Wander, Soar, Glide, Go: 2012

In July 2012, I was lucky enough to be able to travel with Tim on a business trip mainly to Lake Como, Italy but we preceded it with a short trip to Barcelona, Spain.

A bullfighting ring we passed

This is where we saw the unforgettable La Sagrada Familia. Oh AND this is where Tim stumbled upon a nude beach. (Not by the church lol)It's really hard to get a good picture unless you're in a plane so here's a model of the design.

Some history of the controversial and amazingly unique landmark.

Construction of the basilica in Barcelona was started in 1882 by an architect named Francisco del Paula del Villar. After he resigned a year later, architect Antoni Gaudi took over the project. He devoted his life to the project and after he died in 1926, only a quarter of it was completed.

Thanks to donations, the construction continued until the Spanish Civil War. In July 1936, revolutionaries set fire to the crypt and broke their way into the workshop, partially destroying Gaudí's original plans, drawings and plaster models, which led to 16 years of work to piece together the fragments of the master model.

It's been worked on intermittently over time and it passed the halfway point in 2010. Plans are to get it finished by 2026, the centennial of Gaudi's death.

A cool park near our hotel.

The omnipresent cranes above the church...

There are three facades planned for the outside...in three different styles. This one is the Nativity facade. The first one to be completed.

There is a strong tree motif throughout.

This is a cypress tree, part of the Nativity facade symbolizing the tree of life.

The gargoyles and little details throughout it are amazing.

Eighteen spires are planned and as of 2010 eight have been finished. 18 = the 12 Apostles, Virgin Mary, the Four Evangelists and Jesus (in order of height).