Anticipation at the Madrid Airport
Lines at the airport
As soon as we landed in Barcelona (after 26 hours of travel and 3 flights) we hit the ground running.
Barcelona put on a show for us. It's buildings and people were so beautiful.
Incredible light all throughout the day.
It seems as though Gaudi was waiting around every corner, like his Casa Batllo.
The construction cranes around Sagrada Familia provided an ever-present landmark.
Dominoes in the early evening sun.
Our first stop was Parc Guell by Antonio Gaudi. It sits on a hill above the city and provides incredible overlooks. The park was built as the centerpiece of a housing complex that never was completed.
The park is covered with found-tile mosaics.
Gardens populate the park as well.
Thanks Parc Guell!
Under the park, these pillars support the whole structure.
Barcelona's mix of lush organic life and geometric patterns creates a Nouveau paradise.
Our next stop was another Gaudi masterpiece, Casa Mila, "La Pedrera" (The Stone). This structure was at one time an apartment complex in the heart of Barcelona and is now a museum.
After climbing many flights of stairs, the payoff was this surreal roof playground.
Looking up and looking down reveals Gaudi's obsession with organic naturalism in his architectural style.
From the roof of La Pedrera you can see the collage of architecture and life.
