Sagrada Família, the Barcelona church still undergoing construction according to the ambitious vision of Catalan architect Antonio Gaudí, is by far the top sight in Barcelona. The exterior is unique and interesting, but is no match for the interior. Don’t be intimidated by the long lines (which move quick) or the €13 admission. The time and money investment to see one of the most dramatic examples of modern architecture is a very worthwhile investment.
Looking up at the elaborate ceiling in the Sagrada Família’s nave
Believe it or not, we were somewhat underwhelmed with the exterior of the building. The Nativity Facade, which was the only section of the church completed while Gaudí was alive, is very cluttered and starting to show it’s age. The newly completed Passion Facade seems much cleaner, and completed in what appears to be a much more modern style (which appealed to us). The size of the building was not as impressive as we had expected, but I have no doubt that after completion, when capped by the 558-foot Jesus Christ tower, the size of the building will be spectacular. Right now, the tallest tower is 394 feet.
After walking through the door at the Passion Facade we knew we were entering somewhere special. Gaudí used nature to inspire his architecture, which is clear in Sagrada Família. The columns used to support the building show a strong resemblance to tree trunks. They are not straight pillars, as you would see in a more traditional church, but curvy. Looking straight-up at the 148-ft high ceiling (about the same height at St. Peter’s in Rome), there are gorgeous patterns, as depicted in the picture of the nave above and like at ceiling installation Greenwich.
Traveling within Europe via air can be very affordable, often even cheaper than train travel. On our recent trip to Spain and Portugal, we travelled between Lisbon and Barcelona on Vueling Airlines, Spain’s leading discount air carrier. Our basic fare was much cheaper on Vueling than other carriers, at €18 per person. Like all European discount carriers, the actual price we paid was significantly higher due to extra fees. After €4 per person to book our seats ahead of time, €12 per suitcase (x2), a €10 credit card fee and €44 in taxes, we ended-up paying €61 per person for the flight. Although it’s always difficult to stomach unadvertised fees, our total cost for the flight was far less than other options, and very affordable in comparison to flights of similar lengths in the United States.
Sightseeing in Europe can get expensive very quickly. We try and figure-out where we want to go before leaving for our trip and research potential ways to save money. Before our most recent trip, we discovered the Lisboa Card, offered by the