The Unforgettable City : Barcelona (Day Three)

Casa Batlló is a masterpiece by Antoni Gaudí. It is very unique and unusual. It is a remodel of a previously built house located in the heart of Barcelona. It was redesigned in 1904 by Gaudí. I do not know how to describe the playfulness and creativity of this Gaudí's masterpiece. When I walked through the building, I was very impressed by the artistic design and architectural details.

It was a pleasant walk from our hotel to Casa Batlló. The building is located on the elegant Passeig de Gràcia. Passeig de Gràcia is lined with high-end retail stores, expensive boutiques, restaurants and cafes. 

The name "Casa Batlló" simply means "House of Bones." By looking above the ground floor, at the large oval windows and flowing sculpted stone work, you can see that the pillars look very similar to pieces from a skeleton.

Inside the building - vaulted ceilings and skylights shaped like tortoises' shells. 

 Its unique interior is just as extraordinary as its exterior.

Irregular oval windows inside the building.

The facade of the Casa Batlló is made of sandstone covered with colorful trencadis (a Catalan type of mosaic). 

The rooftop is a surreal landscape where the chimneys have been transformed into the back of a dragon or dinosaur! 

On the rooftop overseeing the surrounding buildings in the neighbor.

 The building exhibits a number of Gaudi's works. The chairs were designed with a reduction of the structure to the bare minimum and an adaption of the shape to the human body, resulting in a high level of comfort. There is a notable lack of straight lines. The legs have a slight curvature near the bottom.

Next stop, we went to a restaurant nearby called Costa Gallega for lunch. 

We chose this restaurant simply because of the location. They have a very good selection of tapas. The food was fine but not exceptional. Since it is right near the Gaudi's buildings, it is a perfect place to take a break after the sightseeing.

We ordered jamon (great), shrimps sautéed with garlic and olive oil (fine), and pulpo a la gallega (overcooked).

 The seafood paella was probably the favorite in our trip. It was not what I am normally used to when I think of paella. The paella took time to cook but it was totally worth the wait! The rice dish had a great variety of mussels, shrimps and squids.

Our next destination was Casa Milà, another masterpiece designed by Gaudi. Casa Milà was constructed between 1906 and 1910. It was commissioned as a residence by Pedrio Milà. He was a wealthy businessman who had been enchanted by Gaudi's previous building, Casa Batlló. What he ended up with was an even more unconventional building, as Gaudi took his creativity one step further.  

Entrance gate to Casa Milà.

Casa Milà is the result of two buildings, which are structured around two courtyards. 

The roof of Casa Mila is covered in weird, alien-like sculpture. The roof is like something from the outspace, where there are aliens looking at you. It was really fun to explore the roof.

The roof offers great views of the city. Amazing view!

Unusually shaped Gaudi's door knob was designed to perfectly fit the contour of a hand.

Casa Mila Gaudi Barcelona corridor - walking into an apartment in the style of modernism from the beginning of the 20th Century. 

These hexagonal tiles were designed by Gaudi. You can spot these tiles easily in Parc Geull and the mains streets of Barcelona. 

I really enjoyed visiting the two Gaudi buildings on Passeig de Gràcia. They are the strangest and most unique buildings I have ever seen in my life. I think that you must visit both architectural buildings if you visit Barcelona. They are fascinating and will open your eyes. 

Next, we visited the Museum Picasso on Montcada Street in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. 

Museum Picasso has the most complete collection of artworks by the 20th-century Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. The collection includes around 3,500 works, including pencil sketches, paintings, ceramics, prints from 1890 to 1917. 

We explored around the neighborhood before our dinner. There is so much to see and explore in this area. It seems like you can discover something new around every corner.

We had dinner at another Michelin star restaurant, Moo. Moo restaurant is located inside Hotel Omm. The plate designs were interesting, each plate is individually hand painted by popular Spanish artists in town.  We tried the Joan Roca tasting menu (100 euros) and the food was incredible and delicious. It was such a fun dining experience at Moo.