Today we slept in until 9:00 AM then left to find our guide for a Runner Bean Free Walking Tour focusing on the works of the architect/artist Gaudi. We walked down La Rambla, past the Licea metro stop and found the Placa Reial (Plaza with a fountain) off to the left from La Rambla.
We left early enough to have a seat at the cafe’, enjoy a chocolate pastry, and watch for a guide in a bright green shirt. People reserve this tour in advance, and it is a good thing. Making reservations ensured our spot on the tour and gave us valuable info like what time we would finish. That way we could reserve tickets for an entry time into Sagrada Familia
Our wonderful guide’s name was Mark. He pointed out that Guadi’s first commission was for the lamp posts in this Placa. 
Gaudi believed that architecture should mimic nature, so rather than angles and straight lines, his buildings have curved edges, and themes from nature. During the tour we saw many major buildings commissioned by him.
Casa Batllo – which may have been based on St. Peter and the Dragon, is flanked by two buildings designed by two other popular architects at the time. But Gaudi’s really stands out.
Casa Mila came about when the next patron wanted to own something even more impressive than Casa Batllo. It was much larger with a much larger price tag. The balcony railings are ornate, but you decide if it is more impressive.
Our tour ended at Sagrada Familia.
Mark explained that the different facades represent different architectural styles and focus on different themes. The Birth Facade is very realistically detailed and many animals are sculpted along with the people on this side.
The Passion facade is very modernistic. The scene in the background is Judas’ betrayal of Christ.
The glory facade has not begun. Our guide told us that the plan is to tear out another city block to make the Glory side the main entrance with some public green space. Gaudi died when hit by a trolly car in 1926. Even then, he knew there was no way he would have finished the construction during his lifetime. But he had the vision and artists and architects are hired to continue that vision. Construction of Sagrada Familia is mostly funded by tourism dollars and is scheduled to be finished in 2026. If the number of admission tickets sold for today is any indication, maybe they will finish early. I’d like to come back to see the finished product.
Tickets to tour this famous building were not included in the Free walking tour. (Remember, FREE walking tour) The guide worked strictly for tips, but I felt that his tour was as good or better than any other tour out there. But we paid for tickets to tour the inside with an audio commentary. It was difficult to narrow down my photos, but here are a few.
One other perk to this tour was that our guide explained the Metro and helped us purchase our Metro tickets.
That’s a great help for two people from small town America who never travel on subways and speak almost no Spanish/Catalan. We bought the TIO pass which allows 10 trips on the metro. We each bought our own pass as we planned to use the metro several times during our stay. Otherwise, it is permissible to share one.
In the evening, we went to Tablao Flamenco Cordobas. Dinner was buffet style, but not like any US buffet. No steamer trays with portions for 50. Everything was on small platters or in individual cups. appetizers were on the table: olives and carrot sticks with humus dip. The server brought a mini deep-fry basket with two fried oysters and calamari. Even though I had doubts looking at the dishes on the buffet, everything I ate was tasty. I found out that I like true Catalonian food.
Dinner was followed by a flamenco show.
We were ushered into a small theater with seating around three sides of the stage and were thoroughly entertained.
Tomorrow – Montserrat.