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In search of Gaudi

Holidaying alone in Barcelona, I stumbled across Park Guëlle

By Diane WordsworthPublished about a year ago 5 min read
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One of four mosaics in Park Guëlle (Picture © Diane Wordsworth)

My divorce was looming and I didn’t want to sit around waiting for it to happen, I wanted to do something to take my mind off things. I hadn’t had a holiday in two years and the offer was simply too good to miss. Only £180 for a week, half board, on mainland Spain. The date was slap bang when my decree absolute was due. It was meant to be.

My marriage hadn’t fallen apart due to any third or fourth parties, it had simply broken down. No one else was involved. I was on my own. All of my friends were still part of couples and that was great. But I didn’t want being newly single stopping me from doing anything. I deserved a holiday and I was going to have one.

And so I embarked on my first ever package holiday abroad totally on my own. I was going on an adventure at the age of 44.

The pool at night, Hotel Golden Taurus Park, Pineda de Mar (Picture © Diane Wordsworth)

Feeling a bit scared, in the middle of September, off I headed to Spain via Birmingham – I live in Yorkshire now but my parents in Solihull were baby-sitting my cats. Straight away at the airport I was befriended by a lovely couple from the Black Country and their two-year-old daughter. The familiar accent that I’d missed for four years was quite comforting, and I didn’t feel as if I was on my own.

We were headed for Pineda de Mar at the top end of the Spanish coastline not far from Barcelona. The Hotel Golden Taurus Park was famous for its cuisine, with many visitors there simply for the gastronomic breakfasts and dinners – the meals really were something special with every single taste catered for.

Detail on Sagreda Familia (Picture © Diane Wordsworth)

The hotel isn’t far from the railway station, the track, indeed, cutting in front of the hotel between main road and beach. People that were there with friends or family tended to risk buying train tickets to the nearby city of Barcelona. Because I was on my own, however, and still quite a wimp at heart, I decided to do it in style.

There were three coach excursions available through our tour operator, Thomsons: Barcelona by Night, which included the famous illuminated castle fountains; one very long trip that covered absolutely everything; and a third that stopped off at a selection of destinations – these included Barcelona football stadium, the harbour and the Olympic village to name but a few. On this latter trip was the place I most wanted to see – Park Guëlle, one of Barcelona’s lesser known attractions.

The author with Barcelona Harbour in the background (Picture © Diane Wordsworth)

The architect Antoni Gaudi is perhaps most well-known for his work on the very famous Sagreda Familia, Barcelona’s ornate church. But he was also hired by the wealthy Count Guëlle, who was a personal friend too. Gaudi worked on Guëlle’s palace and he created Park Guëlle, what was supposed to be a 'garden city' high above the heat and bustle of Barcelona. In the event, only two of the planned houses were ever built, but the landscaped grounds are open to the public daily.

The square is the largest of the open areas and seems to be where most people, resident and tourist alike, congregate. It is also frequented by hawkers or gypsies that are regularly 'moved along' by the police, although the officers seem to turn a blind eye for about 20 – 30 minutes before good-heartedly intervening and causing a sudden flurry of activity and a change of street vendors. It’s like musical chairs.

Another of the mosaics set into the ceiling (Picture © Diane Wordsworth)

There is stone seating around the decorative edge of the square that has some spectacular mosaics. Many visitors can be seen sitting awhile as they enjoy some very fine views across the city below.

The square is 'held up', or supported, by 86 classical columns. Sightseers can often be seen weaving between the columns, heads back, straining to see the vaulted ceiling above. This is because there are four more mosaics set into the underside of the square, each mosaic believed to represent the sun.

The underside, Park Guëlle (Picture © Diane Wordsworth)

There is a museum in the park, which was the one of the two houses that Gaudi actually lived in himself until his untimely death in 1926 – he was knocked down by a tram. Here there are also two intricately tiled fairytale-like gatehouses.

Barcelona is indeed a busy city, and the park made a welcome retreat despite also being very crowded. Whether it is the forestry throughout or the height above sea level at which it sits, the park is incredibly peaceful and relaxing. If I lived in Barcelona it would probably be one of my favourite haunts.

The square is supported by 86 columns (Picture © Diane Wordsworth)

We had time for shopping, time for eating, and time for taking photographs, and still we saw several of the city’s wonderful sights. More importantly, the heavy rain that had been forecast did hold off, although towns and villages on the ride back had suffered some flash flooding. I really enjoyed Barcelona and had a bit of a Shirley Valentine moment when the coach driver asked me to dinner, bless him. I declined but I think he half-expected me to. The offer was, nevertheless, very kind and sweet.

I will go back to Barcelona one day, but I think this time it will be on a city short break. There is simply far to much to see and do in just one day.

The actual date of my trip totally escaped me until later as I enjoyed one of those gastronomic dinners with my adopted Brummie-sounding family. I was no longer married, my decree absolute was that day, so we drank a toast and moved on. It was a lovely, simple moment.

Picture © Diane Wordsworth

This article is © Diane Wordsworth. A version was first published in Full House Magazine.

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About the Creator

Diane Wordsworth

freelance writer ● novelist ● editor ● ghostwriter ● book reviewer ● member of the CWA ● world-famous nutter-magnet

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