Gaudi and futbol

Let's just say, if you don't like crowds, Barcelona is not the place for you. Or, at least not The Ramblas, the main drag, where we are staying. The crowds here are some of the biggest we have ever seen. That, combined with the ever present threat of professional pick pocketers, can make for a somewhat unnerving experience at first. We have become accustomed to it, though, and know to keep an eye out and watch our belongings carefully. Other than that, it really is a beautiful city, full of life.


Yesterday, we explored two buildings designed by Antoni Gaudi. First, we saw La Sagrada Familia (Holy Family church), which he worked on from 1883 until his death in 1926. Basically, it is a GIANT gothic church that is still being constructed and is not expected to be complete for another quarter century. After La Sagrada Familia, we toured another Gaudi attraction, the Casa Mila. It's a "Modernista" building according to Rick Steves. You should look up pictures of it online to get a real sense of what it looks like. Though both places were interesting to look at, we both agree the gothic style is not exactly our taste and, in fact, walked away wondering if the term "gaudy" in the English language stems from his style of art. LOL. Yesterday, in La Copa del Mundo, Espana played Honduras so it was great to be in a Spanish city at the same time. We made our way to a cafe on Las Ramblas to watch the game on television. It was nice to see the excitement of the locals after Spain's victory.

Today, we visited the Picasso Museum, which houses many pieces of works from his early, boyhood years. It was neat to see the transition his artistic style made as he grew from a young boy of 12 years old into a young adult-- very different styles. Admittedly, neither one of us were Picasso fans before, but have now been converted.

We are resting now and hoping to rent bikes later for a ride along la playa (beach). By the way, for all of Sarah's friends who helped her practicar su Espanol, she is doing quite well communicating with others and has even received a few praises from the locals. Muchas gracias!