If you’d asked me a few months ago what I’d be doing to kick off my next lap, Barcelona would not have featured – it’s just not a city I’d ever contemplated. Yet here we are! For me, the perfect birthday involves connecting with the people I love, fresh air, and nourishing my mind and soul in some way, and all were achieved.
I started the day with a walk to the Port Vell marina for a 7:30 sunrise. La Rambla was just waking up, with cafes and street vendors setting up for the day. At the end, the marina was packed with some of the biggest sailing and cruising boats I’ve seen – there is some serious money in this harbour! It’s a welcoming space with plenty of public art and space for people to come together.
It was such a gorgeous day to be out in the fresh air. As neither of us have been to Barcelona (or Spain) before we took the tip from previous travellers to grab the hop-on-hop-off bus. 2 routes, each promised a lap of half of the city sounded reasonable, we just had no idea how big this city is! Over 2 hours later we hopped off completely bussed-out, having tripped past some of the major sights – Casa Mia, Casa Batllo, National Art Museum, Montjuic, and the Olympic sailing venues.
Thank goodness we’d also had the golden tip to pre-book Sagrada Familia. We know that tourist sites book out, but this one is weeks in advance, and our trip to Barcelona wouldn’t have been the same without it.
The Sagrada Familia was commenced in 1882 as a project by the people, for the people. The original architect walked away from the project in 1883, creating the opportunity for Antoni Gaudi to complete the work. From the outset, Gaudi intended that his designs and the project would be delivered over many generations, adapting to the styles of different architects along the way. It was originally funded by the local community, and now the proceeds from tourism are invested in completing the project. The current aim is for completion by 2033 to mark 150 years since Gaudi’s took on the work.
This place is literally breathtaking. It’s beautiful, deliberate, aligned, symbolic, insightful, inspiring, clever, elegant… the list goes on. Gaudi created the ultimate in design – useful, useable, and desirable without compromise. His core commitment to nature and functionality, while creating a space of beauty that respects and aligns the big picture and the tiny details has resonated and affirmed so much for me.
The temple facades tell the story of Jesus’ life and family. The Nativity facade on the Eastern side tells the story of the birth of Jesus and highlights Gaudi’s connection with, and love for nature.
Spring flowers and vines appear on and above the doors. Our first window to the detail were the turtles on each side of the main entry… to the north is the land turtle, and to the south is the sea turtle reflecting the position of the temple between the mountains and the sea. The characters in the nativity were all modelled in the image of local people, creating a deep connection with the community.
The doors are ornate, and at first glance just look like ivy. Looking more closely, there are tiny bugs and insects hiding throughout the design. The line between art and architecture is a fine one!
The scale of the interior is incredible. The columns are in the image of tree trunks, spreading to branches at the top. Different materials are used very deliberately to create connection between elements – sandstone from Montjuic, Granite, Basalt and Red Porphiry. The 56 columns that represent the 4 gospels and 52 weeks in the year, are all spaced at 7.5 metres, or multiples of. Every detail is considered.
…and then there’s the light. All natural, with the materials and shapes magically capturing the light of the sun. The stained glass windows both bring colour, and tell a story – blue to the East capturing and representing the cool sunrise; oranges to the West capturing and representing the warm sunset. Next time I come, it will be in the morning to enjoy the space at my favourite time of day.
We had booked to visit the top of the Passion Tower – a lift up, steps down. I knew this would challenge my fear of heights – I didn’t quite realise that Mum and I shared this challenge!!! We hopped out of the lift and had our second breathtaking moment for the day, this time in terror, knowing that there was no return. The views across Barcelona, and the opportunity to see the detail of the towers was worth it.
The ‘fruit’ surrounding the top of the Passion tower represents those that you would see at the end of the year – apples, persimmons, chestnuts, almonds and figs. They are about 2m tall and weigh approximately 2 tonne. I can’t quite work out how they got there!
What goes up, must come down via 426 steps. The staircase is narrow and the initially the spiral was large with great views of the city. They then became tight, adding an extra layer of challenge in a stunning environment! Very proud of BB for conquering the tower!
We exited via the Passion facade on the Western side. This tells the story of Jesus’ death, and while it was designed by Gaudi, the artistic representation is by Josep Maria Subirachs. Subirachs designed a distinctly different contemporary facade, with the storyline progressing up the building in the shape of a snake. Again, the considered detail is incredible – the imprint of Jesus’ face on cloth, the angle of the cross to increase visibility, the cryptogram ‘magic square’ that always adds to 33 representing the age of Jesus at his death. It is both dark and beautiful all at once.
The Western facade was lit up in the afternoon sun, making it stand out against the blue sky. An incredble way to end the visit.
Birthday dinner at a rooftop terrace back in the Gothic Quarter. Anchovies, capsicum and eggplant, followed by a fabulous paella. I know R approved!
It’s been a deeply spiritual day, with time to reflect and appreciate life. I’m so grateful to have completed this lap in a place that meant so much to R, and to start the next lap so inspired. My cup is full 🙂
Love M & BB x
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