This weekend we flew to Barcelona to meet up with Andy's dad (Larry) and his wife (Jo). Since we arrived close to midnight on Thursday, we stayed in the town of Tarragona (birthplace of Antoni Gaudi) prior to meeting up with Andy's parents. Even though it was late, we spent about an hour checking out the local Cathedral and having some wine at a little alley bar. We found Larry and Jo in a small town just south of Barcelona on Friday just in time for lunch. We spent the day strolling around the seaside town of Salou, eating wonderful tapas, and just taking it easy catching up in preparation for our big day planned for Barcelona!
The Cathedral in Tarragona:
Tarragona alley:
We had been to Barcelona before, but hadn't seen as many of the tourist attractions as we probably should have (too many hours in those tapas bars...) So this time we made the most of our day and were able to visit Santa Maria del Mar (a beautiful smaller church), the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia in the heart of Barcelona, and the highlight - Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia. And of course in between each attraction - stopping for beers and spanish tapas.
I've included below a brief history of La Sagrada Familia (just for information's sake) which I (mostly) borrowed from Wikipedia. The legacy behind the construction is amazing and the detail both inside and out is absolutely mind-blowing!
La Sagrada Familia:
Originally designed by Antoni Gaudí (1852 – 1926), who worked on the project for over 40 years, devoting the last 15 years of his life entirely to the endeavor, the project is scheduled to be completed in 2026. After Gaudí's death in 1926 (an accidental death - Gaudi was hit by a tram in downtown Barcelona), work continued based on complete sets of models he left behind. Parts of the unfinished church and Gaudí's models and workshop were destroyed during the war by Catalan anarchists. The present design is based on reconstructed versions of the lost plans as well as on modern adaptations.
The building works are expected to be completed around 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death, although the likelihood of meeting this date is disputed. Initially, the construction work was expected to last for several hundred years, based on building techniques available in the early 1900s. The construction work calls for many pieces of stone to be machined to unique shapes, each being subtly different from the next, and these pieces are now being machined accurately off-site, reducing the overall construction time.
La Sagrada Familia:
The visit was obviously a short one, but we couldn't have been happier to spend some quality time with Larry and Jo before they set out for 6 weeks (yes, six, now we know where Andy gets his penchant for travel!) of cruising around Europe. They have an amazing itinerary lined up (including most of Italy, Greece and even Morocco) and we can't wait to hear how it all goes for them.
Thank you Larry & Jo for such a nice visit - we had a great time!
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