Barcelona

Day one has gone superbly well, and my feet are blistered, my tummy is distended, and my heart is full. We’ve had such a run at Barca’s things to do all day. We made it to the Basilica (Sagrada Familia), and with a group or 18 or so people, we toured – following a red-risen-fly-swatter throughout. Our tour guide was the efficient Marta, only one of what seemed like hundreds of tour-guides working hard to explain this odd, beautiful, eccentric and passionate ode to God.
I envisioned Gaudi as a pagan/Catholic guy,  as such contradictions exist in the curious human heart.

What will shortly be the tallest church in the world has been a 137 year project in the making, having just finally gotten their building permit. I spent 18 years in a building department, and find this capricious disregard to a code book quite charming. With no digital equipment to use as a guide, Gaudi did the work of an entire technological team, and his calculations remain valid within small millimeters even now.

Anton Gaudi was the engine behind a train that continues to run, a train of commitment and circumstance that the church hopes will actually bear completed fruit in seven years, on the anniversary of some sort of Gaudi event.lets see – the first 75% took 137 years, and the rest needs to be done in 7. Sure. No problem.

I thought hard about all of my art -loving friends who would so appreciate this unbelievable experience. Powerful to be here amid Gaudi’s vision of nature working with God to elevate the heart and soul of mankind.

We kept stopping – for a coffee – for a sit – down, for a bus, a train, for any old reason at all, the most athletic of us got in about 14000 steps, but one of us slacked and didn’t make, but maybe approached ten thousand. She had sore and blistered feet too!!! ( waawaawaa.)

Lunch at an indoor market (La Boqueria ) was beyond the moon with its variety and even our fresh seafood lunch didn’t stop us from buying some things from this gigantic and impressive place. How do they stay in business with such a variety of fresh, large, whole hams, goats, fishes, lambs?  They are each so unique and it’s lovely to see small businesses with such creative energy. I’ll post some photos on FB when I get a minute. Candies, nuts, local seasonings, food, stuff-it’s all there.

We took the funicular to Mont Juic, to the top of a mountain to visit the fort there, and when we returned, we were just in time to assist yet another two shop keepers stay in business with both dinner and a gelato. Although tired, we gave it our best.

It’s amazing to watch how hard those immigrant sellers of “stuff” work to try to have some honest labor and keep up their own families. When a whistle blows somewhere, they all wrap up their things into a knapsack, or a plastic bag and are out of there.

I never figured out how they all knew the police were coming, before all of a sudden, they disappear into the air, to reappear, bag in hand a few minutes later, like large crows landing on a tree after a scare. No one seems vicious or angry about it, and we never saw any arrests.

It was fascinating, and lead to lots of questions in general about people, our humanity, our problems, and our lack of solutions. No matter what, the sellers work hard, as do the beggars, the musicians, and the rose sellers.

The migrants did sell me on some needed compassion and a desire to meet their eyes to seek the spirit that lives within. I found them just like me. Trying to stand tall, and earn their own way against some overwhelming odds. There is something noble in that willingness to keep trying and to show up.

They understand the bus schedules too, and were really helpful when we couldn’t figure out our directions. But then, I guess they would know the routes well.

I watch the girls and how they dress, and I just love the casual skirts and dresses that so many women use to be both feminine, smartly done up, and still look comfy.

Lastly with the church – we came back to attend mass in the crypt. That is the lowest level of this massive building. It is the oldest part, and quite gothic, a shock after the comparison with the ultra unique building upstairs. This part of the building houses the local parish, and continues with mass, and other ceremonies that the parish needs to have. This mass was sung in Spanish, Catalonian (they do refuse to give up their own nationhood, no matter what Spain wants), with a few words in France and English. (okay – I took off my sandals and stood barefoot on the cooling marble, hoping to manage the blistered parts). Rude. Necessary

All right – we also did get to see Gaudi’s tomb. He was run over by a trolley in 1926, and they’ve been trying to remain true to his guidance ever since so that this  creation of his stays true to the plan. It was a very big plan.