Lunches: May 2017

Judy & Drew in Auberge St. Jean

Nearby, there are plenty of great restaurants. Some in fabulous locations, others offering extraordinary grub or beer or wine. Still, we each have our favourites and this choice is rarely rational. And the best thing is, its a no-brainer when we have to go somewhere for lunch - provided there is no discussion!

Nanteuil-en-Vallée

A summer lunch in Nanteuil is usually at my favourite place - Auberge Saint Jean. Across the road from the village eglise, sitting on the terrace or perhaps sheltered from the sun under an over-hang of the medieval timbered wall. The menu du jour has always been good and their regular menu is available if you fancy snails or some other local delicacy.

Verteuil Château

You can take-in the village at leisure or at pace viewing some extra-ordinary ancient stone work; if the 8th century abbey happens to open for viewing, you might write-off the afternoon.

But if there is still time in the sun, nearby Verteuil-sur-Charente has a spectacular photo opportunity and a chance for some pink-champagne with or without a dob of ice-cream

Civray

On days when the weather cannot make up its mind, a trip to Civray is always a good bet.

First stop is usually Charroux to visit the Charlemagne Tour. It is supposed to be open for strolling about behind the fence but we have never got our timings quite right: either arriving at lunch-time or, as as happened this year, in the middle of one of those typical French rain storms that deluge for 10 minutes just as you step out of the car.

 Café Gourmand in Civray

Friday is a good time to arrive in Civray when the morning market is on; plenty of great produce on offer and then pop into the restaurant on the corner - if its damp - or enjoy the heat of the day on the pavement when its warmer. This has become Pauline's new favourite because of the Café Gourmand.

And after a lunch its only a step across the street to one of the most unusual romanesque churches in France; the external sculptural work is extra-ordinary but that doesn't prepare you at all for what is inside. Even if you might be teetering on being "churched-out", St. Nicholas will impress.

Saint Pardoux Revisited

Judy Swimming

Water is never far way in the Charente; allegedly over 16,000 lakes or ponds in the department. Of course, there are the rivers too - the Vienne & the Charente. The Vienne is dammed at Jousseau, just above Availe-Limouzine, to make a decent boating location which we have yet to test, and there are the Lacs de Haute Charente down toward  Dordogne. But, so far, Lac de Saint-Pardoux has been our go-to place when the weather is hot and cooling water is required.

This year, in early May temperatures have already crept well into the 30's so on Wednesday we packed the car with picnic grub, camp furniture, swimming gear, a canoe and a new battery-power cool-box; definitely a day for properly chilled white wine! Off we set for Saint-Pardoux.

Paul Cooling-off

It was fairly quick up to Bellac, even after a minor distraction via Confolens & Saint-Germain, but after that, the roads shrink; it takes another 25 kilometers or so tacking north and south through fabulous country-side sometimes blazing yellow from blooming broom. Eventually we reached the quaint village of Saint-Pardoux itself. We drifted on past more popular locations to a small car park close to one of the bridges across the lake. Perhaps not the most scenic places but by the time we dandered through the trees to the lakeside, the real world had retreated far enough to be forgotten about altogether.

Down by the shore, a wonderful breeze blew in from the lake to keep us cool and causing the water to lap, lap, lap on the granite stones. A perfect day for a silent sailing dingy drifting across the lake from side to side, leaning into the wind. Perhaps not too auspicious for the canoe, but out it came regardless. Sadly one of the main flotation chambers had a serious leak and it deflated quickly listing fearfully to one side. Trying to find the leak was a major exercise - trying to dunk a boat in search of escaping bubbles is not too easy. I was able to identify a slow leak in the bottom chamber but nothing in the main one. So the boat came out of the water and the valves released. It was then, unexpectedly, I could hear the air escaping and was able to hunt down a centimetre long rip close to one of the seams joining the side to the floor. Although a puncture repair kit was handy, I reckoned additional tools would be needed for a permanent repair. More canoeing will have to wait.

Splash!

