SPAIN – BARCELONA

December 21, 2022 – January 3, 2023

Arriving in Barcelona, I took an Uber to the hostel. I had booked weeks in advance and was lucky to get any room in town. Everything was booked up for Christmas and New Year. Prices were not cheap as a result. $50 per night for a bunk in a hostel! Had I planned a bit better, I would have stayed longer in Madrid. That said, I wanted to fly back to London for Christmas, and the cheapest flights were out of Barcelona. You win some, you lose some. I was fortunate that San Jordi Hostel allowed me to leave my big backpack there for the few days that I was gone at no charge. They also reserved a bunk for me upon my return.

The hostel had a huge shared kitchen with large glass-door refrigerators. The requirement was to keep your food in a bag with your name and check-out date inscribed.

The eating and lounge areas were separated by a huge wall with lounging holes. They were lined with gymnastic-type mats for comfort. It was common to see people lounging in them while reading a book or scrolling on media devices.

This was a skateboard hostel and even had a half-pipe room for people to practice their moves.

The rooms were fairly spacious, with private lockers. There were shower rooms and separate bathrooms throughout the facility.

La Sagrada Familia was a mere 5-minute walk from the hostel. Sweet! It was getting dusk so I quickly checked in and made my way to the famous church. I took a few pictures outside the church and inquired into buying a ticket. They were only available online, so I purchased one for the next day. Construction costs are covered through ticket sales and private donations. Neither the Catholic Church nor the government contribute funds. The estimated annual construction budget is roughly 83 million euro but ticket sales only bring in 55 million euro. The rhythm of construction is scheduled to still finish in 2026, on the Centennial of Gaudi’s death. Walking back to the hostel, it seemed like every restaurant along the way had outdoor seating with a covered shelter and fireplace. It was all wonderfully inviting!

The next morning I went back to la Sagrada Familia and spent several hours looking about. It is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world. Construction began on 19 March 1882 but the original architect resigned. Antoni Gaudi took over in 1883 and transformed the project with his unique style of minimal right angles or straight lines, drawing inspiration from nature. Gaudi died after being hit by a tram in 1926. The church was less than 25% complete. He was buried in the church’s crypt. The Spanish Civil War not only paused construction but nearly halted it altogether. Fire was deliberately set to the church and partially destroyed Gaudi’s original plans. Construction resumed after the war from salvaged plans and published photographs of his vision. 140 years later, it is still not complete. The work permit was only approved in 2019; 137 years into the project. Technological advancement and computer-aided design software have sped up the building process, which is scheduled to be complete in 2026 – the year the work permit expires and 100 years after the great architect’s death.

There is SO much to see! Every nook and cranny has some carving that represents some Biblical story through symbolism. There are sculptures of leaves, flowers and animals covering nearly every square inch. Gaudi knew he would never live to see the completion of his creation, so he set an artistic and architectural example for his successors to follow.

The Nativity Facade on the northeast side of the building, catching the rising sun, is dedicated to the birth of Jesus. At the base of each of the large columns are a turtle and a tortoise. One represents the sea, the other the land – symbols of time that are unchangeable. In contrast, two chameleons can be found further along – representing change.

The Passion Facade on the southwest side and catching the setting sun, is dedicated to the suffering of Jesus. In direct contrast to the Nativity Facade, it is plain and austere. The rigid and angular form, with its dark shadows contrasted by the harsh light, resembling the bones of a skeleton was intended to strike fear into the onlooker. It is to represent the sins of man.

The most striking Facade will be the Glory Facade on the south (sunny) side. Construction began in 2002 and is based on original fragments that were salvaged. It is dedicated to the Glory of Jesus and represents the road to God. The facade will have seven doors representing the seven sacraments of Catholicism. Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Holy Orders, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick. The doors of the Glory Facade are inscribed with the words of The Lord’s Prayer. These central doors are inscribed with “Give us our daily bread” in 50 different languages. The handles on the door are the letters “A” and “G” – Antoni Gaudi.

I went up one of the spires. There will be 18 spires, when complete, representing the 12 apostles, the Virgin Mary, the 4 Evangelists and, the tallest, Jesus Christ.

