Barcelona is the city of modernist architecture. The high priest of modernism is a man named Antonio Gaudi, who lived in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He left his mark on this city in a number of absolutely amazing structures. One of these is Parc Guell, which is kind of hard to explain. I think it goes like this (correct me if I am wrong): Gaudi, as well as being an architect, had a go at being a early property developer (think Allan Dippie in Wanaka). He decided to create his ideal housing estate, and he started by designing the entranceway, gatehouses and walkways. That is about as far as he got, and that is what now remains at Parc Guell. Add in a lot of really lovely gardens, and plantings totally in harmony with the architectural elements that he created, and you end up with a totally beautiful part of the city to wander about in, and marvel at the spaces and shapes that he created. It seems fanciful - like I said, it is hard to explain. I think I shall just let the pictures do the talking ...
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| View across Barcelona from the park below our apartment |
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| Kia in gateway |
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| Main entranceway to Parc Guell |
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| Inside the room of columns |
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| Gatehouses |
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| Lizard guarding entrance stairs |
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| Pathway |
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| Pathway - this structure supports the walkway above. Gaudi's work is all about the seamless blending of organic materials and shapes, with architecture - sometimes it is hard to say where one stops and the other begins |
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| 'Nests' built at regular intervals along pathway - just inviting kids to climb in |
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| Viaduct |
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| Vaulting in viaduct |
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| Distant view across city of the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's most magnificent achievement - more on this tomorrow ... |
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