The Sagrada Familia

We woke up just as it was getting light because I was determined to get a good look at the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia (or "Holy Family") before the crowds arrived. This is probably the busiest tourist attraction in Barcelona but at 9 am there were only a handful of visitors there and so we got a good look at it before the crowds arrived.
There is more controversy around the building than I had  appreciated and it was good to learn more about its history and the life and work of Antoni Gaudi, the principal architect - especially as he was the main reason that I wanted to visit the city.
The quality of the light as it filters into the Basilica, and the extraordinary detailing of the Nativity facade at the front of the church are breathtaking. I liked Gaudi's vision of the connection between spirituality and nature and he works many natural phenomena into the symbolism and the construction of the building which is still under construction and will not be finished for another two or three decades.