day trip to parc guell. thoroughly amused by the winding roads and escalators.we couldn't contain our excitement everytime we find the sign that tells us of the distance left in our climb.




the breathtaking backdrop.
the air is so so fresh.

the famous gaudi formations in parc guell.

gaudi museum








pretty purple flowers

walking away from guell and towards the metro, we saw kids playing basketball in the nearby school. authentic catalan life.

The walk continues with us marveling at archictecturally rich buildings and quirky images like this huge owl protruding from the top of a building. Every day in europe brings with it pretty surprises and i always look forward to the sight of flowers that just bloom anywhere and everwhere. Since barcelona was the first city we're in, it was an unforgettable experience walking through the city streets and chancing upon a huge flower bed of bright red blooms. Such an enchanting sight. (:

At the garden in front of Sagrada. Two girls were having a picnic and they were kind enough to help us take a shot. The grandeur of Sagrada was immediately visible from where we stood. Couldn't wait to see it up close.
Sagrada Familia stands for The Sacred Family. It is Gaudi's last construction. A massive cathedral that took an entire century to built and the process of construction is still going one. the first stone was placed in 1882. Gaudi could only see completed the Bell tower of Saint-Barnabas in the nativity facade.

the impressive and moving facade. the boy and i stood there in silence for a while. remembering Jesus and what he has done for us.

even though the interior was still under construction, it was obvious that the finish product is going to be unbelievable. It's really fluid and organic. if you look closely, the columns actually represent flowers! :)

We proceeded to wait in line for the lift that will bring us up to the top of a tower. We met a Singaporean mother in the queue as well. She was with her daughter and it turns out she came to Sagrada around 10 years ago and she brought her 6 yr old daugher along this time to see it again. Hopefully when she grows up, she will have the chance to see the completed work. I thought that was really sweet. I'd prob bring my children back too! 20 yrs down the road :)

The view from the top was breathtaking. Truly a sight to behold. Bird's eye view of the whole city. I was rather scared to be up so high on such a narrow tower. We could see the construction going on on the opposite towers.

Coming down, we decided to take a closer look at the facade. Really brings the whole Sagrada experience to a whole new level. The intricate details and the moving carvings of the nativity scene and Holy Trinity.

Our parting shot of the door to the cathedral.

Thereafter, we met Shang, Nic and Grace for dinner at Barcelonetta, a town famous for its seafood.

Barcelona :: Gaudi ::

i love this post. On this day, we went on an art trail....to visit one of Spain's finest artist and Barcelona's favorite son- Antonio Gaudi. I came across some of his works while doing my modern architecture module at NUS. while i don't really fancy his work...the idea of seeing his buildings in person overwhelms me. The boy on the other hand is very much interested in Gaudi. So off we go on this exciting adventure through the streets of Barcelona in search of everything Gaudi!

walking through our beloved La Rambla. this time, a photo with the roman ceasar... this guy was such a gentleman. He gave me a little star (seen here in the palm of my hand) after we took the photo. This star accompanied me throughout the rest of the trip, safe in my comfy bag. Until now, it has never failed to bring a smile to my face. :)

it was truly a beautiful walk through the many streets... we basked in the Catalan sunlight... soaked in the fragrant aroma of coffee as we passed by numerous cafes... photos here and there... and tada! came to ZARA! haha... what's a girl like me to do? walk in of course! not before getting the essential snap of me outside the store. :) I was disappointed with the collection then though. Mostly bold prints and graphics which i wasn't interested in. Oh well... but it was still fun! The boy had to wait around while i browsed. oops.

the walk continues...

the boy had a crazy time taking arty shots of me. here's my favorite.

:: closer ::

:: Barcelona Musuem of Modern Art ::

the whimsical metal/wire mesh structure adorning the facade of the building

gallery walk

the series of shots we took on the steps of the museum. love it. so artsy. those steps lead to an open deck where there's a mini garden and a huge painting. After our clowning around... we head out to the first gaudi building... tada here's La Casa Amatller. As you can see below it was built in 1910. the house is an exquisite piece of art. below is the gorgeous stained glass ceiling. the colors look so magical. really like the different shades of purples. Jordan and I stood there for quite some time, marveling at the glass. so captivating.

stained glass ceiling

Next stop was 'The Casa Batlló' (1904-1906)

On the outside, the building is covered with pieces of tile on the rear facade and large, multi-colored ceramic scales on the main facade. These scales, together with the sinuous shape of the roof resembles a dragon’s back.

We couldn't really capture a good shot of the top where you can see the dragon. so use your imagination yup. it's really an amazing piece of work.

La Pedrera (Casa Milà, 1906-1910)

This building was the last great civil work which Gaudí performed before dedicating all his time to the construction of the Sagrada Família. Will blog about Sagrada in the next post.


( L-R) exterior, sitting on a gaudi inspired bench, the interior of casa mila, the dining room, the sewing room and the last level depicting the miniature constructions of the building.

my favorite shot of us in the building. with our audio guides.

At the top of La Pedrera. The construction is really fluid and organic. It's gorgeous in an unconventional way. I love the colors. Reminds me of Greece. the sculptures remind me of Darth Vader.

okie that's the first part ogf the Gaudi experience. Next up will be the amazing tour of Sagrada Familia (The Sacred Family)