I wasn’t expecting this at all. Considering all the crazy things I have experienced on this trip, you’d think that at this point virtually nothing could faze me.

Dear reader, you would be wrong.

This is the quaint Catalan village of Peralada.

It’s a short drive away from Figueres, a town about 140 km from Barcelona but with a soul all its own.

What makes Peralada so special, you ask? You mean besides the quiet streets, the old people who congregate on benches and speak to each other in Catalan, and the dewy marine air that mixes with the clouds which descend from the nearby Pyrenees?

It’s not the castle-cum-casino, although that’s a good guess.

As pretty as the spring blossoms are, they’re not the reason either.

It’s a rustic sort of place, but I’ve seen more rustic locales on my wanderings through France and Spain.

Certainly it isn’t the glut of empty high-end real estate that was built on the edge of town during the boom.

No, dear reader, what makes Peralada so special is this 5 star wine spa, and I was given a free pass for the day. I won’t say exactly how, but maybe it had something to do with a special friend I met through couchsurfing. I spent the afternoon swathed in a fluffy bathrobe and slippers, steaming in the steam room, sauna-ing in the sauna, swimming in the swimming pool, and jacuzzi-ing in the jacuzzi. Please excuse me while I remove the cucumber slices from my face.

If this is your first time reading my blog, let me know in the comments section below! Wish you could sneak into 5 star resorts and spas like me? Maybe if you follow my blog you’ll learn how–click on the “Follow!” button up there on the right for updates on my travels and inspiration for the next time you go somewhere new!