Today was my favourite day in Barcelona. We spent the day with Gaudi and I see why he was so loved and given such free reign to create all over the city. His many architectural works embody Catalan modernisme, a movement that started in the 1880s. The Catalan region had an industrial and cultural boom and embraced an artistic movement (in not only architecture but in iterature and fine art, etc), as the new bold identity of the Catalan people heading into the twentieth century. 
Modernist movements were happening all over Europe at this time: in Scotland, Italy, Germany. Later, in the 1920s, surrealism emerged (our friend Dali), the acid trip of modernism. I was trying to explain some of this to the kids as they looked around in wonder at the well ordered chaos of Parc Guell with its mosaic salamander fountain and egg carton roof hypostyle room and brightly coloured swoopy candy topped gingerbread houses.
“Think of this as archtecture’s jazz.”
The boy nodded with approval, wearing his cool sunglasses and stylish T. “Cool.”
Nora exclaimed, “I am overwhelmed. I can’t believe this is possible. This lucky artist was allowed to do all this. A whole park! I love it.”
I also loved the idea of the working partnership between developer Guell and architect Gaudi. I was astonished to read that the Parc was actually a failed residential project. Guell had this piece of land up on a hill that had a view of downtown Barcelona and the sea. He developed it and tried to market it as a place to come for fresh restorative air, culture and gardens. He constructed huge viaducts to support lush plant growth. Gaudi designed the plaza and fountain and several incredible homes…but for some reason the other residential lots didn’t sell. They both lived there themselves for a while and finally it was handed over to the city as a park and this “failure” is now a world heritage site. At least this is how I understand it. Forgive my paltry little history lesson here. I only go on and on to explain why I found this park so inspiring.
After this and a visit to some funky Spanish and Danish designer shops on the way, we went to a superb audio tour of the Sagrada Familia minor basilica. The imposing multitowered vertical stone and marble wonder is a mess of construction cranes and tourists and scaffolding on the outside. Gaudi worked on it until his death in 1926 and it is still being worked on. In fact, they are trying to finish it to celebrate 100 years since Gaudi’s death. That means seven years to finish several towers and the big one in the middle. As our cab driver said, “I believe when I see”.
The two main towers that are completed are the nativity and the passion towers. On the outside of the church are the statues of saints and the holy family, the crucifix and tableaus of the life of Christ. On the inside of the cathedral however, the focus is on the internal spiritual journey and it’s completely amazingly different.
We all walked in and our mouths fell open with wonder. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. I felt as though I was in a forest of skyscraper trees, trunks vaulting up into the heavens with a canopy of massive white blossoms allowing the sun to peek through. I’ve seen many cathedrals and churches in my day, including the Vatican, but this one is by far my favourite. I feel the presence of God in nature, I feel the presence of humanity in churches. This combined the two.
After being completely overwhelmed all day with beauty and genius we retired to Casa Angela, a cozy little tapas place right near the Sagrada Familia.
When I got home I checked in with my life and the first thing I saw was a picture of a beautiful friend, Diana, arms flung wide with joy (a common gesture of hers) by some beautiful foresty stream. I mostly know her through her husband, Aaron Bushkowsky, a playwright I admire and have followed around for years. I see her at openings and they’ve had me over for dinner. She doesn’t just light up a room, she turns the evening into the best New Years Eve party ever. So much life pours out of her, I always seek her out. Always interested in what she has to say, how she’s seeing life, what she’s ranting about, what she’s laughing about. Nobody is like Diana. Today Aaron wrote , “Diana began a new journey today after leaving this world early in the morning. She fought appendix cancer all the way to the end with intensity, grace, and humour. She was one of a kind: outspoken, vivacious, hilarious, and incredibly loving. I will miss my wife dearly. Rest in peace, DD. The best wife ever! Now find your kayak and paddle out to explore the great unknown. Diana Grace Lyon, June 29, 1962 to March 21, 2019, “
I knew this was coming and yet it seems impossible. Not just because she was so loved and so young but she was so damn VITAL.
This has been my most difficult post to write because all day I’ve had no words. The profound and the sacred have left me speechless. It’s all beyond.
Beyond.
What a great word.
Diana is in the Beyond.
I close my eyes and the images merge. Diana paddling her kayak down a forest stream, under a great canopy of trees and blossoms, the clear sky peeking through.
Thank you for this, Lucia… Both for the appreciation of Gaudi, and the sad passing of Diana. Hail and farewell.
Thank you, Keith.