Barcelona: the buildings

With hundreds of photos of my weekend trips to pick from, blogging can be daunting. I've divided my Barcelona trip into the categories that struck me most about this marvelously wild Spanish city: buildings and food.

 The W Hotel on the Mediterranean

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  La Torre Agbar, which is lit at           the FC Barcelona stadium

night with millions of colorful bulbs      (shoutout to Garry and William)

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 My favorite building in Barcelona, Casa Amatller:

 

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which is directly next door to my other favorite building in Barcelona, 

La Casa Batlló, an Antonio Gaudí masterpiece:

 Casa Batlló gives me the sense of being in wonderland. It appears that Gaudí used no straight liines in the design. It is whimsical, fantastical, colorful, wacky, and - in my opinion - reminiscent of the sea.

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 And of course, La Sagrada Familia, the most famous of Gaudí's works, is impressive to say the least. It has been under construction since the 1880's. Gaudí died before it was finished in 1926 (he was hit by a tram), and several architects have taken over since. Scaffolding, hard hats, and the sound of drilling created a large presence while I visited the church, and honestly dissuaded me from entering. They are not sure when the construction is expected to be finish, although they say another another 20 years or so. Disregarding the construction, the basilica is beautiful and symbolic of Gaudís profound faith. Each of the towers represents one of Jesus' twelve apostles, the four evangelists, the Virgin Mary, and Jesus Christ.

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The city is filled with art, and not just because it houses the Dalí, Picasso, and other important art museums (which I was unable to visit - another reason to return!). Art is found throughout the city, even below your feet. Another favorite photo from the weekend shows the intricate design in a Barcelona sidewalk:

 

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