Barcelona: Sagrada Família & Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

Today, I mainly checked off the first of Gaudí's four masterpieces - the Sagrada Família, and the pink-themed internet-famous Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. These two attractions are close to each other and suitable to visit together, easily accessible by walking. Sagrada Família: Undoubtedly Gaudí's greatest masterpiece and the most popular attraction in Barcelona, without a doubt. The church's exterior is divided into three façades: Nativity, Passion, and Glory, with thousands of exquisite sculptures intertwined to form this epic work, which is simply breathtaking. The interior is even more magnificent, with countless columns resembling towering trees. Looking up, you can see these "towering trees" branching out to support the ceiling. There are also many beautiful and delicate church windows inside, colorful and vibrant, but the overall color scheme is half icy blue and half fiery red, like a song of ice and fire, definitely worth the visit. It is said to be completed in 2026 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Gaudí's death, 🎫26€. Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau: It's about a 13-minute walk from the Sagrada Família and was designed by modernist architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. The Palau de la Música Catalana is also one of his masterpieces, and both are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Originally built to treat the poor, it has now become a popular internet-famous spot for many tourists. The retro and exquisite architectural style, along with the dazzling pink color palette, is pleasing to the eye, 🎫16€. 🍚For food, I wasn't very hungry at noon, so I had ice cream 🍦 at Chocolat-Box near the Sagrada Família, which tasted pretty good. For dinner, I went to the famous Cerveceria Catalana, which is best visited early to avoid long queues. I ordered signature Tapas dishes such as foie gras beef, asparagus mushrooms, razor clams, and shrimp. The dishes are similar to those at Vinitus since both places mainly serve Tapas, but the foie gras beef here is clearly better, with the beef tender and the foie gras fragrant and melting in the mouth. The asparagus mushrooms and razor clams were also delicious, while the shrimp was okay, probably not as good as the grilled shrimp skewers. Since I've eaten at Vinitus, I wanted to try different dishes here. The average cost per person was 28€. #Spain #Barcelona #SagradaFamilia #HospitalSantaCreuSantPau #SpanishLife #SpainRoadTrip #Diary