Photos by Moxietype

If you happen to stay in Saint Tropez I can recommend Chateau la Messardier.
The exclusive Château de la Messardière is Saint-Tropez's largest deluxe hotel, featuring a Spa, gourmet restaurant and poolside restaurant, bars, an art gallery and magnificent 25-acre grounds (an official French Bird Protection League / Birdlife International ornithological reserve).

It got only 4 stars ironically due to the fact that they do not have a lift to qualify for 5 stars. But all rooms are either part of a separate two story villa, or part of the main building which also has 2 stories. In the Chateau of that class nobody will expect you to haul your own suitcases anyways.

Private shuttle to downtown Saint Tropez and to the private beach Tropezina will drive you 24 hours per day. The service is impeccable. The buffet is magnificent.

Prices could well be over a thousand euros per day in high season, but are much lower if you can wait until September.

Photo Moxietype

Barcelona arguably remains the design capital of Spain, and Vinçon (Passeig de Gràcia, 96; 34-93-215-6050; www.vincon.com) is among its most revered shrines for smart and stylish house wares.

Cal Pep may be the iconic place to eat in Barcelona, but its sibling, Restaurant Passadís del Pep (Plaça del Palau, 2; 34-93-310-1021; www.passadis.com) remains an under-the-radar favorite precisely because it is so hard to find: down an unmarked narrow passage (passadís in Catalan), with a brooding figure standing in its arched portal.

The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, better known as MNAC (Parc de Montjuïc; 34-93-622-0376; www.mnac.es; admission 8.50 euros), appears as a vast palace crowning the Montjuïc park. Back down the hill are Mies van der Rohe's 1929 Barcelona Pavilion (Avinguda del Marquès de Comillas, s/n; 34-93-423-4016; www.miesbcn.com) and CaixaForum (Avinguda del Marquès de Comillas, 6-8; 34-93-476-8600; www.fundacio.lacaixa.es), a converted textile factory that houses temporary exhibitions.

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The Centre de Cultura Contemporània is presenting a look at what is known as "Quinqui" cinema, which flourished between 1978 and 1985.

The exhibition focuses on its reciprocal relationship with the press of the period and aims to provide a faithful reflection of the urban, social, political and economic changes that shaped the country at that time. The guidelines for portraying juvenile delinquency in Quinqui cinema have survived into modern times in such a way that Quinqui stereotypes, if somewhat sanitised, continue to hold a strange fascination to this day.

More information and dates can be found at CCCB. It is still a relevant topic in Spain. Highly recommend!

Escape the crowds of tourists on La Rambla and discover a vibrant city of little neighborhoods brimming with cafes, tapas bars, vinotecas, bakeries, beaches, boite de nuit (I usually avoid using French words but these truly are 'boxes of the night,' and not bars) and discos. Bring your dancing shoes!

The place to stay is the Hotel Espana, off La Rambla on Carrer Sant Pau 9-11. Ask for room 205 as it is large with street views and a balcony. Otherwise, you will end up in a small room with no windows overlooking the courtyard. While the smaller rooms are cheaper than your average hostel, luxury at 63 Euros a night is worth every penny. But don't forget your ear plugs as Brits returning home after a night of drinking are notoriously loud...

Start your day off with a cup of milky coffee at any of the cities cafes or bakeries. The neighborhood bakeries cater to the generation that came of age under Franco and they tend to dress in a uniform of grey and blue shapeless skirts/trousers from which there is little variation. The coffee shops, on the other hand, frequently have outside seating, fresh patries and fresh squeezed orange juice. A favorite was Cafe Albert in Born on the Place de los olles, which is conveniently located midway to the beach at Barceloneta.

For lunch, nothing satisfies like Iberian ham, Catalan cheeses and some Spanish wine from Vila Viniteca (Vila Viniteca, Agullers 7, 08003 Barcelona, Tel. 902 327 777, +34 937 777 017.) If it is too far to walk, try the central market place on La Ramblas or go to the local market on Barceloneta. Lunch is the largest meal of the day in Barcelona and most shops close between 1 and 4, and then reopen until 8, when everybody goes out for tapas then followed by dinner at around 10.

In between lunch and dinner there is no shortage of museums, shopping or bicycling, take your pick. I recommend Park Guell if it is a sunny day for Gaudi's architecture and view of the city. The Picasso Museum, in my opinion, was a bit of a disappointment as it was over crowded, expensive, and consisted mainly of his early work before he departed for Paris. The exhibit at the CCCB about Quinquis was great. Dedicated to Spanish cult films from the 80s about juvenile delinquents, it provided a great glimpse into Spain under Franco, including film trailers and English text. Open until the 6th of September.

If you're sport minded, rent a bicycle for the day and head out along the waterfront away from central Barcelona. You will discover many more beaches than the main one at the northern tip of Barceloneta, from nude to gay, so be adventerous and bring your swimsuit (or not).

For dinner, one of my favorites was Passadis Del Pep, Pla de Palau, No. 2 (Tel. 93 310 10 21 - 93 269 18 91,) where there is no identifying sign (I had to ask at the grocery next door and was escorted by the cashier to the unmarked entrance) nor menu. Arrive with an empty stomach as it is a tasting menu of around 8 courses (I lost track) of escargot, prawns, clams, risotto, shrimp, squid and a selection for the main course accompanied by all the champagne you can drink. And then dessert. The only meal comparable I have had is in Figueres at Mas Pau, which if you absolutely must drive somehwere, is worth the trip if you spend the night.

And in the evenings, but not before midnight, head out for a drink at Sugar Bar (Calle Rauric 21) and then dancing, either at City Hall, which was techno and predominantly gay (which makes for great dancing), or Park Olympic. Beware though, as while I did not encounter any problems and there was ample security, I wouldn't suggest taking up the locals on their offer for a walk along the beach to watch the sun rise.

Have fun!

Some useful terms for getting around

A glass of water: un vaso de agua

Mineral water: una agua mineral

Half a litre: Medio litro

One liter: Un litro

Fresh orange juice: Zumo de naranjo fresca

A coffee: Un cafe

Coffee with a dash of milk: Un cortado

White coffee: Un cafe con leche

House wine: Un vino de la casa

Red wine: vino tinto

White wine: vino rosado