[Nov. 2022] In Barcelona, Spain, we first visited Casa Batllo, one of the masterpieces of the famous architect Gaudi.
After walking in the wrong direction from the hotel and going back and forth for a while, we realised that Casa Mila was just around the corner.
This is my third visit to Barcelona, the first in about 15 years.
And I’ve been to Casa Mila twice before, so we won’t be there this time, though I felt a bit sorry for my husband because this was his first visit to Barcelona.
We made a reservation for Casa Batllo at 2:30, and we were able to enter without difficulty.
There were several choices for tickets, but we had bought the cheapest one at €35 .
And this is the cheapest one.
And a lot of people inside.
How much income do they have?
However, according to the Japanese audio guide I borrowed, about 100 people are involved in maintenance and it costs money.
This house was completed in 1906 by Gaudi under the order of Batlló, a successful textile businessman.
While listening to the voice guidance, we went up to the upper floor little by little.
It’s certainly an interesting space.
A guidebook describes it as “the strangest residential building in Europe”.
The voice guidance emphasized that while the decorations were inspired by nature, especially the sea, they were carefully crafted for practical use.
It is characterized by almost no straight lines, and curved lines are all the way through.
I felt it is interesting that people actually lived in such a space, but I thought that it was the right way to use it as a spectacle like this.
Moreover, it is a house where Gaudi is at the forefront, and there is no trace of Mr. Batllo who was the owner.
In other words, it’s not a house, it’s an art.
After Mr. Batllo, and after passing through several hands, it is said that it was opened to the public around 1995.
I believe that when I first visited Barcelona, it was not open to the public and I could only see it from the outside.
On the top floor, there was a photo shooting service for tourists.
We always get on this kind of thing, but it’s a pity that my husband didn’t realise the position of the camera and we got a picture that he is looking down.
By the way, the futuristic staircase leading to the exit is said to be the work of a Japanese designer.
We arrived at 2:30 and left around 4:00, which means there were a lot to see and it was worth visiting.
We were quite tired, so we had a rest on a bench on the pavement.
Looking up at the exterior of Casa Batllo, I said, “It’s interesting, but if you ask me if I want to live here, I would say no.”
My husband said, “I like the image of the blue of the sea, so it might be good to live there for me.”
