Barcelona, Day 3

Antoni Gaudi was the focus today. I mentioned him briefly in yesterday's blog and was so intrigued by his creative and spiritual mind, we decided to take a free walking tour looking at his work around town and then my sister and I perused Gaudi's final "unfinished" masterpiece -- the Sagrada Familia.

The Sagrada Familia is a basilica, which Gaudi devoted most of the end of his life to, so much so that he created a studio with a bed for himself inside the cathedral, so he could finish the work faster. He had finished the blueprints and oversaw the construction of part of the cathedral. Tragically, he died when he was struck by a tram in 1926. Today, architects and developers aim to complete the Sagrada by 2026. Donations and ticket sales fund the project.

Gaudi created and renovated many of Barcelona's office and housing structures. His work was inspired by the shapes he sees in nature. When looking at some of my photos below, see if you can spot any nature images in the buildings. If you want any more info on what you see, please leave a comment.

After we had our fill of Gaudi, we went shopping, had dinner, and enjoyed our final flower gelatos. My sister returns to Canada tomorrow,  while my friend and I head back to Madrid for a couple of days. We say goodbye to Barcelona and our haunted hotel tomorrow morning.

San Sebastian, Day 3

Today we hiked up Monte Urgull to see Jesus up close and personal. Well, his statue, at least. The hike was fairly easy, but we felt extremely hot, at times. The scenery was beautiful. Today, we got to eat more delicious food and it was the best food yet.

Every day since we got here, it has been very hot and humid, but by evening, a cool breeze blows in from the ocean and the night cools very quickly. So, every night, we've experienced thunderstorms.  Tonight, as I write this, God is displaying his might in a spectacular lightning and thunder show. I wish we could see the actual lightning bolts, but the light show is amazing already.