Barcelona

Barcelona was very beautiful but it was the first city where we came across tourists as plentiful as in New York.  There is this long walkway that ends up at the harbor - it's called the Ramblas.  There were all sorts of 'characters' dressed up along the way hoping for donations.  There were fairy princesses, a sleeping mime and a few elaborate demons.  When I asked a friend what we should while in Barcelona, his advice was to check out the works of Gaudi, an architect who died in the first quarter of the 1900's.  His work looks like it could have been done last year, the ultimate in modernism.  It was all very colorful, the most recognizable was the colorful mosaics.  It was obvious that his architecture shook up the city, as there are so many things that have been made to 'look' like his work and it is somewhat the signature style of the city. We walked and walked and walked from place to place looking for more of his work and taking loads of pictures. 

We went to Park Guell, Guell being a tycoon who loved Gaudi's work and commissioned him often.  Park Guell is a pretty big park on the side of a huge hill (mountain even?) and Gaudi's work can be found throughout.  Here is a website where you can see more of what the park is all about (right click and open in a new window).  There are stone walkways that are supported by what looks like petrified, scaled trees. 

There's an amazing plaza with beautiful mosaic features and borders and the buildings on the property look like something the witch from Hansel and Gretel fashioned from colorful marble and glass.    It really took my breath away, over and over again.