Hi Travel Friends!
We are in sunny Barcelona Spain where my obsession with churches continues!
I had expected just another church, boy was I wrong! This is an artistic masterpiece of epic proportions, truly a must see on your list of places to visit when in Barcelona. It feels like a living, breathing art museum such an attention to detail, the craftsmanship, time and detail that was passed down from architect to architect makes this building a work of art! I now have a favorite Architect and his name is Gaudi! I know that I will research his other works to discover more about his life.
Expect to find long lines to get in so arrive twenty minutes early for your scheduled tour time. The hand-held devices you wear to walk the tour are easy to use and have a port for your ear phones so you don’t have to hold them like a phone to your ear if you don’t want to. I at first was holding the device to my ear but after a while I used my own headphones so I could free up both of my hands to take pictures.
The first stone was placed in 1882, the expected completion is 2026 the anniversary of Gaudi’s death. Gaudi was a man of faith and knew that he would not be the one to complete this wondrous building so he designed a replica so that other architects who were to follow him could accomplish his vision. Each side of the building is different depicting different times in Jesus’ life. The faces of the people sculpted in the building are those of friends and families of Gaudi and the workers that were working on the building. Architects continue to use his methods today combining it with today’s technology creating something that is stunning! Gaudi wanted to serve God through his work you can see that he achieved just that as the symbolism throughout the Basilica points to God. The Choir balcony is opposite blue stain glass windows, what a lovely thing to look at while singing hymns.
Expect to spend a few hours here looking and examining or just being in the presence of such beauty.
Happy Traveling!
~Joy
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