There was plenty to do despite this. A few of us popped in the water for a swim. Then of course we had to test the temperature of the chilled wine - which was perfect - with the old faithful egg'n'onion samiches. The seats too were perfect for a post-prandial doze in the shade. I had taken quite a hit from the sun apparently while trying to trace the leak - it definitely was not the wine.

The only interruption to our idyll came when a few local youngsters walked part-way over the bridge and then - in some trepidation - jumped in to the water below bobbing up with squeals and laughter. Days like this are hard to beat.

Saint Pardoux

For a day trip we decided to head off to the lakes at Saint Pardoux. Filling the boot of the car with picnic group and a canoe, we finally set off at 11:00 with the temperature pleasantly in the high 20's; by the time we reached the lakes - after a pit-stop in Bellac to fetch a sun-umbrella, it was well into the 30's in the shade. Temperatures continued to rise through the day, peaking at well over 35 at 7 o'clock. Not a cloud in the sky the whole day, only varying shades of blue.

These man-made lakes (as a reservoir) are pretty large and several locations have been developed as activity centres.

1. we passed by one leading down to the ski-centre, just out of Saint Pardoux village which was very attractive but all the shaded areas under the trees were already taken
2. passed on the activity centre below la Maison du Lac; it was a fair stretch from parking to shoreline with hardly any shelter
3. the Site de Cabannes was mobbed with children and other visitors; glad we didn't aim for there though the location was great

Time for Home

Instead we found an empty car park just before the new bridge over the Couze. Across the road a few fishermen were dotted about the shore but down the hill on our side, was a little inlet; initially we were shaded by large trees but as the sun moved round, we were forced repeatedly to retreat up the hill. When we arrived there was not a soul about but the parking soon filled up though it never felt busy - just a few swimmers or dog walkers passing by.

The lakes must be just below an International East-West flight path; the contrails of the high-flying jets were about the only thing changing in this idyllic setting - we counted 9 planes overhead at one time but the traffic flow was continuous and thankfully silent. Unlike the fish popping in the water but the water-boatmen skipping across the surface or the blue and red damsel flies dancing by all kept their peace.

After Pauline & Sybil cooled down with a swim, we got the canoe out. Tootling out into deeper water we could see the water sports centre at the Maison du Lac including a marina for sail-boats. Better still were little sandy spots on the forested shoreline where couples or family groups had the world to themselves, paddling or swimming in the warm water; we know where look the next time we visit.

Our canoe may not make it back though; we had to pump up the left side before final launch; but it must have a leak - it soon started listing as it deflated. Still by our reckoning, the canoe has survived treks round Ireland and beyond since 2008, not being looked after terribly well either. Today one of the top covers blew out as it was being inflated too; so thats at least two leaks to be repaired. Perhaps we will get the Sevylor we should have got had we known and the Sea Eagle can be our backup. Or maybe I will build an Indian canoe as I keep threatening...I have the book, after all!

La Tremblade, Île d'Oléron and Rochefort

Beach from l'Hôtel de la Plage, Ronce-les-Bains

The hotel at Ronce-les-Bains is in a spectacular location, right on the beach at the top of the La Tremblade. The hotel is presumably well known to the French as it starred as the location for a very successful soap opera on local TV; the French equivalent of Crossroads perhaps - only with a bit more panache we hope. The village was built for tourists and most of the houses looked like second-homes; perhaps it has a life during the winter months but it would need to be quiet.

The coast along the western shore north of Royan was spattered with crowded beaches. Whereas to the east between La Tremblade and Marennes are flooded flat-lands - the focus for the farming of mussels, oysters and shellfish generally.  When we finally did succumb to sitting-on-the-beach it was on Île d'Oléron through a pretty little town, Château-d'Oléron; on our way out to the sea we drove along a wonderful quay populated with gaily painted wooden sheds all in primary colours and all dedicated to the processing of shellfish in one form or another.

