Barcelona dreamin'

The scene above, Nova Icaria beach, is but a distant dream for we who have been trapped in a consistently frigid and snowy Northeastern U.S. winter. Granted this photo, from the municipal website, http://w3.bcn.es/parcsijardins/0,4022,375670355_376776332_3,00.html, wasn't taken in February. But a quick check of the weather now, at http://www.likelivingthere.com/LLTBarcelonaTour.html shows the temp at 50F at 8 p.m. Outside my window it's barely over 20F, at 2 p.m. Daytime highs this week in Barcelona are projected at about 60F, lows in the low 40s. I'd take a high starting with a 4 right now!
Here's what it looks like at our house:

Where would you rather be?

Our plans may include a few days where it's always warm, the Caribbean. Right now leaning toward Saint Martin, more specifically Grand Case, which is considered the gourmet capital of the region. I found a great looking small hotel right on the beach that isn't outrageously expensive. Then I checked the restaurant menus and it seemed that meals would cost us as much as the room! Prices are half again more than in Paris. But the hotel owner assured me there are more reasonable options as well as a boulangerie that sells takeout sandwiches. Hey, who wants to eat foie gras and rack of lamb roasted with goat cheese every meal anyway?

We're seeing a lot more client activity lately, for both Barcelona and  Paris apartments. It's about equally split between those planning for mid-year or later and those with a shorter time horizon, sometimes as soon as the next week! That makes it tough on selection, since both cities are popular even in what is considered low season. Are there some last-minute bargains? Yes, some owners will discount, but clients must weigh the value of those savings against the possibility of settling for a location or features that fall short of their ideal.

We recently struck up a relationship with a Paris owner of 10 apartments and soon will add some of them to www.likelivingthere.com. Not all of them seem like good values, but some expand our inventory on both sides of the Seine.