135,000 doses of high grade cocaine found in Cartagena

IN a joint operation between the Guardia Civil and Customs officials over 1,500 grams of extremely high grade cocaine paste has been found hidden in kid’s toys which were intercepted upon arrival in Spain; the packets were sent by post from Peru.

The operation began in April when the US embassy got in touch with the Guardia Civil to alert them to the fact that they had detected drugs in a postal packet. The packet was addressed to a resident of Cartagena who never picked it up. The police later identified the man and detained him on suspicion of receiving illegal goods.

Once agents had verified that the name on the packet was fake they were legally allowed to open it and found, hidden inside kid’s toys, the 135,000 doses of cocaine which would have had a street value of around €85,000.

Although Guardia Civil have no way of catching the original sender a spokesperson commented that by catching the receptor they have cut off an important supply line.

9,000 fake headphones worth €2 million

Guardia Civil in the port of Palma have found 9,000 pairs of fake headphones which price on the market would be over €2 million.

A 54-year-old man has been arrested and, as the investigation is ongoing; more arrests may be made once he has been interrogated.

Customs in Palma arrested the Argentinian man as the person presumed to be responsible for the shipment; he stands accused of crimes against intellectual property. The 40 foot container had a total of 8,920 pairs of headphones faked up to look like a well known, high quality brand. The police were waiting for the shipment as they had been tipped off about its arrival several weeks earlier.

The headphones had a street value of between €150 and €300 each and would have fetched a total of around €2 million if they had reached their target market.

Guardia Civil sources have confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and more arrests are sure to be made.

Money in the streets

The streets of Vigo, Galicia, resembled a scene from a video game when four armed bank robbers tried to escape from the police; all fled in different directions, there were two shots fired, one of the robbers threw his loot in the air as a distraction, passers-by were astonished by all the action. “It looked like the Wild West” commented one eye witness.

All the action concluded with the four robbers being caught; they all had criminal records for similar crimes and were considered “very dangerous and violent” by the authorities.

One agent was injured when he was stabbed in the leg by one of the robbers. The police confiscated three pistols and a large knife as well as the stolen cash.

The police presence at the scene of the robbery was not a coincidence; according to police sources they had information that the bank could be robbed at any time and, as such, they had many undercover agents in the area pretending to be telecommunications engineers or having a drink in the pizzeria opposite. Most of them were wearing bullet proof jackets as the gang is known to be very violent.

Police dismissed the idea of entering the bank to stop the robbery as this was considered too risky for the people inside; the robbers might have taken one of them hostage. They waited for the robbers to leave and then chased them down catching all four and recovering the money, with the help of the public, as some of it was floating around in the air.

For the moment the investigation is under court ordered silence with the aim of discovering if these four robbers have also been involved in other robberies in the area.

€8,000 spent on tapas and beer

Jose Benlloch, the mayor of Vila-Real, in Castellon, stands accused of spending €8,000 of public money on tapas, beers and food.

Opposition leader in the town, Hector Folgado, already accused him of spending public money on cosmetic treatments bought in Madrid; Folgado stated that the mayor’s expenses on cosmetics had already been paid for, in December 2011, from the public coffers and that it was “outrageous” that he would continue to spend in this manner.

Folgado underscored the fact that the cosmetic expenses came up in March 2011, when Benlloch was in the opposition, but were not put through until December of the same year when he became mayor - he qualified this as “shameful”.

He went on to explain that everyone in the council was equally to blame as this was public information and he was the only one to speak up about it as he felt the public should know what their money was being spent on.

The opposition is asking Benlloch to give back the money and resign from his post.

Space cakes at the fair

A nine-year-old girl has been taken to hospital after eating cup cakes laced with marihuana which were bought from a street stall at the Fira per la Terra fair in Barcelona.

Her father bought her the cakes without knowing they were adulterated and around two hours later the girl began to feel ill and even fell over due to dizziness; she was immediately taken to the hospital where doctors ascertained that she had ingested a psychotropic substance - specifically marihuana. The girl stayed overnight in the hospital for observation and was let go the next day in good health.

The police were alerted and began looking for the vendors of the cakes; they soon found the two women who were, at that time, selling biscuits which had a very strong odour of marihuana.

That same day doctors at the same hospital treated a woman who had come in complaining of, among other symptoms, dizziness, a dry mouth and increased heart rate; she explained that she had bought some strawberry biscuits from two women at the fair.

The two women who sold the adulterated sweets have been remanded into custody and stand accused of crimes against public health.

Wachowski siblings in Bilbao

THE WACHOWSKI siblings, who rose to fame with the‘Matrix’trilogy, are in Bilbao to film some scenes for their next movie, ‘Jupiter Ascending.’

