Barcelona and Gaudi

Very few visitors would come to Barcelona without trying to see a little of Antoni Gaudi’s architecture, but in reality there is much, much more to see. In our Eyewitness Travel book for Spain there was mention of the Museu d’Historia. It was claimed to contain the most extensive subterranean Roman ruins in the world. This piqued our interest so we found it down a small side street near the main Cathedral.

What a wonderful museum it was! It was excavated in the mid to late 20th century, underneath parts of the Cathedral and associated buildings, and gives you a truly amazing look at what a Roman village would have looked like. So much of it has been preserved and documented that you can see the public baths, the laundry of a big house, a dye shop, another that made fish sauces and preserved fish, and a winery where wine was made and stored. There were examples of mosaics in situ that were works of art. Remains of murals were there on walls. The sewer system left London in the 1700s for dead, as well as the water supply. The ticket seller said that they see quite a few Australians so it is good to know we are an interested lot.

Backtracking along Via Laietana we headed off to see one of Gaudi’s masterpieces - CasaMila or “La Pedrera”. It is such an amazing building to look at, once you look behind the flowing lines and see the intricate work necessary to carve the blocks to his design. The ticket price was pure extortion, and as Robyn had already seen this we headed up the road to see the Basilica De La Sagrada Familia.

Words cannot convey the sheer beauty of this building. That one man could conceptualise it, draft the plans for it and follow its construction until his death, is truly a wonder. Getting in was a challenge but soon we had tickets to enter (on the other side).

The audio guide was a bit gushing and sometimes hard to follow, but we generally followed its drift. It is still being built with plans to have it completed in 2026, the centenary of Gaudi’s death. Personally I don’t think they have a ghost’s chance, with many more spires, including the biggest one, yet to be built.

The light coming in through the stained glass windows made it seem light and airy, but when you look at the size of the columns that support the existing building and have yet to carry the weight of the biggest tower it is a marvel that it is so light. The height of the ceiling helps and the colour of the materials used also creates a sense of space. It must have been an out-of-this-world experience to have been there with a 700 strong choir for the consecration in 2010. We hope to go there again when we have more time and just sit in awe.

Dinner was a simple meal prepared back at our apartment. We have been trying not to eat out every night and avoid the weight gain usually associated with a long holiday.Read more