Barcelona, Spain - Part 3

Monday April 18

Gaudi Architectural Tour...Wow!  We started at Park Guell which covers almost 50 acres.  In 1984 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.   Hansel and Gretel was filmed here in 2 fairytale style houses.  It is very difficult to describe his work.  You will find some photos here.  You can google to find more.
     http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/gaudi/park-guell.htm

The interior of La Sagrada Família Basilica left us beyond speechless.  It is more beautiful than you would expect judging from the gaudy exterior.  The ceiling is absolutely beautiful.  It is very difficult to describe and photos do not do it justice.  There are numerous pillars representing trees in a forest.  Each pillar is decorated with something similar to cameos.  They are just gorgeous.  The stained glass windows add brightness to the majestic space.

Driving along the Gràcia passage we saw Casa Batlló and Casa Milà, two impressive Gaudí buildings featuring his characteristic curved façade and “scooped out” windows.
We then drove up Montjuic Hill, past Olympic Village,  where we had a panoramic view of Barcelona with La Sagrada Familia being prominent in the distance.  When done, the Basilica will be 1 metre shorter than Montjuic as per Gaudi's plan.  It was a very worthwhile day. Tomorrow is At Sea Day.  It is our last day on the beautiful crystalline waters of the Mediterranean.  Nothing exciting is on the agenda, so we will go to a movie and I am taking a day off from blogging.  See you in 2 days from the "rock"!