The filming began on May 8 with the urban and countryside background scenes and will continue for approximately three days in the Abaindoibarra area where they are getting as many shots as possible around the Guggenheim which, the siblings say, is the main reason they came to Bilbao as it fits perfectly with their futuristic theme. They will also be filming in other parts of the ‘new’ Bilbao taking advantage of the ultra-modern architecture.

Many Matrix fans have followed the filming of the new movie hoping to get a glimpse of their heroes; even the mayor of Bilbao, Ibon Areso, dropped past the set to meet the Wachowskis and welcome them to the Basque capital.

10 top Asia beer bars

Opened in March, BrewDog Roppongi is the Scottish brewery's first foray into Asia. The Tokyo outpost is a bi-level space sporting a spare, industrial design. At least half of the bar's 20 taps are earmarked for BrewDog beers.

Opened in January and modeled after the bright, cheerful design of Mikkeller & Friends bar in Copenhagen, Mikkeller Bangkok is the brand's first bar in Asia.

Ahead of its time upon its debut in 1997, the granddaddy of Singaporean microbrewing still offers one of the Lion City's best overall beer experiences. Each of Brewerkz's five signature brews are on tap along with up to seven seasonals and two guest beers.

Open since 2008, Boxing Cat Brewery in Shanghai has snagged six medals from the annual Asia Beer Cup and Australian International Beer Awards for its core and Boxer's Choice brews.

Great Leap Brewing brews more than 40 different beers a year, with the goal of introducing at least one new beer every month at its original hutong location (pictured) and GLB's newer, larger flagship brewpub in the city's Chaoyang district.

The Roundhouse features 25 taps of craft beer -- the biggest and best list in Hong Kong.

A short walk from Shibuya station, this cozy 40-tap space offers an elite selection of Japanese, American, Belgian and German beers.

BREW's bottle selection is unsurpassed in Bangkok. The vibe is more clubby than at the average beer bar.

Owned and operated by a group of close-knit cousins, TAPS is one of the first bars in Malaysia to break convention by importing its own beers and declining exclusive distribution agreements with the region's dominant macrobreweries.

Launched in January by local bottle-shop owners Daniel Goh and Meng-Chao, this hidden pop-up bar at Singapore's Chinatown Complex Food Centre is the first and currently only hawker center stall exclusively serving draft beers.

• In 2013, shipments of American craft beers jumped by more than 70% in the Asia Pacific region


• Famed "phantom brewery" Mikkeller recently opened its first Asia beer bar in Bangkok


• TAPS is one of the first bars in Malaysia to break convention by importing its own beers

(CNN) -- The craft beer revolution is dead. Microbrews are no longer a trend.

They're increasingly the norm, as more and more new microbreweries join the fray, increase brewing capacity and expand distribution to corners of the globe thirsty for something more than the local mass-produced lager.

The rapid change in beer-drinking tastes is particularly stark in the Asia Pacific region, where in 2013 the American Brewers Association reports that shipments of American craft beers jumped by more than 70% compared to the previous year.

Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand account for the biggest demand -- and that's just for American beer.

So where are the best places to drink beer in Asia these days?

Here's a beer drinker's top 10.

Mikkeller Bangkok (Bangkok)

Mikkeller, the so-called "phantom brewery" based out of Copenhagen, was co-founded in 2006 by high school science teacher Mikkel Borg Bjergso.

Pioneering a practice now adopted by nimble brewmasters around the world, Bjergso brews all Mikkeller beers -- more than 100 different types per year -- at trusted host breweries across Europe and the United States.

He takes an experimental approach to recipes that are often used just once -- like the Beer Geek Vanilla Shake (Bourbon Edition), which was aged for eight months in old bourbon barrels.

Mikkeller Bangkok is the brand's first bar in Asia.

Combined with their unique flavor profiles, the limited availability of many Mikkeller beers has contributed to a cult following.

When Bjergso floated the idea of opening a Mikkeller bar in Bangkok, importer Jakob Rasmussen jumped on the opportunity.

Opened in January and modeled after the bright, cheerful design of Mikkeller & Friends bar in Copenhagen, Mikkeller Bangkok is the brand's first bar in Asia.

"One of the requirements from Mikkel is that his bars be destinations," says Rasmussen.

Roughly half of the bar's 30 taps -- the most on tap anywhere in Bangkok -- are allotted to Mikkeller beers, including the exclusive house brews Sukhumvit Pilsner and Sukhumvit Brown.

Birra del Borgo (Italy), To Øl (Denmark) and Baird Beer (Japan) are notable breweries that have also made draft appearances.

