Happy birthday Gaudi!
Today marks the 161st anniversary of the birth of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi. It was a highlight of the Globus “Best of Spain” tour to visit Gaudi’s former home in Barcelona – even if the crowds were huge. We were there on a weekend, and it seemed like all of Barcelona (and all its visitors) were also taking advantage of the sunny day to explore Gaudi’s wonderful “organic” creations in Guell Park. This is the house he lived in from 1906 until shortly before his death in 1926. It is now the Gaudí Museum, but most people seemed content to walk around and marvel at the colourful mosaic and other creations that surround it.
But Gaudi’s masterpiece is the Sagrada Família, the most visited building in Spain. Still uncompleted, this magnificent cathedral is – like his former home – like something from a fairytale. Sadly, the queues there were so long that we were unable to look inside…but the outside was jaw-dropping enough. Even more sadly, a mis-hap with my camera means I am unable to show you photos of it (I still hope they will be salvageable). Meanwhile, here are a few images of the house in Guell Park.
A Glass Half Full travelled to Spain as a guest of Globus.
A Glass Half Full 
4 Responses to “Happy birthday Gaudi!”
I thought the Sagrada Familia extraordinary too. And I love that all those years after Gaudi designed it, the architects completing his vision have to rely on computers to carve the twisted pillars inside. Part of me wants to see it finished and part of me hopes it never is!
I agree – they say it will be about another 10 years or more before it is finished, but the work-in-progress is amazing, and I love the concept of all those other architects and designers working on it. As you say, it’s extraordinary.
Gaudi’s work as a whole is one of the most memorable parts of my trip to Europe. It’s such a shame that you didn’t get to go inside La Sagrada Familia — it truly is breathtaking. But the other works dotted around the city and the gardens are fantastic.
Yes, it was a shame, but sometimes those are the realities (especially of group travel). The other works were amazing too…I loved it.