Parc Guell, Barcelona, Spain

Parc Guell is located on a hill just above Barcelona.  Originally it was commissioned by prominent Barcelonian, Eusebio Guell, as a high end residential development.  He hired his good friend and renowned architect Antoni Gaudi to design a neighborhood with 60 lots for high end homes, a market place, park, and everything a high end neighborhood would need.  The urbanization project was never completed, but the majority of the public structures were and the grounds set the stage for an awesome park.  We enjoyed wandering the area and exploring the funky architecture.   Gaudi was an abstract out of the box thinker and he loved to use mosaics.  It's mind boggling to think of the time and man power required to set each odd shaped tile or stone.  

One of the few completed homes, Gaudi made
this one for himself.

A covered walkway.

The curve followed the slope of the hill.

School, and public office building, we played in the courtyard.

The outer wall of the community lead up to the gate keepers house.  I loved how 

all the architecture seem to boldly declare, "If you can dream it, you can do it." 

  For the kids finding another playground was perfect.  On and off rain torrents all day had created large puddles, but that just made it all the more fun.  I was impressed that even when Max took a total spill in the muddy pond he didn't complain, just tromped around wet a dirty for the rest of the day.  

Tessa, trying cuttlefish at a tapas restaurant,
this is the "before" face, after was not happy.

The Sagrada Familia church is Gaudi's crown jewel.  It is still under construction in downtown Barcelona.  They hope to complete it by 2026, 100 years after Gaudi's death.  

February 27, 2016