The Virgin Mary spire has a star on top.

I had a fantastic view of the city.

400 feet up, I also got a good view of the mosaics.

Next to the church was a small school for the children of the workers. It has the Gaudi style of architecture with its lack of straight lines and right angles. Imagine going to school inside a work of art!

The interior of the church is breathtaking. Standing in the main entrance the vaults gradually increase in height. The side nave vaults are 30 metres (98 feet). The central vaults reach 45 metres (148 feet). The apse vault is 75 metres (246 feet). The columns branch at the top, not only to support the load, but to create the illusion of being in a forest.

Blue and green stained glass windows filtered the morning sun into the church.

Later, the yellow and orange stained glass windows brought in the afternoon sun.

Someone was singing Ave Maria. It reverberated through the space and seemingly into my soul. It was magical.

I could have spent days looking around and learning about all the idiosyncrasies of la Sagrada Familia, but I was going to London to spend Christmas with my kids for a few days. The rest of Barcelona would have to wait…

When I returned 5 days later the weather was t-shirt warm. A pleasant change from cold and rainy London. I went for a walk to the sea shore where I saw huge cruise ships and yachts moored. There was an old-fashioned circus set up. I don’t know if it is a permanent fixture along the water or just for the holiday season.

There were also sand castles.

A replica of the ship Götheborg of Sweden was also moored for tours. It was a beautiful ship and the world’s larges operational wooden sailing ship. The original ship, built in 1738, hit a rock while loaded with cargo. The crew all survived. The ship was visible above the water for many years until time took its toll and it sank. An interesting history, but I didn’t take the tour aboard.

I spent a lot of time just walking around Barcelona. I walked through Ciutadella Park. It is a huge green space covering 31 hectares (77 acres). It has a small lake, fountains and a museum. I didn’t realize it had so much to offer until after I left Barcelona. I should have done better research….

Leaving the park I passed through the Arc de Triomf. It was built in 1888 as the entrance to the World Fair. It is a huge structure built of reddish brick and has friezes on top and sides.

Els Encants market has been in existence since 1300 and still going strong with 301 shops and 9 restaurants. It was basically a giant flea market, selling old and new items. If you can’t find it in this market, you don’t need it.

Walking in the downtown area I saw La Pedrera-Casa Milà

and Casa Batlló, two more Antoni Gaudi buildings. Everyone said that they were amazing and that I should tour Casa Batlló. The ticket was over $50 and I could not justify the price, so I opted not to go. There were many amazing buildings to admire throughout the walk.

Plaza de Catalunya is a square at the centre of the city’s 7 most important streets. It has fountains, sculptures and grassy areas. It was there that I came upon a free outdoor concert. I have no idea what they were singing about, but they got the crowd going by handing out whistles which we had to blow at certain moments. It was fun, even though I had no idea what was going on.

Las Ramblas Boulevard is one of the streets that leads off the Plaza. It’s a lively street in the heart of Barcelona. I seemed to find my way there on several occasions. It has restricted traffic and is primarily dominated by pedestrians. There are many attractions, shops, restaurants and human statues along the way.

One of the attractions on Las Ramblas is Boqueria Market.

It is one of Europe’s largest and most famous food markets. The market began in the 1200s and has grown as the neighbouring towns joined. It has been basically the same since 1836, with over 200 vendors selling just about every food item you can imagine.

The one thing that amazed me was the Famous Jamon Iberico de Bellota (acorn-fed Iberian ham) selling for 220 Euro per Kilogram (apparently that is cheap for this product). The reason this meat is so expensive is that the pigs are 100% free-range and eat acorns. The meat is salted for a duration of day per kilo at a temperature of 0 to 5 degrees C and a humidity level of 75-90%; thereby dehydrating the meat naturally. The process can take 40 months or more.

In case you are interested in buying the finest: The finest ham is black label – 100% pure-bred Iberian pigs. Red label are free-range pigs that are not pure-bred but must have between 50-75 % Iberian. Green label are fed a combination of acorns and grain but must be between 50-100% Iberian breed. The White label are grain fed pigs but still 50-100% Iberian breed.

