La Sagrada Familia - Magnifico

The Basilica 

We did a Gaudi day today and it was fantastic. Had a very slow start after sleeping in and eventually got away from the hotel around 11-00 am and headed for the Basilica Sagrada Familia, a 30min walk from the hotel. We got there to find a 1 hr queue for the tickets, but it was well worth the wait.

Tremendous sense of light

and space

We knew that it was going to be really different, both from what we had read and what we had seen of the building the day before, and for me, I wasn't quite sure what it would be like inside. What we encountered was astonishing the inside of the Basilica is really hard to describe, so here are a few inadequate words, enormous, magnificent, serene, organic, over whelming, light both on your spirit and sight.



I mentioned the other day that we have been in a few churches over the last few weeks but nothing to compare to this, it was totally impacting and very moving, and I never thought that I would say that about a church building.

No that is not a paracute

This is natural light off windows

His impression of the Trinity

Antoni Gaudi was a genius. He was an architect, designer, sculpture, builder, mystic. Gaudi envisaged the Sagrada Familia as a bible made of stone, which told the history and mysteries of the Christian faith. He combined his faith with the gifts and abilities that he had to create a massive sculpture, that is made up of thousands and thousands of individual sculptures that make the whole. He was inspired by his personal faith in the creator and also the creation around him. He used the things he saw, trees, plants, animals, and various forms in nature as the source of his inspiration.

A section of the ceiling

Beautiful windows

More beautiful windows

Although he was a trained architect, he was very unconventional and instead of using drawings he created models that were then used to build the Basilica. The building was begun in 1882 and is still being built, 140 years later and 87 years after his death. The current projection is that it will be finished around 2025.

Christ on the Cross inside church

Outside Facade - check out the dog!!

Worshiping

Under the main church structure is a crypt that has been turned into a museum and shows the process that has taken place to get to this stage, truly inspirational.

I have included some photos that cannot really reflect the impact that the place has on you, but hopefully they will convey something of it's grandeur.

This is Mary by the way, not Darth Vader

In 50 languages

Give us this day our daily bread

Me too :-)

The Pipe Organ

Spiral stair case

One of the Saints

No idea

but pretty cool

Hermosa Barcelona

Picnic while waiting at the Border 

We arrived in Barcelona, Spain late afternoon yesterday, the 28th August. We took the train from Pamiers, France across the Pyrenees and down to Barcelona on the southern coast of Spain. The trip took about 8hrs in total with a couple of hrs break at the border while we waited for the Spanish connection. We had a picnic lunch on the platform which wasn't an exceptional location, but fun to do.

Our Hotel, middle left over road, nice!!

Having settled into the hotel we went out in the early evening for a short walk around the area, nice!! Our hotel is in a very good location, handy to most things.

Gaudi building just down the road

We are very close to a couple of "Gaudi" designed bindings. Gaudi, lived in Barcelona, and has made quite an impact on the city's architecture with his "unique and interesting" building designs. Here is a link to Antoni Gaudi for anyone who may be interested.

The Sagrada Famila 

The Sagrada Famila, a huge church that he began in the early 20th century is still under construction 100 years later, it dominates the Barcelona skyline, and parts of it look similar to the picture of the building on the left. A little strange for a church, but who am I to criticize!!

Old sector of the City

Courtyard in Old City

Amazing Architecture and designs 

This morning we purchased the hop on - hop off bus tour and had a good look at the city. Between the two trips that we took we walked for a couple of hours around the old part of the town and then back up to our hotel. We headed off in the afternoon to view, in more detail, some of the more interesting parts of the city. Loving it so far, will do some more of the same tomorrow.  

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

Placa de Catalunya, Beautiful park

Gaudi's house now a Museum

Yesterday, Friday the 30th Aug was a Gaudi day. We had a late start and got going by 11-00am. The first stop was so inspiring that I have done a separate blog, see "La Sagrada Familia - Magnifico".

Quite a fence

So having spent a couple of hours at the Sagrada Familia we got back on the road and walked to "Parc Guell" where Gaudi created a huge park and is also the location of one of his homes that has now been converted into a museum.

Overhead walkway 

Spent a couple more hours walking around the park and then back to the hotel. After a bit of a break we went and had dinner at the street side cafe in the second photo above.

View from the Gaudi Gardens

One day left in Barcelona and then onto Madrid for the start of the bus tour.

