Gaudilona aka. [Barcelona]- Part III

Dear pipsqueaks,

The first order of business today was- of course- rush to Sagrada Familia as we were told the wait can be up to a couple of hours long. Oh boy, was it a scary scene by the time we reached there! Suppose the entry begins at 9am in the morning, the line up would have started about 8~8:30am. So imagine the crowd of people when we got there at 9:15am! From our first view of the "Sand Castle"- doesn't it look like a humongous sand castle?!- as we walked out the station (we decided to take public transit because taking our hop-on-hop-off bus would have been way too late to beat the crowd, so we took it straight there from our closest metro), it was literally O-M-G. The end of the line could not be seen because it curved two corners of this gigantic artwork. Weather was also a challenge as the sky was crystal clear of clouds, so the sunlight beamed proudly. I would have loved this weather if we weren't waiting in line. Though, surprisingly, the line moved quite quickly, and within 45 minutes, we were picking up our tickets and headphones preparing to enter! How exciting after a long wait~

The exterior was already an eye opener, with three façades- Nativity, Passion, and Glory- each with their own stories to tell. Even for someone non-religious, it stopped me in my path with its intricate detailing of each element. Construction began in 1882, taken over by Gaudi in 1883, and was only 20% complete at the time of Gaudi's death in 1926, it is STILL incomplete. Suppose its scheduled to be completed in the year 2020? I'll definitely pay a visit to Barcelona just to see the finished presentation. Oh, and how crazy is this?! This is also where Gaudi forever rests, down at the crypt! Story goes, he got hit by a street tram and mistaken for a poor. Upon being taken to a hospital for the poor, he refused to be relocated because he "belonged among the poor". He died three days after the accident and was mourned by all. How unfortunate to have lost such a gem. For the most part, I will leave it up to the photos to speak for themselves...

(finally tracked down the END of the line up! so began the 45min wait...) 

 (what better to do than take photos while we're stuck in line! I mean, the exterior is just as insane as the interior~ what a big Sand Castle, eh?)

(the entrance to yet another magical world of Gaudi, though I do wish I knew the story behind each scene depicted on this great wall of Barcelona :P) 

(waiting for le Sister to listen and summarize all the important parts for me~) 

(as if a page out of a book, what a door!) 

(I love the stained glass windows~ what a great touch by Gaudi)

(I found the exact place where all the postcards photos were taken from! muahaha, and with the wind blowing, we look fantabulous with the background~) 

(I, would LOVE one of these. Place an order for me. Please and thank you!) 

After that overcrowdedness, I looked forward to getting out of human traffic altogether! So, where to next? Conveniently, Ivy had wanted to see another site that was within walking distance- Hospital de Sant Pau- so we took the famous Avinguda de Gaudi (I think that means Gaudi Avenue) that linked the two destinations fittingly. This hospital is known for its architectural specialty, combining Gothic with Renaissance and Baroque in a nice blend. Except, you guessed it, it was CLOSED! Honestly, I should already be used to this kind of treatment, where every city I go, at least one of the highlights I want to visit is closed. That's just the way the cookie crumbles. Or, they knew I was coming :O

(what a nice hospital, and nothing much else I can say because it was CLOSED!) 

(Asian pose is a must!) 

(WHY U NO OPEN?...*facepalm*)

Anyhow, we did what tourists must and snapped a bagillion photos before we took off, making our way back to Sagrada Familia to hop on the looping buses. Seriously, they could do with more signs. There was an tourist information desk, but seeing it was for another bus company, we figured it would have been awkward to ask them. Just then, we saw one of our turquoise buses drive by and made a turn around the park corner. Ah, so that's where the stop was. So we bolted across the park and hopped on the next bus. As easy as that.

Park Güell was definitely a super tourisy place! From where the bus parked to the park, people roamed the shops that lined the two sides of the road. It's definitely a smart place to have a store as that was the main path up. Though, be a smart shopper. Look around before buying because prices do range quite a bit, and don't forget to use your bargaining skills! You never know how desperate they would be to get rid of some stock. But anyway, the park was a fairy land, with cute muffin rooftops and detailed tile work. Within the park, the House of Gaudi welcomed visitors. As if a spark of inspiration tingled through my body, the place almost seemed magical. THIS was where Gaudi had lived while he worked on this very park. How thrilling to be walking in the same SPACE as this genius once did? But once again, we didn't stay long as the place was too hot to stay. There was not enough shade for everyone, so after our mini tour of the park and Gaudi's crib, we wandered back down to the bus stop for our loop back into the city.

(what a fascinating design for a ceiling! little puddles everywhere~) 

(something that resembled the catenary arches at Casa Batllo) 

(me with my buddy Gaudi just hanging out at his place) 

(she wants one of each...right) 

(doesn't this remind you of that Candy Land cartoon?!) 

(Park Guell under the awesome but ridiculously hot weather. Nonetheless, so worth the visit!)

Our last night in Barcelona was spent snacking on tapas and appreciating the Spanish atmosphere. Though there was more than enough tourists, it didn't take away from what the city had to offer. It's good to know that it can't be affected so easily, because in a way, that's what makes a city stand out from just any other city. Barcelona lived up to its name, that's for sure. I couldn't have been more impressed, and certainly would promote the name change to 'Gaudilona' as Gaudi practically single-handedly brought Barcelona to the world stage through his brilliant masterpieces. Unfortunately, he is no longer physically with us, but through his work, he will forever be remembered.

(Le Sister and her must-have macaroons...)

Thank you, Gaudi.