❤️Barcelona, Passeig de Gràcia, is the pride of Barcelona people.
🌟Count down those "weird" architectural artworks by masters:
Figure 1⃣️-2⃣️: Casa Batlló, this is a story in itself.
👸 A beautiful princess was trapped in the castle by a dragon. The hero St. George fought with the dragon to rescue the princess and stabbed the dragon with a sword. The dragon's blood turned into a bright red rose, and St. George presented the flower to the princess. Gaudi's inspiration came from this story. The roof of "Casa Batlló" is arched, with colorful mosaic tiles and wavy glass ceramic pieces, like the back of the dragon, fishbone-like protruding balconies and colorful flying dragons hovering on the roof, and the cross-shaped chimney represents the hero. All these unique ideas add a layer of mythology to the design.
Figure 3⃣️-6⃣️: Casa Mila, alien roof and art coffee shop.
👽 At that time, the wealthy Mr. Milà (Pere Milà) admired the Casa Batlló designed by Gaudi very much. Casa Milà was the last private residence designed by Gaudi. Now Casa Milà has become a cultural and art center, with one floor dedicated to exhibition halls and audio-visual rooms, and a suite that reproduces the modernist furniture of the time. The attic and rooftop terrace are the "Gaudi's Space" exhibition hall, which showcases the master's exquisite design and is most worth seeing. The chimneys on the roof that look like alien soldiers are fantastic no matter how you take pictures.
☕️ If you are tired of shopping, I especially recommend the Art Café on the second floor of Casa Milà, where you can eat some simple Western food and drink a cup of fragrant coffee.
Figure 7⃣️-🔟: Barcelona's famous Discord District (Illadela Discòrdia). This short stretch of road brings together three buildings designed by three masters of different styles, namely the dreamy "Casa Batlló", the dignified "Casa Amatller" and the soft "Casa Lleó Morera".
🦁️ I really like the pink-toned House of Lions and Mulberry Trees. Unlike other buildings, it is not named after the owner, but after the lion (lleó) and mulberry tree (morera) in the decorative pattern. Although the exterior is not as stunning as other famous buildings, the old wooden carved elevator inside, the ubiquitous flower decorative patterns, and the use of colors highlight the vitality of this building. I wonder if the architect also has a girl's heart? 💗
Figure 1⃣️1⃣️: The Tàpies Foundation (Fundació Antoni Tàpies), which exhibits the works of the most important Catalan artists. Above the front of the building is the famous wire sculpture "Cloud and Chair".
🌹 Passeig de Gracia (Pg. Gracia) is a stunningly beautiful avenue where you will forget the passage of time.