I stood across the park. Spires loomed along the tree line. Stone erections rising from a skeleton, decorated with cranes.
I always hated the Sagrada Familia. Every photograph I saw was vomit from the mind of a mad man. Last time I was in Barcelona, I refused to go.
Why bother seeing something I could dismiss with a photo?
This time, I confronted the spectacle of weird shapes. Bizarre angles. I craned my neck at the suicidal statue on one face, wondering if he was as disoriented as I was.
Still determined to stick to my opinion, I bought my ticket. Wandered through words.
I studied the light. Listened to sound bounce off tree-like columns and sun bursts of stone. I watched cares drain from faces, as everyone frolicked in colors and shapes, music and wonder.
Buildings are layers of experience. Just like books. Or people.
I was wrong about Sagrada Familia.
What else am I wrong about when I dismiss an experience with a glance or two?
56 Comments
This is a very nice series of shots
Thanks!
I’m glad you went for it…..there’s a real joy in his work….if that’s madness then I’m a friend of folly:)
Me too, Roger. 🙂
I like Gaudi’s work, I’d love to visit it one day.
It’s worth the trip.
Wow. Fantastic photos Andra 🙂
Thanks, Sherri.
Interesting. A cathedral? A tomb? An asylum?
All three. It is an active church. Gaudi is buried there. There was a card on him that called him God’s architect. Mighty big statement.
Those photos are amazing!!! I can hear the children squealing in glee on the bridges as if I were there.
I tried to hold a few back yesterday.
The photos are amazing. Was he an early innovator in acoustics? I’ve always found that kind of design a little crazy/mad too, but beautiful.
He was an early innovator in the use of stone for building odd shapes. He used these string and sand bag contraptions that were really quite beautiful.
Cool pictures! Thanks for sharing
I was pleased with how well it photographed.
Educate me…. When is the completion date expected and when was it started?
Completion date is projected at 2050. It is behind schedule, but they decided to use modern materials (concrete and steel under stone) versus Gaudi’s material specs (just stone), so that may catch them back up. The building was started in the late 1800’s.
My gosh, I had no idea this had been under construction for so long. Good for you, Andra, for taking the plunge and going in, in spite of your feelings. Your photos are breathtaking.
thanks for sharing these. Really cool!
I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.
Changing your mind is a very useful survival trait. Cobble that together with a whacky sense of humor and there is a lifetime of material.
You are so right, Jim.
I love the Sagrada. I do wonder if it or St John the Divine will be completed first…
I bet on the Sagrada. I don’t think St John will ever be finished, and in a way, that’s kind of cool. I love the interior just the way it is right now.
I love these. This is the kind of stuff I look at for story ideas sometimes. Wait, what does that say about me?
I do the same thing, Jon. I think that says good things about you.
Gorgeous shots! I’ve seen other photos of parts of the outside and thought the Sagrada looked weird. But I’ve never seen a photo inside. Incredible!!!
I’ve found a couple of inside photos on Pinterest, but never ones that did it justice. I don’t know whether these do it justice, either, but I like them. Thanks, Linda.
Amazing photos. Thanks.
Thanks, John.
Beautiful. Wow. I have been gazing at the photos for quite a bit now. Just lovely Andra, lovely.
I was pleased with the way a few turned out. Thanks, Lori.
I think I lived the inside much more than the outside. Possibly because the cranes ruined my exterior pics on both visits. It is an architectural wonder, that’s for sure.
Cranes everywhere on my visit, too. I figure they’re just part of the design right now.
What is it with me hitting the “i” instead of the “o” when I’m typing on my phone? Happens all the damned time. People probably think I’m illiterate. Grrr.
I’ve seen this place on Globe Trekker and it looks pretty unusual (understatement) for a cathedral. Almost… alien in a way. My money is on it taking off for the stars once that last bit is done…
http://www.martinbowersmodelworld.co.uk/images/fin_A-Refinery-1.jpg
Wouldn’t that be funny? It really does look otherworldly.
I have, many times, been guilty of forming “instant opinions” that cause me to later eat crow. It’s a hard habit to break.
Your photos are thought provoking and very dramatic, and the tale of this place reminded me of my Mom’s stories about the National Cathedral in Washington, DC.
When I was a child she used to talk about visiting there many times as a high school student living in DC, and then wonder aloud whether it’s construction would EVER be completed. Now I wonder if she realized when the “final finial” was placed in 1990. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_National_Cathedral I don’t remember if she ever mentioned that fact.
I wonder if she realized it. Cathedrals have always been long-term projects. Some of the medieval ones took hundreds of years to complete.
What wonderful photos! I like the one that looks like the inside of a skeleton. I visited Barcelona with PF over a weekend. We walked our feet off and they throbbed all night for two nights. A man danced outside our hotel room on the pavement with a pair of maracas at 4 am. It was magic. I loved everything I saw of Gaudi’s work except…. (fill in the blanks). But I didn’t go in – next time (if I get one) I’ll go inside and revise my opinion with a thought for you.
I think Barcelona is a magical place. I thought of you when I was there, just up the coast a ways. We stayed with MTM’s friend Miguel. His and Mercedes’ place was a gorgeous apartment in the Eixample. We got to stay in the pavilion in the back garden…….which was also in the middle of a city block in the Eixample…….which made going to the bathroom at 3am feel like wandering through an arena, with everyone’s windows facing down at me. I’d do it again tomorrow, though, because it was wonderful. Every bit of it was wonderful.
Andra ~ I know you have a LOT on your writing plate right now, but thought this might interest you: http://writingcareer.com/
Among other things, Simon & Schuster is starting a Sci-Fi imprint and Penumbra Magazine wants Super Hero stories. And the Fog Horn is paying $1000 a story (for 1200-8500 words).
Thanks, Nancy.
Love this…and you are so right. What are we missing?
We humans just have the need to classify.
this is really cool, i’ve never seen it before – glad you jumped in )
Glad to bring you something new, Beth.
I followed the story of this amazing architectural feat with a short piece on “60 Minutes” and I was blown away. It really does fascinate me. I think the important thing in life is that if we are prone to making quick decisions or forming opinions based on partial knowledge, then embrace the option to change our minds. You certainly did that here–good for you!
I hope I’m more open-minded than I used to be. I’m still working on it.
What struck me about the place was the combination of a busy building style but a great peacefulness inside
Even with all the people inside, it was very peaceful. You’re right, Jim.
Stunning place, Andra. And beautiful pictures.
I can see why you dismissed it . . . I’m not quite sure what I’m looking at in most of these photos – but they’re pretty sweet!
I am so jealous.
Wow, how crazy. You always have such fascinating photos around here, it’s a continual education!
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