June 26, 2011 The Magnifico Spain

The exterior of Casa Mila, designed by Antonio Gaudi. 

The intricate and over the top Sagrada Familia. 

Interior of Sagrada Familia. 

Interior of Sagrada Familia.

The terrace and long curvy bench at the "Park Guell".

The giant fish designed by Frank Gehry. 

Barcelona's Gherkin

Taking time to smile while on our hot walking tour of Barcelona under the shade of  a Wheeping Willow 

My second day in Spain began by a pounding on our door.  Our alarm hadn't gone off and our group was waiting downstairs for us. We were supposed to meet at nine and that was exactly what time it was. Luckily I had planned a little ahead the night before and managed to get ready in about a ten minutes. That was a miracle for me! Oh well, now I know that it is a possibility for me. We made it downstairs and were off to tour the magnifico Barcelona. We all loaded onto the tour bus and were off. While driving to our first destination, we passed the famous Casa Mila. This house was designed by Antonio Gaudi and had the wave like walls and organic lines that were characteristic of his style. It was amazing to see it right in front of me, instead of just a picture online or in a textbook. The house was incredible. After a little more driving we found ourselves outside of the Sagrada Familia. This is a Roman-Catholic cathedral designed by Gaudi. The cathedral was started in 1882 and is still under construction to this day with many more years to come to finish out Gaudi's original plan for the building. The interior was magical as soon as you entered through the main entrance. There was so much to see everywhere that you looked. After Sagrada Familia, our tour also involved seeing the "Park Guell". This place involves the famous long bench covered with "trencadis" or pieces of ceramic.  What a bench! It was incredible to see and very comfortable to sit on. Some more highlights of our tour involved seeing the Frank Gehry fish and the Barcelona Gherkin in the business district of the city. Barcelona is such an incredible city with a rich heritage and a unique architectural style. Looking forward to free days in Spain....