Traveling to Barcelona involves choosing a place to stay. The Barcelona hotel you choose can made a tremendous difference in your enjoyment of your vacation or business trip, yet it’s difficult to find a Barcelona hotel that meets your needs if you haven’t been to the city before. Taking into account service, quality, price, and location are important, but Barcelona hotels can offer so much more - such as views of sites steeped in history and easy access to transportation.

The best hotels in Barcelona include the Eurostars Grand Marina Hotel, located on the water in the heart of Port Vell. One of Barcelona’s most unique hotels is the Claris Hotel, which was once a nineteenth-century neoclassical palace. Culture buffs may wish to make Barcelona hotel reservations at Le Meridien Barcelona Hotel, which is in the center of the city and close to the Liceo Opera House, the Museo Picasso, and the Gothic Quarter. Those who love to shop until they drop might choose the Intercontinental Princess Sofia Hotel, which is close to the city’s exclusive shopping district. The Colon Hotel offers gorgeous views of the Cathedral of Barcelona, while the Expo Barcelona Hotel is in the heart of the business district.

Barcelona offers a multitude of sights, sounds, and experiences for every visitor. With miles of redeveloped seafront, you can enjoy a wonderful day at the beach, soaking in the sun and partaking of the shops, restaurants, and festivities dotting the shoreline. The Museo Picasso and Fundacion Joan Miro, along to nearly four dozen other private and public museums provide art aficionados with the opportunity to admire local and world renown paintings, sculptures and drawings. Fans of the Olympics will enjoy visiting the site of the 1992 Summer Games, strolling through the Olympic Village and viewing the names of 257 Gold Medalists in Placa dels Campions. With architecture dating back to Roman times, you will enjoy walking tours of the city that include sites such as the Roman Wall and Roman aqueduct. Steeped in history yet very much a part of the twenty-first century, Barcelona vibrantly integrates old with new.

Barcelona is known for its lively nightlife, with choices ranging from cocktail lounges and dance clubs to karaoke bars and the theater. Known for its terrace dining in open-air restaurants, Barcelona is a gastronome’s delight. From Mediterranean fare to traditional Spanish dishes, dining in Barcelona is an experience that fills all of the senses.

Barcelona is a joy to visit, whether for pleasure or business. Just keep in mind that, when you make your Barcelona hotel reservations, you choose a Barcelona hotel that has the quality, service, and location that you need.Learn more about The Best Hotels in Barcelona

Barceloneta beach is the closest beach to Barcelona city centre. If you walk to Colom at the end of the Ramblas you have about a 15 mins walk to the beach, alternatively see below for metro information. Barceloneta has many great sea food restaurants serving up fresh catches of the day. In the street Vauban you’ll find a declicious and typical restaurant for fishermen a little bit dirty but great food. Barceloneta beach can get busy during the peak season (June to Sep) in which case you could try visiting Icaria Beach the next beach along from Barceloneta. Typical tapas over this are is the bombas picantes at the LA BOMBETA.

If you’ve been to Madrid, you know the enormous selection of activities and sightseeing treasures the city has to offer you. If you haven’t, make Madrid your travel destination for a touch of the art world. If you’re an art lover like many tourists that travel to Spain, you won’t have far to look to find some of the best art in the world. After enjoying some of the local recipes for sangria, visit The Queen Sofia Art Museum, located near the metro stations and the Atocha train. It has such an abundance of famous art works; you’ll need more than one day to view everything. Some of the featured art works are by greats like Miro, Picasso or Solana.

The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, which was opened in 1992, is considered the museum for 20th century art. Many art connoisseurs consider it the most prestigious art collections in Europe. One of the highlights of the museum is the famous Pablo Picasso piece, Guernica. This 1937 painting got its inspiration from Picasso’s feelings on surrealism and the Nazi bombing of the town of Guernica. If you are a fan of Picasso, and I don’t know who wouldn’t be, there are many pieces of his work from a young age right up to maturity.

The museum is in a building designed in the 18th that was once a hospital. It was scheduled to be demolished when they decided to turn it into a house of art. Renovations and additions were added to the original building to make it what they needed to become a museum. Some thought it odd that an old building would be used to house modern art, but the plans proved to be exactly what they wanted. It was declared a national museum in 1988.

Queen Sofia offers the art lover a variety from the late 19th century right up to the most recent contemporary and modern works of art. If Solana pieces are what you are interested in, you’ll get a glimpse of The Chorus Girls, Café Pombo, and don’t forget The Meeting of the Pharmacy. Read the rest of this entry »

When most people think of a luxury cruise their thoughts turn to tropical ports of call surrounded by crystal blue waters. Alaska is not always the first destination most people think of when choosing a cruise, but those who do visit this largest of states aboard ship will tell you it is not to be missed. There is a rawness to this land that is hard to describe without seeing it and a cruise will give you a view that most people will never see.

Depending on how adventurous you are there are several ways to enjoy the experience of an Alaskan cruise. For the more adventurous soul who wants to explore every nook and cranny of a particular area there are day charters on small boats available. While they may be short on comfort and amenities these day charters allow you to get up close and personal with everything this land has to offer.

For those more inclined to sit back and enjoy the scenery from farther out and in more comfort then a large cruise ship is the answer. Carrying upwards of three thousand people these large floating hotels are the picture of pampered comfort where your every want and need is taken care of by an attentive staff. Depending on the length of the cruise you will also get the chance to visit several ports of call where you can take part in different shore excursions, one of which might include a day trip on a small boat charter.

Once you get off the ship you will not be lacking in things to do. Many of the ports of call have a very old west rustic feel to them. You can also take hikes through the temperate rain forests that run along the rugged coastline, go watch brown bears catch salmon during their yearly spawning run, or charter a fishing boat and go catch some salmon or halibut yourself. And the best part is that while you are doing these things you will be surrounded by some of the most pristine wilderness on the face of the earth.

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1. Because it’s a 24 hour-a-day city.  You want Cambodian food at 3am on a Sunday?  No problem.
2. Because there are four very distinct seasons.
3. Because our fine drinking establishments are open until 4am.
4. Because New Yorkers are actually quite helpful and polite.  Really!
5. Because of the great public transportation system.  And if you disagree, just go spend any amount of time in Los Angeles.
6. Because you can buy anything.  Which may not always be a good thing, but we’ll focus on the positive!
7. Because while we have our fare share of celebrities, most of the paparazzi-obsessed celebs stay in L.A.
8. Because of Yolanda Vega.  Or, shall I say Yoooolanda Vega!
9. Because anything can be delivered to your home.  Again, let’s focus on the positive.
10. Because New Yorkers are perhaps the most resilient people in the world.
11. Because the New York Post and New York Daily News are actually considered newspapers.
12. Because there are parks everywhere!  The Parks Department maintains over 28,000 acres.
13. Because my heart still skips a beat when I see the Statue of Liberty.
14. Because our cab drivers, door men, and bartenders offer free advice.
15. Because of the naked man in Times Square.
16. Because anything goes!
17. Because if you can make it here you can make it anywhere!

Do you love New York?  Tell me why!