#40 Barcelona and the Temple of Light

פֿאַרעפֿנטלעכט: 15.12.2021

December 12-13, 2021: Barcelona (#40)


J. In Barcelona, you could spend several weeks, but we only spent two days in this city for now. We parked on the outskirts of the city in an industrial area and took the train into the city. We had been here three years ago and recognized some things. Furthermore, we had some recommendations from Anne and Elena.

First, we walked through the cactus park in Barcelona, where we could not only admire various cacti but also had a wonderful view of the harbor. The cactus park is located on the slopes of Barcelona's house mountain, Montjuïc. At the top of the mountain is Montjuïc Castle, which used to serve as a defense for Barcelona. Now it is a tourist attraction. Admission is free after 3 pm, but we were too early for that. The 5 euros admission fee was still worth it. In addition to a small exhibition about a former amusement park here on the mountain, there was a breathtaking view over Barcelona.

Cactus Park
Cactus Park
Castell de Montjuïc
Castell de Montjuïc
View from Castell de Montjuïc
View from Castell de Montjuïc
View from Castell de Montjuïc
View from Castell de Montjuïc
Castell de Montjuïc
Castell de Montjuïc

Afterwards, we walked through the city, along the street "La Rambla", past Plaça Reial, and through the trendy district of "El Born". We spent the afternoon in Parc de la Ciutadella and watched the many people in the park. There was an acrobatic group, a group balancing on incredibly long slacklines, a juggling group, and various music groups. In between, individuals sat reading or learning, small groups enjoyed the sun and the relaxed Sunday afternoon, and there was even a pretty large discussion group.

Triumphal Arch
Triumphal Arch in Parc de la Ciutadella

In the evening, we had tapas and strolled along the illuminated promenade, with a Christmas market. Alternating between opera music and Christmas pop songs played from the speakers, and the many colorful LEDs danced to the beat of the music.

Christmas market on the promenade
Christmas market on the promenade

Because we had other things on our list for Barcelona, especially the Sagrada Família, we simply came back the next day. We went straight to the famous church, Sagrada Família, which was designed by Gaudí and has been under construction for almost 150 years. It still isn't completely finished, with one of the three facades and the five central towers still missing. However, compared to three years ago when we were here last, we could see significant progress. Just this month, the second highest tower, the Tower of Mary, was completed with a huge glass star on top.

Sagrada Família
The second highest tower, for Mary, with the glass star on top was completed just this month.
The second highest tower, for Mary, with the glass star on top was completed just this month.
La Sagrada Família
La Sagrada Família
Mosaic fruit baskets on the spires
Mosaic fruit baskets on the spires
The Tower of Mary with the glass star on top
The Tower of Mary with the glass star on top

Last time we were here, it was summer and the line in front of the church was endless. We wanted to take advantage of the current off-season and short line to take a look inside the church. However, there was no ticket office. The only way to buy a ticket was online, and there was a huge QR code printed on the fence and free Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, we could only pay with a Visa card, and our secure Visa online payment wasn't working at first. We tried everything, and just when I was about to give up, Florian managed to make it work after almost an hour, and we had our tickets. Then we just had to download the app and the audio file for the audio guide, and we were good to go. I wondered several times what people without smartphones do, and in the church, I helped a slightly disappointed older couple who didn't understand the Catalan, Spanish, and few English signs. They had already downloaded the app on their smartphone but hadn't found the German audio guide yet. There was even a guide in sign language and a description of the church for the blind, so the app is definitely advantageous.

The church was absolutely impressive.

Unlike other churches, there are no sculptures or figures inside. They are all on the outside. The church is supposed to have three facades (to the east, south, and west) depicting the three most important events in Jesus' life. The facade of Christ's birth is rich in detail, with many figures of Mary and Joseph, as well as Jesus in his childhood and youth. Additionally, there are many figures from nature representing local animal and plant life. The opposite facade depicts the last days of Jesus' life and is depicted as stark and brutal. People look angular, and even the columns resemble bones, tense muscles, or tendons. The third facade, the resurrection facade, is not yet finished.

Entrance door - Christ
Facade - Christ's Birth
Entrance door - Christ
Facade - Christ's Birth
Entrance door - Christ
Entrance door - Christ's Birth
Facade of the Crucifixion
Facade of the Crucifixion
Facade of the Crucifixion
Facade of the Crucifixion
Door to the facade of Christ's Crucifixion
Door to the facade of Christ's Crucifixion

Gaudí wanted his church to be different from other churches in the past, not dark and threatening, but open, bright, and inviting for inner reflection. He wanted his church to be a temple of light, and he succeeded. The church is flooded with colorful light. The huge stained glass windows do not depict biblical stories but are simply colorful patterns, with warm colors on one side and cold colors on the other side of the church. When the sun shines, which probably happens frequently here in Barcelona, it looks heavenly in the church. And as long as the sun moves across the sky, the light in the church constantly changes. The windows also bear the names of saints from around the world. Gaudí wanted his church to be cosmopolitan and open to all. That is why the main entrance gate (in the facade that is not yet finished) says "Give us this day our daily bread" in 50 different languages. The columns are not just round, they look like trees that split into branches at the top to support the roof and the many towers (a total of 18). The 18 towers also each have a meaning: they represent the 12 apostles, the 4 evangelists, Mary, and Jesus, and they increase in height according to their importance. However, Gaudí made sure that even the tallest tower would never surpass the house mountain of Barcelona because human-made should never surpass God-made, according to Gaudí's belief.

Temple of Light
Temple of Light
Columns that look like trees
Columns that look like trees
Temple of Light
Temple of Light
Door for the still missing facade of the Resurrection: The Lord's Prayer in Catalan and 'Give us this day our daily bread' in 50 different languages, to show that everyone is welcome here
Door for the still missing facade of the Resurrection: The Lord's Prayer in Catalan and 'Give us this day our daily bread' in 50 different languages, to show that everyone is welcome here
The windows bear the names of saints from around the world
The windows bear the names of saints from around the world
Is there jelly in the church?
Is there jelly in the church?
Altar and organ
Altar and organ
Mirror to better view the ceiling
Mirror to better view the ceiling

As you can see, I was very impressed by this church. It was worth the effort to get a ticket, and I would recommend anyone who is in Barcelona to visit this church.

Underneath the church is a museum about the construction of the church and Gaudí, where you can also see models of the parts of the church that are still missing. We spent a total of 3.5 hours in the church and the museum because there is so much to see.

Models of the parts of the church that are still to be built
Models of the parts of the church that are still to be built

Afterwards, we went to Bunker del Carmel. A beautiful viewpoint with a view over the entire city.

The two days in Barcelona were wonderful, and we could spend many more days here. Now we're going to the beach for some relaxation, but we'll be back.

View from the Bunker del Carmel viewpoint
View from the Bunker del Carmel viewpoint
Sagrada Família
Sagrada Família
Day 59 - Total tour 4,167 km


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