 

Huge terrace with this seating all around

Underneath the terrace

Terrace from below

Another Gaudi house on walk home

Just up the road from Hotel

Mirepoix and Medieval France

Ferne Boix the B & B we are staying in

We are now in Mirepoix, Southern France. The B & B that we are staying in is a fairly new for this area, a converted French farmhouse built in 1790. We are here for the next five nights before we head to Spain, just across the border. 

Inside La Ferne de Boix

The farmhouse has been owned by an English couple for 13 years. They are friends of friends of ours (Charles and Jan), and they bought the derelict farmhouse and restored it in 4 months, to become a very well appointed five roomed B & B. 

Town of Camon

This morning we organised a rental car and, in spite of the not so good weather, headed out to explore the area a little. The first town we visited was called Camon, where we also had some lunch. The tenth century town is often called "little Carcassonne" and is part of a circle of villages known as some of the most beautiful in France.  

Intermittent Waterfall

We then moved on to the town of Belesta where there is an "intermittent waterfall" created by water levels in the surrounding underground lakes that cause a waterfall every 7 - 9 mins. Apparently a geological wonder, to the academics and geologists among us. 

Town Gate at Mirepiox

We ended the day in the Medieval town of Mirepiox, and as you can see is an incredible little town.  

Medieval Town of Mirepiox

The area around Mirepoix is known as the centre of Catharism, click on this link for more details. There was mass murder in the surrounding area during the early 13th century, ordered by the Pope, against the Cathars. These christians, although they had lots of heretical beliefs themselves, strongly opposed the Roman catholic church and the Pope. This resulted in the Pope declaring a crusade against the Cathars that became known as the Albigensian Crusade, as the first slaughter of Cathers was in the town of Albi, where tens of thousands of people were killed.

We will spend the next few days visiting some of the more well knows towns in the area.

Carcassonne Chateau from a distance

Today is Sunday the 25th Aug and we have spent the day in the Medieval town of Carcassonne. The town, it's Chateau and ramparts have a history going back 2,500 years.

Up Close

In that extensive period the town has gone through many stages and has an incredibly diverse history, click on this link for more info the current Chateau was rebuilt in the 19th century by the same person who rebuilt the Notre Dame. He did extensive historical and archaeological work to try and get the place looking like it would have in the Medieval days, quite and amazing place. Here are a few pictures...

The Ramparts

The Ramparts and "new" town behind

Hotel inside the Chateau

Another view inside

Another View of Chateau walls

Old archaeological pieces 1,000's years old 

Market Day - Mirepoix

Went into the markets at Mirepoix this morning. It was great to experience a real market day in a Medieval French village. We purchased some lunch, bread, olives, cheese, tomatoes etc etc, but not the snails, sorry not that adventurous.  Then we headed off in the car to find a nice little "French" place for a picnic in the countryside, we found one.....

Yes those are snails for sale

Went on down the road and found an 12th  century church, built on a pre historic site over a natural fault line, pretty cool.

Olives and other goodies

Bought some bread for Picnic Lunch

We are now back at the B & B, for a relaxing afternoon. Tomorrow, our last day in France, we will go and visit the city of Albi. Then we move onto Spain.

Providing the atmosphere

Lunch among the Sunflowers

Nice spot for a Picnic

12th Century Church on the Rocks

Church built in a fault line 12th C

The Town square at Revel

Final day in Mirepoix today and we headed off to Albi, a 2 hr drive North of Mirepoix. We made our first stop at a small town of Revel which was lovely. Ruth had damaged her glasses a few weeks ago and we found an optician in Revel who could speak English and fixed her glasses for free which was a real bonus.

Cathedral at Albi

Inside Albi Cathedral

Church dominates the Town

Then we drove on to Albi and what a surprise. Wayne Jacobson has talked about Albi in a number of his messages. The cathedral  was built in the 14th century by the Roman Catholic's as a statement to the local people, to the power of the church, so I was really interested to go and have a look. It really does make a statement. We have been in lots of churches on the trip so far, but this one was exceptional. We actually purchased the audio tour to get a better understanding of the story of the building, really enjoyed the time there.

Very old town

Albi is an amazing town. We have seen some fantastic towns and cities so far and this one is up there. They have all been different and unique, and Albi was no exception. Click on this link for a few details. It is a beautiful place pretty much all built in red brick and originally dating back to the bronze age. Again everywhere you look is another incredible view.

Had Lunch in Church Cloisters 

View of Cloisters from other side

We spent about 4hrs there and got back to Mirepoix at about 6pm, just in time to return our rental car. We have had a really relaxing and enjoyable time here. Tomorrow we leave here at 9-00am and catch the train to Barcelona via Andorra, looking forward to the next stage of the journey.