la sagrada familia

I was reminded of stalagmites rising from the floor of some deep cave.
The interior was cold and grey— I half-expected a bat or two to swoop out from behind a pillar. Everything about this church reminded me of a cave or a mine, except for the cacophony of cranes and drills, camera clicks and nasal American teenagers. It would have been beautiful if I could have turned out the sound. I rummaged through the recesses of my bag for my iPod, hoping I could at least plug into Chopin, but alas, I had left it in Lapin's living room.

breakfast and incompletion

There's nothing like a warm, delicious breakfast and an intense coffee to get you ready for a day of exploring. Lapin took me to one of his favourite cafés for tortillas, which I quickly learned had nothing to do with the flat Mexican tortillas I know and love— Spanish tortillas are the ultimate omelettes.


Thick and almost cake-like, tortillas can be filled with just about anything— here we have the typical potato tortilla, and an oh-so yummy vegetable version. I thrilled to get some more of that incredible tomato garlicky bread. After devouring every crumb on my plate, I set off for one of Barcelona's most visited sites.



I could not travel to Barcelona without sketching Gaudí's ever-unfinished La Sagrada Familia. This massive Roman Catholic church has been under construction since 1882, and isn't expected to be completed any time soon. When questioned on the length of time the enormous project was taking, Gaudí is reported to have quipped, "My client is not in a hurry."


Stylised figures, hidden details waiting to be discovered— even the contrast of the angular machinery and white jumpsuited construction workers against the delicate vaults is a delight to the eye. If only it weren't so noisy...