Barcelona day 2.

We took the Gaudi tour today.   We saw 4 different Gaudi projects including the Sagrada Familia.  Gaudi was quite an amazing designer.  Apparently he didn't do well in architecture school because he had to work to support himself.  When he graduated his professor said that he was either going to be a famously successful architect or a madman.   People say he was a bit of both.   Sadly he died after being hit by a metro train.  It's an interesting story - you should look it up.   We didn't eat as well as yesterday, but still enjoyed tapas in the afternoon and evening.  We are getting a lot of walking in.

 Andy in the Placa Reial - where we met to start the Gaudi tour.

 One of Gaudi's only public commissioned jobs - to make a lamppost.  It was one of his first jobs after graduating.  He went over budget and didn't finish on time - so they never worked together again.

 Two of the chimneys on the Palau Guell.  Gaudi formed a lifelong friendship with Eusebi Guell - a successful entrepreneur who hired Gaudi to do several projects for him.  This was a home for him to live in.

 Between the carriage entrance and carriage exit is a sculpture designed by Gaudi which contains elements of the Catalan Flag as well as the Phoenix.

 Later we went on the Metro and I thought the girls would like to see what was playing locally

 Metro Station traveling to see other Gaudi buildings

 This is Casa Batllo.  This is build on one of the most pricey streets in Barcelona - the family Batllo owned the building and inhabited the first floor - but rented out other floors.  Some of the original tenants held onto these apartments and now their descendents still inhabit them paying only about $600/month thanks to rent control.  The balconies ( you can't see well in this view) look like skulls and there is a dragon on the top of the building.  it's very cool.

 This is La Pedrera - more a sculpture than a building - made from limestone that was handcarved to make the curves.  Each iron balcony is a one of a kind masterpiece in itself.  Apparently the owner hired Gaudi (but his wife never liked it).  Even the ceilings were carved (as seen below).

 When Gaudi died - the owners wife covered over many of the ceilings because she hated them so much and threw the Gaudi original designed furniture onto the streets.  Our tour guide said that there may be original furniture in some of the neighboring homes picked up from that day - no one will ever know.

 Lastly we visited La Sagrada Familia.  Pictures do not do justice to this place.  He designed it, and painstakingly modeled every aspect of it including the figurines.  He did plaster masks of people to make them lifelike.  To make the babies in the carvings -he went to the local hospital and did plaster masks of stillborns.  It is supposed to be done in 11 years - however it appears unlikely that will actually happen.  Every side represents something different. The west side above depicts the final days of Christ.

 The east side presents the birth of Christ.

 The inside has the golden triangle to represent the Holy Father.  The pillars that support the building are fashioned like trees branching into the canopy of heaven.

 Jesus is on the cross under a parachute - it is quite stunning

 The stained glass is also amazingly beautiful

 He built a school for local children and the children of workers.  The undulating roof is interesting in that it is build from altering the angles of straight lines.

 A model of what his office looked like - including his lunch hanging from the shelves.  He lived in the building for the last years of his life.

The staircase leading down from the pillars that we climbed to the top of.  It was creepy coming down.