Tuesday, 20 March 2012

Barcelona, Day 7: Gaudí's Park Güell

21 February 2012

Flight home wasn't until evening, so we checked out of the apartment promptly at 11 (easier said than done-- Ste had to walk all of the bags over to the rental office for storage before we set off) and went to check out Park Güell.  This was our plan for the previous Friday, but with the stroller incident we had to postpone.  Good thing though.  We had gorgeous weather on Tuesday and the Friday prior was chilly, misty, and overcast.

We enjoyed the park, including another playground, and then made our way back to the neighborhood of Gracia where we at a delightful Catalan lunch at Origens, another great recommendation from my Cambridge friend from Barcelona / Tarragona.  Had a bit of free time for shopping (Bryce's fall kicks), or mostly browsing really and stumbled upon a pretty church, complete with courtyard garden and chicken coop just blocks from the rental agency.  Gathered our stuff, hailed a cab, and said "Adéu" to Barcelona.  Our flight back was much smoother in terms of pleasant airline staff.  Ellis, however, was ultra squirmy and I am dreading the flight back to the states on-- mark your calendars-- August 10.

Ok, all done boring you with our Spanish holiday!  Got lots to catch up on since we've been back to England for a month now!

Hugs and kisses to everyone!  We still miss you!  XOXOXO

Casa Batiló in daylight


And Casa Míla in daylight.  Holy blue skies!

What is this, San Fransisco?  (If you look in the distance you can see where the escalators START.  Sadly 1 flight was out of order.  Gave us good reason to crack a beer when we got to the top.  I'm not kidding.  We had a few left in the fridge and we brought them out with us and gulped them down only slightly after noon in a children's playground.  Sideways glances from parents that I will never see again.  Ha!

It's all about the view in Barcelona.

And... more uphill climbs.  Thankfully Ste is doing the stroller-pushing.

Wowza!  Looks like a crazy Aztec temple from here...

We can see where we were the day before!

Gaudí being gaudy.  (not my favorite)

I do like the gradient tiling on this spire, though!

La Sagrada Familia from Park Güell

Where does the structure end and the trees begin?

Bryce looking magical

Cheese!

Who you callin' loser?!

 
I think he's teething.  Look at all that drool!

More Gaudí

I think he was inspired by Hansel and Gretl for this one.
(Though this illustration came after Park Güell)

Stop impressing me, Barcelona!  We have to say goodbye!

Oh to see that stained glass from the INSIDE!!


"Església de la Puríssima Concepció i Assumpció de Nostra Senyora

One hardly expects to run into a medieval church on the grid pattern streets of the late-19th-century city extension, yet that is just what this is. Transferred stone by stone from the old centre in 1871–88, this 14th-century church has a pretty 16th-century cloister with a peaceful garden. Behind is a Romanesque-Gothic bell tower (11th to 16th century), moved from another old town church that didn’t survive, Església de Sant Miquel. This is one of a handful of such old churches shifted willy-nilly from their original locations to l’Eixample."

Ellis likes the chickens.

Cluck Cluck

Quick prayer before we set off: "God, please let the kids sleep through the flight."  Must not have made it to the top of His to-do list that day.  Drats.

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