Mikkeller Bangkok , 26 Ekkamai Soi 10, Yaek 2, Bangkok; +66 (0)2 381 9891

Great Leap Brewing (Beijing)

Born and raised in the United States, brewmaster Carl Setzer embraces his adopted home country at Great Leap Brewing (GLB), the first microbrewery in Beijing when it launched in 2010.

Even in the hands of an American expat (and his Chinese wife and co-founder, Liu Fang), GLB is a proudly Chinese operation, from a focus on local ingredients to an intimate 12-tap tasting room located amid the winding lanes of a traditional hutong.

"We are in love with the concept of the localization of craft beer, specifically as it relates to China," says Setzer.

"We use locally malted barley, locally grown hops and coffee beans, organic date honey from an apiary at the foot of the Great Wall, Sichuan peppercorns and Chinese rock candy.

The hope is that inclusion of these ingredients in our recipes will result in a uniquely Chinese product."

Setzer brews more than 40 different beers a year, with the goal of introducing at least one new beer every month at the original hutong location and GLB's newer, larger flagship brewpub on Xinzhong Street in the city's Chaoyang district.

One of his latest concoctions is the Hidden General IPA, a sessionable ale (light, low in alcohol content) brewed with Chinese Qingdao flower and American Simcoe hops, then infused with dried chrysanthemum flowers and roasted Iron Goddess of Mercy oolong tea.

Great Leap Brewing , Original No. 6 Location, Doujiao Hutong #6, Beijing; +86 10 5717 1399

More: Beijing beer boom: The capital's craftiest pubs

Boxing Cat Brewery (Shanghai)

Shanghai's Boxing Cat Brewery (BCB) is similarly helmed by a transplanted American brewmaster making his mark on Chinese soil.

Open since 2008, BCB's core and Boxer's Choice brews have scored six medals between the annual Asia Beer Cup and Australian International Beer Awards.

"We take a North American approach to craft brewing and use the highest quality ingredients sourced from many different countries," says brewmaster Michael Jordan.

"This means our beers are not 'dumbed down' just because we're in China and in a market that is new to craft brews."

Jordan annually tackles more than 35 different styles of beer, from a seasonal spiced pumpkin ale to year-round signatures like Donkey Punch Porter, a silky smooth dark amber brewed with ancho peppers and cacao.

The Bruce Chilee IPA, which Jordan says had a "green chili flavor with mild heat, along with some hop flavor and floral aroma," was the result of an email exchange with friend Mikkel Borg Bjergso (of aforementioned Mikkeller fame).

Six beers are on tap at both of BCB's American-style gastropubs.

The Yongfu location, with its street-facing outdoor courtyard, is the better one, though at both the beers are far more interesting than the venues.

In April, BCB spun off sister brewpub Liquid Laundry, which features 15 taps and an on-site brewery.

A third flagship location is planned for the fall.

Boxing Cat Brewery , Yong Fu Location, 82 Fu Xing Road West, Xu Jia Hui District, Shanghai; +86 21 6431 2091

MORE: America's luxury beer vacations

Opened in March, BrewDog Roppongi is the Scottish brewery's first foray into Asia.

BrewDog Roppongi (Tokyo)

Depending on your point of view, Scotland-based BrewDog creates either the world's most gimmicky beers or its most daring -- or both.

Sold-out The End of History, for example, is a whopping 55% Belgian-style ale that was priced at nearly $800 a bottle and packaged in taxidermied squirrels and weasels.

Prince William and Kate Middleton's royal wedding was commemorated with the cheeky, limited-edition Royal Virility Performance, an American-style IPA brewed with, ahem, herbal Viagra.

Love 'em or loathe 'em, beer drinkers around the world are paying attention.

This year BrewDog added new fermentation tanks, a fifth mash tun and a canning line to its brewery in Aberdeenshire to help meet demand.

It now has 16 flagship bars and one bottle shop across five countries; more are on the way in Belgium, India, Italy, France, Germany and Norway.

Opened in March, BrewDog Roppongi is the brewery's first foray into Asia.

The Tokyo outpost is a bi-level space sporting the same spare, industrial design favored at all BrewDog bars.

Many furnishings were imported from the UK, including gymnasium flooring in the cold room and chairs stripped from an old movie theater.

At least half of the bar's 20 taps are earmarked for BrewDog beers.

"One thing we take very seriously is our mission to 'share the passion' about craft beer," says David Croll, CEO of BrewDog Japan and importers Whisk-e Limited.

BrewDog Roppongi , Saito Building 1/F, Roppongi 5-3-2, Minato-ku, Tokyo; +81 3 6447 4160

Goodbeer Faucets (Tokyo)

BrewDog Roppongi is one of the newest kids on Tokyo's craft beer block, but it has well established company.

