Train from Barcelona to Pamplona

We left Barcelona this morning and we're taking the train to Pamplona. Even Hank is ready to go!

We had our first pilgrim spotting, seeing two men with backpacks. And yoga mats that are still in the Target shrink wrap. Definitely movie pilgrims. (People who got the idea of walking the Camino de Santiago from watching the film The Way, with Martin Sheen and Emilio Esteves.)

 My three amigos are all sitting together in car 6 and I'm in car 5. Hypothetically that's what happens when you work so much that you don't prioritize making your Camino travel reservations when your amigos do. 

I've built up a lot of good travel karma switching seats with people on airplanes so they could sit with their amigos. So I figured that we could convince the 4th person in their row to take my seat in car 5. It was a man traveling alone, but the four of us couldn't speak enough Spanish to get him to budge. He kept looking at my ticket and saying that seis aqui non cinco. Perhaps I should have thought to call American Express Global Assist to translate for me.

I gave up and took my seat in car cinco, and met my first American pilgrims. God had specially reserved this seat for me, across the aisle from Alan and Marla, caminowalkers.wordpress.com. 

Alan and Marla live about 15 minutes from my home in California, and they've been training for the Camino by hiking Whiting Ranch for the last year. The couple that you've seen hiking with backpacks weighing 10% of their body weight is them. Of course I asked them if they go to Saddleback Church, and they do, and they've been to Mariners Church a few times. As we say at Mariners, God is good, all the time! It's time to play some Tim Timmons tunes.

Lunch on the train is a jamon Camembert baguette (aka ham and cheese sandwich) and a bottle of Solan de Cabras agua. I send my girls photos of water from all my travels since they are hydration innovation experts. Here's your photo, girls:

I've joked that the only Spanish I know is "agua por favor" and that still seems the most important phrase for a cyclist to know in Spain.

The scenery looks a lot like California. Think Banning, on the way to Palm Springs, except the occasional sign is in Spanish... And the are no windmills... Wait, there are windmills!

The World is Flat.

Self-cleaning fabric?

If my girls were with me, this would have been our first stop in Barcelona. Thankfully, Lauren is a designer and wanted to go as well, and we all found something interesting among the award winning designs.

I took photos of what interests me most: bikes and textiles.

There was a fascinating section on new materials such as plastics that emit light, transparent concrete, materials that resist fingerprints, and two fabrics that we wish we had bike clothes made out of for our Camino: a self-cleaning fabric that repels germs and never has to be washed, and a fabric that emits aloe vera lotion.

A plexiglass tutu?

Electric folding bike

Gelato

Barcelona's zoning laws must require a gelato shop on every block. We found one block that had four. 

Somehow we got through the first day without gelato, but we indulged on the 2nd. Non of the Camino pilgrim blogs and forums mention gelato, so that may have been our one taste of gelato in Spain.

Don't worry, we didn't gain any weight from the gelato. They have six serving sizes. The smallest is not much bigger than a thimble. Or you can go a little larger to the size cup that a nurse might put your pill in.  Or a bathroom Dixie cup size. If you really want to go crazy you could get the largest size which might fill an espresso cup. 

All of the sizes combined would easily fit into one cup at 16 Handles. What we consider one serving in the US would 12 in Spain.

Sagrada Familia

Wow, Goudi, you outdid yourself!

Sagrada Familia, the unfinished Basilica designed by Goudi is unlike any church you've ever seen before. They've been building it for about 100 years and it's nowhere near done. Goudi incorporated natural designs such as angles that occur in nature, flora and fauna. I can't possibly do it justice.

The Nativity facade:

The Passion facade:

Goudi's plans were destroyed in a fire, so other architects have designed the parts that they've been constructing the last several years. Paul knows construction and could tell that they're using pre-formed concrete, then setting it in place. The Passion facade is controversial because it was designed by someone else and the style is quite different from the Nativity facade. The people all have cubic blockheads. 

Notice the alpha and omega on top of the pillar between the two doors. The full text of the 4 Gospels is written on the facade. And there is a sudoku-type number square she all the rows and columns add up to 33, the number of years that Jesus lived on Earth. The text reminded me of modern quilts, which often contain fabric printed with text. The stained glass windows also have a modern design.

The Glory facade:

Inside, the columns suggest a forest of trees:

The blue windows represent the Living Water.

The clear windows represent donation opportunities for wealthy Catholics.

Spiral staircase up to the choir loft that seats 1,000.

I think I read that the church will have four organs.

The four red pillars represent the apostles.

We rode the elevator up the Nativity tower and then walked down. 

Nice view of the Mediterranean:

The staircase reminded me of being inside the Statue of Liberty. Not recommended for claustrophobics. 

Paul and Linda in the windows:

Shell geometry in e tower staircase. 

Those who are afraid of heights might not want to step out onto the views spots, especially this one that had a big crack:

I'm not sure whether people dropped these coins from a higher level, or shoved them out this window. 

Despite my efforts to stop working while on this trip, what came to mind was: would those coins damage the coin sorter head?

Goudi incorporated birds and fruits and other animal and plant life. As well as the geometry found in nature

In the basement you can see the original church that Goudi built on top of.

There is a great behind the scenes exhibit of the plaster models used in the design process.

This holy water fount is a prelude to the Camino where all pilgrims carry a shell. Sagrada Familia would frown on us taking this one.