Solo travel adventures - Barcelona - Day 3

Barcelona surprised me not only with its beauty and various sightseeing attractions but also with its history and architectural diversity.

I invite you to spend my last day in this amazing city with me. I'm leaving tomorrow and I'll still have half a day to enjoy Barcelona so I think I will spend it sitting in a park, drinking fresh juice and enjoying the atmosphere before I will go home.

Today I want to see so many places so let's not waste the time talking and start exploring! 😊 And yes, I will finally go to the beach!

ISO 100 1/250 sec. f/9 18 mm

My day started quite early as I was going to visit Casa Batlló located very centrally on Passeig de Gràcia and I wanted to avoid the queue to get the ticket as I didn't order it online.

When I came there it was right before 9 AM so the house was not even open. I was surprised to see so many people there already and prepared myself for at least 30 minutes in the queue.

But it turned out that these people had their tickets already and only waited for house to open so there was no queue and I got my ticket right away! This is what I call LUCK!

The ticket is EUR 28.50. The high price of the ticket is due to the fact that the house is a private property and doesn't get any subsidy from the government.

ISO 100 1/250 sec. f/14 18 mm

Reconstruction of Casa Batlló was designed by Antoni Gaudí for Batlló family, and is considered one of his masterpieces. From the moment that you enter the building you feel like in a fairy tale. His design is so different to others. It looks like there are no straight lines in the house, the windows are oval shaped, and everything in the house is very closely connected to the nature that was his biggest inspiration.

The facade looks like it was made from skulls and bones. But no worries, these are the balconies and supporting pillars!!

When you climb up to the roof, you will find a tower stunningly decorated with colorful trencadis (broken tiles mosaic). The views however are not spectacular as the house is located in the city center between other buildings.

Everything in this house is beautifully decorated and all details are carefully worked out. You find something that catch your attention behind each corner!

The size of the windows is different on each floor. The ones found on the first floor are the biggest and they are getting smaller on the higher floors. This is how Gaudí wanted to manage equal lighting in the house.

Gaudí used colors and shapes found in marine life as inspiration for this house. Look at the hall with blue tiles getting darker the higher you go.

I didn't want to leave but there was another great building waiting for me just a few minutes walk from Casa Batlló. Casa Terradas is designed by the modernist architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch. The ticket is EUR 12.50 and it is worth each cent spent.

Casa Terradas is also knows as Casa de les Punxes. The name comes from the conical roofs, which end in a spike. You can see that this building was not designed by Gaudí from far away.

I think that Casa Terradas is not on the list of top attractions in Barcelona as it was completely empty. There were just a couple of people walking around.

The tour of the museum starts in a room with a big screen. You enter the room, the lights dim and the door closes. For a second you are in complete darkness. Then the music starts to play, the screen goes on and you can watch a legend. It is very impressive but also a bit scary when you're there alone.

Legend has it that Saint George, patron saint of Catalonia killed the dragon with his sword to save the princess and the people from the animal’s wrath.

The legend will lead you through three rooms with different screens. You will experience the king trying to find a solution to satisfy the dragon and save his country, his daughter who was prepared to be offered to the dragon and the brave Saint George who will save the day 😊

Barcelona is filled with various dragons. It's not completely clear if it's because of the legend or not. You will be able to see all dragons in the city on a big touch screen in a different room. Take your time and check them all out! You will then be able to spot them in the city.

Most of the work of Puig i Cadafalch forms part of the modernism school. Unlike Gaudí, his style tended towards rationality and simplification, avoiding curved, coiled lines. He was an expert in Catalan art and architecture but he was also aware of styles from other countries, especially Germany and Flanders. His design for Casa Terrades was based on castles from northern Europe.

If you happen to be in Barcelona and you have a few spare hours I would suggest you go and visit this museum. It is very interactive and the building itself is beautiful. You can take the lift to the roof and admire nice views of Barcelona streets. Not all parts of the roof are open to public for safety reasons but there is still enough to see. There should be also a cafe located in the middle of the roof but it was closed when I was there.

ISO 100 1/320 sec. f/16 18 mm

Barcelona is the greenest city that I've seen so far!