Street intersection, Rochefort

On our way back we stopped at Rochefort - where the Charentes finally reaches the sea. We should really do some research on places in France before we visit them! Turns out this is the naval centre for France and has been since Napoleon's time - France's Portsmouth as it were. The old shipyard is a tourist destination now and work was in progress on refurbishment of the replica tall-ship L'Hermione. The town was created in the 17th century as an alternative to the rebellious La Rochelle and so it has a much more formal and recto-linear centre compared to most French cities. The city is festooned with an assortment of bright and colourful art pieces - some traditional but quite a few like the umbrellas above an intersection in the commercial quarter.

Saintes

The city of Saintes sits astride the Charente as it edges closer to the sea. An ancient city from when the Romans used it as their first capital of Aquitaine. Indeed as you approach the eastern bank, as we did, you cannot miss the Arc de Germanicus. The arch sits rather incongruously in a large open space by the bank of the river. It originally sat before the bridge crossing into the old town but was moved when a new, wider bridge was commissioned in the 19th century.

After the Romans, the city was the capital of the province of Saintonge in turn giving its name to Saintongeais, one of the many Langue d'oïl languages spoken throughout the northern part of the Frankish Kingdom as vestiges of linqua romana.

Saint Peters

Steeple of St. Peters

There are several churches in Saintes but Saint Peters is the oldest and nominated as a cathedral. In fact, for centuries, it was the only church named after Peter except for the one in Rome. In its early days, it was the church for the local abbey and has evidently been added to over the years; the steeple and bell tower is adorned now with little minarets on top of the buttresses. Today it is surrounded by little, narrow streets hiding it from view most of the time so it is difficult to really get a sense of it as a whole.

The church is also the origin of the Angelus - the regular pealing of the bells in the morning, at mid-day and in the evening. Originally the bells summoned the monks to their prayers and, as our own church does in Alloue, after ringing the time, the bells peal three times three starting with the smallest; finally the great bell will ring perhaps 60 times or more. Since medieval times, bells were often inscribed with the start of the devotion

Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ,
Et concepit de Spiritu Sancto.

or in English

The Angel of the LORD declared unto Mary,
And she conceived of the Holy Ghost.

and so each peal symbolically rings out the prayer, the first word giving a name to the devotion and the peal.

Although the devotion itself originates in Italy, the pattern of the bells has a less certain heritage though it is generally accepted that it originates with Pope Urban II (1035-1099) and with Saint Peters in particular. Pope Urban was visiting Saintes and was much taken with their practice of ringing the bells in the morning 6:00, at mid-day 12:00 and in the evening 18:00. So much so that when the first crusade departed in 1095, he decreed that the bells of all Christian churches should ring so that all Christians might share in prayer with the crusaders as they travelled into battle in the Holy Land. A marvellous idea, despite their inability to synchronise time across Europe and into the Near East.

So it is that Saintes can claim the honour of creating the Angelus. It has been modified several times over the centuries frequently being forgotten about too. Nor has it been the sole preserve of the Roman Church but has drifted into both Anglican and Lutheran churches. Indeed, in a largely secular modern Ireland when RTE attempted to stop their daily ringing of the Angelus at 6pm on its prime TV service, a national uproar ensued demanding its reinstatement; it had become as much a part of Irish identity as the harp on an Irish passport.

Roman Amphitheatre

Above the Arena

When we arrived in Saintes, it was a startlingly bright and hot day. The white stone of the arch, bridge and environs  reflecting the sun, forcing our eyes shut. I think this is why we gave up on the Roman artefacts museum and instead retired to our hotel and later preferred to wander the streets of the old town sipping beer and nibbling tapenades. The next morning, evidently feeling more energetic, we set off in search of the remains of the roman amphitheatre; it wasn't far.

This isn't the only surviving example of roman arenas in France nor is it an especially well preserved example. Nonetheless, as with many French national monuments you can wander and explore as you wish. Given a fertile imagination it is not at all difficult to envisage how the structure worked. Despite our common understanding of these roman arenas - from the film "Gladiator" for example, and even pictures of the Colosseum in Rome - functionally they are not terribly complex structures being made rather quickly and cheaply. And yet they acquire an excellence all their own.