Some pig farmers have taken to forging the authenticity of their pigs and selling the meat as Iberian. The Iberian pig farmers have demanded a DNA test to prove the authenticity of their product. The Iberian pigs have black hooves and the fat on the cured meat is soft.

There are many narrow streets in Barcelona. Some are so narrow that only motorcycles can go down them. If there is a car, you had best hope there is a doorway you can squeeze into to let it pass.

I went to see the Archdiocese of Barcelona. It is a beautiful Gothic-style cathedral built between the 13^th and 15^th centuries. The cloisters were completed in 1448.

There are 13 geese that live in the center of the cloister, representing St. Eulalia who was martyred at the age of 13. She is entombed in the crypt. The geese are considered guardians of the cathedral.

There are numerous gargoyles on the roof, both domestic and mythical. The interior had the typical high vaulted ceiling, massive columns, a golden altar, and a huge organ.

Although all cathedrals are basically the same, they are all unique at the same time. I always marvel at the engineering that went into the building of these amazing works of art, at a time before engineering standards and building material.

I had gotten a bit lost getting to the cathedral, but as usually happens, I came across the most delightful things. One was the Bishop’s Bridge. It was built for the 1929 Barcelona International Expo. There is some superstition associated with the bridge that says if the dagger is ever removed from the skull on the underside of the bridge, the city of Barcelona will be destroyed.

I also came to a small courtyard. It was pleasant. Every street, alley and square seemed to hold something that made me want to just sit and take in EVERYTHING!

Another day I walked up to Castell de Montjuïc, an old military fortress built on the top of Montjuic hill in 1640.

The original fort was demolished and the current structure was built between 1779-1799. It was a good hike up the hill to Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer Gardens on Montjuïc. This is a relatively new garden in Barcelona; it opened in 1970 and has a diversity of plants, water features, and sculptures. I zigzagged my way past the gondola and through the gardens and climbed many, many more steps until I finally reached the fort.

I was taking a picture of the view of the city and made a comment to a lady, also taking pictures, that she had nice hair.

Aleks was from Poland and owned an AirBnB in Gdansk. She invited me to come visit and we exchanged phone numbers. A simple compliment turned into an invitation to visit. Life is amazingly simple and beautiful when you are nice to strangers.

The fort had a beautiful garden in the moat.

A young couple were trying to take a selfie, but their phone went dead. They asked if I could take a picture with my camera and WhatsApp it to them. Sure, why not? I took a few photos, but this candid one was the best shot of the bunch.

Walking back down the hill and returning to the hostel, I passed the 1992 Olympic Diving pools,

Escales del Generalife stairs with the little waterfalls running down the handrails,

many narrow and steep streets, buildings with beautiful balconies,

lots of old churches, Torre de la Catalana de Gas – a most beautiful water tower that was built in 1906,

Columbus Monument,

and Aduana Building. It is a beautiful old customs building with winged lions on the roof

I also passed Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, another beautiful building. Although I like art, I did not partake in many galleries. I find I can spend hours and hours looking at beautiful paintings. I chose to look at beautiful buildings and experience more of the culture on this trip.

I went into the Maritime Museum. It is dedicated to shipbuilding between the 13th and 18th century. Don’t ever underestimate the power of advertising photos. It was a picture of the “La Real”, the flagship of Don Juan de Austria, that drew me in.

This replica was built in 1971. It is 60 metres (200 ft) long, 6.2 metres (20 ft) wide, has two masts 15 & 22 meters (49 &72 ft) and weighs 237 tons empty. It was propelled by 59 oars. She carried a total of 290 rowers and 400 sailors and soldiers, who were posted at various spots on the ship to protect her. Each ore was 14.5 metres (47.6 ft) long and weighed 180 kg (397 lb) and was manned by 4 rowers. It took 236 men to make the ship forge ahead at full speed.

It was luxuriously painted and ornamented to befit its royal stature. Even the floor was elaborate. It had 3 ornate lanterns on the stern. This was the prize in an engagement. Capturing the lanterns was a mark of distinction.

