Guell Park is located on the hills on the west side of Barcelona. The hills are so steep that the city government put escalators in. Shades of Perugia, Italy where they also have escalators built into the steep hills. I wish they would do that at home in San Francisco!

Continuing up the hill, I found the sign amusing. Magnify it and look at the white letters in the red stripe at the top of the sign for a description of what it felt like walking up the hill.

We arrived at the park entrance and got a great panorama of Barcelona. Mt. Tibidabo is the mountain in the background; significant for me because I grew up on a street named Tibidabo. There are two parts to Guell Park: a huge, hilly city park, and the portion that was designed by Gaudi for Eusabi Guell. We visited the "regular" part of the park first before heading over to the Gaudi part.

Atop one of the tallest hills in the park sits three crosses.

The largest of the three crosses, again with Tibidabo in the background.

One of the crosses with the city of Barcelona in the background. Even though this part of the part is much less visited by tourists than the Gaudi area, I thoroughly enjoyed the hill climbing and the vistas we were treated to when when arrived at the top.

Chris, atop the hill.

After our mountain climbing, we descended to the part of Guell Park designed by Gaudi. Here was our first look at Gaudi's work, looking down from the upper portion of the park.

The entrance sign is quite striking.

The entrance to the park is a famous Barcelona landmark: a staircase with two beautiful mosiac fountains on it.

The first of the two fountains has a large mosaic iguana, which is among Gaudi's most famous works and a symbol of Barcelona. You see Gaudi iguanas an various forms - refrigerator magnets, pot holders, coasters, post cards - in every Barcelona souvenir shop. You'll see a couple in our home as well. (Some guide books refer to the sculpture as a salamander but we thought it was much more iguana-looking.)

This is the second beautiful mosaic fountain on the entrance stairway to Guell Park.

In addition to the fountains, there is a pleasant alcove where you can sit and have a rest.

After climbing the stairs, you reach a large empty room filled with columns. I have no idea what the purpose of the room is, except perhaps as a place to go when you want to avoid the sun. The ceiling of this strange room is decorated with beautiful mosaic disks, such as the one pictured here.

The park's colonnade walkways are quite beautiful...

...and there are surprises to be found as you walk through them. We encountered this washerwoman sculpted into one of the columns.

Me with the washerwoman.

Chris having a rest as we walk through Giell Park.

Gaudi designed many structures in this part of the park. There are fanciful gingerbread houses, such as the one shown above.

Gaudi designed the house behind me for Mr. Guell. Guell had several houses in Barcelona; perhaps this served as his summer home.

Another view of the colonnade walkway.

Gaudi designed and built a house and office for himself in Guell Park, and lived there many years. He sculpted this modernist cross; it sits in front of his house.

Gaudi's house is now open to the public as a museum.

We took the short tour throough Gaudi's home and office.

Gaudi's house in Guell Park.