One of the districts we liked to explore is the Eixample which is characterised by long straight streets and a lot of Modernist buildings. It is a prosperous part of town. The district combines unmissable architecture jewels with dazzling gastronomy, a cutting-edge drinking scene, designer boutiques and a raft of lively mini-neighbourhoods.
The district was designed by Ildefons Cerda, and it's characterised by a strict grid pattern crossed by wide avenues and square blocks with chamfered corners. Cerda considered traffic and transport along with sunlight and ventilation in coming up with his characteristic octagonal blocks, where the streets broaden at every intersection making for greater visibility, better ventilation and (today) some short term parking areas.
Barcelona has more than 500 Modernist buildings and a lot of them are to be found in L'Eixample. Chief among the architects who built in the district was Gaudi. His work includes the Casa Mila (nicknamed La Pedrera) and the Casa Batllo, both of which are on the Passeig de Gracia. The Sagrada Familia is also in L'Eixample.
We would leave our hotel, walk down Las Ramblas and arrive to La Placa de Catalunya, one of the main squares of the city
which is surrounded by imposing buildings.
and a piano that passers by like to play.
and they're all gorgeous.
as well as some sculptures.
detail of the roof
It's such a pleasure walking along such a wide avenue
such a variety of styles, and all of them so grand.
One of the features of Passeig de Gracia are the 32 lampposts that feature a bench structure at their base. They were designed by the architect Pere Falques i Urpi and were inaugurated on December 1906.
The benches are made with white mosaic, formed with small pieces of ceramic - the famous trecantis which features in Antoni Gaudi's works.
The street lamps are made of forged iron - in the middle of the street lamp there is another light in a spiral, so the light goes to the two points that need to be illuminated, the road and the sidewalk.
The Illa de la Discordia, is a block on Passeig de Gracia with three Modernist buildings, all very different from each other, hence the name, Apple of Discord, because of the visual clash between the buildings.
Casa Battlo, a mesmerising and nature inspired building that was designed by Antoni Gaudi. (A post will follow.)
The second Modernist building is Casa Amatler designed by Puig i Cadafalch combines Gothic, Romanesque and Dutch urban architecture. We tried to go inside, but the hours it was open to visitors did not suit us. We did however have a hot drink in the cafe one day - for some reason I cannot comprehend, I did not take any photographs.
Casa Lleo Morera designed by Domenech i Montaner has an intricately carved facade
Small signs on the pavements reminds us that we are on the Route of Modernism
a very modern one
After our visit to La Pedrera, we turned into Carrer de Provenca
the grand buildings continue
and some modern ones
We'd arrived at the Casa de les Punxes. Locals call it the House of Spikes because of its six sharp towers. It was designed by Puig i Cadafalch. We really wanted to get closer and also inside, but we were on our way to the Sagrada Familia and we had a booking, so there was no time.
We continued on Avinguda Diagonal
L'Eglesia Dominiques
and after a while we could see the spires of La Sagrada Familia, as well as the cranes - it's still not completed and work is going on
We spent quite a bit of time inside the cathedral and then walked around the Christmas market that was in the area
After that, we headed off back to our hotel. It had been a long, but extremely pleasurable day.
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