being a person of a certain height, i often forget to/don’t look up. if it’s not at eye level, i usually won’t notice whatever it is.

there is a whole world above 5’3 and here, if you don’t look up, you could miss some cool things.

today i went on a tour that took me up to Montjuïc (Jewish Mountain), back over to the Gothic Quarter, El Born District, lunch at Picca-Dilly, Sagrada Família and ending at Parc Güell.

i found a tour on TripAdvisor that would pick me up at my hotel (which i now know is quite a distance from central Barcelona) and bring me back for a reasonable price. done.

we were a group of 16 and our fearless leader was Marlon and we were, “his people” all day. “my people, vamos!” was heard multiple times during our adventure.

the morning view from Montjuïc was really nice, a beautiful way to ease into the day.

after a sufficient amount of picture-taking time, we were off to Old Town.

i wandered around the Gothic Quarter yesterday and although i saw some of the same things, there were different sites as well.

for example, this photo-mosaic mural made up of tiny tiles. “The sound of a kiss is not as loud as that of a cannon, but its echo lasts a great deal longer.” by Oliver Wendell Holmes is the quote associated with this piece.

and we went to the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar.

after a little wander, we went to lunch at Picca-Dilly an, “authentic” Spanish restaurant.

after a delicious vegetable paella, we made our way to the Sagrada Família.

my pictures can’t do this cathedral justice……i am a huge fan of stained glass, this artful wonder did not disappoint.

it is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world. Designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926), his work on Sagrada Família is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site…..

hmmm, maybe i should make a quest to see all of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites…..i have a few under my belt already.

i can only imagine what it would have been like to be in Gaudí’s mind. loud, colorful and emotional are three descriptors that come to mind.

he was living at the Sagrada Família at the time of his tragic death….he was hit by a trolley car and he was left in the street for hours because people thought he was a poor and homeless beggar. people finally took him to the “poor people” hospital where he was for two days before a chaplain at Sagrada Família found him, but by then it was too late and he died in that hospital.

as with other artists, he wasn’t truly really recognized for his accomplishments until after his death. sigh.

so many structures here are credited to him, including the Parc Güell, which was our final stop of the day.

it was a great day spent with some nice people…..i wonder what tomorrow will hold?!