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What’s even more special about the church is that it’s not finished and work is in progress even today. Gaudi died in 1926, long before the end of construction was in sight. But his influence is easily recognizable. Not a straight line graces the place of worship, keeping with Gaudi’s theory that straight lines are not found in nature, so why should they be found in his work. Approaching the Sagrada Familia gives only a hint of its size and grandeur. It’s not until you’re standing directly in front of the church, neck craning upward to see the tops of the towering spires, that you really appreciate Gaudi’s work of genius. Like candles left burning for too long, the four holed spires melt into the church’s main building. At the back of the church, more needle-like spires are visible, reaching toward the angels. Intricate carvings, mosaics and sculptures decorate the outer façade. Three long pillars support a stone canopy covering the entrance. Once inside, you can climb to the top of one of the towers. Don’t look down – the tiny, steep spiral staircase doesn’t have a railing and it’s a long way down. When you reach the top, you’ll be rewarded with a bird’s eye view of the expanse of church below you, as well as superior views of the rest of Barcelona. Walking around the rest of the city, you’re sure to notice more of Gaudi’s architecture. Not too far from Sagrada Familia sits Casa Mila, or La Pedrera. The curved building covers 100 square meters and is constructed completely from natural stones. Crowning the unusual house is a series of random, imaginative chimneys. Casa Battlo is similarly rounded but the outer stonework is covered in a spattering of color. Purple, green, yellow and orange enhance the originality of its design, which includes patio railings that resemble a combination of skulls and opera masks. Of course,
no visit to a coastal city is complete without a trip to the beach.
The pebble covered sand meets gentle waves and boats fill the harbor. Olympic
Village is a must see - endless restaurants, nightclubs and bars line the
streets and there’s plenty to see and do both day and night.
The museum displays art by renowned artists such as El Greco and Velazquez. Las Meninas is the piece most Velazquez fans come to see, while El Greco’s La Crucifixion attracts a large crowd. Goya’s gruesome and sometimes disturbing artwork, such as Saturno Devorando a Su Hijo (Saturn Devouring One of His Children), is also on display. Seville I immediately fell in love with Seville. It has all the romance, beauty and atmosphere that you would expect of a city in the south of Spain. I’d been warned to avoid Seville in July, when temperatures can reach upwards of 40°C, but you can’t always choose when you take your holidays. We saw the thermometer climb to 45°C one day, but this did little to ruin my impression of Seville. (Just make sure you get an air conditioned hotel room.) Like Madrid, the city comes alive at night, and our major undertaking in Seville didn’t even begin until well after the hot sun had finally receded into the pink sky. Bull fights, as gory and cruel as they seem, have been a part of Spanish culture for centuries. Seville’s Plaza de Toros, one of Spain’s most elegant bull fighting rings, is also one of its oldest. This made it the perfect place for us to witness something I’d only read about in books. We took our place on the concrete benches inside the circular arena at 10 p.m. We spotted a few other tourists, but most of the seats were occupied by locals. Shortly afterwards, a huge, black bull came charging into the lighted stadium. The crowd stood and roared, eager for the fight to begin. The matador, dressed in a shimmering white pant suit, teased the bull with his bright red cape. Fighting bulls
charge anything that moves, and there is plenty of movement inside the
ring. Picadors, mounted on horseback, are next in line to torment the bull.
They carry lances, which they plunge into the bull's shoulders, or withers.
Next come the banderilleros on foot. Their job is to force banderillas,
barbed sticks covered with colorful ribbons, also into the bull’s withers.
This helps to lower the bull’s head for the eventual kill.
A team of horses drags the dead bull out while the matador and his entourage circle the ring. Flowers, praise, and sometimes criticisms are flung at him – or her. The fight we attended included one female matador. Women are slowly making a name for themselves in this gory sport. It’s worth pointing out that the bulls killed in the ring are treated like kings prior to their torturous death. The Spanish take great pride in their fighting bulls, and they are allowed to live one year longer than those raised simply for the slaughterhouse. Seville does have more to offer than just controversial night time shows. One of the three largest cathedrals in the world, Catedral de Sevilla, is one of the city’s most popular attractions. Before the Christians overtook Seville, a mosque stood in the cathedral’s place. Upon entering, you’ll find yourself in the Patio of Oranges, full of orange trees as its name suggests, where Muslims once performed ablutions. Although spectacular from the outside, the inside of the cathedral is undeniably remarkable. So vast that you need a map to make your way around, the cathedral is more of a museum than a place of worship. The tomb of Christopher Columbus, which contains his probable remains, is located inside the south door. Four pall bearers grace the monument, representative of the four kingdoms of Spain at the time of Columbus’ journey. The cathedral’s jewel, the Capilla Mayor, is considered to be one of the largest altarpieces in the world. Over a thousand biblical figures, carved in polychromed wood, rise toward the ceiling. The cathedral
is attached to La Giralda, a tower which was originally the minaret of
the mosque. It stands over 90 meters tall, but climbing it is easy thanks
to ramps instead of stairs that once supported ascension by horseback.
The impressive view of the city makes the exertion in the heat worthwhile.
Muslim influence
is visible in the Arabic arched doorways and courtyards built around fountains.
Tiled walls and intricately carved stone can be found throughout the palace’s
many glorious buildings.
We only spent two nights in Gibraltar, which is plenty. One of the must do’s is a dolphin sighting trip. We searched the Bay of Algeciras for dolphins on the Nautilus IV. The 22 meter long boat can go up to fifteen knots and is equipped with underwater viewing areas and underwater microphones. It didn’t take long to spot the dolphins, and once we did, they wouldn’t leave us alone. They frolicked in the water around the boat, showing off their grace and sleek gray skin, providing plenty of photo ops. The best way to see Gibraltar is to sign up for The Official Rock Tour. Mini van taxis take groups of tourists to all the main sights – it’s almost a private tour. You can decide which of the sights you’d like to see, or follow the general tour of the most popular attractions, which is what we did. The first stop on the tour was probably my most and least favorite – and definitely the most adrenalin inducing! When our guide pulled up to the Apes’ Den, we were pleased because we were the only tourists in sight. Gibraltar’s apes are a species of tailless monkeys called Barbary Apes. We quickly jumped out of the van, cameras swinging wildly from our necks, and marveled at the semi-wild primates going about their daily business. They hardly noticed us, or so we thought. I was crouched
down taking a photo of a mother ape fondling her black furred baby when
I suddenly felt a large weight crash into my back. It was a large ape,
and it nearly knocked me over. I reflexively screamed and stood up, effectively
knocking the monkey off my back, and receiving a few scratches in the process.
Just then, another ape took a run for my mother, who was traveling with
me, and attempted to jump on her. Our screams brought the tour guide running
and he calmly said, “This is normal. They are not scared of people anymore.”
Other stops on the tour include St. Michael’s Cave, with a depth of 250 feet below the entrance and a multitude of impressive stalactites and stalagmites. Concerts still take place here today. The Great Seige Tunnels, dug almost entirely by hand during the siege of 1779-1783, are also awe inspiring. And don’t forget to look out over the Strait of Gibraltar. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Africa. The following is a list of articles that Dawnelle has written for the magazine:
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