The next day we had reservations for Gaudi’s masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia, which
is still under construction. This was another amazing site. His intricate design, which
combines classical features along with his signature curves is truly awesome, and the
stained-glass is breathtaking. All that said, it still has the iconography of the
Church throughout. Gaudi, who died in 1926, is buried in the crypt. We had also
arranged for a tour of one of the two towers, the Nativity Tower, which may not
have been worth the effort. We took an elevator up, and there was a very short,
one-person wide catwalk for a quick closer view of the work-in-progress, the spire
decorations, and the Barcelona skyline. Then we had a rather intense walk down of
more than 300 steps, which sometimes were dimly lit and lacking sturdy handholds. We
had much more time and just as good views from the more extensive catwalks on the
Cathedral. From there we went to the Picasso Museum (early on he lived in Barcelona).
It was very interesting to see his very early work as a young art student doing the
classical exercises. Also, some of his 57 re-interpretations of Velazquez’s Las Meninas.
Picasso moved through various stages as he encountered new influences. This museum has
a permanent collection of his work, much donated by him, but is not a complete
retrospective. The next day we mostly walked around the area of our hotel. There
are many Gaudi buildings, and one was very nearby. Also very nearby is the famous
Barcelona food market, probably the largest food market we have ever seen. This is
meant for people browsing and snacking, as well as those grocery shopping for their
fresh food. There were a amazing number of varieties of an incredible number of
different foods, including fresh, packaged, prepared, ready-to-eat, ready-to-go, etc.
Of course, there were the signature smoked meats and sausages of the region, but
since we don't really eat meat, it could be a bit unsettling to see things like whole
cured pork legs, some of them the famed Iberico ham, with hooves still attached.
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