Sagrada Familia…. an unfinished masterpiece

Crisp autumn air and bright sunshine greet me as I leave my hotel. Out on the city streets of the Eixample ( pronounced Sham paul ) district of Barcelona I wander around looking at the small shops and apartment buildings that make up majority of the area .. breathing in the life of the busy streets of a new and wondrous place …….. Turning the corner I get my first glimpse of the Sagrada Familia and it is absolutely overwhelming. A huge behemoth of a structure with its towers rising toward the sky, like arms of the earth reaching up to God. The structure is so different than anything I’ve ever seen. It looks like a huge holy sandcastle. I approached the Basilica through the park. Walking past several groups of tourists and street performers along with the blanket sellers , immigrants selling trinkets on spread out blankets. You’ll see them throughout Barcelona selling their wares till the Police show up and then they scatter to find another area rich with tourists to sell their fans and key chains. As I get closer to the gates I marvel at the intricate carvings on the church walls. They’re everywhere. A 566 foot canvas for a whimsical artist. The result is a tangle of beauty and light and a gift that when it is complete will have been 144 years in the making. That is if it’s finished by 2026 which is the current projected completion date. Ticket in hand I walk around the building to what is called the Passion entrance. Its named for a the stunning relief on the front of the church. I wind my way through the path and up the stairs to the door. Upon entering the church I was immediately blown away by the overwhelming beauty. The huge windows and pillars are awe inspiring. It has a look of no other church I’ve ever seen and that is how the architect meant for it to be. Antoni Gaudi was unlike any other architect of his or any time. He wanted his design to mimic nature. The huge columns in the church are made to look like trees with golden starbursts on the ceiling to resemble leaves. The light from the windows cause a rainbow effect throughout the Sanctuary. It’s like being in a golden ball of glitter light. It’s believed that  Gaudi wanted the feel of worshiping in nature.After taking in as much sheer beauty as possible I headed up to get a bird’s eye view. Taking the elevator to the top of the Passions tower I got a fabulous view of the city and a lot of the amazing decorations on the walls of the church.  You can also walk out onto the bridge between the two spires it gives you a amazing view. You get a ride up but you have to walk down and the steps are a little tricky , two feet wide and nearly straight down.The stairs remind me of the old movie where igor follows the doctor to the dungeon. I’m not exactly a graceful swan so I took my time here. There is also a small museum attached with artifacts from the church. The doors were especially interesting to me. They were made by the same sculptor as most of the statues. The doors are thick with the story of the Passion written in Catalan.  There is no doubt in my mind why this is a world heritage site. Its simply amazing. With glitter in my eyes and calm in my heart I hop aboard the double decker bus and onto my next great Barcelonian adventure.