Some people say the best plan when traveling is to have no plan. For many years, I scorned this advice, preferring to adhere to a schedule and book everything in advance. My color-coded, meticulous itineraries were the stuff of legend.

They also may have set off a few eye rolls among the travel group.

In my late 40s, I adopted a more relaxed approach to travel after spending a week in Barcelona with a friend. We arrived without much of a plan, other than where to stay and a vague notion of wandering in certain neighborhoods. There was a big, colorful religious festival going on that we had had no idea about before landing.

After the rental manager explained the mystery of the front door lock at our apartment (a grand tradition at almost every overseas vacation rental), we asked him for suggestions on what to do on our first day in Barcelona. He told us about a sprawling food-and-wine event at the Arc de Triomf and gave us directions to walk there.

The mood was friendly and relaxed, and we grabbed a handful of the generously priced tickets for food and wine. We wandered among the tents, sampling nice wine and gawking at all the dried meats hanging from the stalls and the stacks of cheese and crusty bread. We lounged in the shade of the giant palm trees as we ate and drank.

A few people from the neighborhood sitting near us said we would likely enjoy the Correfoc, or fire run, a Catalan tradition during the La Mercè Festival each year. After wandering a little longer than planned, we stumbled upon the children's version of the fire run; the adult Correfoc happens late at night and reportedly is much rowdier.

The children's version was perfect for the uninitiated. Firecrackers were placed on pitchfork-like poles and held aloft by delighted children dressed as demons. Adults stood by, ready to help if things went awry, but not hovering or fussing. The fireworks spun wildly, shooting sparks in all directions. Large dragon figures, fire beasts, and drum bands wove through the crowd.

We hung back, happily taking it all in and trying not to look like the geeked-out tourists that we were. We also wanted to avoid getting scorched by some errant sparks.

My friend and I still marvel about our good luck that day, a day that would not have happened if we hadn't slowed down, asked, and been open to something new.

Emily Rosenbaum is a longtime journalist who lives in Chicago with her two little dogs.