Craftheads, Craft Beer Market and Baird Taproom Harajuku are other recommended microbrew bars -- Goodbeer Faucets might be the best of the bunch.

A short walk from Shibuya station, the cozy 40-tap space offers an elite selection of Japanese, American, Belgian and German beers.

Made in collaboration with Japanese breweries Baird Beer, Brimmer Brewing and Atsugi Beer, the bar's seven house beers include Yuzu Dream, an easy-drinking seasonal made with lemony yuzu fruit, and Endless Brown Ale.

"It's an English-style brown ale with up to five different varieties of malts," says beer manager Eldad Bribrom. "It's a bit sweet and hoppy, but with 5% alcohol it's highly sessionable and not too heavy, which is why I named it Endless."

Goodbeer Faucets also has one of the most efficient tap systems.

An engineer who advises many of the country's microbreweries on operational best practices, owner Teruya Hori built an automated system that essentially uses one tank filled with hot water and another with detergent to quickly clean several tap lines at once.

Two hot water cycles are run after every shot of detergent to avoid potential beer contamination.

Goodbeer Faucets , Shibuya Crossroad Building 2/F, 1-29-1 Shoto, Shibuya-ka, Tokyo; +81 3 3770 5544

Smith Street Taps (Singapore)

JiBiru Japanese Craft Beer Bar and The Great Beer Experiment are among a wave of specialty bars that have elevated the island's craft scene.

None are as uniquely Singaporean as Smith Street Taps.

Launched in January by local bottle shop owners Daniel Goh and Meng-Chao, this hidden pop-up bar at the Chinatown Complex Food Centre is the first and currently only hawker center stall serving exclusively draft beers.

In its early months of operation, Smith Street Taps has poured several beers never before seen on draft in Singapore -- e.g., a Mint Chocolate Stout from Japan's Sankt Gallen Brewery and Porter from Norway's Nogne O -- and hosted tap takeovers for Stone Brewing Co., Magic Rock Brewing and others.

Eight taps are on hand, each with custom handles fashioned from walnut and maple by U.S. tap makers Bearded Boy Design.

Goh's nearby hawker center shop, The Good Beer Company, complements the draft beers with a fine selection of bottled brews.

Aside from a more flexible lease and cheaper rent, Goh and Meng-Chao chose the location to help visitors pair beers with Singapore's famous hawker fare.

"Try satay with a maibock, like the Rogue Dead Guy Ale, or a strong Belgian pale ale like Delirium Tremens," says Goh.

"The sweetness of the strong maltiness in these beers goes so well with lightly charred and smoked meats, and also complements the peanut gravy that the satay is dipped in."

Smith Street Taps , 335 Smith St., Chinatown Complex Food Centre, #02-62, Singapore; +65 9430 2750

More: 8 best beer towns in the USA

The Roundhouse has a whopping 25 craft beer taps.

The Roundhouse (Hong Kong)

Space comes at a premium in this wildly popular Soho watering hole, particularly on weekend nights when it can be near impossible to find somewhere to sit or even comfortably stand (and, sometimes, to track down a server).

Of course, there's good reason why The Roundhouse, which features 25 taps of craft beer, packs 'em in nightly.

The tap list is both the biggest and best in Hong Kong.

In the first half of the year, brewmasters and representatives from Baird Beer, Boxing Cat Brewery, Great Leap Brewing, Hong Kong Beer Co. and Young Master Ales participated in "meet and greet" events in tandem with tap takeovers.

A house pale ale, the Roundhouse Smoky Baby Prototype #1, pairs nicely with chef Austin Fry's American-style barbecue menu that includes beef brisket, homemade sausage and smoked beef short ribs.

For a proper Hong Kong craft beer crawl, you can also stop at longtime craft-beer mainstay The Globe, just around the corner from The Roundhouse, and at nearby Tipping Point Brewing Co., which pours its own microbrews straight from the tank.

The Roundhouse , 62 Peel St., Central, Hong Kong; +852 2366 4880

BREW -- Beers & Ciders (Bangkok)

Ten years ago Chris Foo couldn't give away the Belgian beers he was importing to Bangkok.

At the time the import selection was mostly limited to a handful of German wheats.

Convinced that craft beers had a future in The Kingdom, Foo took matters into his own hands and in 2004 opened HOB -- House of Beers, the city's first proper craft bar, which has since expanded to six city locations and one in Chiang Mai.

Nowadays, Bangkok's craft beer market is flourishing, with importers like Beervana, Hopsession and Smiling Mad Dog introducing some of the world's best microbreweries to more than 100 bars and restaurants.

