You have never been to anything like this before. I don't care how many soaring European cathedrals you have dutifully visited in your lifetime-- if you haven't seen La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, you haven't truly felt awe.
The hubs and I were so lucky to have found an apartment just a block away from this soaring cathedral. We could look out our bedroom window and see the scaffolding around one of the towers, and it was so cool to stop by the little park in front of La Sagrada Familia on our way back from a full day of walking around the city. This is Gaudi's masterpiece, even if several artists have put their own interpretations and styles into the design. The cathedral is planned to be completed in 2026, but who knows if that will actually be the case. Regardless, it was very cool to know that we were seeing history being built before our very eyes. How often do we get the chance to see the "Before" shots of a historical, architectural masterpiece?
Truthfully, I don't even know where to begin for this post. There are so many details, so many wonderful parts of this place that it's hard to sort through them all. But here goes! The religious icons all over the cathedral are heartbreakingly emotional, and the Passion Facade was one of my favorite aspects of La Sagrada Familia.
Inside, it's though you've stepped into a magical forest, with trees arching up over you with whimsical treetops forming a canopy overhead. You can't help put stop in your tracks and let your head fall back as you try to take in the details around you.
The soft sunlight filters through the windows, filling the archways and spilling beautiful warm light inward. The stained glass casts an especially beautiful glow, and the rainbow light makes you want to stay there a while, trying to understand how something could be so beautiful.
The Nativity Facade has such a distinct look. While the familiar scenes of the nativity are recognizable, it's the dripping wax look of the overall facade that really captured my attention. It has such a distinct look, almost unsettling, yet so cool regardless.
There are so many details to take in that it's impossible to remember them all. I just know that this was an unforgettable experience, and I will absolutely return one day. Barcelona spoke to me on so many levels, and La Sagrada Familia is too magnificent not to visit again. Who knows when it will actually be completed and what our lives will be like at that point, but no matter what, we'll be back to bask in the stained glass sunlight.
