Park Guell Barcelona
Park Guell is another of Antoni Gaudi's creations. You must take time to explore this Barcelona wonder. Sit down at a table under the palm trees and have a beer whilst you soak up the atmosphere. It is a perfect place to relax and enjoy the view of the city after a long day of sightseeing and walking in Barcelona.
As it is near the top of a hill you have a great vista of the city. It is a pig to get to if you use the metro. The Park is very high up and the bus will take you to the entrance while if you take the Metro you have to walk uphill for half an hour along, not very attractive, dirty rundown side roads. I would definitely recommend taking the bus or taxi. Take the bus number 24 from Plaza Catalunya.
Mr Eusebi Guell was the main patron of Antoni Gaudi's work. Park Guell was, designed as a real estate development for Eusebi Guell in 1900. During the levelling of the park a mineral water spring was discovered. Guell Park became a municipal park and was opened to the public in 1922. Gaudi planned and directed the construction from 1900 to 1914. It was built as a residential garden city based on English models.
The plan was to have 60 single-family houses on the site but the project was financially unsuccessful and not finished. Only two were built. In creating the park he has used shapes, which harmonized with the landscape as can be seen by the curves on the upstairs balcony tiled seating area. Hids designs were very organic.
Gaudi built a complex garden of staircases, animal like sculptures, curvy ramps, and viaducts. Since 1984 the park was declared a monument of world interest by UNESCO. Admission to the park is free. When you enter the park there is a grand staircase with fountains and the city's mascot, the mosaic lizard greeting you.
Go up the stairs and you will come to large doric columns near an area called the marketplace. Above this area is a grand plaza ringed by the famous tiled, curving benches. To the side and back of the plaza are these unique natural stone pillars. Beyond this is a vast natural park with winding pathways through wooded areas. At a very high point in the park is a little tower with 3 crosses on it.
The Picasso Museum
If you are an Art History lover you will enjoy the Picasso museum but many people are disappointed as this museum is heavily it is geared towards his earlier work not the more well known later masterpieces. The work on display is not his best. You have to queue for a long time. The Museum can get packed with in-comprehending tourists on guided tours.
If you do spend a few more minutes than everybody else, to study a particular painting or drawing tour guides will start glowering at you for slowing things up. The main observation I took away from this gallery was that Picasso really could draw and paint 'properly' before he went off into cubism.
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