Troy Bradley

Hello everyone! Today is day number 12 of our trip to Spain. My name is Troy Bradley and I am going into my senior year at Purdue in Aeronautical Engineering Technology. Today we said goodbye to our wonderful homestays in Valencia to visit Barcelona. As expected on a travel day we got to get up extra early with some luggage to begin the bus ride to Barcelona. Most people were lucky enough to regain some sleep on the bus, however I was not that lucky when I found myself sitting next to Xavier, Michaela, and Sammy. In addition to them, we played some games later on with others like Maggie, Kevin, Peyton, Cassidy, and Mia.

Then we officially made it to Barcelona. We got a quick rundown on the bus of the city and went to our hotel. After leaving our luggage there it was time to explore the city. We got back on the bus to go to see some of the city. We learned a lot about architecture and a famous architect Gaudí. The inspiration behind Gaudí and his effect on the entire city was amazing. We got a chance to see an example of this and his work throughout the city. After going to one of the highest points of the city, we got a great view of the entire city from above. Then we worked our way down to see some historic places. Some areas were covered in recycled clay which was an early use of recycling and looked amazing.

After that it was time to go to La Sagrada Família. This was one of the parts of the trip I was looking forward to most. Construction of this church started about 130 years ago and is still underway! Antoni Gaudí was the focus today and we learned all about the construction of the church. The church has gone through a long history and we all got the opportunity to see pieces of its construction. It turns out Gaudí constructed the tallest point on the tower, which reaches 172.5 meters above sea level which is very specific and intentional. Gaudí wanted it to be slightly shorter than the tallest point in Barcelona which was 173 meters above sea level. This is a way he showed that he wanted to get close but not surpass the works of God himself. Overall the Sagrada Família is unbelievable and truly needs to be seen in person to understand it.

I am all ready to get some food now since dinner time is typically later in Spain. In conclusion, another great day here in Spain.