As a Pagan Druid, the natural world is my temple. But places of worship created by human hand can often thrill me – the mosques of Istanbul, the incensed, jewel-darkness of Chartres Cathedral, the pristine, white tall-forest-like beauty of York Minster – a collective conscious act of religious dedication, often over many centuries, is inherent in the fabric of these exquisite buildings – works of art in themselves.
Anyone who has visited Barcelona will know the beautiful architecture of Antonio Gaudi. The extraordinary, curving and organic nature of his work conveys his innate understanding of Nature and how to work in harmony with her. I had always wanted to visit the Sagrada Familia and it did not disappoint me. Bristling and gorgeous, it is as yet half built and a block of buildings will need to be demolished and the traffic system diverted to complete it. Where modern day artisans are still translating long-dead Gaudi’s vision into mosaics and stonework, I found this quote of his which encapsulated everything I had understood instinctively about him:
“the great book, always open and which we must make efforts to understand, is the book of Nature. The other books are based on it and have the mistakes and interpretations of mankind.”
A Gaudi
Narbled Gonsense 