Day 2 started off with another whirlwind adventure before we had to leave and catch a bus from Barcelona to the airport in Reus to fly back to Sevilla. I forgot to mention in my last post, that I have a new favorite ethnic culinary delight, kababs. Not the ones on skewers, but basically an Indian/Pakistani version of a burrito. AWESOME.
On Sunday, we went to the Barrio Gotic or the Gothic Quarter where the Cathedral of Barcelona was located. I wanted to take some exterior shots of the building, however the front was under renovation. I think the whole world is underconstruction sometimes. While we were in the Cathedral looking, we got to see part of of a Mass. It was interesting and amazing to see these friars and priests singing in a very large space, but their voices resonated through out the entirety. It was my first experience of a Catholic service and a Spanish one. I wanted to stay longer, but we had to move on to other destinations.
Our next stop was the Sagrada Familia, designed by Gaudi and overseen by him until his untimely death after being hit by a trolley car on his way to Mass. He died two days later. The project has been overseen since then and is scheduled for completion in 2026. This is considered one of the last great cathedrals of Christianity. The Sagrada is such a magnificient site to see, because once you understand the idea and simplicity behind the design, it's quite powerful to witness. All of Gaudi's designs were based on geometry found in nature. The Sagrada has a very natural feel about to it and it's designed that way for a reason, the columns supporting the building are supposed to be like tree trunks. Besides the Sagrada, itself, they had a nice museum that had models and sketches of the cathedral through the years and during the Spanish Civil War.
Finally we ended at Park Guell, once a gated enclave designed by Gaudi but it ended up failing, however the mansions are still there and the enclave is now a park with peddlers, tourists, and eclectic people running about. It offers a great view of the city and the Mediterreanean.
After all was said and done, we hurried back to the hostel in Badalona and rode to the Sants Station and boarded a bus back to Reus. Getting a seat on the bus arduous and sometimes scary, there was more people than seats, so we devised a plan to have one of the group members get crushed in line and buy 6 tickets for us all. We made it back into Sevilla at around 9:15 and decided to get some much needed grub for the night.
Whew. 4 days in Lisboa, Portugal this weekend.
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