This trip have really been a long one, just look at the number of reviews and post I have! Regardless, I enjoyed myself throughout this trip and dread coming home instead, I guess this can be say as ” Wu Jiao De Xiao Niao” getting out of Singapore is all I ever wanted even though I love Singapore. Just to digress a little, soon I will publish a post about my fellow traveller, Amanda, sharing her travels and adventures with you guys, so stay tuned for that! This trip is long, but the sights are ever new and endless, Barcelona, may be known as the city of Catalan but another name for it will definitely be Gaudi City! Every steps you see, every street, every area, Gaudi products and master piece are to be seen. Antoni Gaudi, a Spanish Catalan Architect is famous for its style is unique, modern and individualized! Where he love to incorporate stained glass, ironwork and carpentry into his works. At his death, where he died in an tram accident, his most famous work remains unfinished, even up to today. As you may have know, Sagrada Familia, the most famous and visited attractions in Spain. Most of his works are a legacy, with 7 of them being UNESCO World Heritage Site, of course the only one that you definitely have to visit is this! 
Isn’t this absolute gorgeous and amazing? There are numerous Gaudi sites to visit in Barcelona, with the main of being Parc Guell, Palau Guell, Casa Mila and of course this beautiful mind blowing structure above! It is expect to finish the construction in 20 years and I will definitely be back to see the finished product with my naked eye again! This time beside Sagrada Familla I had only managed to visit the Palau Guell 😦 which I will share with your guys!
First, Palau Guell! saving the best for the last! I would share with you guys on some of the tickets buying tips first! Palau Guell is a Mansion/palace designed by Gaudi for a industrial tycoon Eusebi Guell, which explains the name of the place. The Palace was complete in 1888 which means that the building has been standing for 128 years!!! Due to the precious legacy and history, being an old building as well, tickets are definitely necessary and the allocated timing are strictly followed! This is to control the amount of visitors and also ensure that everyone gets to see this amazing building in a relax and less crowded way! Tickets cost 12 Euros and 9 Euros for concession. It can be bought at the palace itself but I really do recommend buying it online! After a hearty breakfast at La Boqueria or a walk around at the gorgeous Placa Reial, this is the perfect place to be! A leisure walk in the building and seeing the great Palace, how I wish my house was like this too! However I feel that the place was a little bare and not worth the tickets!
But there was a highlight at the end though! These amazing cones like structures at the roof top of the building. They were in fact chimney which connects to the various heaters in the house! Located just down the road on rambles from Plaza Catalunya, this is the perfect location to be!
Now the most amazing attractions in Barcelona, or should I say Spain? SAGRADA FAMILIA, the 134 years old unfinished church that outgrows all of us! I just hope to be able to see the unfinished product in my lifetime! If its 10/10 gorgeous now, how much would it be when it is finished? A little out of the central district in Barcelona, although located near a metro station, I will definitely recommend you to walk there instead, which is around 30 mins from Plaza Catalunya. Given the nice weather this is the best! Even given the weak and slow me, I had a leisurely stroll there, you could also stop by at some of the great shops and shop for some prada or channel? Directions are easy and Google map would be a good guide. straight down and bank right from Passing de Garcia, where you bank right after seeing Casa Mila which is another Gaudi great work! When you arrived, before even finding the entrance you will definitely first be awed by the mind blowing impacting exterior of the church and it’s towers! I will definitely recommend taking one of the guided tours and you definitely have to visit to one of the towers, which is what I did! You really have to buy your tickets online as the queues are really long! After all, it’s the most visited attractions in Spain! In the past, when I was there I am able to get the combination of a guided tour by a guide and a visit to the towers for 24 Euros, there are also concession available. The knowledgeable tour guide first show us around the cathedral and explain to us in detail why Gaudi design the various features in such a way. However, I just did a check and realise that you can only get a audio guide tour if you want to visit the towers now 😦
The most amazing part and making me impressed was the use of the colours on the tainted glass, together with the sun position are different timings, the sunlight shine over tinted glass and brighten up the cathedral. From the bright red, yellow and orange before noon which represent warm and bright to the purple, blue which represent cold and dark! Following on, we proceed on to the museum, which besides telling us the story of the 134 years but it is also a working place for the experts in maintaining and making models of the cathedral! The workers here also built models for modern builders and architects to finish this super lengthy construction!
My visit finally ended with a visit up to the Towers, this is the highest point you can get to in the city area of Barcelona, and it gives you the bird eye view of this gorgeous city! It is actually pretty scarry up there, totally can’t believe how did they built stones up so high and narrow! For the fitter ones, you could choose to walk down the steps to ground level taking in the breath taking views along the way while the lazy me choose to just take the elevator back down!
If you guys have never ever been to Sagrada Familia, you really have to get to in your life time! But please, please get your tickets online! Do let me know how you find this amazing filled with Gaudi Attractions! Stay tuned for my upcoming posts.
Seeing The World In Steps 