4/30 (miercoles)

It’s my last day here.

I plan to go to Bellesguard before I leave.

It is possibly the last design of Gaudi from the period during which he was maturing to be built.

it has not been available to the public until recently as it was a private residence. So it seems that not much research has been done on it, and that there are still many questions about it.

Of course it’s also my first time to see it in person.

It was built when he was around the same age as I am now. I’m looking forward to seeing it.

First, I take a run around Barcelona in the morning.

7 km. I was congratulated by my nike running app on achieving a new distance record.

Thank you.

Today is a day that I will be thanking many people.

It is my first time visting it, and the Bellesguard is really great.

It is a design that communicates what Gaudi held important.

Harmony with the nature surrounding it.

The manual labor of a master craftsman.

His love for his homeland of Catalonia.

And the desire to give small surprises and feelings of warmth to the residents through his original creations.

What really pulls on my heart strings are the stones that have been finely split and inlaid like tiles on the outside.

The finer parts, and the round parts use small stones, while other parts use large stones. The colors of the stones were also thoughtfully considered, and are used in appropriate places, and in the appropriate color schemes. The color scheme appears to show that it is a work of both man and nature.

It used to be a medieval castle, standing stark and with many sraight lines. But Gaudi gave it the right to persist longer in the world by re-designing it so softly.

I feel that it is trying to convey in an easy way, even to an amateur like me, some of what Gaudi was trying to do within the frame of the straight lines. But I don’t think I understand it.

The plants and vines in the garden are in harmony and do not feel wrong.

On the other hand, two towering palm trees look like Gaudi erected them as watchtowers.

The view from the rooftop of Bellesguard (which means beautiful view) is spectacular, just as the name implies. In the old days, there were no houses surrounding it, only forest.

I don’t think there’s any place better to experience the vast landscape of Barcelona on my last day.

I am grateful for all the people of the city that have helped me.

50 push-ups. 50 sit-ups.

7 km run.

Takehiko Inoue