by Carole Hill

Created on: June 17, 2009

I felt a relaxed ambience the minute I stepped off the plane at El Prat Airport, Barcelona. There was a positive energy flow amid the busy airport workers and scurrying travelers. People actually acknowledged one another with pleasantries or a nod and amazingly, I saw people smiling as they passed through the crowded corridors. There was no pushing or shoving as most of us have experienced at one airport or another. My arrival in Barcelona was as welcoming as a spring sunshine, and that was just the beginning!

It's nearly impossible to describe the uniqueness of vibrant Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia; and its rich cultural heritage, classic architecture and large community of art, lent itself to splendid touring and sightseeing. It is an illustrious city filled with old historic sights and yet, marked with modernistic structures. The contrasting architecture showed itself around every corner.

I was thrilled that my first experience in Spain was Barcelona! Its origin is believed to lie with the Phoenicians, the first traders to reach the Catalan coast, but there are lores that the Cartaginese made the city their own. Historians have written that Hannibal named the city in memory of his father Amilcar Barca and called it Barcino.

Upon my first arrival to Barcelona, I couldn't wait to start sightseeing. Because I had no idea where to choose a hotel for that first trip, I selected a hotel located north of the city proper and near the marina. It seemed as good a place as any and looked within walking range on the map.

Our room on the 16th floor at the Barcelona Arts Hotel far exceeded our expectations with lavish and modern furnishings, state-of-the-art accoutrements and a fabulous view of the Mediterranean. After a few minutes of marveling at our lovely room, we started out on foot with nothing but a city map and a backpack with a few essentials. We strolled through the Gothic District, the Old Quarter, and then made our way to the beautiful Plaa Catalunya, which encircles a fountain and statues surrounded with bright flowers. It also connects some of the most important streets of the city. From the Plaa Catalunya, we chose the ever-popular La Rambla, a vibrant tree-lined avenue, perfect for strolling along and enjoying the open markets, vendors showing their wares, colorful flowers on display, and a myriad of Mimes dressed in wild costumes to entertain you. There was even a vendor selling exotic birds that are on

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