Saturday was our main "exploring day" in Barcelona. We started off the day with a visit to "Sagrada Familia" cathedral. Designed by Antonio Gaudi, the cathedral is very different from the ordinary European church that we see everywhere. While the exterior is fanciful, and even a little odd, the interior is simply stunning. Normally when I walk into these cathedrals I see the usual dark, gothic interior. In Sagrada Familia however, the interior is bright, airy, and very modern. Not since I walked into Notre Dame in Paris have I been this blown away by a cathedral. The kids nowadays kind of roll their eyes when we walk into another European cathedral. They've seen so many now they've lost track. But even the kids were blown away by Sagrada Familia. Anyway, I probably went overboard on the pictures, so forgive me. But it's something to behold. Construction first began on the church in 1882, and it continues to this day. The common belief is it should be finished in about 13 more years if all goes as planned.
After our visit to Sagrada Familia, we visited the marketplace, "La Boqueria." This is kind of like a farmer's market kind of place, where vendors sell fresh meats, produces, fruit, and other local foods from the region. It's a great place to experience the local culture and cuisine. From there we continued on through more of Barcelona's historic "Gothic Quarter," where most of the city's oldest buildings are.
At the end of the day we had dinner at a "Flamenco" restaurant. The kids got a kick out of seeing the Senoras dancing around on the stage, especially Megan. It was cool to show the kids some real Spanish culture.
"Sagrada Familia" cathedral
Gaudi designed the ceiling to look like a canopy of trees. The result is a bright and airy feel. Very different from the usual European cathedrals we see.
"La Boqueria." The popular Spanish marketplace where people purchase fresh produce, fruits, and meats.
The entrance to the "Gothic Quarter." Barcelona's historic city center. These two towers date back to Roman times.
The "Temple of Augustus." The ruins of an old Roman temple dating back to about 1 AD.
Barcelona Cathedral
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