Astrovelo

In the afternoon, we visited the most famous landmark of Barcelona - La Sagrada familia cathedral - the masterpiece of architect Antoni Gaudi. The design and decorations on the outside are not to my liking and our guide kept gabbing on and on about history and evolution of the Catherdal.

Once we went inside it was something else. There is very little artificial lighting, if any. The whole building is bathed in natural light. We were there in late afternoon when the Sun was lower in the sky and the whole building was sparkling withh colorful lights streaming through the huge stained glass windows.

The building is symmetrical and huge. It is hard to find the right spot to capture the symmetry.

It has taken 140 years to build this much and is projected to take 10 more years to finish it. Maybe, we will come back when it is finished.

In the morning we went for a walk around the old city aka the Gothic quarter. This city has been around since the time of Roman empire. It used to be a walled city surrounded by a 25 foot tall wall. Some sections of the wall are still visible but most of it was demolished more than century ago to allow the city to grow.

Barcelona Cathedral with its gothic architecture and four pillars of the ancient Roman temple of August that are still standing were the highlights. Here are some pictures.

Interestingly, the pillars of the Roman temple are surrounded by private property and they can’t be seen unless you go into this enclosed courtyard.

Arrived in Barcelona for the holiday break. Line for immigration was so long and it took forever to get through. This was the worst immigration line experience in recent history.

Walked by Gaudi’s Casa Battlo. Looks pretty good from outside. Planning for a visit inside but don’t know when.

Tapas lunch at El National.

After a short nap, we were out walking and exploring the city again. It was all lit up in the evening. Couldn’t believe how crowded it was and this is supposed to be the off season.

More Tapas for dinner at Bodega La Palma in the Gothic quarter away from the crowds and bustle of La Rambla.

Ended the night with a concert at Gran Teatre del Liceu. The Hollywood symphony orchestra performed music from Hollywood Sci-fi movies with the second half of the concert solely made up of music from Star Wars. The theater was beautiful and music was fantastic too.

It was a great first day of vacation. Look forward to rest of the week.