Feb 20, 2010 - Iberian excursion, day 9am - Barcelona

Back into the Barcelona metro to head towards the Sagrada Familia.

Nice trains here - clean and not to packed.

Ella's not so sure about the escalators, but we took them everywhere. We weren't supposed to, but it was so much faster than waiting for elevators (where they had them) and easier than several flights of stairs.

We walked about a mile in a big circle, then finally to a lunch spot with a great view of the church.

We had som sausages and other apps, but our main was a spinach, artichoke, white asparagus, and grean bean pizza.

Clearly, they don't have the same euphemisms in Spain, based on this KFC sign...

OK, we're at the church.

Outside, we're reminded that there are crazy, misguided preachers everywhere.
Here, they just call them loco.

Check out the odd tower toppers - different fruits.

The facade is so decorative!

So, Gaudi designed this church, which was started in 1886.

However, when Gaudi died in 1926 (after 40 years of construction), it still wasn't finished.
This facade, called 'The Passion,' was recently completed.

The front doors of the Passion entrance.

The church is quite modern

and the statues on this side are so hopelessly sad.

Inside, even the windows are art nuveau.

Such modern windows!

This is the Nativity side, which was the first completed, finished in the 1930s.

It looks a lot like a child's sandcastle with the wet sand dribbled to make towers.

This is what it will look like - with the four now-huge towers on the west (and east) sides dwarfed by the enormous single tower on the now-under-construction south 'Glory' side and the massive central tower.

The relatively nondescript north facade.

The east, 'Nativity' side.

The next-to-be-completed 'Glory' facade.

Back in the subways, we head to see more Gaudi architecture.

We pop out of the underground to find this apartment(?), provind that even the non-famous buildings here are terribly cool.

After a brief walk, we make it to Casa Milà, an occupied residential building.

The wavy walls are simply surreal, but that's nothing compared to what's next.

Casa Batlló is also a Gaudi-created apartment building.

Casa Batlló with its skull-like balconies and colorful exterior and Casa Amatller (to the left - not Gaudi) make a popular block to visit.

A creative advertising campaign - a clothing company aiming for dumb customers.

Jill and Ella relax in the hotel lobby, plotting our dinner plans and airport route for tomorrow morning.