As I neared the Sagrada Família, my heart skipped a beat faster and I wondered how far more do I  have to walk before meeting face to face with this beauty.

TIP 1.

Purchasing tickets to Sagrada Familia can be daunting with so many choices available.

We joined the local tour with a  guide  and topped up with a tower tour ( You have to pre-purchase online).  There are many intervals available for the guide tours but the HOT TIMING will be those in the MORNING. You can also see the availability of the various slots on the same web page. 

The specialized guide gave a wonderful insight into the history, new perspectives and introduction to the different facades of the beautiful church. It was definitely worth it to pay 2 Euro more for the guided tour. 

Though it was a large group but we all had on the mic and portable headset ( ever so useful) and were able to listen to the commentary from the guide clearly, even if you strayed off ( a short distance) from the guide.

Even if you had gone on to Spain with an overseas tour group agent, you would still be following the local specialized guides for this segment inside Sagrada Familia, asI had witnessed for myself on the ground.
So why not arrange your Barcelona leg yourself and save some cash?

From afar as we walked along the streets.

Capture the sunlight filtering the colored stained glasses... it's way pretty. 

Where Jesus is

The main altar where Jesus lies is out of bound. But believers can sit on the pews in front to pray as usual.

I am no Christian but I totally enjoy learning how Gaudi's work of science and art intertwined with his and the Catalan people's religion and faith. 

Clever use of Sunlight

Look up the towards the ceiling and there's an opening which allows natural sunlight to filter in thus 'lighting' up Jesus too. 

How enlightening indeed!

This altar area.

The cathedral is totally not a place for photo taking or OOTD as humans abound everywhere. 

 NATIVITY TOWER, EAST of Barcelona

Of the 18 towers intended for the Familia, only 8 are completed 4 on each side of Nativity and Passion respectively. Remember if you bought the tower inclusive tickets to head up to the top of either towers. 

Go up via a lift and down via the stairs. 

It was an awesome experience! Recommended! 

and while waiting for the lift to come... 

The East view of Barcelona!

While being high up, you can still see lots of works are still carrying on with construction over the 

'unfinished' towers for the basilica.

A tower is A TOWER. Narrow and steep. 

And we spotted the new side of the tower building- in- progress. 

It gets narrower as you descend. 

Gradually the basilica came into view from the ground level again.

There is so much to snap, you get quite lost on how and what exactly to snap gradually. :)
SLOW down and enjoy soaking in the sights and sounds. 

The recreation and souvenirs shop as we made our way out

Tip 2.

 Barcelona is a big friendly place for international travellers solo. However, things can be a bit tricky when trying to take photographs at the national museums/churches etc. Many of such places do not allow the uses of tripods. So the only way about it is to grab a stranger and be thick-skinned enough to ask for help!
I had my friend with me in this tour, so it was still alright.

http://www.sagradafamilia.org/en/

9am to 7pm/ 6pm/8pm depending on months of the year.