The Sagrada Familia

February was a tough month here at the Gibson house as we were all sick at one point or another.  However, we had plans for a getaway to Barcelona and we had to press on .  The weather was lovely and a nice change from the 20 degrees we had been stuck with in Germany for nearly a month.  Highs in the mid 50’s with lots of sun made the days enjoyable.

We went to the Sagrada Familia on our first full day in the city.  Building began on this basilica over 130 years ago and it is still under construction!  The architect, Antoni Gaudi, stipulated that the construction should be funded by donations rather than taxes.  Knowing that little bit of information takes the sting out of the 17 euro per person entrance fee!  We did our part to contribute to the construction costs.  The cost did include a handy audio guide though and it was very helpful as we walked through the building.

This is also the only time that I have embraced construction bits in my photos!  So many places we have traveled have been under restoration that cranes and scaffolding take away from the beauty of the buildings.  But, at the Sagrada Familia I looked at it as a being a part of history in the making. 

Can you imagine spending your day in a harness?  I was surprised to see this guy hanging out here and certainly admire the amount of work and attention to detail! 

While the admission was a little more than we are used to paying it was worth it and the line in mid-February was only about 20 minutes.  If you decide to visit in the summer we heard that the lines are terrible but you can purchase your tickets in advance on the website and skip the lines.