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The Bar at Hotel Arts

Here is a photo from the bar at the Hotel Arts in Barcelona. I’ll admit I’m not very sophisticated when it comes to swank establishments like this. More often than not I don’t know what to order. But the ambience can be a work of art and something I like to capture, with or without a cocktail.

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The Bar at Hotel Arts
The Bar at Hotel Arts in Barcelona – Ritz Carleton

I’m a reluctant photographer. I get a little uncomfortable setting up my camera in places like this. Yet I’m always happy when I do, so the trick is overcoming the hesitation. In this case the hotel is filled with tourists so it’s not unusual that I would have a camera. It was no big deal.

photos from Barcelona

Cameras attached to our phones are getting so good that soon we won’t have to choose between quality and conspicuousness. No one notices when we take a photo with an iPhone. Once smart phones can produce this level of quality in low light we will no longer need regular cameras. Maybe.

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Rooftop Bar at the Zamora

Another hot tip if you’re looking for cool place to hang out in St Pete’s beach Florida, try the rooftop bar at Hotel Zamora. If I’m not mistaken it’s fairly new because when I look it up on Google Maps it looks like a bare roof. But rest assured its been transformed into a swank pad with a great view of the Gulf.

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Rooftop Bar at the Zamora
Rooftop Bar at the Zamora in St Pete’s Beach Florida

I have a friend that’s getting married here shortly so I’m looking forward to coming back to hang out and taking some great photos.

It’s the kind of place I would go to if I were on vacation, only I live here so I need another excuse. The best excuse I can come up with is the day of the week called Saturday. Short of that I might even consider a staycation.

Along the back is Castile Restaurant overlooking the inter-coastal waterway. My wife and I stopped in for dinner, almost as an afterthought. We were surprised at the quality of food, presentation and service. It’s a hidden gem that we’ve just discovered.

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Just down the street is the better-known Don Cesar hotel; it’s the pink building in the background. That’s a much bigger place with all the amenities of a large resort. But the photographer in me will choose a place with a rooftop bar over the better-known location any day. So for me, the Zamora is on the shortlist in the very near future.