Gaudi and the ever ascending light

The plan was to leave Barcelona the morning of the 31st so as to start the Camino on April Fools.

As it happens, I find myself wondering about dance clubs and tight pants and beautiful architecture, both of the soul and stone...and the stay is extended a day when Pau says, "I think you should leave on Sunday so you can at least have a day in Barcelona." Vale. No arm twisting required.

In the morning Pau walks me to Elizabet´s flat where she graciously practices her new Thai massage skills and then trots me over to inquire after a phone to use while in Spain. Charmingly, the shops are all cerrado, closed for siesta. She is apologetic, but I am delighted. A country where, despite 20 % unemployment, people still stop to eat, relax, and hopefully not loose sight of the value in a more leisurely pace.

And now, here I stand, on el Passeo de Gracia, avenue of Gaudi´s Casa Mila´and Casa Batllo´...and oh sweet visual heaven...they are glorious. This man and his obsession with curvatures and colors is quickly carving out his own space in my imagination. I can´t remember when the last time was that I literally gawked at a building, but here I am, the blissful tourist, staring up at the facade of Casa Batllo´thinking, "Bones! He made supporting columns look like bones!...how fabulous." There are poems and films and effusions to be created as I have time to savor this man´s unique aesthetic...how inspired he was by nature and the divine, pues, it´s breath-taking, as you can see by this photo of the interior of Sagrada Familia.

It was designed to evoke a forest and its white canopy and arching trunks are punctuated by radiant stained glass that floods the floors with expiation via color. All is light. All is growing towards the ether in one aching spiral of white stone. This is a visual heaven on earth and I have no need to reach for another salvation.