Let’s Go Look Around Gaudí Architecture

　I thoroughly enjoyed Gaudí architecture in Barcelona. First up was Casa Batlló, the place I most wanted to see. It’s a mysterious house with fairy-tale-like colors.

　I was surprised by how suddenly it just pops up in the middle of the city. It’s so close to the station that it almost feels like they built the station in front of Casa Batlló. I really like how it blends into the cityscape like this.

　The way its writhing curves appear by cutting through rows of straight-lined buildings gives it a wonderfully uncanny presence. And yet, with its fancy colors, it also feels approachable, brightening up the area around Barcelona’s station as a friendly tourist spot. Gaudí on a street corner.

I came to Barcelona to see Gaudí architecture, but first I had to install the Gaudí app, then pay into Gaudí Coin, then buy a Gaudí ticket, and only then can I finally see Gaudí, apparently.

　I installed the Gaudí app in advance and bought a Gaudí ticket with Gaudí coins. I went on a weekday, so there was no line in particular, and the purchase went smoothly.

　The Gaudí app.

　I still had a little over 220 Gaudí coins left, but I ended up leaving Barcelona without having any idea how to use them. What’s more, I was able to enter other places without using those coins at all.

　The exterior is irresistibly enchanting, but you can admire that from outside as much as you like, so let’s head in with ticket in hand.

　It’s all wavy and twisting inside too. It somehow feels like coming to an amusement park. There weren’t many people who had come alone like me. There were lots of couples, so I felt just a tiny bit out of place. Well, no one probably cares, so I proudly made my way up.

　Even little items like vases are overflowing with that Gaudí character, which is great. It feels like exploring a world inside a strange dream.

　A wobbly staircase.

　The furniture looks as if it has a will of its own and is squirming around, making for a very strange visual experience.

　Let’s look out at the tourists from inside the building.

　Everyone is looking up and taking pictures of the building. For people who aren’t interested, it’s probably just a weird building, so seeing them simply walk past somehow makes me happy in a “this really is a city” kind of way.

　Up the spiral staircase we go. The little room peeking out through the window is beautiful too. This space was probably my favorite.

　Water is projected onto the wall, flowing down like a waterfall. You can’t really appreciate this beautiful blue unless you go inside the building, so if you ever come to Spain, please make a point of visiting.

　There’s a restaurant too. I imagine that if you buy one of the nicer Gaudí tickets using Gaudí coins, you can eat there. There was also a night tour. That felt a little too couple-oriented for me, so I didn’t dine there. There’s a more casual rest area on the rooftop, though, so even if you come alone, it’s not a problem. Kind to cranky loners.

　Gaudí souvenirs.

　The rooftop.

　The distinctive monuments are great, of course, but simply looking out over Barcelona from up here is wonderfully pleasant.

　Spain indeed.

　A church balcony peeks out just a little. The rooftop is rich in color, which only adds to how much it feels like a video game screen.

　Heading down.

　From a little window.

　In the video room, the final boss battle takes place.

　Uooooooo.

　Next, I headed to Park Güell.

　As I wandered around not knowing where the park was, I came across a bookshelf embedded in a wall.

　Because it was wet from the rain, it had absorbed moisture and swollen all rough and puffy. Anyway, I just kept climbing stairs.

　As you keep climbing, these mysterious buildings gradually begin to show themselves, so it’s easy to tell you’re getting close. It feels more like a theme park than a park. It reminded me of being a child growing up in Okinawa, driving past a giant castle lit up with neon lights and feeling excited, thinking how fun it would be to play there. Well, it turned out to be a love hotel, though.

　I was able to just pay the admission fee on the spot and go right in. I don’t know what it’s like on weekends.

　Rather than coming specifically for Gaudí, I imagine plenty of people just visit because they want to stroll through a huge and bizarre park. It seems like the kind of place a family might casually stop by and find interesting.

　Well, I was alone... and as I trudged along, a cat started following me. Are you alone too?

　Then it went off somewhere.

　After the cat disappeared, a violinist uncle appeared instead. Was that cat’s true form actually the violinist? The sound of a violin echoed through the quiet park. In Europe, there are lots of people playing music around the city, so it’s delightful that the streets come with their own background music.

　It feels like the kind of place they would use in filming a Heisei Kamen Rider series. Didn’t Kuuga or Agito have fights in places like this all the time?

　Anyway, since you just keep walking and walking, by this point some kids are completely worn out and lying there exhausted. Sometimes adults are too.

　The plants are huge and generous. By the way, in Spain there are tons of flies buzzing around, and nobody even seems to care if one lands on your meal at a café.

　I really liked the greenery in this view. It’s so high up that there’s no signal either. It’s the kind of sweeping view that makes me think, “This is Spain.” Or maybe not Spain exactly, but something that evokes Mexico, which used to be a colony. I’d like to visit Mexico someday too. I’ve heard people there are even more cheerful than Spaniards, who are already cheerful enough as it is.

　I went down a little and back to the more Gaudí-like area. Around here, people are still energetic because it’s near the entrance. Definitely a photo spot.

　When Park Güell is introduced as a work of Gaudí architecture, this is the sort of place they mean. The patterns are distinctive. Such vivid curves.

　People gather around this area.

　I got a nice shot.

　The experience of just walking around this mysterious space for about an hour was interesting in itself, so Park Güell was a fun place to simply stroll around. The buildings you suddenly notice out of the corner of your eye have that delightfully squirming Gaudí quality too.

　Now then, over there you can see the Sagrada Família. From Gaudí to Gaudí. Let’s head there right away! Maybe about an hour on foot from here? It’s pretty far, and hot too.

　The Sagrada Família.

　I couldn’t get a ticket until a month later, so I wasn’t able to go inside. Let’s just admire the exterior. The Gaudí coins were no help there either.

　From straight on. At first glance, the colors may seem rather inorganic, but when you look closely, you can see flowers and fruit sculptures scattered around. There’s humor within the solemnity.

　See? It’s actually fairly colorful. There’s even a McDonald’s and a Starbucks nearby, which gives it a casual feeling. A religious symbol in a cheerful city.

　Even just looking at it while it’s still heavily under construction has its own appeal.

　And that was my Antoni Gaudí trip.