We visited the beautiful city of Barcelona this year and enjoyed walking the streets and soaking up the sites. One of the highlights was getting to see the impressive Sagrada Familia. Designed by Antoni Gaudi in the Gothic style, the church is still a work in progress as evidenced by the many scaffolds erected around its façade. The ornate details are captivating. It is simply too much to take in. We enjoyed the view from afar the most. It is worrisome that the construction of the new high speed train tunnel under the city and near the Sagrada may compromise the integrity of the structure in the future.
We also enjoyed visiting several other Gaudi buildings and designs including the Park Guell and the Casa Batllo which was a large home that looked like it was constructed of skulls and bones.. very pirate-like! Gaudi’s curved stonework and colorful mosaics were gorgeous, but after all of that site-seeing we were ready for a more “local” type of experience so we went in search of good food and libations.
We scored some great paella, octopus and calamari at an outdoor café near the Ramblas. We also found a spot that served outstanding sangria. It was delicious! It was great to sit back and watch the crowds go by as we sipped our sangrias in the sun. Maravilloso!
I was in Barcelona recently too. Beautiful city. I only saw the Sagrada Familia from afar though. I want to go back sometime because the one day we had was not enough.