Barcelona

When I began planning my trip to Spain, I spent time researching YouTube videos. During my research, I found a very helpful channel. ROAD TRIP Spain and Portugal is a YouTube channel with lots of great videos about both countries. In one of the videos about Barcelona, I learned of a beautiful site not visited by many tourists and located within a 15-minute walk from the famous Sagrada Familia Basilica.

The San Pau Art Nouveau complex was built between 1902 and 1930 and originally served as a hospital from 1916 to 2009. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.

After spending so much time sitting on the plane, I decided to walk from my hotel in the Gothic quarter of Barcelona to the San Pau site. It was an hour long walk to the site and well worth it. Along the way, I saw beautiful archways and pedestrian walkways.

The San Pau site was everything the video said it would be. The architecture was stunning with beautiful artwork on its buildings and throughout the grounds.

Beautiful orange trees were found throughout the complex.

One of the buildings was named for Saint Rafael. In this building was a replica of the chapel along with the medical equipment used during its time as a hospital.

A hospital ward was also on display as it would have been at the time of its earlier use.

After exploring the beautiful San Pau site, I was ready for lunch.

It is always good to see things displayed in the showcase. It is easier to order by simply pointing.

Luckily, the man behind the counter spoke English and explained that the wrap contained Spanish ham and brie cheese. I then selected an apple muffin for dessert. Both items were served warm. Along with my green tea, I was in heaven!

It was now time to visit the Sagrada Familia. This is the biggest attraction in Barcelona. The Sagrada Familia is the largest unfinished Catholic Church in the world. It was designed by the famous artist, Antoni Guadi and is expected to be finished by 2026. The church is a minor basilica and was dedicated in November 2010 by Pope Benedict.

This was a very different church from all the others I have written about. It is hard to explain the uniqueness of its structure. Pictures say it best, so here are a few of my favorites.

When I enter a Catholic Church, one of the first things I do is look for the tabernacle. The tabernacle contains the Eucharist which is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus. Almost always, the tabernacle is located on the main altar or on a side altar near the main altar. As I walked toward the front of this beautiful basilica, my eyes searched for the tabernacle, but it was nowhere to be found. I thought this was odd.

As I continued to walk towards the back of the altar, I saw a sign which provided information about a crypt located below the main structure. Although we were not given access to the crypt, there was a long window so we could see partial views of the structure. The display also stated that the crypt was the oldest part of the basilica and the place where Gaudi was buried in 1926.

A little further behind the sign for the crypt was a security guard standing before an entrance marked “Prayer.” It was behind this entrance where the tabernacle was placed.

Above the tabernacle was a beautiful sculpture depicting a typical day in the life of the Holy Family.

It was so nice to find this beautiful, peaceful, quiet place. The basilica was very noisy with lots of people looking up at the beautiful structure, taking pictures, and talking about all that they were seeing. But in this little chapel with the tabernacle, there was peace and quiet. I prayed my daily rosary in this beautiful place and was grateful for my first day in Spain.

Before leaving the chapel, I noticed a window that showed the tabernacle and altar located in the crypt.

As I walked toward the exit of the basilica, I was amazed at the beautiful artwork on the floors. It was unique with each art piece telling a different biblical story.

The doors were also quite interesting with words etched throughout the structure.

More beautiful pictures of the Sagrada Familia.

After seven miles of walking, I was ready for a light dinner and some relaxation. My hotel was located across the square from the ***Cathedral of Barcelona.*** The rooftop terrace provided a beautiful view of the cathedral.

Day 1 of my Spain Adventure was a big success. On Day 2, I took a day trip by train to a famous monastery located in the mountains outside of Barcelona.