Thursday, July 22, 2010

Spain 2008 (Part 2)

Desktop holiday for you... European Edition - Spain (Part 2)....

Another highlight of my visit to Spain was going to the famous La Sagrada Familia, also known as the Unfinished Cathedral:
La Sagrada Familia area signage ...

- From afar you can already tell that its very different from most churches/ cathedrals:
Gothic but also mixed with Art Nouveau ...

- A slightly closer look:
Still a lot of construction+cranes ...

Looking up at the front facade ...

- Very detailed, kinda busy, front facade:
Nativity scene ...

- Eccentric touches like fruity decorations*:
(*Why? The designer was very much inspired by nature, and incorporated a lot of it into his designs)
Can you see the fruits and vegetables?...

- The facade at the back of the cathedral is very different, angular and sharp:
The back of the cathedral ...

- There is even an interesting sudoku-like puzzle hidden amongst the scultures - whichever way you try on the puzzle, it will add up to 33:
(This is supposedly to symbolise the age that Jesus died - 33 years old)
33! Again and again ...

- Inside the cathedral, the pillars and ceiling look like trees/ forest canopy:
Like looking up to a forest canopy ...

- The windows are also very different:
Almost cave like...


So, why is it called the Unfinished Cathedral?

Well, this massive, privately-funded Roman Catholic church has been under construction in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain since 1882 and is not expected to be complete until at least 2026!
- Still a lot of construction going on:
Lots of scaffolding set up inside...

It is considered the master-work of renowned artist/architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926**), who was unfortunately run down by a tram as he was crossing the road... :(
(BOOOOO... EVIL TRAM!)
(** Not that it was likely that he would have been able to see the construction through till 2026 anyway... He would have to live till he was almost 180 years old!)

Hopefully, I'll be able to live to see the day this very unique cathedral is completed***. I would love to visit again to see how it looks then.... :)
(*** Assuming the world does not end in 2012!)


Hoping & praying,
J

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8 comments:

  1. great photography! u make me wanna pack my bags and go2 spain! yippee!

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  2. Wow.. I miss Europe already! It has been 3 years since my honeymoon to Italy and French Riviera :(
    Hopefully I will be able to save enough $$$ for my next Europe trip... the Iberian Triangle!

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  3. to Ciki:
    Thank you... :)
    I wish can go to Spain right now too... Those few days (on yucky tour group some more) only served to whet the appetite but not completely satisfying...
    (Unfortunately)

    to thule aka leo:
    Wah. Lucky you and Jenn - such a nice, romantic holiday!

    Well, maybe time for honeymoon no. 2 in a few months? :)

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  4. I still have vivid memories of visiting the Sagrada Familia. It's like nothing else in this world. I'm so glad I got a chance to see it; even in its unfinished state is is beautiful.

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  5. to Lyrical Lemongrass:
    Yeah... it was definitely a highlight for me too. *sigh*

    I just hope I can visit it when it is completed - would be fantastic to see it without all the scaffoldings... :)

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  6. oh hello J! thx for dropping by :) wow, i'm just in the midst of planning a trip to spain and now i'm reading it on ur blog lol! how long were u in spain for? any advise for planning? i don't even know where to start! :P

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  7. To jun:
    hmmm the problem is that I went to Spain on a tour group with my parents on a tour group.... I can tell you the things I enjoyed seeing though. :)

    Ooh and a good friend of mine went recently (without tour group). I'll ask her for some tips, compile then tell u lah. Just give me a few days. :)

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  8. oh thanks! sure sure take ur time :) i'd rather much prefer backpacking without being tied down to the tour schedule but if my parents are going then might be looking at tours :< do u still remember which tour u went with?

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Appreciate your thoughts, opinions and feedback. :)