International Study

Jenna, Sarah and Tim at the "Passion" façade of La Sagrada Familia

The group has moved from the slow pace of Arles to the bustling tempo of Barcelona.  Everyone could sense the difference as we stepped off the bus right onto The Ramblas, Barcelona's famous avenue that is the center of life in this vibrant city.  It was mid afternoon by the time we settled into the hotel and took a walkabout from the hotel down to the port to see the statue of Christopher Columbus overlooking the Mediterranean.

Rebecca and Sarah in La Bocqueria

The old part of Barcelona is reasonably compact, so we took off on foot to see the Cathedral and the Picasso museum.  The Cathedral dates from early Christian times with reports of a church as early as the 5th century and a Romanesque church existing here in the 1100s.  The classic Gothic Cathedral on the site today dates from the very end of the 13th century.

The Picasso museum gave us a good cross-section of the styles that Picasso adopted through the years.  It is probably the best collection of his early work with numerous "ordinary" portraits and impressionistic landscapes painted on small pieces of wood.  The highlight of the collection has to be the 44 works he painted as an analysis of Velasquez´s "Las Meninas".

Wednesday — Gaudi cubed.

We started with a short walk to the Bocqueria, the local market.  This is another of those overwhelming sensory experiences with food in all directions of all kinds and the aromas that accompany them.  After the market stop we headed for the first of three famous Gaudi creations.  A quick trip on the subway took us to Casa Mila or La Pedrera.  This architecturally unique house is now a monument to the modernist style that defines much of Barcelona's art and life. 

	Crazy colonnade in Parc Guell

From La Pedrera we strolled to Gaudi's most recognized work, La Sagrada Familia.  Started in the 1890's, work continues today with a projected completion date about 30 years from now.  The church is being constructed without any type of government support using only money donated by the public and from entrance fees.  Building is now apace, due to the increased interest in Barcelona and the cathedral resulting from the Olympic Games in 1992.

The afternoon completed our triple crown of Gaudi with a visit to Parc Guell.  This public park has a peculiar mix of styles with the juxtaposition of a colonnade of Greco-Roman style columns supporting an open air pavilion, creations of mosaic tile designs shining brightly in the sun and columns built of rough hewn rocks cemented together at oddly slanting angles.  It is a reflection of Gaudi's connection between classic design and natural forms to produce functional architecture.

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