Barcelona is a city with views of the mountains and views of the sea. The Rambla, its most famous street, has trees and cafés running down its centre.

One of Barcelona’s star architectural attractions are the Gaudi buildings. This is the exterior of the sculptural La Pedrera.

The Hotel Praktik Rambla, Barcelona, has an atrium with elaborate ironwork and patterns etched into the wall surface.

The Hotel Praktik Ramblas was designed by Lazaro Rosa-Violan with dramatic touches, such as this panel of black paint on the wall and ceiling.

The atrium of Gaudi’s Casa Batllo is tiled with increasingly intense blues as the building increases in height towards the sky.

The detailing in Gaudi’s Casa Batllo is remarkable with a theme of the sea running presenting in different motifs.

At the top of Gaudi’s Casa Batllo the functional areas are less decorative but are still architecturally significant.

This spiral staircase leads to a rooftop area which recaptures the sea fantasy with decorative mosaic tiles and ornate features.

There is nothing like a hand painted headboard and decoupage side table to impart a European sensibility

An alcove in a Catalonian house that has been painted the colour of the sea to showcase ceramic pieces

The range of buildings at Monserrat, including a famous monastery, is a miracle of effort given the inaccessability of the site.

This sculpture, in honour of Catalan poet Ramon Llull, at Monserrat has the most arresting landscape as a backdrop.

This bedroom is in the most quintessentially French chambres d’hotes called St Sauveur in Saint Thibery. Tasteful and well priced - a rare combination.

The courtyard at the St Sauveur, with its charming fabrics and greenery was a beautiful place to have a breakfast.

There is something about a French converted barn that makes for the perfect holiday - specially when family is also in the mix.

Beau is an injured dog we had for two days before locating his owner. Incredible how quickly you get attached to an animal.

Staying with friends we could see how their massive restoration project had come on in the three years since our last visit.

A visit to a privately owned Bishop’s Palace near Toulouse showed how the influence of the Orient could play out decoratively in an ancient French stone building.

A final stop at holiday enclave Cadaques, located over steep mountains and narrow roads, it delivers a classic vista of blue and boats.