A cathedral is a bishop’s church. A basilica is a church honoured by the Pope for its special significance.
Now there is an opening two sentences that could cause you, dear reader, to nod off immediately, or worse still, turn on the TV and watch a World Cup match.
But hang in there.
Cathedrals usually have one spire, but some have two and others have none
The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona has 18 spires. That seems a little extravagant.
And looks even more extravagant,
That and the fact that it was designed by Antoni Gaudí was more than enough for the Pope. This is indeed a church of special significance. It shall be a Basilica.
Work began on the church in 1882. If you want to be more precise it was actually on March 19th, 1882. It was supposed to be completed in 2026, a monument to Gaudi who died 100 years ago. But it will come as no surprise to learn that it is running late! 2034 is now projected to be when work will be completed. In the scheme of things, that doesn’t seem too bad. But it means it will have been a construction site for over 150 years.
Those poor neighbours!
But as compensation they now have this as their view
However, just a few weeks ago the last of the 18 spires was finally finished. It is the central spire of the cathedral. The tallest and most important spire, known as the tower of Jesus Christ. And on June 10th 2026 Pope Leo XIV flew to Barcelona, blessed the tower and called it open! Five days later we flew to Barcelona, and quietly blessed the Passion Tower. It might not have the cultural significance of the Pope’s visit, but we did what the Pope in his infinite wisdom did not. We went to the top of the Passion Tower.
The good news was there is an elevator to take you to the top.
The bad news is that we could only ride up in it.
We had to walk down.
There were 400 steps. The steps were narrow, with a railing on one side and a sheer drop on the other. In some places, there was little light and we had to use the flashlight on our phone to see the next step.
If that doesn’t bring you closer to God, nothing will.
The reason to do this?
At the top of the spire there were tiny little viewing platforms that allowed spectacular views of the city
And the intricate details at the top of the other spires
Was it worth it?
The entire experience was carefully orchestrated. Only 35 people were allowed up every 30 minutes and they were split into smaller groups as the elevator could only accommodate a maximum of 8 people. Any more than that and the cramped spaces would become a problem. We had to book months in advance to secure our spot.
The same could not be said for entering the actual Basilica. Again we had to book tickets, and could only enter at our allotted time. But there were definitely more than 32 people allowed to enter every half hour. It was like the Christmas Day Sale at Macy’s
And inside wasn’t much better
But this time it was definitely worth it.
The stain glass windows set the atmosphere. On the east side of the Basilica the windows are all in shades of blue and yellow. When the sun rises and hits the windows, the inside of the Basilica comes alive in celebration of the new day
As you move round to the west facing side of the Basilica the blues of the windows become reds and oranges so that as the sun slowly dips, the inside of the Basilica becomes full of evening light
It is magical.
Even the ceilings are all about light
Periodically announcements are made reminding us that this is a place of worship, and requesting quiet. But the throngs are in awe, and the Fabulosity Meter is going wild. For a moment the crowd quitens down, but their excitement needs a voice.
The Fabulosity Meter refuses to be silenced.
And there dear reader, you might expect the blog to come to an end. But this is Andrew’s Fabulous Travel Blog. You are waiting for a little something extra. There must be someone amongst all those people who deserves to picked out for a special mention.
And, yes, of course there is
It’s definitely a look! But what was he thinking when he decided those shoes went perfectly with the rest of the outfit.
And then…………….. high up on a ledge, there is a moment of darkness.
What is Darth Vader doing here?
Could it possibly be…………….
The Empire strikes back!
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