Barcelona 7 of 9

We continued walking through beautiful gardens and passed about four different residential homes built in the early 1900's when the estate park opened. Wealthy people were encouraged to build substantial homes within the parkland that Gaudi was creating. When the huge parcel of land was acquired by Eusebi Guell it also included a substantial, established house called the Casa Larrad. It was built in the classical style and Gaudi only made small cosmetic changes to the two storey building before Eusebi Guell made it his family home.  Today this huge home houses the municipal public school. It was donated to the city by the family following Guell's death in 1931. As we walked towards the sector where the school is we could hear the children playing in the school grounds. What a beautiful setting for a school, within a public garden with Gaudi structures, tall palm trees, forest areas and a great variety of shrubs and floral displays where many bees and butterflies flitter and flutter all day long in summer.

We continued walking downwards through the gardens and came to another Gaudi stone open-corridor structure as part of the walking route around the park. Visually, this structure had a concave tunnel effect which challenged our geometric perception - it was uncanny how it  seemed impossible to fully understand how Gaudi could have conceived the ideas he had.  

I have included pictures of other structures we came across in the park. One was a two-storey ramp structure which looked like it was propped up by stone leaning pillars. We walked along both levels and found it as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar. 

When the Barcelona City Council opened the park to the public in 1926, Austria  sent many trees to enhance the mountain park and to add sheltered and shady areas where families could picnic during the hot summers. 

We came across an open square area with commanding views over Barcelona. It is known as Nature Square and Theatre area (like a giant balcony) where all kinds of celebrations are held throughout the year. Folk dancing, sporting activities, kite flying and balloon flights are but a few activities that happen here. 

This huge public meeting area has been partly built into the mountain and partly held up by 86 tall striated columns underneath. These columns create a market area below, known as a Hypostyle Room which is covered by the surface floor of the Square above.

A Gaudi-type feature around Nature Square is its serpentine-shaped bench made from prefabricated concrete and covered in the most amazing and idiocentric tile-shard mosaic and cylindrical pieces of pottery. The views from this winding bench creation look back over the city of Barcelona.

On a clear day like today we could see the spires of Gaudi's beloved La Sagrada Familia Cathedral in the distance. Here we were enjoying Gaudi's garden creation whilst look across the city at another Gaudi project.

We sat and rested on the curved bench area and enjoyed the cool breeze, conversations with other tourists and a cool drink before heading for the exit route of this fantastic park. We had covered at least 1900 steps on our tour  but we still had a few more steps to take before days end.