We spent the afternoon exploring Parc Guell, another of the visionary Gaudi's creations. Originally planned as a residential area for Barcelona's wealthy, Parc Guell never succeeded as such. It's situated in hills above the city, as you can see from the second photo, and is quite a climb on foot as we learned the hard way. Filled with Gaudi's signature organic designs, Parc Guell became more fulfilling as a green area for public use. It can't be experienced fully in pictures - you'll have to visit it to enjoy it. The park is filled with tourists like ourselves, but does not have that "touristy" feel. This mosaic lizard is a popular place for a photo, and is typical of the kinds of design elements that make Parc Guell another island of fantasy in cosmopolitan Barcelona.

    This shot was taken from an area which is a large playground, surrounded by painstakingly tiled curved benches. Gaudi's design for the benches was brilliant, as they are pretty comfortable for hard ceramic. Gaudi himself lived for a time in the building you see in the middleground, but he wasn't really a part of the wealthy classes. During the early construction of the Sagrada Familia, he slipped into a sort of bohemian reverie because of his total devotion to his projects, and was unceremoniously killed by being run over by a streetcar.