Rod and Jessica Take on Spain - Day Five!

 Day 5

Today was the first - and only day - that we "slept in" on our entire trip, and by sleeping in, I mean until 7:00ish! After breakfast, we boarded a bus with our group and went to see The Sagrada Familia. 

I just kept taking more and more pictures to try to capture the details, but it was almost impossible!

The Sagrada Familia is a large, unfinished Roman Catholic basilica. It was designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí . It is a world-renowned masterpiece of Modernist architecture, known for its unique blend of Spanish Late Gothic, Art Nouveau, and naturalistic styles. The Sagrada Familia has been under construction since 1882 and, upon its eventual completion, will be the tallest church in the world. The project was initially started by architect Francisco de Paula del Villar in a neo-Gothic style. After Villar's resignation in 1883, Gaudí took over and transformed the design into his famously ambitious and original vision, which draws heavily from organic shapes and geometry found in nature. Gaudí devoted the final years of his life almost exclusively to the project but died in 1926, after being hit by a tram while walking, with less than a quarter of the basilica completed. He is buried in the church's crypt. We tried to go see his grave, but could only see it from an upper window. 

We only got to tour the outside with our group, and it was very short, but luckily, Karalee and Natalie scored tickets for us to see the inside later in the day. 

We went on a bus tour with Auto-Owners, but the streets were so crowded, and there was so much traffice, so the tour moved very slowly and didn't hold our interest long. 

Some of the buildings and architecture were really cool though. This building was also designed by Antoni Gaudi. It is considered one of his masterpieces.

Eventually we got dropped off in a cool plaza where we could shop and just walk around. 

This beautiful building is the Basilica of Our Lady of the Sea.

We were supposed to meet up to go to lunch with the whole group, but decided to ditch out and spend some time on our own. 

There was another cool street market set up that we enjoyed walking around. 

Natalie's friend gave her a recommendation for a yummy place to eat, so we decided to have lunch there.  We made a reservation, but it was much farther away than we realized, so Scott ran (literally) ahead of us to save our spot! It was delicious!

We naturally had to get gelato after our yummy meal!

We shopped a little more, then walked back over to The Sagrada Familia Basilica for our tour inside. I used ChatGPT to help me describe the basilica so I wouldn't forget all of the amazing symbolism and details! We had to wait a little while to be able to go in. . . and some of us couldn't hang.

About the architecture: The soaring columns of the nave are designed to resemble a forest of trees, branching out to support the intricate ceiling vaults. The interior is flooded with multicolored light from massive stained-glass windows, which evoke a spiritual forest canopy.

The outside of the basilica features three grand façades depicting the life of Jesus:
Nativity Façade (east): Completed under Gaudí's direct supervision, it depicts the birth of Christ in an ornate, naturalistic style.

Passion Façade (west): Carved with stark, angular sculptures, this façade represents the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus.

Glory Façade (south): This is the main, and still unfinished, façade, which will represent the road to God and the Last Judgment.


Spires: The final design includes 18 towers. When completed, the tallest central tower, dedicated to Jesus Christ, will reach 172.5 meters (566 feet).

Following Gaudí's unique aesthetic, few straight lines or exact right angles can be found anywhere in the design.

The stained glass windows of the Sagrada Familia are significant not just for their beauty but for how they use light and color to create a profoundly spiritual and symbolic atmosphere. Following Antoni Gaudí's vision, the windows are an integral part of the basilica's design, transforming the interior throughout the day.

Symbolic use of color:
The placement of the stained glass is a deliberate use of color to evoke different phases of the day and of Jesus's life.

Nativity Façade (east): Located where the sun rises, the windows on this side feature cool, serene tones of blue, green, and turquoise. They symbolize morning, birth, and new life.

Passion Façade (west): On the side where the sun sets, the windows feature warm, intense tones of red, orange, and gold. They represent the intensity of Jesus's suffering and sacrifice, as well as fire, passion, and resurrection.

Central nave: The stained glass is a mix of cooler and warmer tones. The upper windows are more transparent to maximize the natural light entering the space, while the lower windows feature richer, more vibrant colors.

This was such a cool thing to get to experience both inside and out!

I have never met anyone that can fall asleep on the spot like Matt does. He was asleep while standing up!
After our tour, we shopped a little more, grabbed some yummy and fast empanadas, and went to a Flameco dancing show.  I am obviously not a very cultured person and don't appreciate the art of dance the way some do, so it wasn't my favorite, but Natalie loved it, and it was something we all wanted to experience while we were in Spain. 



We got two VIP tickets, so we let Natalie and Karalee take them so they could sit up front!

The dances were essentially improv style. The guitarist played a song and set a pace and then another guy sang. I'm sure it is a very difficult style of dance. Just not my preference!

Matt's version of the Flamenco had us all rolling! It was far more entertaining than the show we paid for!!
It was another fun - and exhausting day!