ISO 100 1/320 sec. f/16 18 mm

After my experience with tickets to Sagrada Familia that were sold out I have booked my ticket online this time. It was EUR 22 and I was a bit hesitant as all tickets in Barcelona are so expensive but I really wanted to see the interior as I heard it was very special. And I'm so glad that I did it!

Let's be honest here. If you look at Sagrada Familia from outside it is not the most spectacular building in the world. The fact that it's still in construction doesn't add to its charm either.

ISO 100 1/320 sec. f/9 18 mm

But if you learn about the building you will really appreciate it! Gaudí planned all tiny details and everything is there for a reason.

The front side of the basilica shows us the early life of Jesus. It is called the Nativity Facade. It starts with the wedding of Mary and Joseph that you can see on the left upper side. It continues with 11 happenings followed by The cypress, the tree of life on the top of the picture.

Can you recognize any other happenings on this picture?

ISO 100 1/250 sec. f/8 18 mm

The construction of Basilica began in 1882 and it is supposed to be completed by 2026 which will be 100 years from Gaudí's death. I will definitely go back after its finished as I want to see it in all its beauty.

Let's go inside of the Basilica to see the interior.

When I entered the Basilica I was stunned by all colors that were in front of me. I have never seen something like that! I admit that I enjoy the Gothic architecture more but the light coming through colorful windows was just beautiful. I walked around the church twice as I loved it!

The east side of the church has windows with cold colors and the interior of the basilica turns blue/green in the morning.

ISO 200 1/100 sec. f/5 18 mm

The west side of the church has windows with warm colors and the interior of the basilica turns yellow/orange in the afternoon. I was there around 6 PM and it was almost red in some parts.

ISO 200 1/100 sec. f/5 18 mm

If you look up you will see how the main columns that hold the construction change into something what looks like tree crowns. There you can also see Gaudí's inspiration in nature. Can you see the 'branches of the trees'?

ISO 200 1/100 sec. f/5 20 mm

In the middle of basilica you can sit down and admire the ceiling. On each one of four main columns there is a name of one of evangelists with the symbol associated to him.

ISO 200 1/100 sec. f/5 18 mm

You will sit directly in front of the High Altar. The sculpture hanging above the Altar symbolizes Crucifixion of Christ. Take a moment and look at it closely.

The baldachin is heptagonal, representing the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord.

It's a beautiful piece of work and it has so many hidden symbols. Make sure to take audio guide to learn all details about this sculpture and structure.

ISO 200 1/100 sec. f/5 20 mm

I think now it's time to enjoy the colors once again. I didn't edit these pictures, this is how it really looks inside.

Once the basilica is finished it will reach 172.5 meters and it will be the tallest religious building in Europe. There is a thought even in this detail. Gaudí believed that nothing man-made should ever be higher than God’s work. It is no coincidence that the ultimate height will be not even one meter less than Montjuïc, the mountain in Barcelona, which is also the city’s highest point.

One more thing, did you know that Gaudí died after being hit by a tram in Barcelona? His tomb is in the underground level of the Basilica and you can see it also from the praying area.

Today I learned so much and I really enjoyed all of the buildings that I visited but now it's time to go to the beach and enjoy a good cocktail in a trendy bar!

ISO 200 1/400 sec. f/20 18 mm

The beach in Barcelona is a few kilometers long and it is full of people even in early summer. You can see many people swimming, sunbathing, playing volleyball. I'm looking forward to the weekends that I will spend on the beach next year during my 3 months stay in Barcelona!

ISO 200 1/400 sec. f/20 18 mm
!steemitworldmap 41.367925 lat 2.177108 long Solo travel adventures - Barcelona - Day 3 d3scr

I really hope that you enjoyed my last day in Barcelona. I came to the city to get to know it a bit before it will become my temporary home and I'm really looking forward to next year now! There are still so many places to see and I'm glad I will have a chance to explore them all!

All pictures are taken by Nikon D3200 AF-S NIKKOR 18-55 mm 1:3.5-5.6 G II.

Cheers,

Martina