Kehrmiterranean Day 11: Barcelona

Barcelona Day started with great news: PawPaw was cleared and they were out of quarantine. We all grabbed breakfast and disembarked. We had tickets to visit Sagrada Familia at 9:00 AM so we went to the taxi stand and wound up divided into 3 taxis, we regrouped outside of the Basilica and got in line for our entrance to the Basilica. We had 30 minutes to look around and take some pictures of the amazing church. The outside is ornate, with intricate 3D representations of the life of Christ, and full of Symbolism. We entered through the eastern Nativity facade, which was covered with scenes from the birth of Christ with the whole cast from the Gospel, the Tree of Life,  and scenes from Christ's first years. The Gospel was being told in visual form on every inch of the facade. This was the first side that Antoni Gaudi was able to complete.

The interior was mesmerizing. The vaulted ceilings with it's tree canopy effect felt natural, and Gaudi's attempt to let creation speak of God's glory was effective. The truly mesmerizing part though was the stained glass and the way the light painted the interior is color and life. After we soaked in the space we joined our audio tour. Each of us got a headset and receiver. Hanna thought that was fantastic, for about 5 minutes and then yanked it off. The tour was helpful as our guide explained what we were looking at and gave us some of the 134 year history of its construction. The guide also helped us envision what the final church would look like. There is still a lot yet undone, including the main spires. I found the architecture fascinating and was glad the tour brought us through some of the workshop space. Hanna was a handful on the tour but she did really like the floor plan map and would have been happy to spend more time there. The girls also loved the interior and were actively spotting things in the ornate exteriors. On the Passion Facade we were drawn to the number grid in which all lines added up to 33.

 

We finished the tour, visited the gift shop, and then went across the street to a outdoor cafe for a snack and some water. We had bus tickets for a tourist bus which we wanted to take to our next stop 12:00 Mass at the Catherdral. We were planning to meet Grandma Kate and PawPaw's friend Joaquin and his wife Carmen at Mass. Joaquin had lived with them for the better part of a year and is the brother of one of their Parrish Priests. We went to the bus stand and discovered that our bus tickets were for a loop that only went in one direction, and that direction went an hour the wrong way. We considered taxis but our group is so big and we didn't want to get separated.

We looked at each other, took a deep breath and walked. Our destination was a diagonal across a city grid system, so we made use of the lights and beveled corners to every advantage. The city streets were well maintained and the buildings were beautiful. Sadly because we planned to use a bus and be in churches we didn't bring the stroller, so Jim and I took turns carrying Johanna. We kept a fast pace and it was a tough 2 miles, that took about 40 minutes. Our group powered through but it wasn't easy.

We got to the Cathedral in time for the Gospel. The Gothic Cathedral had dark gated side chapels and felt heavy. We were also dehydrated and all of the girls felt ill. A short time later we had received the Eucharist and we were back outside. I had to take the little ones to use the bathroom in a hotel
across the plaza, while the rest of our group found Joaquin and Carmen. PawPaw's face was full of joy and obviously delighted in seeing Joaquin again. We all took a picture together with the Cathedral behind us. We also made a point to find and enter through the Holy Doors of the Cathedral, our 4th oppurtunity of the trip.

Carmen had made lunch reservations for us a few blocks away. We walked over to a beautiful restaurant with big windows and high ceilings. On the walk over my girls were smitten with Carmen, she was poised and open and beautiful and I think they all wanted to sit near her at lunch. Jim made sure that Grandma Kate and PawPaw were seated near Joaquin and Carmen, because this part of the trip was about reconnecting with good friends. It was wonderful to look down the table and see them smiling and enjoying conversation together.

Our lunch was leisurely and we even decided to have dessert. When our meal was complete we set back out. We discussed our next direction and because everyone wanted to maximize the opportunity to talk and visit together, we again decided to walk toward the waterfront.  Barcelona is a beautiful city and the fellowship was even better. Group conversations ebbed and flowed as the roads influenced our nearness to each other. We talked of the Catalan region, more Spanish elections and the connection of Christopher Columbus. It was fun to see my girls faces as they listened intently to the wonderful English of our hosts. The girls loved the community bicycles and the detail of the buildings. We stopped briefly at an outdoor market and then kept on walking to our ship. Joaquin and Carmen accompanied us most of the way.

It was after Joaquin and Carmen headed back toward the city and we saw ahead the still long walk, that the tiredness set in. We forged on over a huge bridge and then along the many docking points. Our ship entrance felt like it was at the farthest ramp. Jim put Hanna on his shoulders and he Bill and the girls drew from their energy stores and powered on with a focus on the finish line. Grandma Kate, PawPaw, and I took the steady approach and kept moving forward. PawPaw and Grandma Kate were a steady support to each other and their tenderness was a beautiful example of sacrificial love. It was an honor to walk along with them.

We were all exhausted when we finally got to our cabins. I have no memory of what we did that evening. I think we collapsed on our beds and at some point ate dinner. I think we also got sucked into a few of the free movies.

It was a gorgeous day in Spain!