In the Arena looking towards St Eutrope

I suppose modern day stadiums are not much different. We don't see the rough slabs of concrete and coarse reinforced blocks - instead we see the glint of gold medals, silver cups hoisted high, mexican waves and triumphs of passion.

There is definitely something disjoint between these two aspects of sporting arenas.

Keep that thought in mind!

Eglise Saint Eutrope

The exit of the arena leads down the hill fed by the "vomitoriums" - through back yards, vegetable gardens and allotments - even now I can feel the press of bodies, the sounds of tramping feet, the daze of victory or loss as my father led me away from great Windsor Park or the scrambles to get a seat and a pint after a match at Landsdowne Road.

As it was, we were vomited forth - with maybe a couple of other tourists - into the street right outside the great Eglise Saint Eutrope.

Steeple of St Eutrope

This is another old church but with a distinctly austere aspect from the base of its muscular steeple to its imposing entrance porch - the 30 foot tall doors designed to remind you where your place is in the scheme of things.

Inside is a little bit softer. Medieval churches - being in the dark ages - are surprisingly bright; and since most were repossessed after the revolution, 19th century morés have been unable to dim them. There are some fabulous stained glass windows in a very modern style - 20th century to my mind - but don't worry about dates; trying to figure when this one was built is rather difficult - should it matter.

Entrance to Crypt

Its curiosity is that it is built upon the plan of an older church. The guts of the upper building is 15th century whereas what has become the "crypt" dates back to perhaps the 9th century. An anonymous door at the foot of the steeple, below the level of the regular church gives admission to this ancient monument. As you get deeper into the crypt the architecture seems to age before your eyes as you descend into some Dantéan labyrinth.

Deep in the Crypt

And this brings us back to that dichotomy between what is and what has been. The scale of the crypt lit by dimness and concealing perhaps the sarcophagus of Saint Eutrope himself; was this a delicate memorial to medieval Christianity on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compestella? Or was this displaced by the austerity of the church above, lit by the purity of the blue, red and yellow window lights which can only be seen by passing through a 30 foot door of massive wood and steel bolts. And all the time the bells peal above our head linking us with the pilgrims as they slaughter the defenders of Jerusalem.

To be sure religion is complicated but it is rare for a structure to articulate that complexity - in its innocence  striving towards greater "grace". Is this building the converse of the amphitheatre - an exuberance of the mason's art buried by a future sternness - what is that grimness hiding? a self-loathing, corrupt vision of the church as oppressor or perhaps a simple expression of the futility of man.

There are many houses of god in France, most of them frozen in time by a revolution in search of a secular liberté, fraternité, egalité - perhaps one of them has the answer.

Eating Out

Emeraude, Confolens

July 2016 We are getting our roof replaced and before the new one goes on, the attics are being sprayed to kill any wood-boring insects might be living in the timbers or are tempted to do so. There are certainly signs of wood-worm, death watch beetle and a few huge holes made by emerging capricorne chêne. There are traces of frass too indicating recent activity. The downside is that the poison used to erradicate the worms is none too pleasant for people either.

So we decided when this part of the work was to be done, we would take off for a holiday. Nowhere in particular, just generally explore the coastline perhaps around Royan.

We left it rather late to depart and decided to overnight in the Emeraude in Confolens. This gave us an opportunity to sample their evening restaurant - which turned out to be much better than expected.

Street cafe, Saintes

The next day we headed for Saintes where we wandered the streets testing one of the many crêperies before settling for a late meal in street restaurant.

We arrived at the coast near Royan and cruised the sea-side searching for something other than moules frites; we found something eventually but this was tourist country so none too elegant.

Our final rest stop was l'Hôtel de la Plage in Ronce-les-Bains; reputed to have one of the better restaurants in South-West France. We dined there on a dark, balmy evening with the sea crashing on the shore. A fabulous experience.

