Gaudi in Spain? Gaudi in Vegas?

Besides the 1992 Summer Olympics taking place in Barcelona, what else is there? Maybe we're judging the city of Barcelona too harshly and rashly, but besides Antoni Gaudi architecture, what else is there? Yes, the Sagrada Familia is definitely something to see. Despite it's grandeur, it's still not complete. I did more research (thanks to wikipedia--who I know, is not a credible source) on Gaudi and he seemed like a troubled young man, too entrenched in religion to think outside the box. As he signed his award for the title of architect someone said "Who knows if we have given this diploma to a nut or to a genius. Time will tell." And given the look of many of his structures, that may be up for debate.

According to wikipedia (which you've linked to in your previous post), Gaudí was a devout Catholic, to the point that in his later years he abandoned secular work and devoted his life to Catholicism and his Sagrada Familia. He designed it to have 18 towers, 12 for the 12 apostles, 4 for the 4 evangelists, one for Mary and one for Jesus. He spent the last few years of his life living in the crypt of the "Sagrada Familia". Who lives in a crypt? I'm definitely thinking spiders and cobwebs now! And the coup de grace is that Gaudi was run over by a tram! Wikipedia says that "because of his ragged attire and empty pockets, many cab drivers refused to pick him up for fear that he would be unable to pay the fare. He was eventually taken to a paupers' hospital in Barcelona. Nobody recognized the injured artist until his friends found him the next day. When they tried to move him into a nicer hospital, Gaudí refused, reportedly saying "I belong here among the poor." He died three days later at age 73, half of Barcelona mourning his death. He was buried in the midst of La Sagrada Familia." Sad huh?

Based on the extensiveness (and craziness) of his architecture is that where we get the saying "That's gaudi looking?" Is that why things that are "over the top" are considered "gaudi?"

Considering we have three full days in Barcelona (Friday when we land, Sunday after we disembark from the boat, and Monday), we can definitely fill our time with all the Gaudi-like places! I like your idea of ranking them in order of weirdness! Or maybe we can visit the Olympic Stadium where they had one of the coolest torch lighting ceremonies ever!