Modernista architecture, geometry, and food in Barcelona

Today was devoted to seeking architecture, geometry, and good food.  All were found.  Following my now routine breakfast feast, I sojourned on foot the 2.2 miles to Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia, this time with ticket in hand to view the main chapel.  During the walk I realized I'm getting to know the pedestrian mores of Barcelona pretty well, which are a little different than most places because of the street layout.  This day was devoted to regions where tourists are in the minority for the most part, and so I saw Barcelona at work, which was nice.  

The internet ticket was great, as I got to jump the line and walk right in at my scheduled time.  Well, I must say the interior of this Basilica was simply stunning.  Yes, it respects many of the standard Gothic forms.  But then it just creates new ones, mainly based on geometry.  Gaudi certainly studied his classical geometry, and fully utilized the notion of conic sections.  For those interested, the hyperbolic paraboloid surface is put to very good use here.  Non-mathematicians can see the beauty of the nave below nonetheless.  And the naturalist side of Gaudi was inspired by the similarly shaped rock formations at Montserrat, I am told.

Here is a shot of the ceiling.

Here is a shot of the crucifix above the main alter.

Here's another shot of the nave, as well as the modern phenomena of EVERYONE, your correspondent included, taking endless cell phone photos.

The museum below the main chapel is just outstanding.  It features among other things, a hyperbolic parabaloid.

And while it's hard to explain, the columns have an unusual construction.  They certainly taper, and as they do so, they lose some "ribs," gently.  This is achieved by an extrusion process with cams, for the mechanically inclined.

Outside of the Basilica sits the school for the children of the workers.  It turns out to be a foundation of modernist architecture itself.  Gaudi did not like straight lines.  He did like structured geometry.  So his school featured many curved surfaces.

His school also taught geometry.

From there, I took a twenty minute walk to the Fundacio Antoni Tapeis, which featured a retrospective of Birmingham, AL's Kerry James Marshall.  It was not interesting.  Jim Stewart's Barcelona card got me free admission though!

Then too lunch.  I spotted a restaurant which proudly advertised "Nebraska".  Intrigued, I went back to it.  It was a fine choice.  For far less then I've paid at other touristy places, I got a first class meal.  Here is the sculptured hot spinach, laced with pine nuts and raisins.  To the side is Barcelona's endemic bread with garlic, oil, and tomato.

This was followed by cold, vegetarian lasagna.  The lasagna is striped!  It was very good.

I then toured Gaudi's Casa Batilo.  It is privately held, and the bottom three floors are open.  Wow!  It's done up as a giant sea monster/dragon.  Everything is nautical.  There are no straight lines or planes anywhere.  Here is a room near the entry.

Here is a nautilus-like ceiling.

Here is your correspondent.

From there I walked a few blocks north on Passage de Gracia (pretty much the Michigan Ave. of Barcelona) to Gaudi's La Pedrera.  It's an apartment building and office block.  The roof and one apartment are open for viewing.  Here is the entry way.

Here is some of the roof.

Here is the "attic" just under the roof.  There are lots of parabolas.

Here is the bano in a model apartment.

Here is a landing in the model apartment.

Here is a haughty bust in the model apartment.

From there, I took a short metro ride north to Park Guell.  This too was designed by Gaudi.  Here are some columns (of a sort) he built into the earthworks.

Here is a view of stormy Barcelona from the top of the hill in the park.

Here is the house where Gaudi lived for his last twenty years.  He was something else.  He was totally devoted to his work.  And he got hit by a tram and killed.  His funeral was attended by thousands, and there were marches in the street.

Here are some more of Gaudi's columns in the park.

The storm got me a little wet before I found shelter.  Following the storm, I walked down the Passage de Gracia to the L'Eixample neighborhood (where I'd been all morning) and focused on the crazy architecture that popped up in the late 19th century here.  Here's one.

Here's a flower store.

And a music store.

Here's some more architecture.

And some more....

And some more....

And some more...

I then took the metro back to my hotel.  I decided to take a chance on a sure thing for my last supper in Barcelona and was not disappointed.  The meal below was cheaper than last evening's and far better.  It started with do-it-yourself Barcelona bread (note the garlic and tomato--oil is out of the field of view).

Next up was a magnificent pasta, asparagus, squid, and mushroom.  Almost a meal.

The main course was a ribeye, potato, and tomato. OK, I ordered the pork, but this was first class.

Passion fruit sorbet for desert, not featured.