BARCELONA, SPAIN (Port No. 34, 4/15-16/12)

ANTONI GAUDI'S PARK GUELL

∙ GEOGRAPHY 101
          ∙ Land Mass/ Continent: South Europe
          ∙ About Barcelona: Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, a region in Spain that borders France to the north
          ∙ Estimated Population: 1.6 million in the city and 5 million in the metropolitan area - the 2nd largest city in Spain (after Madrid)
          ∙ Distance From Home (San Diego, CA): 6,024 miles
          ∙ The Water That Got Us Here: Mediterranean Sea; eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula

∙ ITS PLACE IN HISTORY/INTERESTING FACTS
          ∙ Currency: Euro
          ∙ Official Language/s:  Spanish - but "it's complicated" (various other languages are recognized in specific territories)
          ∙ Local time: 
          ∙ Average full-time annual gross wages in Spain: $32,957
          ∙ The 4th most visited city in Europe (after Paris, London and Rome), with several million tourists each year
          ∙ It was founded as a Roman city

ANTONI GAUDI

          ∙ It has a rich cultural heritage and is particularly renowned for the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluis Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites
                    ∙ Gaudí lived from 1852 through 1926
                    ∙ He was a Catalan architect (i.e., from Catalonia) and the best known representative of the Catalan Modernist movement (known as “Art Nouveau” in the rest of Europe)
               ∙ The vast majority of his works are in Barcelona

SAGRADA FAMILIA

               ∙ His magnum opus (greatest work) was the Sagrada Família, a Roman Catholic church proclaimed a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site
                   ∙ It was less than a quarter complete when Gaudí died in 1926; construction was delayed due to the Spanish Civil War and just passed the mid-point in 2010 - with an expected completion date in 2026 (the centennial of Gaudí’s death)

THE SAGRADA, AT NIGHT

                    ∙ It is the international symbol of Barcelona
              ∙ 7 of his works have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites
              ∙ Due to his faith and the religious images in his works, he was nicknamed “God’s architect”
          ∙ Site of the 1992 Summer Olympics, which helped revitalize the city
          ∙ Travel videos:  http://www.youtube.com/user/THEWORLDOFTRAVEL#p/search/0/PuJggPZFn5E (Barcelona) and http://www.youtube.com/user/THEWORLDOFTRAVEL#p/search/1/XnNXnAHht7o (Costa Brava)

∙ CLIMATE
          ∙ Barcelona has a Mediterranean climate
          ∙ Average low for April: 47.3
          ∙ Average high for April: 63.7

RAMBLA de MAR

∙ HIGHLIGHTS/THINGS TO SEE
          ∙ The Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter) is the center of the old city of Barcelona, many buildings dating back to medieval times, and some as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona
          ∙ La Sagrada Familia - Gaudi’s masterpiece, an example of modernisme (Art Nouveau)
          ∙ Other works by Gaudi, including Park Guell, Casa Milà and Casa Batlló

PALAU DE LA MUSICA CATALANA

          ∙ Numerous other modernisme buildings in Barcelona
          ∙ Lluís Domènech i Montaner’s Hospital de Sant Pau and Palau de la Música Catalan, together designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site
          ∙ Cathedral of of Santa Eulalia
          ∙ London Bar, a legendary pub opened in 1910, which was frequented by people like Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso