I thoroughly enjoyed participating in Raul’s 1-1/2 hour tour of Parc Güell. His engaging personality and deep knowledge broadened the enjoyment of the entire group. He made the story of the park come alive with anecdotes about the original design and plan. The philosophy of Gaudi to let nature be not just seen but experienced was brought out by examples of how lines were drawn, building materials chosen, and even architectural allusions to children’s storybooks. I was particularly impressed with the bench around the Greek theater with continuous ceramic lumbar support. The emphasis on recycling was brought home by Gaudi’s clever combination of getting locals to donate broken dinnerware that ended up linking them and their families physically and emotionally to the park for years if not centuries to come. I almost laughed out loud seeing a complete saucer in one of the arches between the support (and rain-water collecting) pillars under the theater area. Enjoying the vista was a nice finish: over the city rooftops past Sagrada Familia to the sea… a nice souvenir photo.