A truly magical place... part 2

Its October. Late October now. Back home in England, my friends are wrapping on the layers. Out here the sun is shining strong, and Im stepping out in shorts and Ts still. Bliss! Yesterday I took advantage of the sun to take a stroll over to La Sagrada Familia. For those that don't know (and live under a rock) La Sagrada Familia is the brain-child of Antoni Gaudi, a Catalan Architect who's work can be seen all over Barcelona. Construction began in 1882, with an estimated finish date of 2026. Gaudi was heavily inspired by the gothic , a fact evident throughout the majority of his work. Often mistaken for a cathedral due to its size, La Sagrada Familia is actually a basilica. I could try and describe it to you, but I quite simply don't have the literary skills. You really need to see this building to appreciate its true splendour. 

La Sagrada Familia, taken from in front

La Sagrada Familia, rear

Ive been to see the basilica on a few occasions, yet I find myself awestruck every time. Barcelona is a relatively low city. The majority of the buildings probably have around 7-9 floors. As such, when you do come across one of the few buildings to rise up and above the others it seems even more impressive. 

To give you a better idea of the layout of the city, I'd like to share a photo I took when up in Parc Guell, another of Gaudi's truly unique spots. Parc Guell is not a normal park. There are no flowing greens, no swings or playground. Indeed there is little evidence of nature. What Parc Guell is, or rather was, was a dream of Count Eusebi Guell, the namesake of the park. He wanted to create an estate for the rich to reside in that overlooked the whole city. A simple idea, however, as ever with Gaudi, there was no simplicity in its execution. The idea fell on its head when it became clear buyers were not interested. In the end only two houses were constructed, one a show house, and the other inhabited by Gaudi and his family. Parc Guell sits in the north of the city and so offers fantastic views facing towards the sea. 

Barcelona, taken from Parc Guell

As I mentioned earlier, you can see that the majority of the buildings finish at similar heights, allowing those taller buildings to really stand out. The photo shows you just a fraction of the city, but the same can be said if it were to be extended. I particularly love the way the main roads, like La Rambla and Via Laietana above, can really give the effect of cutting the city into parts, separating districts. 

Im going to conclude part 2 there. Remember if you like what you see in the photos, check out my instagram - stu_wease.

Peace x