We decided to see how the weather would be before planning our next foray into the city. The following day, Friday was not appropriate for lazing on the beach as it was raining. This helped us decide to explore a park that had influences from Barcelona’s greatest sons’ Gaudi; Park de la Ciudadella:
This park is situated in the Barri Gotic, and you can find many huge, important museums of art and culture, and even a great lake where you can rent boats. This was originally a fortress made in the shape of a star, built for King Felipe V in 1715. But after an 18 month seige the fortress fell, and after a while it was a hated symbol of oppression for the locals. Under the Napoleonic regime it was used as a prison. General Prim destroyed the Citadel in 1878, and a statue was erected to him on the spot. Now this is a public garden and exhibition space. You can find palaces of typical Spanish architecture filled with art here. In 1888 the park was used for the Universal Exhibition and many of the beautiful buildings were constructed for that. The gardens and fountains were also designed in that time, partly by a very young Gaudí.
As the weather became brighter we chose to continue our Gaudi day, and complete the modernist route of Barcelona, really take in the culture of such a beautiful city. It was whilst admiring the architecture that I began to fall in love with all that is Catalonian. We walked for miles this day and saw so much. From the Sagradia Familia that became Gaudi’s life work in 1882 till his death in 1926, the building of which continues to this day. (Bugger living round that and hoping that the building work would stop soon.) To his more approachable buildings in the more fashionable shopping areas around Barcelona, all of which were way too pricey for the likes of us peasants to wonder around in and admire the work. However, I did manage to buy a top in Mango, had to considering it is Spanish!
