Where We Have Been - Europe - Spain

We arrived in Barcelona late in the evening, travelling by train from Nice, and immediately ran into trouble finding a taxi from the station to our accommodation. We’d arranged the place at short notice, having decided to arrive a day earlier than originally planned, which only added to the sense of mild disarray after a long day of travel.

While we spent time exploring the city—including a wander down Las Ramblas, where we enjoyed a decidedly underwhelming dinner—the real reason for choosing Barcelona was that Carolyn wanted to experience the architecture of Antoni Gaudí first-hand.

Our exploration of Gaudí’s work began with Casa Batlló, a residential building he famously redesigned. A riot of curves, colour, and organic forms, it feels almost alive—more sculpture than structure—and is impossible to fully appreciate without seeing it in person.

Then it was on to what has to be Gaudi’s masterpiece: the breathtaking Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, which also houses Gaudi’s tomb in the crypt. Construction began in 1882, after Gaudí took over the project in the 1880s and transformed it into the extraordinary vision it is today.

Work is still ongoing. Current plans suggest the main structure could be completed around 2026, with elements such as sculptures, decoration, and the long-debated stairway potentially continuing to 2034.

Strangely enough—considering it’s been a construction site for most of its life—it was consecrated as a Catholic church in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI (the same Pope elected while we were sitting in St Peter’s Square).

It’s impossible to do this Gothic-meets-organic wonder justice in a single visit; you could spend days studying it and still keep finding new details. We laughed when we spotted a few small figures that looked uncannily like Star Wars Stormtroopers—probably coincidence, but it’s a fun thought that a certain director might’ve visited and quietly taken notes.