I went to Barcelona for the Gaudí sites twice, in November 2014 and March 2015. On our first visit we took the train in from Girona, and on the second flew to El Prat airport and stayed in the city itself. We managed to visit every site but the Crypt at Colonia Güell.

Our first site on trip 1 was Casa Battló, which is the most expensive to visit, at €21.50. Wealthy textile manufacturer Josep Battló i Casanovas was fed up of his grand house being known as one of the most boring apartment blocks in the district, so he called Gaudí. The building is known for its avoidance of straight lines, and walking through its rooms makes you feel a little queasy.

We next visited Palau Güell, built for Gaudí’s most famous patron, Eusebi Güell - an industrialist and an extremely wealthy man. According to the in-house audio guide, he has been ranked by Forbes as among the top 20 richest people who ever lived, with a fortune of €75bn in today’s money. The building was Gaudí’s first major project, and is more restrained than his later works. Nevertheless, it has a wonderful roof covered in colourful chimneys.

Next up was La Sagrada Familia, which is a sight to behold. The sheer cavernous enormity of the space is something I have never experienced before. More so than most churches, the interior is full of colour.

Our final stop on trip 1 was Park Güell and its famous views over the city of Barcelona.

Returning several months later we went straight from the airport to the Casa Mila (which had been covered in scaffolding on our previous visit but was now uncovered once more). It is 50 cents cheaper than the Casa Battló, at €21. Casa Mila – also known as La Pedrera – is topped with ornate chimneys, conveying the architect’s philosophy that functional items should be made decorative too.

We then had just enough daylight left (on the last day before the clocks changed) to see the Casa Vicens. This is a fully private residence, so you have to settle with viewing it from outside in the street. It was one of Gaudí’s earliest buildings in Barcelona – a project that helped him to make a name for himself in the Modernisme movement. The house clearly shows the influence of Moorish architecture, a collective memory that has affected Spain in a way that could hardly be imagined in other European countries.