I've been to Barcelona 2 times prior to this trip, and on both occassions we visited Sagrada Familia, seeing it from the outside, never from the inside. On this visit however, I finally made it inside to see what everyone has been talking about. Entrance is 13€ per person, and gives you a specific time slot to gain entry. Ours was 15:30 hours. Our time slot gave us some time to marvel at the exterior for a bit.
From the outside you can witness the progress of years and years of construction. You can spend hours and hours just looking up at every minute detail on the exterior, and from every angle. With the different times of the day the lighting reveals something you hadn't noticed before as well.
Once you take your first steps inside the basilica, time just stops. I stood just inside the entrance for some time just looking up, and down, and around, and up again. The stunning and breathtaking beauty of this masterful piece of architecture is simply awe inspiring. The sheer size of the basilica is very deceiving as well. It looks large from the outside, sure. But from within, it's not just large, it's massive!
The stained glass windows all throughout tell some very detailed stories. It's difficult to take your eyes away from their deep colors and designs. On this day, our cloudless afternoon sunlight bathed the entire basilica in a stunning glow from those very windows. With the interior so uniquely lit, we were able to see details I'm certain we would have missed otherwise.
Take some time to walk all the way around as every view, from every angle, is stunning. I also suggest taking some time to sit in the chairs at the center and take in the surroundings, the people, and the sounds.
I can't believe it took me three visits to experience this masterpiece.
Safe and happy travels ahead!