We wake up to another beautiful morning. We have one thing on our schedule today. A tour of the Sagrada Familia. The tour starts at 11:05 so we have leisurely morning for coffee and breakfast.
Outside the basilica is a model that shows what it will look like when it is finished. The grey portions are completed, the orange portions are currently under construction.
I have mentioned that this building intrigues me. Every detail has a meaning!! It is reminiscent of Dr. Seuss. We discovered that Dr. Seuss did in fact take inspiration from Gaudi. The structures are so whimsical.
The interior is stunning as well. The columns are so detailed. They are designed as trees with the tops or capitals branch out to be palm fronds. The stained glass colours represent the 4 seasons.
This is the exit of the basilica, the Passion Façade is a very different style than the entrance which is called the Nativity Façade. It depicts the crucifixion of Jesus.
We are told that the knights on the Passion Façade were the inspiration for Darth Vader.
The Travelling Fish gets a photo op here. I just LOVE the spikes on the sun!! ❤❤❤❤
The park across the street is a very busy site today. There is a geocache right here, so we take a few minutes to search for it.
Lindsey has done some research and thinks that it might be cool to head to the Gothic Quarter. This is believed to be where Barcelona began. Where the first Roman settlement was built. This area is a bit farther away from where we are staying. This journey calls for public transit.
We come up from the subway to arrive in the Gothic Quarter. We are right next to Chapel of Santa Ágata that was built in 1302. We see the remains of the city’s Roman wall and several notable medieval landmarks.
It is Sunday today. As we approach the Catedral de Barcelona there is an outdoor church service in progress. Many people attending and listening to the priest here.
It is time for a beverage. Finding a small restaurant with outdoor seating we sit and order Sangria. Oh my, this is THE BEST SANGRIA that I have ever had. There is a flavour that is so delicious that we can’t identify. We speak with our server. He has a few English words and we have a few Spanish words. We work out the ingredients. The magic ingredient is Licor 43. Licor 43 is named for the 43 ingredients that go into its production, Licor 43 is made with fruits and a wide range of aromatic herbs and spices. It’s light and sweet, with vanilla far and away the strongest flavor, backed up by bright citrus and warm cinnamon. Definitely a unique flavour. We are fans. As such fans we order another.
We order a tapas. Some very delicious scallops. We also order diner and are really enjoying this little restaurant. We are dining outside, but there is no smoking here. There is a young man at the table next to us who goes around the corner to have a cigarette. There are no ashtrays on the tables. I did look up smoking regulations in Spain. This is what I find. “Smoking is prohibited in publicly accessible buildings and public transport (including taxis), at work, in train stations, in discotheques, in bars and restaurants, outdoors on the premises of hospitals, health centres, schools and kindergartens.” I am a bit confused as some of the sidewalk eateries do have ashtrays and people smoking. 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️
Yesterday was Pitt Meadows Day at home. The second one in a row that I have missed. While we were enjoying our meal suddenly a parade erupted. We again question our server as to what the parade was for. A bit of back and forth. He even had to look it up. It is apparently La Patum it is Catalonia’s quintessential medieval festival of demons and fire.
Heading back to our cosy hotel, we spot a mailbox. Lindsey has written another postcard and needs to mail it back to a friend in Nanaimo. We take this opportunity. 😁
An amazing day for sure!!