La Sagrada Familia

I seem to wake up each morning wondering what I'm going to do, all alone, an American in Barcelona. Then a few minutes later I step out into the street and the city is moving all around, and the question becomes irrelevant. Being here is an experience itself, without any particular need for purpose.

 

Yesterday was a fine day, I first went to La Sagrada Familia where I spent many hours wandering around, from the Parc de Gaudi outside and into the building, and up the towers to find a magnificent view of the city. The building has been under construction since the 1890's, and doesn't appear near completion any time soon. I waited for a religious experience, as I started to leave, but one did not present itself. Perhaps it did without my knowing. Missing epiphanies aside, the building is impressive enough on it's own.

I went to the Majic Font at Placa Espanya in the evening after walking along the Passeig de Colon taking photos as the sun dissapeared. All of Barcelona seemed to be out at the fountain, or what would be all the population of a lesser city, but in Barcelona it was only a fraction. The water bounced and swirled into the air shimmering in various colors, dancing to classical, R&B and pop music.

There are vendors around the city shilling toys which one throws up into the air, where they soar about 40 feet above, and twirl downward, blinking neon lights as they drop. When I see these, I think of cell phones, signals bouncing, blinking lights our first human means of communication across distance. There aren't the same number of people with glowing cell phones protruding from their face here in Barcelona as you would find elsewhere, people apparently remember how to speak to each other face to face.