We took the elevator up one of the towers, taking in spectacular sites of giant fruit topped spires before walking down these 257 steps. Both Ms. Foodie and I had to pause on occasion because of some slight vertigo and to enjoy the views from the windows in the towers.
Another memorable moment was the protest by Spaniards and Buddhist monks in Spain against the Juta regime in Burma. We did not learn that this was part of a co-ordinated world wide action organized by Amnesty International until we watched the news that evening.
The roof of the hypo style hall was studded with ceramic sculptures by Gaudi.
Gaudi's playful nature is apparent in these sentries (disguised chimney stacks) on the roof of the Casa Mila or La Pedrera (the quarry). When Gaudi first unveiled this design, some critics described the apartment as a collection of bland stones. Hence, the nickname of "the quarry" was adopted for this building.
One little know fact about Gaudi was his death. Gaudi was local celebrity in Barcelona at the time he was the architect of the Sagrada Familia. He lived and worked in the neighbour close to his beloved structure. On his way to work one day, he was struck by a tram a block away from the Sagrada Familia. He was taken to a hospital where he eventually died. His body lay unrecognized for three days!After days of eating Spanish food, I had to make a break for an Asian meal in Barcelona. All that oil, heavy sauce, and deep fried foods can make this Asian girl hungry for a bowl of noodles. So it was off to a Japanese restaurant called Udon for a satisfying bowl of beef ramen.
It is good to be home now. Although the road home was started with a little bumpy ride. Ms. Foodie and I were supposed to take a direct train from our hotel to the airport. The train station was just in front of the Park Hotel. It was very fortunate that we decided to take the earlier train for what was suppose to a 30 minute ride took an hour and twenty minutes.
The train was suppose to proceed through 5 stops before reaching the airport, its terminus. After two stops, the train remained idle at the Barcelona Sants station for nearly 10 minutes. No announcements or train officials came by to tell the riders why. Then the lights were turned off and pretty much everyone alighted.
Through our fellow Spanish speaking riders, we learned that we were get on the next train, ride two stops and then alight at that station. Then a third train came along and took us to the airport. The final moment of frustration came when the lights and power temporarily went off on this third train at the moment of departure. Audible signs of relief were heard when the power came back on and when we finally arrived at the airport.
The gate for our plane changed and so the British Airways flight leg to Heathrow was delayed in its departure by 30 minutes. Thankfully, there was a time change and we had 2 hours layover in London. This we hoped would mean our bags stood a better chance of catching up with us. The irony was our flight from London to Toronto arrived 35 minutes early thanks to some powerful tail winds. By the time we cleared customs and picked up our bags (yes they made it on our flight), Mr. Hippo had just arrived at the terminal and we were off and away home by 6pm (the time the flight was suppose to arrive). Whew! Home safe and sound.
