We left the Pyrenees behind and made our way down the winding roads and through the beautiful countryside of northeastern Aragon. We drove through many well-kept villages nestled in the scenic valleys or proudly commanding hilltops with old stone fortresses. Then we passed through the Somontano region, known for good cabernet; indeed, numerous vineyards passed by outside the car window. As we neared Barcelona, the highway grew from two to six lanes, and the driving became a bit nerve-wracking. I was pretty worn out by the time we descended on the city center, not the best state of mind when coming in cold to the craziness of a large Spanish metropolitan downtown. Finding our hotel was pretty stressful (although not nearly as difficult as we'd experience later in Valencia), but soon we were checked in, car parked, and relaxing by the rooftop swimming pool!

Our feet hit the pavement at around 4:00 in the afternoon, and we started where all the tourists start: La Rambla. It was pretty fun - jam-packed with people, street performers, vendors selling live birds, flowers, sourvenirs... Plus the large, colorful Mercat de la Boqueria, which made for a nice excursion. Always fun to check out local markets. The seafood stalls were of course packed with all sorts of interesting local catches, and what would any Spanish market be without the requisite row of ham vendors? We strolled around the Bari Gotíc area to check out the gothic sites, but got derailed by the endless array of little stores (and one gigantic store - El Corte Inglés, a 9-story behemoth that sold everything under the sun, including a nice cafeteria on the 9th floor). Turns out the cathedral was covered for renovation anyway. Bummer.

There is of course much to see in Barcelona, but our mission focused on Antoni Gaudí. And the most prominent Gaudí design is perhaps the most well-known icon of the entire city of Barcelona: the Sagrada Família (or rather, the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família). So we devoted an afternoon to this crazy church. Over the top! Its tall towers jut 100m into the air, clearly visible from almost anywhere in the city. They have a bowed curvature, in line with Gaudí's theory that straight lines are unnatural. The entire surface of the chuch is covered with sculptures growing out of the stone walls, providing a visual feast on small and large scales.

For an extra two euros you can go about halfway up the towers in a lift, and then take the spiral stairs back down. The line wasn't too long, so we went ahead and forked over the cash. It was way cool. At its highest point, the lift opened onto a narrow walkway that connected the towers. Crossing the bridge was exhilirating, with dizzying heights and spectacular views. Winding back down the spiral stairs in one of the towers afforded more great views out over different areas of the city, as well as glimpses into many of the sections high up in the church that are currently under construction.

Gaudí began work on the church in 1884 (he was 31), and designed the temple to seat 13,000 people. His design called for 12 towers representing the apostles, and 5 more towers representing the Virgin Mary and the four Evangelists. Eight of these towers have so far been constructed, and work continues. The plans also depict a final huge tower (170m!) in the center of the church, which will represent Christ. They say it could be completed by 2020, but I remain skeptical. In any case, the sheer immensity of the construction is just overwhelming - so much scaffolding, molds for creating all of the crazy cement shapes, bags of cement stacked all over the place. Perhaps it retains more mystery and maybe even dignity in its unfinished state, but I for one will be back to see the final product in all of its glory...

We made one more stop to check out another work of Modernista architecture, this time minimalist: a pavillion built for the World Expo in Barcelona, 1929, by Mies van der Rohe. It was considered modern for its original integration of exterior and interior, creating a space that combines both. The pavillion was dismantled after the fair, but reconstructed in the 1980s. It was a nice antidote to the excesses of Gaudí - straight lines, simplicity, no frills. This also was the origin of the now-famous "Barcelona chair", several of which are on display inside. In all it had a very peaceful feel, and the architecture was soothing rather than excitedly jutting out in all directions. A nice stop...