During the last reading week, my Fiancee and I took a short trip to Barcelona.
I had heard endless words of praise from many mouths about Barcelona and so left with high expectations.
Armed with a list of places which we had been told, we HAD to see while we were there, we arrived and even in the taxi from the airport, the historic atmosphere was blatant.
The architecture (which was especially spoken of in high regard), was amazing.
Every building seemed to have its own uniqueness, smooth flowing curves, colour or decorative iron work balconies. Generic has no home in Barcelona.
First things first though. Being a big football fan I had to visit Camp Nou, a football mecca and home ground to FC Barcelona. (obvs).
Getting there was a rather dull affair, using the cities underground metro system, so there was not much to see except the occasional hyperactive busker.
Once off the train we emerged outside the University of Barcelona, which in itself as a building though it is a modern build it still holds an aura of majesty.
Arriving at the football stadium was almost anti climax (almost) as from the outside much of the building is obscured by giant advertising banners, but I wanted to see this place from the inside.
Although it is not aesthetically dazzling its sheer size is an epic feat of engineering that has been a hotbed of inspirational historic sporting events.
I know this is not much related to art, but it is definantley a level of inspiration useful to a creative mind.
An afternoon spent posing next to trophies and reading up on the assorted sporting memorabilia on offer within the stadium, we went off in search of other MUST see's.
While ambling around the city, I found myself spending more time looking up past the burger king and footlocker signs that took up 90% of my peripherals for more examples of the scenic architecture that makes Barcelona the place it is.
In need of a notebook, we found a Catalonian version of 'Hobby Craft', and while looking for something to scribble reminders into, I accidentally found this...
I knew what I was looking at after taking a second to realise, my limited knowledge of Barcelona did actually contain a section on Antoni Gaudi, a Spanish architect, famed for his extrovert approach to the design n construction of buildings.
This, that I had stumbled on by going onto the sun terrace at the back of a stationary shop was in fact Casa Batllo, the view from the back.
Instantly recognisable, as Gaudi's work by the large, colourful mosaic work adorning the roof terrace that stretches either side down almost framing the building and by the fine, intricate iron work that threw amazing shadows and shapes in all directions.
Distracted by my discovery I left the shop and headed around the very next corner to find the rest of Casa Batllo.
And I did,...
Casa Batllo, was a Gaudi designed home off a wealthy family living in a upper class neighbourhood of Barcelona.
Skeletal in design, hence the nickname 'The House of Bones', unique ornate flowing stone, wild arch ways and daring stained glass with skull shaped balconies.
The roof is said to be shaped after the arch on a dragons back, with the spear of St George protruding from it as a turret.
An amazing amount of imagination, vision, creativity and genius made this building, and in 1887, to make it even slightly more amazing, (considering the lack of modern day building aids)
This place was a fountain of inspiration!
The roof of Casa Batllo, (not my image) I couldnt see the roof for the trees!
Now Im in Barcelona, finding the first (non sport related) landmark and decide the more the merrier so went of in search of Gaudi's crown in the jewel, Sagrada Familia, an 18 spire (on eventual completion) cathedral in the heart of Barcelona.
Later that day... much later, we found it, surrounded by fast food chains, and gift shops, the tallest most atmospherically dominating place I have ever seen,
After the initial astonishment wears off and you begin to acknowledge and admire the intricacy and detail applied to every stone in the building, but this was night time, so we decided to come back in the morning,.
Next morning, same place. We had not seen the half of it. Literally.
Sagrada Familia at night, with Gaudi's signature on the construction fences.
Sagrada Familia by day
The level of detail within every piece of stone that makes up this cathedral is mesmeric, you find yourself stood imagining the painstaking carving that went into the stories depicted within the four facades that adorn one side of the building each.
But imagining with respect for the talent and artistic integrity of the stone masons of the day.
Building began in 1882, and still will not be finished for an estimated thirteen further years (2026).
This is more than Gaudi's lifes work this monument is his legacy, built on private funds work has had to cease many times since the ground was broken on the site.
The magnificence and awe that this place gives off just feeds imagination endlessly.
The visit was fast becoming a Gaudi hunting expedition, so we broke it up by visiting the Pablo Picasso museum, which my next blog will be about.
Day three we agreed to visit Guell Parc, another Gaudi project.
It was designed as a getaway for residents of Barcelona, away from the smokey city high up on a hillside.
It is a massive amount of land with many separate elements to it, all though wear the Gaudi brand of imagination and design obviously.
Guell Parc, is like a fantasy land, it reminded me a theme park, but one without rides, it was fun because of the way it had been designed, it was brightly coloured full of twisted columns and curved stone,
even the buildings are designed in a way that makes it feel like they are having fun.
The sense of 'why cant I do this or do that' in Gaudi's work is what I found most appealing about all of his works that I had visited, and not only did he do it, he did it how we wanted to do it, and succeeded on the basis of over a century later people still in wonder at his works, both complete and those STILL under construction.
And if that isn't inspiration then I'm never going to find any.