The next day we roughed it with an al freso lunch on the beach by Château-d'Oléron before heading homeward via Rochefort.

Park Guëll

Its hard to imagine any outdoor space remaining "organic" after an architect gets his hands on it. For sure, there are plenty of locations that are stunning, from the Taj Mahal up to Niemeyer's International Cultural Centre in Aviles, Spain. But Antoni Gaudi is not in that mould,

Dragon Steps

The Park Guëll - originally conceived as an estate for well-off families - is a fair step from Las Ramblas. Taking the metro is obviously the easiest way - with our free pass - but even then it was a robust 15 minute hill-walk through rather anonymous streets. Directions are well signposted and eventually we wandered into the backstreets where houses take on a more interesting appearance. This is or was a more affluent part of the city and classically inspired balustrades and facades are built into the hillside claiming every inch of expensive real-estate. A great improvement on modern angular concrete streets but even this cannot prepare you for what is to come.

The park is not easy to access so either buy a ticket before-hand or allow time for queuing, depending on season. And remember the park can close early especially in the off-season. I am not sure how we navigated there but it wasn't a traditional approach and we ended up at one of the side-entrances. This meant we had little clue of what we were about to see; which was probably a good thing.

Gaudi's Salamander

Instead we dandered along pathways threading their way through formal gardens with occasional slopes supported by the most extraordinary colonnades. Now and again we caught glimpses of mosaic tile work on park walls or verdigris roofs above the tree-line. All very pleasant especially in the warmth of the day. Not many people about either. Then we arrived at the main entrance and were flabbergasted.

On one side is the fabulous Dragon Stairway clothed in white mosaic tile and featuring what has become an iconic emblem for Barcelona, Gaudi's salamander though in my ignorance I still think of it as a gecko. At the foot of the stairs is a grotto supported by a singular inverted conical pillar but the steps lead up to a huge area of fluted columns supporting a moulded ceiling encrusted with mosaic. This seems just a bit of an extravagance till you realise this is the support for the huge open space plaza above.

Porter's Lodge

In the other direction, looking down the stairwell now towards the sea shimmering in the distant haze, is the most extraordinary confection; mere mortals could not conjure up such fabulous structures never mind the ornamentation and decoration. These are the pair of porter's lodges on either side of the main entrance to the park. Make sure you have plenty of space in your camera to take loads of pictures, every detail of these buildings is extraordinary, hardly a straight-line in sight from the scalloped gable, the tapering chimney, to the swollen or recessed windows, everything a sensual delight.

I've no idea what was inside the buildings, the queues were too long. Hopefully it was the toilets or the ticket office or something else equally banal because we never got in to see. Instead we wandered up a tree lined avenue to sit and recover from the sensory overload - and have a bite of lunch. Even something as ordinary as a baguette with cheese, tomato & ham acquired an exotic appeal in these surroundings. Admittedly this was a wonderfully soft, warm day in the middle of November surrounded, it seemed, by people from every nation of the world, fortunately not too many of them as it was autumn.

Gaudi's seat

Eventually we stepped out again, following the paths through the park to arrive at the Gaudi House Museum that was Gaudi's home for many years. As a museum now, it houses many examples of his furniture and other artefacts. The building itself is filled with wonderful art nouveau excesses, toned down perhaps without Gaudi's flourishes but this just helps to accentuate his imagination displayed in some of the display pieces:

• the unbelievable 5-seater armchair set appropriately enough on a pedestal
• the twisted and folded honeycomb-like gilded metal-work that would have been at home on a Geiger set
• the phenomenal bench seat from the crypt de la Colónia Guëll that seems to have been grown rather than constructed
• the amazing coloured-glass lantern hanging from the ceiling in one of the rooms
• the baby's cradle where you need to read the explanation to figure out what it is

And so it goes on - the decoration of the ceilings, the tactile banisters on the stairs and even the outside decoration around the windows. As the song goes, these are only a few of my favourite things to be found here - plenty more for you to discover.

