Tag Archives: Spain

Sagrada Familia — Interior Part 1


Sagrada Familía Columns Colored by Light

Sagrada Familía Columns Colored by Light

Antoni Gaudí died in 1926 just fifteen days shy of what would have been his 74th birthday.  What is arguably his greatest design may finally be completed on the 100th anniversary of his passing, and some 144 years after construction began.  A completion date of 2026 is the hope, anyway, but that may unfortunately slip by as much as two years.

Sagrada Familía "Trees"

Sagrada Familía “Trees”

Stepping into the Sagrada Familía is a bit like walking through a forest.  This is not by chance, as the columns reaching high overhead were specifically designed as a modernist interpretation of trees with outstretched branches.

Sagrada Familía Vaulted Ceiling

Sagrada Familía Vaulted Ceiling

Even the stained glass serve multiple purposes.  Not only do these magnificent windows let in light, they also splash a cacophony of color against the otherwise monotone “trees” supporting the vaulted ceiling above.  Joan Vila-Grau has been designing, piecing together, and installing windows for the Sagrada Familía since 1999, and some fourteen years later he still has quite a ways to go before completing this project.

Sagrada Familía

Sagrada Familía Stained Glass

Stained Glass Light Playing on Column

Stained Glass Light Playing on Column

In fact, there is absolutely nothing about this structure that fails to impress.  Even the stairways are remarkable in both their design and aesthetics.

Sagrada Familía Staircase

Sagrada Familía Staircase

We’ll continue our tour of this incredible design in Part 2 on Wednesday  Meanwhile, here is today’s photo gallery of the interior of the Sagrada Familía:

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Sagrada Familia — The Exterior


131 Years in the Making

131 Years in the Making

In our previous travels to Barcelona Ursula and I had strolled past the Sagrada Familia several times, but the crowds waiting to access the interior were daunting to say the least.  This time Ursula was determined that the sights within would no longer elude us.  She ordered tickets in advance with a reserved time.

Flowing Structure

Flowing Structure

There is so much to see of the interior that I will be presenting it in two parts, along with a more in-depth discussion of this fascinating basilica that has been under continuous construction now for the past 131 years, and which still has between 13 and 15 more years to go until completion.

For now, however, click on any image below to view a slideshow of the incredible details that decorate this unbelievable structure:

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Barthelona ith in Thpain


Barcelona (41)

Christopher Columbus Pointing the Way

I don’t speak a lot of Spanish (taco, enchilada, chile relleno, and perhaps most importantly, cerveza), but I do know pretty much how to pronounce things . . . except apparently in Barcelona.  Here, the “s” is pronounced as a “th” sound, resulting in some potentially harrowing situations.

Ham made a great sandwich for a quick lunch

Ham made a great sandwich for a quick lunch

For instance, I was practicing this rather unique Barcelona-ism in case I had to say something in the local Spanish (Catalon is the predominant language here, but good luck getting me to try that) when I noticed Ursula was about to make a major misstep.

I hurredly said, “Wath out.  Dog thit.”

By the time she asked, “What?” it was far too late.

Ursula and I had been to Barcelona twice previous to this occasion, so I didn’t really take many photographs this time of the city.  Rather, I was eagerly waiting for something we hadn’t done before — the interior of Antoni Gaudí’s incredible Sagrada Familia.  That will be the subject of an upcoming three-part series with Parts 2 and 3 focusing on the unbelievable interior.

Meanwhile, below is today’s slideshow of Barcelona.  Watch for the Arc de Triomf, the Torre Agbar Tower, the bustling and crowded Las Rambla pedestrian mall, a very interesting guard house, and other sights of Barcelona:

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