Gaudi Girlz

Paris has Eiffel, but Barcelona has Antoni Gaudi i Cornet in all his organic glory.

Jeanne and Kate saw three Gaudi triumphs: the Temple de la Sagrada Familia (the famous unfinished Cathedral), Casa Mila (La Pedrera) and Casa Batllo. These works range from Mediterranean Gothic to art nouveau and are impressive not only for design but also the details of construction i.e. how the hell did they do that?



You emerge from the Metro with the Temple at your back

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The towers of the Segrada Familia have been a familiar image for decades leading the more casual students of architecture to believe they are the dramatic elements of a finished cathedral.

Nope.

Gaudi accepted the project in 1883 but other commissions, his death and civil war sort of slowed up the progress. We'll need to check back in twenty to forty years to see if Gaudi's vision survives all the local controversy and becomes whole.

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The ornamentation of the Temple was as beautiful as it was Gaudi, including the fruit finials and glass applique.

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Ain't no elevators working so Jeanne and Kate made their way into a tower up a very spiral staircase.

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You will need to ask Kate about this moment.

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You know, there isn't much money in designing Cathedrals, especially if you die before it's finished; so for pocket change Gaudi built, among many other structures, city apartments. Casa Mila ranks just below Sagrada familia as an architectural destination in Barcelona, and the nearby Casa Batllo isn't far behind.

Casa Mila

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The Spaniards are inspired to adorn even the construction aprons with the designs they hide.

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Casa Batllo

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What do you think a two bedroom unit would go for in a building like this in San Francisco?

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