garden complex with architectural elements. It was
designed by Gaudí and was finished in 1914. The park was originally part
of a commercially unsuccessful housing site. Only two houses were built with
one intended to be a show house. The house was completed in 1904, was put up
for sale, and no buyers came forward. In 1906 Gaudí bought the property and
moved in with his family. The house is now the Gaudí House Museum. Gaudí’s
mosaic work on the main terrace has been converted into a municipal garden. The
focal point of the park is the main terrace, surrounded by a long bench in the
form of a sea serpent. From the terrace a beautiful panoramic view of Barcelona
is visible.
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| A Statue of Antoni Gaudí |
On Sunday we took one of Sandman’s free
walking tours. During our four-hour walking tour our guide gave us the history
of the Barcelona Cathedral, The Gothic Quarter, King Martin’s Watchtower, Santa
María del Mar, Catalan legends
and heroes, Picasso in Barcelona, and Roman ruins. One of our stops on our
walking tour was the Barcelona Cathedral. The cathedral was constructed
from 13th to the 15th century and is dedicated to Eulalia
of arcelona, co-patron saint of Barcelona. According to Catholic tradition,
Eulalia was a young virgin who suffered martyrdom during Roman times in
Barcelona. The body of Saint Eulalia is entombed in the cathedral’s crypt.
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| Barcelona Cathedral |
We spent most of our tour wandering through the
Gothic Quarter. Our guide was quick to point out all the works of Pablo Picasso
on buildings throughout the city. One of our tour guides favorite places in the
city is the Placa de Sant Felip Neri. This charming square is tucked away down
one of the winding walkways of the gothic quarter. Our tour guide explained
that during the Spanish Civil War people were lined up in front of a church and
executed. In addition to the executions, a bomb also killed 30 school children
in the plaza during the war. The front of the church is covered in pockmarks
and divots left from the Spanish Civil War. It was hard to believe so many
people had lost their lives in such a beautiful and tranquil square.
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| Placa de Sant Felip Neri |
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| Picasso on a Building |
Following our walking tour Ryan and I took time to visit Sagrada
Família or Church of the Holy Family. This large Roman
Catholic Church was like unlike any church I have ever seen. Construction of
the church began in 1882. Gaudí became involved in 1883, taking over the
project and transforming it. Gaudí devoted his last years to the project, and
at the time of his death at age 73 in 1926 less than a quarter of the project
was complete. Sagrada Família’s
construction progressed slowly, as it relied on private donations and was
interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, only to resume intermittent progress in
the 1950’s. Construction passed the midpoint in 2010 and has an anticipated
completion date of 2026.
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| One of the Facades of Sagrada
Família |
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| Inside Sagrada
Família |
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| Mies van der Rohe German Pavilion |
Before heading to the air port Ryan and
I took time to visit the Barcelona Pavilion, take in some amazing views of the
city from the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC), and enjoyed the history
of Barcelona’s Olymic Stadium. The
Barcelona Pavilion is a “German Pavilion” designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
The Pavilion was built for the 1929 International Exposition. The building was
used for the official opening of the German section of the exhibition. Ryan was
excited to see the building because of its importance in the history of modern
architecture. The building is known for its simple form and its spectacular use
of extravagant materials, such as marble, red onyx, and travertine. The
pavilion was bare, no trade exhibits, just the structure accompanying a single
sculpture and purpose-designed furniture (the iconic Barcelona chair). Since
the pavilion lacked exhibition space, the building itself became the exhibit.
Since the building was planned only as a temporary structure it was torn down
in 1930, not even a year after it was completed. Between 1983 and 1986 a group
of Spanish architects reconstructed the pavilion permanently using
black-and-white photos and original plans.
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| View From MNAC with Sagrada
Família in the Background |
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| Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) |
The second
stop on our last day was the MNAC. The MNAC in an impressive building which
originally housed the Spanish Pavilion for the 1929 World’s Fair. Since 1934
the museum has been home to a collection of medieval European art. We enjoyed
grand views of the city from the steps of the museum. Our final stop was the
Olympic Stadium of Barcelona. The original stadium was built in 1927 for the
1929 International Exposition and was renovated in 1989 to be the main stadium
for the 1992 Summer Olympics. The stadium has a capacity of 22,926 and is
located on a large hill, which overlooks the harbor.
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| Olympic Stadium of Barcelona |
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| Barcelona |
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| Barcelona Beach |
