Parque Güell
We left the hostel around 8:15 a.m. to take the metro to the Sagrada Familia. We bought tickets online a few days ago to enter the church and go to the top of the towers at 9 a.m. When we arrived at 8:45 a.m., the line to buy tickets was already long. There were at least 300 people in a line that stretched around the church. If you ever visit Barcelona and plan to see the church, be sure to buy tickets online ahead of time to avoid the lines.
Work has been underway on and off for more than 100 years on this awe-inspiring church. It's expected to be finished sometime this century, perhaps by 2050. Modernist architect Antoni Gaudí dedicated the later part of his life to working on this church that is 312 feet long and 197 feet wide. The church can seat 13,000 people. We began by taking the elevators to the top of one of the church's towers. Since we arrived at 9 a.m. and already had our tickets, we were among the first inside the church. The views from the top were incredible as we looked at Barcelona. You also get amazing views of the church from the towers, as there are a plethora of lookout points. When I was here as a student, we also went to the top of the towers; however, we were able to climb up the narrow staircase instead of taking an elevator. I discovered that they no longer let visitors climb up to the top, as too many people started the journey up but then couldn't make it. Now, you take the elevator up but walk down. When the work is completed, the church will have 12 towers in all, representing the 12 apostles.
A view of Barcelona from the top of one of the towers. Gaudí designed the church with 18 towers -- 12 bell towers and six higher towers to symbolize the approach between earth and heaven.
View from the top of the tower
We then came back down and spent more time exploring the inside and outside of the church. The northeast side of the church, the Nativity Facade, depicts the birth of Christ. Gaudi supervised this part of the work before he died (On June 7, 1926, he was run over by a tram at an intersection in Barcelona.). The southwest side of the church, the Passion Facade, shows the death of Christ. This side of the church has been built since the 1950s.
Inside La Sagrada Familia
The death of Christ, as seen on the church's southwest side
After leaving the church, Chris and I decided to visit Parque Güell, a 37-acre park. Gaudí was given the job of turning it into a city garden around 1900. He worked at the site for 14 years until work was stopped. It became a public park in 1923 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. We walked around the park, starting at the top where we saw some amazing views of Barcelona. We made our way down the trails and eventually arrived at the part where several benches designed in Gaudi's style decorate the landscape.
We spent the rest of our time in Barcelona shopping for soccer jerseys, having lunch, going back to the market to buy some snacks and then taking the metro to the train station to catch our direct train to Madrid.
Chris eyeing the sweets before buying a bag of them
Our train left Barcelona at 5:25 p.m., and it was by far the most luxurious train we have taken all month. Our EuRail pass is first class, so we were in the first class cabin on this trip. They served us drinks three times and two snacks. There was plenty of leg room, and they even showed a movie. It was the first direct train we have taken all month, and it was also the fastest train. At one point we were traveling at 188 mph as we headed west across the Iberian Peninsula. We arrived in Madrid around 7:45 p.m.
After we arrived in Madrid, we took the metro and then walked the rest of the way to our hotel. We booked a room about two weeks ago under my name and used my credit card. Once we arrived, however, the receptionist could not find my name on the list of guests, and she could not find it in her computer either.
I pulled out my smartphone to show her the two email confirmations I had received, but she still couldn't find our reservation. She asked me to forward her the email confirmations, so I did. Ten minutes later, she still had not received my two emails, and she still could not find my reservation. Another 10 minutes passed, and she asked me to go upstairs to print the confirmation I had received via email. It took another 10 minutes to do that, and when I returned she still had not found our reservation.
I pulled up my credit card transactions and showed her that I had already been billed for the room. We have been using different websites to book our hostels, but the receptionist was not familiar with the one we had used for this reservation (apparently a site out of Istanbul, Turkey). The receptionist began making some phone calls as the one hour mark approached. We were both getting a little worried and frustrated. I just happened to look down at the paper copy of reservations that the receptionist had printed and saw a familiar name on top: Christopher Ray!
The reservation somehow was under his name even though I booked it and we used my credit card. An hour had been wasted because the receptionist was looking for the wrong name since we only gave her my name, but we were all relieved that everything worked out in the end.
We had a late dinner at a sandwich place that serves more than 100 types of sandwiches on small buns. We also did a short night walking tour of Madrid around the Gran Via area where we are staying.
La Cibeles Fountain. The fountain is named after the Roman godsess of nature and is one of Madrid's most important symbols. It shows goddess sitting on her chariot that is being pulled by two lions. The lions represent the power of the Spanish monarchy.
The Palacio de Comunicaciones. It used to be the home of the Post Office. Today, it serves as Madrid's City Hall.
Tomorrow, we have all day to explore Madrid. We are taking a night train from Madrid to Lisbon ... our last train ride of the trip!
Hasta mañana,
Justin
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