Sailing Away - Barcelona

 A couple weeks ago we departed for a long awaited Mediterranean cruise.  We left about 1:00 pm on a Friday afternoon and were supposed to arrive in Barcelona at 1:40 pm on Saturday.  It was supposed to be about a 16 hour journey from Colorado Springs to Denver to Frankfurt to Barcelona.

Almost immediately the plan few out the window.  Our plane from Colorado Springs was delayed by about three hours which meant we missed out flight from Denver to Frankfurt.  No problem, they just rerouted us through Munich.  We're all set to board when they announce that the co-pilot has taken ill and tested positive for Covid and it would be about 90 minutes for a replacement to arrive.  No problem, that leaves us sufficient time to make our connection in Munich, but 90 minutes soon turned into 2 1/2 hours.  We landed in Munich just as our flight to Barcelona was boarding and although we made our best effort at running through the airport we arrived at the gate just as it was closing.  No problem, we'd just take the next flight in six hours.  All went well on that final leg and we arrived in Barcelona around midnight--a 27 hour journey.  We can't blame the airlines or anyone else for the travel problems, we were victims of circumstance.

Anyway, we were up at 6:00 a.m. to prepare for our tour of Barcelona.

The highlight of Barcelona was Sagrada Familia which has been under construction for 140 years.  The cornerstone was laid in 1882.  Antonio Gaudi became the chief architect in 1883.  If you've ever seen any of his other designs you'll understand why this basilica is so unusual.

Gaudi worked on it for 43 years until his death in 1926 after he was hit by a tram in Barcelona.  At the time of his death the structure was only 15-25% complete.

The plans call for 18 spires.  As of 2022, eleven of those spires have been built.  They are huge angels on top, and fruit that corresponds to the month of the year among so many other things that it's hard to take it all in.

The hope was that the building was be completed in 2026 to mark the 100 year anniversary of Gaudi's death.  A more likely target is 2030 or 2032.

We were able to walk around the entire structure.  It has three grand facades.  One devoted to the Nativity or Jesus' birth, one for the Passion or death of Jesus and the third for the Glory of the resurrection.  The Glory façade hasn't even been started yet.

The carvings on the building are amazing and took decades to complete.  My pictures don't do justice to beauty and uniqueness of this basilica.  I'd love to go back when it's complete.  Hopefully it won't take another 140 years.

Here's a model of the finished product.

Our next stop was the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia in the city center of Barcelona.  Our tour guide said the Galaxy billboard is advantageous for both the church and Samsung.  It helps provides funds for the continual restoration process.

It was built between the 13th and 15th centuries.  In the late 19th century the neo Gothic façade was built over the plain exterior.  I love the doors on these old cathedrals.  I can only imagine they weigh a ton and they add so much character.

We we're able to go inside the cathedral or Sagrada Familia because it was Sunday and masses were being held.  I'm totally okay with that.

We were allowed to go inside the cloister though which gave us a hint of what the inside of the cathedral must look like.

There were many side altars which were very extravagant and beautiful with their gilded gold.

In the center was the Well of the Geese which was constructed in 1448.  Lucky geese, I say.

I don't know why some of the side altars were behind bars.

MUHBA Placa del Rei is behind the cathedral and currently houses the Barcelona History Museum.

It was originally a royal palace located in Barcino

In the 1930s it was moved stone by stone to its current location.  While constructing a foundation in its new location an old Roman and Visigoth city was discovered.  Not unusual, it seems that they find old Roman ruins everywhere in this country.

Back out in the plaza in front of the cathedral our tour guide was asked why these yellow and red Catalonia flag has stars on them.  Apparently the star indicates that the residents of those flats were in support of independence for Catalonia.  Barcelona is in Catalonia and they are very proud of their heritage.  If you think you can use your Spanish to communicate in Barcelona, they speak Catalonian.

To access the city center we had to walk through a series of narrow passageways in the old town area.  I though they were very photogenic.  I just which all these people would move so I could get a shot of just the passageways.

Above you'll see ruins of the Roman aqueducts.

Different angle of the aqueduct.

This is the Architect College of Catalunya topped with a drawing of Catalonian culture as depicted by Picasso.  It was drawn to spite the fascist dictator.  Picasso was exiled from Spain after the civil war.  He lived in France and refused to return to Spain until after Franco died.  Did you know Picasso never was allowed to visit the USA because he was a member of the French Communist party?

Finally in Barcelona we were introduced to an Caganer.  El Caganer translates to "the pooper" and he appears in nativity scenes in Catalonia because he represents fertilization.  Our tour guide said his family goes to the forest before Christmas and picks out a log that they bring home and set before the fire with a pooper on top.  On Christmas day they turn the log over and it poops out chocolate for the kiddos.  Okay, I respect your traditions even if I don't understand them.

Before long we were back onboard our ship, the Viking Sea, and captured a beautiful sunset from our balcony.

Then it was time for Aperol Spritz and a game of trivia in the Explorer Lounge!

Next stop...Sete, France.