Page 7 of 9
Barcelona, Spain
It's just so bizarre, is it true what we're made of- why do I hide from the rain
There may be work by other architects in Barcelona, but in my eyes nothing beats or even comes close to Antoni Gaudí, a visionary a hundred years ago who (if he somehow survived that streetcar accident and kept himself healthy enough to live to 159) would still be a visionary today.
This is Casa Batlló, a hard to photograph single family residence on Passeig de Gracia's Block of Discord. Sometimes called the House of Bones, its facade is supposedly inspired by St George- famous dragonslayer and patron saint of not just England but also of Catalonia. Supposedly there are swords and dragon teeth in the facade, although that always seemed like overthinking the building to me. Sometimes it seems best to just see something as it is, irrespective of bones or teeth or swords or dragons or whatever someone else says might be there.
There are four big Gaudí sites (or possibly sights) in Barcelona and it's hard to see any one without wanting to see the other three. This is Park Güell, one of the four, where despite the threatening forecast and despite the gathering clouds and despite the heavy thunderstorms that started as soon as I got there, I still managed a visit, albeit a wet one.
Park Güell has a few covered areas where you can hide with all of the umbrella-less refugees, but it's hard to hide when there's something like a mosaic covered lizard to see. And I was prepared to brave the weather- I had a raincoat from REI, a waterproof cap from Paragon and my Lowa waterproof hiking boots that I bought in Anchorage back in 2007. Plus some crappy umbrella from a Duane Reade. Severe thunderstorms be damned, I have a park to see.
Park Güell was designed as the centerpiece of a housing development and it includes a large covered market (which when I visited was filled with people without umbrellas), whimsical sculptures, overdesigned follies and a hell of a lot of steps.
The third big Gaudí site in Barcelona is Casa Milà, also known as La Pedrera, also known as the Quarry. Just a few blocks north of Casa Batlló on the same street (but the other side), Casa Milà is an apartment building unlike any other. It's wavy stone facade with glass floored balconies only gives you a small idea of what awaits inside.
The picture on the left (one of my very favorites from this slideshow by the way) is an HDR view of the courtyard gate, with just a distant glimpse of the around the block line waiting to get in. Unlike other Gaudí sites that will go nameless (cough, Sagrada Familia, cough), the long lines here are worth it as at least they are used to keep the crowds inside down to a manageable size.
Forget the facade and the courtyard and the gate and the attic and the tourable apartment floor, the reason that everyone comes to Casa Milà is to see the rooftop. The sculptural and way too much fun mosaic and terra cotta chimneys on the roof remain an absolute joy and a reason alone to go to Casa Milà, a reason alone to go to Barcelona, a reason alone to go to Spain.
Hmmm. I had written that there were four big Gaudí sites. Casa Batlló, Park Güell, Casa Milà, and, um, I forget the other one right now. More about that mystery site on the nest page.
