Day 5 - Feast of the Three Kings and La Sagrada Familia

     The Feast of Three Kings is a holiday that continues the Christmas gift giving that we in the US usually reserve for December 25. This holiday celebrates Jesus as God's son and the visit that the 3 magi made to the infant Jesus and his parents. In Barcelona, this holiday builds up in the retail stores the same way we do for Christmas and there is a parade the night before the holiday. We got to see the parade, made for the children's delight as they watch the brightly colored floats go down the streets of Barcelona. The floats were beautiful and so ornate! We got to see part of it from a store window before the sales people caught us and kicked us out :).

     The next day, January 6, businesses are closed for the holiday while people are home with family and loved ones celebrating. We took this opportunity to go visit Antoni Gaudi's last masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia. 

     The cathedral was Gaudi's last project and he knew he was not going to see it to completion. If you are not familiar, Gaudi was tragically killed by a tram when crossing the road. Because he had cut off contact for photos and publicity in his later years, and had been living in the crypt of La Sagrada Familia before his death, he was not recognized immediately and was taken to a paupers hospital where he later passed. He is now buried at La Sagrada Familia.
     About the cathedral, I highly recommend going, and for multiple visits. Gaudi was so far ahead of his time when he designed this piece... and any of his other works, for that matter. One could visit the cathedral several days in a row and still find new things they hadn't seen yet. Gaudi was a devout Catholic and yet had very close ties with nature and a commitment to reflecting this in his work. The detail given to this piece is incredible. The attention given to the way natural light comes in through the stained glass windows was probably my favorite part. Gaudi wanted the natural light to show through in his works, and he did it amazingly here.

    After seeing La Sagrada Familia, we were on our way to see Park Guell, another site of Gaudi's design. We took a short walk up some MAJOR hills and had a spectacular view. On a beautiful afternoon like the one we had, you could join any number of tourists and locals for some bubble blowing, live music, and a priceless view. We climbed to the top (or as far as the railing went) where there are three crosses and enjoyed seeing the city from this vantage point. The tile mosaic work here was beautiful.

Some of the green monk parakeets found at Park Guell...
These are said to have started populating from some that
escaped captivity some time in the 1970's. 

I could go on adding pictures, but you really need to see it for yourself to do it justice. I loved the way locals and tourists could enjoy their time up here just viewing the scenery and enjoying each others company. We headed back for a small lunch and to grab a quick siesta before heading back out to find some dinner.


    One thing I've noticed is that we have to make an effort to get our veggies in over here. Sure, you can get all the yummy breads and olive oil and iberca jamon you can eat, but a salad is a different story... Tonight we found a small restaurant where Danelle and I shared spaghetti and I enjoyed a real salad. Later, we stopped for some chocolate to enjoy later and to head to bed. This midnight bedtime every night is something to get used to!