Max Abroad : The Best of Spain

In 1882 work began on Gaudi's masterpiece, The Sagrada Familia. Over 120 years on and the building is still unfinished, fortunately the last stone is not far away.  It is expected it will take until 2026 to finish the works, as long as the donations do not cease. 2026 is the magical date as it would mark the 100 anniversary of Guadi's death and would be a fitting tribute to Spain's greatest architect. In total, it will have 18 towers, or spires, and will stand at 172.5 metres in height, once finished.

The six central spires are currently being built – four for the Evangelists, the Mary Tower, and the final pièce de résistance, the Jesus Christ Tower, which will be the highest of all and will take the final eight years to construct. The first row of bricks will be laid by the end of this year if everything goes to plan, and it will be the final part of the cathedral to be completed.

This is what it should look like when it is finished :

For hundreds of years, the Spanish town of Burjassot built buried stone silos on a hill overlooking the town and the rounded stone entrances can still be seen in the Patio de los Silos where fortunate visitors can sometimes even enter the ancient stone pits.

Taking an original approach to a grain shortage in the surrounding Kingdom of Valencia during the 16th century, the local government installed three large silos beneath a limestone hill. The idea was that Sicilian grain could be imported and stored in the cool, dry subterranean chambers. The scheme proved a success and the next year, additional silos were added, and as demand continued to grow over the centuries, so did the number of silos. 

During the Spanish Civil War some of the unused silos were even used as hiding places and tunnels were built between them to connect the separate chambers.

In the end, a total of 47 silos were built, although today only 41 remain. A plaza was built above the hill where visitors can amble among the bulbous stone caps of the silos and during the yearly Medieval Market Festival, some of them are opened and people are allowed to go inside. Tours of the silos can also be requested of the local government.