Pencil case

Monocle

Issue 159

£13

Monocle’s annual Soft Power Survey ranks the major players in the gentler aspects of the diplomacy game. How does your country fare? Elsewhere, we preview a potentially pivotal year for Taiwan, shine the light on Iraq’s unlikely culture push and open the door to the best in refined retail from Hudson to Genoa.

Proteca

Equinox Light U Carry-on suitcase 34 L

£490

Monocle

The Monocle Travel Guide, Barcelona

£15

Here’s to a city of effortless charm, a coastal gem blessed with an agreeable climate and beautiful beaches. But before you get lost in that glass of vermut, look around – there’s more to the Catalan capital than sun, sea and sand.