Outside of the museum was a replica of a small submarine from 1859. It looked like a toy from a playground.

I specifically went out one evening to see the street Christmas lights and la Sagrada Familia lit up. It looked stunning against the dark sky. Truly a heavenly vision come to life by Gaudi.

On New Year’s Eve, I went back to Montjuïc to see the National Palace. It was built for the 1929 International Exhibition and is currently home to the National Art Museum of Catalonia.

There are huge fountains leading up to the palace flanked by many, many steps.

The main fountain area was barricaded off for that evening’s fireworks display. I didn’t go into the building but carried on with my walk. The next day, some fellows from the hostel told me that the fireworks display was actually drones, and was incredibly wonderful. I almost wished I had returned that evening, but they went on to say there were millions of people, and I was wise to not have ventured out by myself.

I went to Park Güell one day. It is a park that was built from 1900 to 1914 – another work of art by Antoni Gaudi. It has a weird combination of Disney Land meets Dr. Suess. Castle-like building with strange pinnacles stick out from the green forest.

Strange tree-like columns support walkways above.

All of the paths through the park are integrated into the natural landscape.

A main terrace with many enclaves and mosaics has one continuous bench encircling it.

Down the steps from the terrace is a mosaic salamander.

It was simply a lovely, peaceful way to spend a day.

On the way to Park Güell, I spotted a church, high up on a hill.

I asked someone what it was. Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor (Expiatory Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus). It was built from 1902 to 1961. There were rumours that the Protestant Church was going to build a hotel-casino at that location, so the Catholic Church bought the land and built a church instead. I was feeling especially strong that day and decided to walk the 7 kilometers, up a ridiculously steep hill, with so many switchbacks I lost count. There was definitely a sense of satisfaction when I reached the top!

The church has a massive statue of Jesus at the top. It has two grand outdoor staircases leading up to the church itself.

The interior had a beautiful mosaic behind the altar

and on the floor.

The columns had lovely leafy designs on them. It definitely had a more modern feel than the typical cathedrals that I had been into.

It also had an elevator to take me up, most of the way, to reach the spires and final stairs to the pinnacle.

I had a spectacular view of the city

and the amusement park beside the church. Was it a compromise to the casino idea?

I was pretty much knackered by the time I was close to returning to the hostel. But as so often happened, I came across something that REALLY caught my eye. Hospital of Sant Pau had a light show cast on the front of the building that was breathtaking. You will have to go onto my SmugMug site to see it. I watched for a while, then went back “home”, determined to return the next day to explore this old hospital.

The original hospital was built in 1401, hot on the heels of the black plague that killed nearly a third of the population. The need for an organized health system was imperative. The complex brought six of the existing hospitals under one roof. Late in the 19^th century, as the population grew and medicine took giant leaps forward, the complex became too small. Expansion was called for. A banker, Pau Gil made it possible – hence the name Sant Pau. Construction lasted between 1901 and 1930. It was a functioning hospital until 2009 when it underwent restoration for use as a museum.

The hospital takes up an entire block, with almost 30 buildings. The design as a “Park Hospital” was a very special novelty. Patients could recover in an environment with gardens of medicinal plants such as laurel, lavender, rosemary and lemon trees. Chestnut, linden and orange trees provided shade while taking in the fresh air. The buildings were a combination of medieval and Moorish architecture, which further distracted from the hospital feel. Mosaics adorned the exterior walls.

Images cast onto the walls made the emergency ward come to life. A tunnel system connected the buildings to quickly transfer patients. Heat was supplied from 400 geothermal wells, each more than 100 metres deep. The entire area was laid out on a slope so the warm, rising air could move up and out of the huge, cot-lined pavilions, through the ventilation systems, drawing bacteria and viruses away from the patients with the draft. So clever and “green” for its day!

The administration building was the most elaborate, with a cathedral-like look. In fact, I thought it was a church when I walked by the previous night. It has a high domed, mosaic-covered ceiling, marble columns,

large stained glass windows

and a massive staircase leading up to the second floor.

Alas, my time in Barcelona came to an end. I caught the 16-hour bus to Venice, Italy.