Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Day 6: Final day in Europe - Sagrada Familia

The last day in Europe, day 6 was a bittersweet day.  Spain, the country we had grown to love would soon be just a distant memory in a scrapbook or a conversation with a friend.  We dreaded the thought of leaving. In an attempt to distract ourselves, we planned one of the biggest attractions for the last day.  A visit to Gaudi's greatest and most famous architectural masterpiece- La Sagrada Familia.

 
I had spent hours researching the attractions in Barelona before we left and I read on Trip Advisor that the best way to see La Sagrada Familia was too book and print tickets online prior to the trip. I did just that and we were so glad we did. We had zero wait time when we arrived right at 8:30am.
 
 
I also booked the audio tour in English and a trip up the Passion Tour.  It was definitely worth the extra 5-10 Euros for the guide and the tour climb.
 
The views of the city from the top were amazing!
 

The audio tours were also very interesting and I loved learning the inspirations behind Gaudi's magnificent work. He was a devout catholic and everything he did with this particular masterpiece was meant to bring glory to God.  He wanted the world to see and experience the wonder of God.

 
 
The tour even had a moment of silence in the main sanctuary for private prayers and reflections.  It was so peaceful and intentional. It made me appreciate Gaudi so much more than I had before.
 
 
Climbing the Passion Tour, what felt like hundreds of feet above the city
 
another view from the top
 
After an entire morning of Sagrada Familia, Bryan and I were hungry. We ended up finding a bakery/restaurant a few blocks down the road and helped ourselves to pastries, lattes, and a pizza.
 
 
 
I could never get enough lattes in Europe!!
 
Since Gaudi was the focus of the day, we decided to take a cab to Gaudi's other attraction- Park Guelle- a residential project that had failed several years prior and was turned into a public city park.
 
 
It was beautiful!
 





 

 

 

 


It sort of reminded me of Disney's Animal kingdom. All the stone structures were purposely made to look natural. There were also several hiking trails and winding pathways that led us in every direction.
 

 
At the end of one of the trail excursions we came across a band playing in the middle of the street.  They were so passionate about their music and it added a lively vibe.
 


A view of Sagrada Familia from the top of one of the trail heads.
Our last day in Spain was fun, but it certainly wasn't over yet!...(to be continued)

Question:
Where have you traveled lately? Have you ever been to Barcelona?

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