“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.”

Slightly cheesy, I know, but when I was 15 I thought this Elizabeth Kübler-Ross quote was incredibly astute. Random fact: Elizabeth Kübler-Ross is the same psychiatrist who proposed the five stages of grief model.

The photo is from inside La Sagrada Família, Antoni Gaudí’s cathedral in Barcelona. Construction on the project started in 1882 and it has yet to be completed. Gaudí himself died in 1926 after getting hit by a tram. On the day of his death, Gaudí was apparently dressed sort of shabby so passersby assumed he was a beggar and did not offer aid. Even after he was transported to the hospital by a police officer, he received only elementary care. By the time Antoni Gaudí was identified, it was too late.

The church, besides losing it’s architect, also had to withstand the violence of the Spanish Civil War from 1936-1939. During the war, Catalan anarchists destroyed many of Gaudí’s original models and designs for the project. Yet still, building persists. The current estimate on a date of completion lies somewhere between 2026 and 2028, and the first sermon was held there just over a year ago (November 7th, 2010).

When asked on about the cathedral’s long construction period, Gaudí remarked “My client is not in a hurry.”

Random fact #2: When on vacation in Barcelona I literally ran into my professor on the street. Fortunately he was a professor I knew well and he remembered my name. He was my Humanistic Studies professor and insisted that I go inside the Sagrada Família…and I’m very glad I did, thanks Professor Myles!

So guess what? I’ve done another review for Steal My Playlist! Hooray!! It’s on Florence + the Machine’s sophomore album Ceremonials.

I’ve been listening to this song on repeat this past week.

“Shake It Out” by Florence + the Machine