One of the highlights of my trip to Barcelona was seeing the Sagrada Familia. Being in Europe, I've come to know all too well the obligatory cathedral visit of each new city. In fact, the cathedral is the biggest (and arguably only) tourist attraction of the city where I live. I haven't seen all the cathedrals on this continent (and I highly doubt I ever will), but the Sagrada Familia has become my obligatory European cathedral visit.
The church facade is covered in scenes and motifs and secret initials. I wanted to cut down on the photos of it, but in the end couldn't bring myself to do it.
The church was unfinished at Gaudi's death and has been under construction ever since. Nevertheless, it's breathtaking. The interior looks is modeled after a forest canopy, but on a rainy day it feels like an underwater coral cathedral. Visiting defied so many of my preconceptions about cathedrals and architecture in general. There was also an inspiring exhibit on Gaudi's inspiration from nature near the entrance.
When I usually visit cathedrals, I have to dig deep in my brain to the part where clips of Pillars of the Earth reside to fully appreciate the structure. After the initial gasp from the height of the arches and the colors of the stained glass, it's the idea of the history and the communal human feat that makes cathedrals impressive. This time, the church was able to stand alone.
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