Park Güell

A friend from New Trier who's studying abroad in Italy came to visit me this week, so I've been pushed to do more touristy things... this is good!  This morning we woke up early to go to Park Güell, one of Gaudí's famous works in the Grácia neighborhood (above Las Ramblas).  It's prounounced "Guey" not "GueLL".  We left the residence at 9am and took the metro up to the closest stop near the park.  Unfortunately, there wasn't a stop right near the park so we had to do some wandering.  After one wrong turn (which lead me to take the picture of the lilac? jacaranda? tree below... so I don't regret it) we found our way to a street that headed straight up to the top of the park... complete with outside escalators!  Although, there was still a bit of climbing, so the walk wasn't without some exercise.

We walked up into one of the paths from the top left corner of the park and ran into a lot of graffitied cacti.

The views of the city from the top corner of the park.  You can clearly see the Torre Agbar and La Sagrada Familia.

Finally we made it to the real top of the park... or at least what most people consider the top of the park because it includes Gaudí's architecture.  Because we arrived at about 10 in the morning, it wasn't too crowded.

A pigeon ruffled up on a wall with plenty of blooming flowers:

And there was another tree/vine/plant with the purple flowers... whatever it was called!

Knick-knack sellers getting ready for a day of tourists (and already making some sales).  I only passed by... no cheap Gaudí tourist things or 3 euro sunglasses for me...

At the very top of the park there's a mosaic bench that stretches across (most of the architecture in the park is made of mosaics, actually).  We sat down and ate oranges.  My friend took a picture of her orange... so I took a picture of mine, haha.

Looking down from the bench and out... plenty of tourist groups are arriving!

After we ate our oranges, we got up and walked around a little more.  Such cool shapes!  I wonder what inspired them... fish scales?  Barnacles?  Certainly something nature-y.

You can see it's getting a bit more crowded... and this pigeon doesn't care.

La Sagrada Familia from a distance.

We also came across the Gaudí Museum, but didn't go in.  It's located inside Park Güell and it used to be Gaudí's house.  Originally, the site was meant to be a miniature city of houses for the wealthy in landscaped grounds.  However, the project was canned, but not before Gaudí had the chance to build roads, walks, steps, a plaza, and two gatehouses.  Gaudí's house that he lived in for 20 or so years was a prototype for wealthy houses that were supposed to be built.  (Not designed by Gaudí himself, but rather Francesc Berenguer).  I would most certainly live there.  Not just because it's located in a giant park and surrounded by lovely gardens... but because it's pink!

More mosaics in the garden surrounding the house:

By this time, the park is much more crowded!  Although I assume that it can get even more crowded than this, perhaps on the weekends.

Here's the curved bench from below.  I'm pretty sure that when it rains, the water comes out those lions' mouths.

The columns and (more) mosaics beneath the plaza with the curvy bench.

And the iconic lizard/dragon that everyone takes a picture of before they leave the park.

Pictures of the two 'guardtowers' at the entrance of the park.  I think they're technically called the Center d'Interpretac and Pavelló de Consergeria.

And more mosaics, of course.  All the mosaics make me want to do an arts and crafts project!  (Perhaps a flowerpot?)

And looking up from the park entrance.

And me!