BARCELONA -- It's the kind of place that has so much greatness it makes you wish you could paint. But a camera will have to do.
Cosmopolitan but quaint. Stylish but classy. Historic but cutting edge. Edgy but friendly. Busy but not stupid busy. And, of course, let's not forget about the warm breezes coming off the Mediterranean Sea and the exquisite flavours of the unique Catalonian cuisine.
You are not going to forget this Spanish holiday. I long for the sweet sounds of Spanish guitars and the serene landscapes the whole flight home.
The thing about a trip to Barcelona is there is so much to see and do that a second or third trip would not be out of the question. And there will always be tapas -- at the end, in the beginning or the middle -- on every trail, too. These tasty little dishes always include Spanish ham, chorizo and cheese, and are all splashed down with some of the finest wine in the world.
It's how they do things in Catalonia. It's impossible to go hungry for more than a minute. The cuisine and wine are just as much a part of the Barcelona tourist experience as any of its historic landmarks or the picturesque harbour.
As Pere Romeu, founder of the famous 4Gats restaurant, said in 1899: "Food and drink are served at any time."
The 4Gats is just one of many legendary restaurants in Barcelona where the fare is always tasty -- whether it originates from land or sea. Once a mecca for strugglng artists and bohemians, in the 1900s 4gats was a favourite of Pablo Picasso -- who sketched and held his first exhibition there -- Miguel Utrillo and Ramon Casas.
No matter how much you eat, you will work it off as there is some serious walking to do around this city. Fortunately much of Barcelona is wheelchair accessible and there is also a successful bike-sharing program that lets you pick up a bike, ride it from one end of town to another without having to bring it back. Just park it and get another one the next time. Very European.
Contemporary Barcelona is so progressive and relaxed it's hard to believe this beautiful city was caught in the middle of the nasty Spanish Civil War, which started in 1936. It appears to stand as it did for centuries.
When describing incredible Barcelona, it's hard to know where to start. There are so many eras, so many interesting characters and neighbourhoods. and so many triumphs. The best part for a tourist is it has transitioned well from ancient times to modern times.
Whether you take a peaceful stroll along the famous La Rambla -- to shop or hang out -- or travel down to the harbour or tour the ancient city, you can't help but feel you are somewhere very special.
Writer Ernest Hemingway certainly felt he was somewhere special during his time here in the 1930s. Same goes for Somerset Maugham, who described Les Ramblas as the "most beautiful street in the world."
While that may be true, there are many others that would come a close second.
After flying in from Toronto aboard Air Transat my first stop is the Gothic Quarter -- or Barri Gothic. If it feels like you are stepping back in time, it's because you are. This is where the oldest remants of Roman Barcelona and the Barcelona of the Middle Ages can still be found.
Right in the heart of it all, I watch as an elderly artist paints an even older cathedral -- never once looking in the direction of potential buyers. He has to concentrate. There is much detail to capture in this house of worship -- originally built in 1298.
He is not the first to paint it nor will he be the last but the art speaks for itself -- both on the canvas and in the buildings surrounding it. Barcelona is itself a work of art -- a masterpiece and a good place to be if painting is your life.
Just steps from this painter of 14th and 15th century architecture is the fascinating Museu Picasso dedicated to the incredible life and art of Picasso. One of Spain's most famous sons, Picasso lived much of his adult life in Paris but he spent his formative years in Barcelona.
The city shaped who he became. He couldn't have found a place more rich with history -- whether it be the original city walls, the vistas of the Mediterranean Sea or the stunning architecture or countryside. You can see those influences in the artist's early works, which are on display at the museum.
Old also meets new in the Gothic Quarter, where team flags fly proudly proclaiming the recent triumph of Barcelona over rivals Manchester United. Barcelona won Europe's biggest contest -- the UEFA Champions League football tournament -- on May 27.
The joke around Spain is that as much cava was consumed to celebrate the win as was swallowed in 1975 when Gen. Francisco Franco's reign as dictator came to an end. Much of the sparkling wine would have come from the region's foremost winery -- Codorniu -- where vintners have made the Champagne-like beverage for five centuries.
Many have been inspired by Barcelona.
Modern artists, such as American filmmaker Woody Allen, are creating their own little piece of Catalonian history. Allen shot his recent hit Vicky Cristina Barcelona on these streets in 2007.
Allen -- who calls his film "a love affair with Barcelona" -- was obviously impressed. The filmmaker uses many city sights as backdrops for steamy scenes between the main characters (Spaniards Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz, Americans Scarlett Johansson and Patricia Clarkson, and Britain's Rebecca Hall).
"Ever since that movie came out we have had so many people ask us about where to go see where this was shot or that," says Susana Rivera Sanz of the Tourist Office of Spain in Toronto.
In fact, it's fairly easy to discover gems like those captured on film by Allen because -- in addition to it being a great walking city -- there is also a double-decker tourist bus that takes visitors around town.
Two of the most popular stops are at landmarks created by famed Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi.
While Gaudi'a architectural gems seem to be on the corner of every street, visitors can't miss La Sagrada Familia, the enormous Roman Catholic basilica that even 83 years after the architect's death is still a work in progress. The unfinished masterpiece has no equal on the planet.
Gaudi took on the project in 1883 and it haunted him for the next 43 years of his life as he scrambled to finish it. Interupted by the Civil War, completion is scheduled for 2026 -- the 100th anniversary of the architect's death.
Another stunning Gaudi landmark, also accessible from the tourist bus is Park Guell -- a 17-hectare development with structures that look like they stepped off the pages of a fairytale. Originally designed as a housing development it turned out to be no fairytale for developers who could find few buyers for the new project, which was constructed from 1900 to 1914. Today the garden complex is one of Barcelona's most visited destinations and a popular spot for weddings.
Park Guell's surreal structures make me muse about the dreams, talents and inspirations of Spaniards like Gaudi, Picasso or 19th century painters like Santiago Rusinol or Ramon Casas, whose paintings are on display in city museums and also at a rare gallery high above the city at Montserrat. Visible from many parts of Barcelona. Gaudi, was clearly inspired by the haunting rock formations of Montserrat and its monastery.
And you can clearly see how the artists who frequented 4Gats might have been inspired by their conversations over Catalonian wine. It's fascinating to sit at a table enjoying paella -- the house specialty -- just feet from the table where Picasso himself regularly dined.
And as Woody Allen might have discovered when filming Vicky Cristina Barcelona, in this city you don't have to to paint to rub shoulders with greatness. Greatness is all around.
