I choose my yearly adventures in strange ways. I chose Barcelona (almost embarrassed to admit it) because I saw this city on an episode of “The Bachelorette”.  It looked interesting and I wanted a change from the sometimes dark and ancient history of some of my previous trips. I really had no idea that this chance destination would become my favorite trip.

I loved the sunshine, tapis, great wine, outdoor cafes, and the bright colors of Spain. But what really made an impression on me was the architecture of Antoni Gaudi who lived from 1852 to 1926. His art is imaginative and diverse. One of his instructors stated he was either a genius or insane because his buildings were so ahead of their time.

The two pictures above and the picture at the beginning of this post are of an apartment commissioned by a wealthy citizen of Barcelona.

Palau Guell was an apartment complex.  The grey structures that look like space soldiers are chimneys.  Notice that many of the lines in the building are curved rather than straight.

Sagrada Familia is his masterpiece. Before the advent of computers, Gaudi used chains over mirrors to explain to his workers the stress points in the construction. He also incorporated elements of nature into his designs. Notice the treelike composition of the pillars in the bottom left picture.

Park Guelle was to become a housing development and is now a beautifully preserved tourist attraction.

The Cascada Fountain was designed and built for the 1888 World’s Fair.  There are many more of his works in this Spanish city.   Because of him, I was introduced to The Age of Modernism, a fascinating time in history that was never really covered in any of my classes. This is definitely a city I hope to visit again.

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