Barcelona, Day 2

Barcelona is all about the architect Antoni Gaudi, and you can't get very far in Barcelona without seeing his work. Day 2 was Gaudi day for us, although Gaudi day ended up spilling over into day 3 because you can't really get it all in one day.

But first, this guy, outside the Sagrada Familia:



And now, back to Gaudi. The Sagrada Familia is, or is going to be, a basilica unlike any other. It was started in 1882. Right now, the anticipated completion date is 2026, but when you've been working on something this long, what's the hurry?

Gaudi was either brilliant or insane. Take your pick.

After we spent a long time at the Sagrada Familia, we went to Park Güell, which is sort of Barcelona's version of New York's Central Park, except that it has all kinds of Gaudi constructions throughout. It's a popular park. Half of the population of Spain got off the bus with us at the park entrance.

One nice thing about being on your own instead of being part of a huge tour group that's spending a few hours in town while on a cruise is that you can just hang out and watch the flow of life in a new city. We spent some time doing that in this central plaza with these funky benches around the edge.