Day 2: La Segrada Família and Parque Güell

I’ve been to Barcelona only once before. It was 1994, and I was 15 years old, traveling with my parents for Spring Break of my sophomore year of high school.

Back then I didn’t get to determine the destinations – I was just happy to go anywhere beyond Virginia. A little disclaimer up front though – my memories of that family trip are a bit limited, because something tragic happened while we were gone that ended up overwriting most of what I’d imprinted. One of my closest friends at that time, Matt Fidler, was killed along with his friend Ryan Smith, while cave diving in the Bahamas. I deal with death daily now as an adult, and especially as an Emergency Physician, but he was the first true friend I’d lost. It had happened the first few days of that Spring Break, but I learned of it after the rest of our friend group as my family was unreachable abroad.

That said, I have three distinct memories from that trip to Barcelona. 1) Parque Güell, with its winding mosaic walls, 2) La Segrada Familia, which was only 25% complete then, but the most mind-blowing thing I’d seen in my life to that point, and 3) more of a feeling than a place, the mood of Barcelona, coming off a high after hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics. The police officers still wore their distinctive white gloves with the Olympic logo embroidered, but their faces and the whole mood of the city was one of emotional comedown, post-Olympic blues.

We took two cabs from our AirBnB to La Segrada Familia. We learned the hard way to get tickets more than a month in advance, otherwise you can expect to pay a premium. If you are going during the sweltering summer like us, pack your bottled water and be prepared for crowds.

As we rounded the corner and caught our first glimpse of this UNESCO site, the exterior texture was what floored me. Unwrapped colorful candies affixed to a drip sand castle. Colorful beads dotting the spires atop towers that reach for the sky. You have to crane your neck and squint to see them in the distance above.

Tickets to ride the elevator up the spires are extra. We opted to stick with the ground-level interior experience. #1BigSister noted the deliberate use of warm and cool colors on opposing sides of the church, and the specific absence of purple. Perhaps Gaudí drawing a clear line. I vaguely remembered something about the abrupt death of Antoni Gaudí, that he’d been hit by a car – a tram to be precise thanks to ChatGPT correcting my memory.

Gaudí began construction of his masterpiece in 1882. It was plagued with difficulties throughout the entire course of construction, even today, which is why it’s taken 144 years (and counting) to build it. Barcelona elites found Gaudí’s style to be tacky and excessive, gaudy even (no relation though, as this word dates to 16th century old English).

I wish we had more time here to explore Gaudí’s works. I’m adding an off season trip (less crowds, less heat) to my return travel list.

He’s leveled up to Meta glasses and an iPhone

From La Segrada Familia, we split up into two cabs again, this time bound for Parque Güell. Roughly 1.5 miles apart, in this heat we weren’t going to be able to walk it.

The park is known for its winding pathways and mosaic walls. There are gardens and musicians, newlyweds and large tours with families. The people echo the tapestry of the art itself.

We taxied to an open air food market, Mercat de Santa Caterina, and caught it just as the stalls were closing. Starving, we lucked out and got an easy table for 6 at Cafe Bar L’Univers. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves. We loved everything we ordered.