And we are not done yet.

Wall of Grand Plaza

Wandering through the gardens again we discovered plenty of sculpture both small and large. and of course the structural viaducts, walkways, flights of steps all enhance the tall fir trees and shrubs. Eventually all paths lead you to the grand plaza. It extends out from the hillside supported by the columns below to create a huge flat space bounded by a single, meandering bench seat encrusted with colourful mosaics. You can sit here and stroke it, peer down at the entrance lodges and steps, gaze out to sea or simply people watch at the crowds of smiling faces. It must be impossible to visit here and not be enlivened by this place: smiling, glittering eyes and a contented sigh.

The only downside was at closing time when we had to leave the birds of paradise calling in the trees (parakeets actually).

Casa Batllo

Across the road and a bit further down from the Casa Mila is Casa Batllo; a single, multi-storey apartment designed entirely by Gaudi.

The facade, like Casa Mila has few if any straight-lines. Here though, the window frames are not rectangular but each window frame is uniquely built to fit its own space in the external wall. This principal extends throughout the house; doors and doorways are all unique. Every part of the stairs has been shaped to avoid any recto-linear form. Admittedly walls are indeed vertical, tiles are square and parquet flooring is rectangular but that is about it for straight-lines and even flat surfaces.

• none of the walls are flat, always bending
• transitions from ceiling to wall are curved
• ceilings are textured, one has a spiral

And colour is everywhere: the central light well is decorated in blue ceramic tiles; the colour of the tiles changing  with height so that it appears to have a consistent colour regardless of the quantity of light. On the roof, chimneys and their caps are decorated in colourful mosaic which extends to parts of the walls. At the top of the facade, fantastical minarets and other shapes finish off the structure. Even the facades front & rear are decorated with mosaic

In the attic, what would have been staff quarters, are incredible curved arches supporting the roof; here the walls are not even vertical

At the very top of the house, is a small balcony over-looking the main street; just about big enough for one person. Nowadays there is a digital camera erected facing inward and of course you can have your photograph taken standing in front of one of the most original pieces of architecture anywhere, anytime. Yep, I've got mine!

Casa Mila

Exterior of Casa Mila

Just above the Plaça de Catalunya, on a the corner of a crossroads on the Passeig de Gràcia is the Case Mila, one of Gaudi's treasures. This is a block of flats structured as a number of apartments. This isn't the full, over-the-top design creation that is Gaudi's Case Batllo - the apartment interiors are probably fairly typical of commercial properties at the time though with Gaudi's special magic sauce.

The external structure and especially the roof are something else entirely.

The facade is extraordinary. As usual, there are few straight-lines. Indeed the basic structures of horizontal floors and even rectangular windows are cunningly disguised by a very organic-rooted flowing design. Even the supporting pillars at ground level lean inward rather than offering a 90°-angle. The balconies an all the floors still retain their original metalwork. Very recognisably art nouveau in style but uniquely Gaudi in execution.

Main door to communal area

The entrance to the building is also in Gaudi's characteristic style. It leads into a very evocative communal space. Only one of the apartments is accessible inside the building - the rest clearly still in use. The interior of the apartment has some remarkable features such as the sliding door, when open, concealed inside the wall itself. Detailing is everywhere: scroll-work around doorways, custom design light-fittings, marble work surfaces in the kitchen, gentle curve transition from ceiling to wall; even down to small, claw-footed, brass door clasps. The ceilings in most rooms are amazing with plenty of plaster mouldings; one even has a ripple effect. Much of the interior furnishings such as wardrobe, beds and even curtains seems to have been Gaudi inspired.

Sagrada Familia from the Roof

The interior is rather subtle though compared to the exterior and the roof terrace. On the roof, the functionality of light wells lighting the interior of the apartments, stairwells to the terrace and even chimney exhausts illustrate the very unique style that was Gaudi's.

On the attic floor of the building we get to see some of the constructional elements which would be otherwise hidden. Even here we can see Gaudi's thoroughness; both in terms of building design and its implicit stylistic appearance. An exhibition of models and other items illustrates more of the building uniqueness.

