Vicky and Cristina! Gaudí's Dream Is Coming True!

I've long said, "If there's one building I'd like to see in Europe, it's Gaudí's Sagrada Família church in Barcelona...finished." The church has been an epic work-in-progress for over a hundred years now, and in the last couple of years there has been huge progress. In fact, my breath was literally taken away during my visit today, as the main part of the church interior is enclosed and ready for worship. It was consecrated recently by the Pope. The stained glass needs to be put in (which will heighten the already magical ambience of its awe-inspiring interior), the towers need to be completed (the central one will be the tallest church tower in Europe by a long shot — functioning as a beacon to cruise ships far out at sea), and hundreds of condo dwellers need to be bought out so neighboring buildings can be demolished to make way for the regal esplanade, which will approach what promises to be the most exciting church built in our lifetimes. The hope: to finish the church by 2026—the 100th anniversary of architect Antoni Gaudí's death. By then, it's my bet that Gaudí will be sainted. If there is a miracle anywhere in the world of architecture, it is this building.