June 24, 2017. Saturday. Barcelona. There is so much to do in Barcelona, but the heat and kid fatigue make it hard to really even scratch the surface. We slept in a bit and hopped on the metro to the northern part of the city to Park Güell. It sits perched up on a hill and overlooks the city (although there are much higher points around it, both within and out of the city proper). The park is beautiful in its own right, but it is most famous for a section with features and structures designed by Antoni Gaudi, the famous late-19th / early 20th c. Spanish architect known for Catalonian Modernism. His work usually features mosaics and bold colors, along with somewhat tripped out architectural elements. Sadly, we hadn’t ordered tickets ahead of time, so we had to content ourselves with seeing things mostly from the outside and enjoying other parts of the park.
From there we walked a long lazy mile to La Sagrada Familia, the towering cathedral just north of the Gothic Quarter. It is one of the longest-running construction projects in the modern era. Started in 1882 and designed by none other than Antoni Gaudi, it is a stunning modern Catholic cathedral that defies description in some ways. As with Gaudi’s other works, there are some fantastical and architecturally unorthodox elements of the design (for cathedrals, at least). Yet in other ways, it conforms to the cathedral genre, even as it stretches it. The inside is soaring, and yet the stained glass is not traditional. Most of it is a range of rainbow colors, although almost always grouped together in warm or cold clusters. The stones have a much more modern feel to them, and there are elements and features of the building that feel very modern, even as the very architectural genre makes it feel ancient. It is slate to be finished within the next 10 years or so. Gaudi died in 1926, so it could well be finished over 100 years after his death, and 140 years after construction began. We were struck today by the difference between the west facade, which is much newer, vs. the east facade, which seems dirty and very old in comparison.
From La Sagrada Familia, we returned to the flat to freshen up, change, and–yep–head to the beach. It was hot and we all had so much fun there the night before. It was fuller than last night, but we easily found space to spread out and swim for a spell in the clear, refreshing water. There aren’t many waves, but it is fun to remind ourselves that we are swimming in the Mediterranean. There are many beach vendors trying to sell massages, blankets, and mojitos, and the massage people are especially aggressive.
For some reason, last night and tonight, Helena and Harrison made a great game out of picking up as much trash as possible from the beach. Last night someone gave them 5 Euros for their work, but they are doing it more for fun than anything. We almost lost them at some point since they had followed the trash trail so far away from us. We had to ask them not to do it on the way home, too! Funny kids.
Our dinner experience in the Gothic Quarter was a bit disappointing again. We feel like we keep eating at touristy places. The tapas were okay, but small (even smaller than they are supposed to be!). The paella was delicious, however.
It’s been interesting to compare the public transportation systems of the various big cities we’ve been in so far. Barcelona wins overall — clean stations and trains, and strong AC in the metro and on buses alike. I think the Paris and London systems run more frequently, perhaps. Paris is the least user-friendly in so many ways. Few visible employees, and you often need a ticket to exit the station as well (just takes time, and means you really need to hold on to your ticket). Paris metro trains were rarely air conditioned (ditto for London). London does a better job with telling you when the next train will arrive. Paris stations are poorly marked internally — very few metro maps, etc. But the tube system in London could learn something really helpful from Paris and Barcelona: most trains in the latter two cities have a map of that line with LED lights that show you which station you are at or approaching. It is 100 times easier and more helpful, but it is not something I’ve seen yet anywhere in London.
Tomorrow we head back to France, to the south coast.
Peace.
Fisher Family Travels 