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The Basilica de la Sagrada Familia just left me speechless. Words cannot describe this great iconic Barcelona landmark. Antoni Gaudi is truly God's Architect.
What makes this basilica unique is that it is still under construction even though work on this project started in 1882.
Gaudi himself knew that the basilica would not be completed in his lifetime. Asked when the project would be completed, Gaudi said his client was in no hurry.
"God has all the time in the world," said the maestro.
Gaudi was killed when he was knocked over by a tram in 1926, after spending more that 40 years on this project.
Work has been going non-stop since then, with the architects faithfully implementing Gaudi's ideas.
They hope construction will be completed by 2026 in time to commemorate the centenary of Gaudi's death.
When completed, the basilica will have 18 spires -- 4 for the evangelists, 12 for the apostles, and the remaining 2, towering above the rest, for Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
Sagrada Familia attracts over 3 million visitors every year and the entrance fees go towards paying most of the €25 million needed annually to fund the project.
We saw a large crowd when we passed by this basilica on a Sunday. Maybe Sunday is not a good day to tour the place. We should come back the next day when there will be fewer people.
Wrong! It was just as crowded on Monday. We may have to wait for an hour or more just to buy the tickets.
It was very hot but what choice do we have? We just had to sweat it out.
Help came from an unexpected quarter. A guy in a red shirt approached us and told us how we can jump the queue.
"Buy the tickets online," he said. "You can even choose what time you want to go in." He gave us a card with a website written on it and even showed us where to go to have free wifi.
The Lord works in mysterious ways. Maybe he wants to show off his architect's masterpiece, too.
Booking online was fast and easy. The tickets, including the audio guides, cost us €19.30 each.
David even googled for a good place to have lunch.
(It is Restaurante Tossa for those who love a good Catalan Tapas meal. The place is about a 20-minute walk from the basilica).
We did go in by the back door. That's where those with online bookings go to collect their tickets and audio guides.
So simple. I wonder why we can't do this back in Malaysia. I remember the hassle we went through when we accompanied our guests from Penang on the visit to Zoo Negara and KLCC Acquarium, and when we wanted to take the LRT and Putrajaya boat rides.
We are talking about queues which were almost non-existent. And it took us almost forever.
Back to more pleasant memories.
The back of the basilica is where Gaudi created his Nativity facade. It is supposed to be a triumph of life, expressed through the birth of Jesus.
The sculptures on this facade trace the early life of Jesus.
If the view outside left me speechless, imagine what the inside is like.
Gaudi's attention to details is amazing, from making sure there was enough natural light coming into the building to the placement of the pews for the choir to get the right sound.
My description and photos can never do justice to the work of the maestro, so allow me to take you to its official website where you can have a virtual tour:
http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/docs_instit/vvirtual.php?vv=1
I hope to be around when this basilica is ready in 2026 -- a project which took 144 years to complete. What an awesome sight that will be. I am certain I will not be in any physical shape to make the trip. I hope my sons will enjoy that experience for me.
Barcelona has another attraction which has captured the world's attention -- the Barca football club.
I am a big Barca fan, so visiting Estadio Camp Nou is a must for me.
This was one of the stops we made on a tour of the city on its official tourist bus.
We also did a walking tour of the Gothic Quarter and the Poble Espanyol which is like Spain in minature, giving visitors a glimpse of the architecture, arts, crafts and food of the country.
Distaster struck when we were checking out of the hotel on our last day in Barcelona.
"Sorry sir, we cannot call you a taxi to the airport," said the receptionist. "Taxi drivers are on strike."
So what do we do as our hotel was some distance from the city centre?
The receptionist told us to go by bus. We have to take two buses to get to the city centre, Placa Catalunya, and from there, take an express bus to the airport.
And how long will that take. "Very fast," came the reply.
The receptionist was right. We had to wait 10 minutes for the first bus, and 5 minutes for the second bus. And at the city centre, the airport express bus was waiting for us. Lots of them.
Thank God for a good public transport system. I am speechless again.