Modernism, part 1- Parc Güell

I love Gaudí. I fell in love with his style all those years ago when I first saw his buildings in Barcelona. Ahead of his time, his architectural style was completely unique, but has since been copied extensively. His buildings appear whimsical, yet are solidly constructed with an often unusual approach to form. He twisted tradition and developed new methods. His obsession with nature can be seen in all his buildings, from spiral twists to branches and from animals to plants. Metal, shell, wood: he used them all and in stunning unique ways. While I was excited to return to Parc Güell, I also hoped this time I'd be able to tour some of the buildings. Woohoo!

Before my colleague left, one morning before work started we walked over to the most famous of Gaudí's buildings, the Sagrada Familia. While my ICOM card would get us in for reduced price, we still had to wait in line. This happened a couple of places and puzzled me; I'd rather pay but be granted access. Oh well. We didn't have time to wait the forty or more minutes. So we walked around, and took a taxi up to Parc Güell, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

It had changed a bit; a new entrance, and fees. More people. But still the most wonderful park in the world! 

The upper part of the "main" park area, the Gran Plaça Circular, bordered by a serpentine bench, covered in these tile mosaics. At 499 feet long, it's said to be the largest in the world. Sometimes there are clear images in the designs, like this crab. 

 Sometimes it's seemingly random in a style all Gaudí's called trencadis.

 Here you can see a bit of the bench. There are fabulous views from everywhere because of its construction.

Directly below it is the Hall of a Hundred Columns, which actually has 84 leaning pillars and was designed to be a covered market. 

 It's spectacular, with tile and glass. The figure in that circle in the bottom right corner is an octopus!

 Nice detail. All of this was built between 1910 and 1914.

 Across the way we can see the gingerbread-style house where Gaudí lived while working on the park, 1906-1926. He didn't build it, but today it houses the Casa-Museu Gaudí and many of the interior furnishings are his design.

 My favorite part of the park is the Drac, or dragon. He's a magnet for photo-snapping tourists (yes, us too). Maybe it's the water coming off his chin like a beard. Maybe it's the blue and turquoise tiles. Maybe I just think he looks friendly. I don't know, but I am totally in love with this dragon fountain. It's one of my most favorite sites in all the world.

 More decorative elements around the lower part of the park, all mosaic tile.

 Elements of the house and the gate.

 The view from below, of the dragon (in the middle of all those people on the stairs), the market hall, and the benches above. Sigh, wish I were back there!

I fully intended to go back, and just sit for hours and read, and wander the paths for hours; there are other buildings to explore and extensive grounds. I never made it. Reason one that I'll have to go back....