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Just a few more photos from Barcelona.

Merry Christmas Everyone

Even Santa needs to keep fit.

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful and happy New Year.

Thank you for supporting my blog.

Barcelona Christmas Lights and Market.

Whilst in Barcelona, just to make things very special, the Christmas lights were switched on and a festive market was outside the City Cathedral...................

The Olympics are coming.

I have mentioned the 2012 Olympics on here before and I count myself as very lucky to have some tickets to attend just a few of the events next year.  

Berlin

A long time ago I had the chance to run around the athletics track of the Berlin Olympic stadium, during a pre-race event for the Berlin marathon, and even though it was long after the Olympics had taken place there, you could still sense the atmosphere within the arena where the World’s best athletes had competed against each other.

Barcelona Stadium

Recently, when walking around the grounds of the Barcelona Olympic stadium I had much the same feeling and I couldn’t help but be impressed by grandeur of the location overlooking the Royal Palace.

The Royal Palace

Having now been past the British 2012 stadium at Stratford (overlooking a shopping centre!!), I wonder if the same atmosphere will be present.....I do hope so.

Barcelona - more influences of Gaudi.

The man himself.

In an earlier blog entry I mentioned Gaudi and his creation of Park Guell.   Gaudi's work didn’t stop there and his designs have influenced much of the face of Barcelona.  His work is admired by architects around the World as being one of the most unique and distinctive architectural styles.

Antoni Gaudi was born in Reus in 1852 and received his Architectural degree in 1878. From the very beginning his designs were different from those of his contemporaries.

His work was greatly influenced by forms of nature and this is reflected by the use of curved construction stones, twisted iron sculptures, and organic-like forms.  Gaudi also adorned many of his buildings with coloured tiles arranged in mosaic patterns adding another dimension to the buildings. 

Wherever you turn, when walking through the city, you will want to stop and admire his work.  Barcelona is a real mixture of old and new styles of buildings, making the city itself is a mosaic of architectures, with the buildings being the coloured tiles.

Something a little more modern. 

The building of the Church of the Holy Family (Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia) was started in 1883 and Gaudi became the official architect.  Unfortunately, Gaudi died in an accident in 1926 and the cathedral remaining unfinished.  However, construction work started again in 1979 and much is based on Gaudi's original plans - it is estimated it will be at least another 30 years until it is finally finished!

These last few shots are of the Church of the Holy Family, still under construction.