Barcelona at Night

Being a tourist is hungry business. After however long we spent oogling at the Sagrada Familia, we eventually succumbed to hunger pangs. We had heard there was a decent local restaurant nearby which we set off to find down a couple of main streets. Indeed we were the only foreigners there and I at least enjoyed some traditional Spanish grub.

By the time we returned from the Sagrada Familia it was getting late though we didn't quite realise it.

We walked down to the shoreline and wandered

• around the commercial centre pausing for coffee and the odd temptation that was irresistible
• down by the marina where the breeze rattles cables against the masts, 
• by the buildings at the foot of La Rambla where a statue of Columbus points in the direction of somewhere - presumably the Americas.

At the harbour, we took a boat trip into the bay past strange subutteo-shaped buoys. It didn't take long for night to fall in earnest. As it did we caught the city lit by a wonderful flaming sky.

Back on shore street artists stood statuesque in the evening to amuse the few tourists while we drifted off round the streets in search of somewhere to eat finding an unexpected Belgian restaurant being the only place open. We had just time enough before checking out a local Jazz group performing in a nearby club.

Sagrada Familia

Tree of Life

Not sure what I expected before we set out for the Sagrada Familia. Construction of the church began in 1915 and Gaudi had dropped all other projects the year before to dedicate himself to this enormous project. He died in 1926 after a tragic accident leaving his project unfinished - though in part, this was his intention, wanting his project to always grow and evolve. The people of Barcelona have taken Gaudi and his project to their hearts and when the church's centenary approached in 2015, the project remained incomplete.


The church is deep in the new city and needs a metro ride to get there. Fortunately there are a couple of stops nearby taking you to within a few steps of the queues to get in. I imagine during tourist season the place is mobbed; as it was November was the perfect time to visit.

The scale of the church is very difficult to grasp. Although the streets about the square create a large space around it, the towers are so high its only possible to see individual parts of the building, unable to step far enough back to see it in its entirety. Still, I'm not sure that is what Gaudi wanted you to see anyway - you need to get up close and personal with this church and let the cumulative effect of its parts overwhelm you.

Entrance

Of course the church can be seen from almost everywhere in the city provided you can escape street-level to see the skyline. From a distance it looks like some strange encrusted Gothic edifice. but as you approach it, from below you begin to get a sense of the place and its scale. You can climb up through the fabric of the building to get a glimpse of city around, down to the shoreline and inland to the surrounding hills. But after climbing up through the towers to get closer to the roof you realise what an unbelievable structure this is. Colour on the outside of a church; pineapples, pine cones, bunches of grapes, sheaves of corn, whatever next.

Light through Stained Glass

But this is most definitely a church; one entrance is encrusted with almost baroque style mouldings and sculpture telling various stories from scripture. Another, an exceptional 20th century expression of Gaudi's own faith with angular sculpture hanging from tall organic buttresses . Yet another, still work in progress, proclaims the Lord's prayer in all the languages of the world amidst sheets of glass and concrete pillars reaching to the sky. It is this combination of excruciating detail and over-scale enormity that seems to be both inclusive and expansive simultaneously. Of course, unable to see everything at once, these disparate styles do not conflict with one another and yet, once you know they are there, perhaps they inform each other.

That barely prepares you for what is within.

The bright sunshine of Spain explodes within the church, filtered through glass and other devices to fill the space with light. The roof is already high above us but the stretching columns that look like ordinary sticks of celery, seem to push further into the sky. And again all around these huge components are the tiniest of details. A truly wonderful place; everyone looking up with their mouths hanging open in awe.

Light above altar

While we were there, the silence was quite surprising given the number of people milling about looking upwards - with or without a camera trying to take it all in. I imagine, in use this must be an extraordinary place to worship in. Definitely expressing a positive energy. This is not an oppressive, guilt-ridden, secretive building but an exuberant exclamation of faith that any & all can connect with.