Spain rushes to finish church

Pope Benedict XVI has arrived in Spain for a short visit, where he is scheduled to visit the Sagrada Familia church, Barcelona city’s greatest landmark.

Work on the church started in 1882, but in the past months hundreds of craftsmen have been rushing to get it ready for a visit by the head of the Catholic Church.

The intricate design is one reason it has taken so long. The original architect, Antoni Gaudi, envisaged 18 towers to represent key figures in Christianity. The biggest tower, symbolising Jesus, has yet to be erected.
 
Gaudi used to say, “my client is not in a hurry”. Gaudi may have thought his client, God, was not in a hurry, but as Al Jazeera’s Barbara Serra reports from Barcelona, the clock is ticking for Benedict’s arrival.