New rules at the Sagrada Família Church

The incredible increase in the number of visitors at the Sagrada Família Church, Gaudí's masterpiece since Pope Benedict dedicated it in November 7th 2011 (over 1 milion more people in one year!) has forced them to introduce new rules and restrictions for groups and guided tours.

So far, they do not affect small groups of 8 people or less (that means that won't affect most of my guests, and we can still show up anytime during your tour, break the line and get in). However, larger groups absolutely require a reservation and pre-payment of their tickets. Tourguides are given a special sticker to get in (what means that tourguides caught explaining inside without the required sticker will be immediately expulsed from the enclosure). Plus now, groups larger than 30 people will not be allowed to enter the museum area to see the plaster models (they can still see the façades and the interior of the church). They'll control that giving a red sticker - instead of green - for tourguides with over 30 people in their group.

**** To know more about my Barcelona tours, visit Foreverbarcelona.

Feedback from the Rayment Family

Last week I spent a day with Rayment family.

I met them up in their apartment by La Rambla and we started strolling up to the Boqueria market. This was our first stop and they loved it!
Then we continued towards the Gothic Quarter to get a feel of the city's history, but just enough for the kids: not too much, and as fun as possible!
Next we went to the Eixample district to see the Gaudi apartment buildings before stopping for lunch at some great tapas restaurant. Lunch was fun! They love eating there and trying all those different foods!

In the afternoon we were joined by José Luis, our private driver. With him we went to the Sagrada Familia church, and after visiting the inside we still have time for that right along the waterfront and visiting the Hill of Montjuïc. At the end of our six hours together, we left them back at their apartment.

Here's the letter they sent me:

Thank you so much for such great feedback!

****To know more about my Barcelona tours, visit Foreverbarcelona.

A cross for Tàpies

Two days ago, on February 6th, Antoni Tàpies passed away.
Born in 1923, he was one of the leaders of the Spanish avant-gardes and perharps our most internationally renowned artist of his generation, with his works displayed in over 100 museums throughout the world.

His style was based in abstraction, but full of symbolism at the same time. Politically committed with the Catalan nationalism, his art reflected both his love for his land as well as his research of spirituality through the simplicity of things. He was innovative in the use of materials, and often ahead of his time in his projects (some of them, such as the Sock, had to wait a couple of decades before people were ready to accept and value it as leading artwork).

Crosses were one of his favorite symbols, probably because their many layers of interpretations. A cross can refer to our Christian heritage, but it can also be used to scratch or to mark something. It can represent death, and it can be a T, the T for Tàpies. His signature.

Now Tàpies has left us. Let's paint a black cross in his honour.

         Photo credit

Other posts on Antoni Tàpies in this blog:
http://foreverbarcelona.blogspot.com/2011/02/saturday-afternoon-at-tapies-foundation.html
http://foreverbarcelona.blogspot.com/2010/03/tapies-foundation-finally-reopened.html


**** To know more about my Barcelona tours, visit Foreverbarcelona.