Cathedral of Santa Eulalia, BARCELONA, SPAIN

Cathedral of Santa Eulalia, in the heart of the Gothic Quarter.

A tired, shaky elevator takes visitors from the cathedral’s main floor to its rooftop, for a commanding view of the entire city as well as a close-up look at its delicate spires and impressive towers.

The main altar and the crypt below where Saint Eulalia, who suffered martyrdom at the age of only 13, rests. 

The lofty stonework interior  is mystical and dark, quiet and cold, spiritual and astounding.  

The intricately carved, dark wood of the choir box frames a view of the main altar.  The cavernous aisles and neck-bending arches  are simply astounding.

The cathedral’s garden, home to a gaggle of white geese whose ancestors have lived there for five centuries.