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Friday, September 09, 2005

The Adventure Continues

The clouds of yesterday had blown away. The sun was shining, the sky an almost impossible blue. The travellers sat around the breakfast table and made plans. Casa Mila was first target.








Passeig de Gracia, 1From the hotel we headed along Passeig de Garcia towards La Pedrera. As we strolled along the boulevard, we got a different perspective in some of the buildings we first saw when we arrived.
Casa BatlloIn sunlight the gothic frontage of Casa Batllo looked so different from Wednesday

La Pedrera


Casa MilaCrossing the Passeig de Garcia we approached Casa Mila against the background of the impossibly blue sky.
Casa Mila, insideThe entrance opened up into a light well with this covered stairway.

We climbed the stairs (again ignoring the elevators) to the apartment that was open for the public. From there (and Gorse Fox has spared you about 30 boring photos at this point).

Roof PassageFrom the apartment we headed to the vast attic space. This housed an impressive collection of Gaudi's work, his models, and his life. In the corner of the attic was a window looking out on a mirror that showed a path around the attic space.
Sagrat Cor from Casa MilaAgain skipping many tens of photos, we arrived at the famous roof terrace. Every direction you looked were incredible views and different levels and angles.

This view from the roof framed the impressive church of Sagrat Cor on the mount to the north west of the city.

Sagrada Familia from Casa MilaAnother framed view. This time its the view of Gaudi's Sagrada Familia from his bizarre rooftop
ChimneysThe roof sported ranges of chimneys, vents, and stairwells. This range of chimneys against the blue of the sky rather caught the eye.
Casa Mila's roofMore of the roofline.
Casa Mila RooflineSitting like a sphynx against the skyline, inscrutable and silent.
Casa Mila Roofline MaskAnother air shaft looks like a bizarre mask.

Las Ramblas, and the Port area


Angels in Las RamblasLeaving Casa Mila the intrepid adventurers headed back towards Las Ramblas. Along Las Ramblas were a number of mime artists who entertained at the drop of a coin. These "angels" caught the Gorse Fox.
Estacio FrancaFrom Las Ramblas we headed down to the Port and along the waterfront. We stopped in the impressive Estacio Franca to look at the classic railway architecture.
Parc de la Ciutadella The Parc de la Ciutadella was next on the agenda. It had some nice spots, but wasn't as colourful as we have become used to in English parks.

Gorse Fox was interested by this boating lake with trees growing out of the lake itself.

Parc de la Ciutadella, 2Some more interesting trees.
Arc de TriomfJust inland from the Parc was this triumphal arch.
Near the CathedralThe Foursome split up. Betty and Barney Rubble went to the Picasso Museum, and GF and the Silver Vixen carried on into the Barri Gotic, and returned to see the Cathedral in bright sunshine.
CloistersIn the Cathedral we saw the geese that protect the cloister. The place was so different in the sunshine.
Cloisters, 2The fountain in the central pool.


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