Whatever local importers can get their hands on will be available at BREW -- Beers & Ciders, Foo's second, insanely successful beer venture which, he says, has "a Friday night every night."

This is no exaggeration.

Though BREW itself is a tiny, nondescript bar with limited seating, it shares a central courtyard seating area at Thonglor's trendy Seenspace, an eating-and-drinking hotspot heaving with an expat-heavy crowd of the young, fashionable and affluent.

While BREW's bottle selection is unsurpassed in Bangkok, here the vibe is far more clubby than your average beer bar.

View it as the best of both worlds: a frat party-like atmosphere outdoors and quieter pub indoors.

Foo says Bangkok's beer culture has come a long way, but is still in its nascent stages.

"There is a bit more interest in the easy-drinking craft beers that are around 5% alcohol, with a little bit more bitterness than your standard lagers, but not as much in your IPAs," he says.

"Most of the market is not yet mature enough for your 'super beer-geek beers,' like porters and imperial stouts."

BREW -- Beers & Ciders , Seenspace, Thonglor 13, 1/F, Bangkok; +66 2 185 2366

MORE: Bangkok nightlife: 9 best new bars

Brewerkz is the granddaddy of Singaporean microbrewing.

Brewerkz - Riverside Point (Singapore)

Ahead of its time upon its debut in 1997, the granddaddy of Singaporean microbrewing still offers one of the Lion City's best overall beer experiences (and selections).

Taphouse by Brewerkz, a laid back watering hole in leafy Dempsey Hill, is the brewery's latest and arguably most comfortable space.

But its flagship venue, a massive sports bar and restaurant sprawling along the Singapore River in the slightly tacky Clarke Quay area, has the widest variety of beers.

Here each of Brewerkz's five signature brews are always on tap -- including the hearty, full-flavored Oatmeal Stout -- along with up to seven seasonals and two guest beers, one of which is usually from fellow Singaporean microbrewers RedDot BrewHouse.

You'll also find a well-curated list of bottled beers from more than 20 international breweries, though be prepared for mild sticker shock: a 22-ounce bottle of Evil Twin Femme Fatale Brett, for example, is roughly $20, while 25-ounce bottles of Brewery Ommegang's 3 Philosophers are around $25.

Speaking of pricing, it's worth noting that Brewerkz beers are cheapest from noon-3 p.m. and, predictably, most expensive from 8-11 p.m., with prices rising as the afternoon wears on and falling again after 11 p.m.

If you need an excuse to have a beer with lunch, this is it: a 16-ounce pint of India Pale Ale costs about $6.50 until 3 p.m., but is more than double that price during prime drinking hours.

Brewerkz , 30 Merchant Road, #01-05/06, Riverside Point, Singapore; +65 6438 7438

TAPS Beer Bar (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

It's a family affair at TAPS Beer Bar, a Kuala Lumpur craft bar celebrating its third anniversary in September.

Owned and operated by a group of close-knit cousins -- one of their fathers, a Shell engineer, designed and built the bar's 14-tap draft system -- TAPS is one of the first bars in Malaysia to break convention by importing its own beers and declining exclusive distribution agreements with the region's dominant macrobreweries.

Co-owner Alvin Lim says the first year was a roller coaster ride and there were times when he questioned the bar's viability.

But business has picked up as more and more curious locals wander inside.

"In general, Malaysians drink the big, mass-produced beers because of the cheap price point, but we have seen the number of craft beer drinkers increasing," says Lim.

"When we get first timers we start them with something light, like a Mountain Goat Steam Ale or Hitachino Nest White Ale, then move them to something with a stronger taste, like an amber ale, IPA or stout."

In June TAPS debuts its second location, in the upscale suburbs just outside central KL at 1 Mont Kiara Mall.

TAPS Beer Bar , One Residency, Jalan Nagasari, Kuala Lumpur; +60 3 2110 1560

MORE: World's best nightlife cities

Brian Spencer is a freelance writer and editor currently based in Singapore.

How they dress in St. Petersburg

Russia's fashion industry is just emerging on the international stage. Designer Tatyana Parfionova is one of St. Petersburg's best known exports.

Does anything not look good by the light of chandeliers? 8-Store is one of several designer outlets in Taigaspace, an 18th-century merchant house that also houses creative start-ups.

The monthly "Garage Sale" at Etagi is one of St. Petersburg's hippest markets. The best stalls are in the courtyard.

Run by a pair of extravagant shopkeepers, Off is the place to buy or hire classy vintage gear.

Marmeladova buketik is named after a character in Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment." That doesn't mean the clothes are tragic.

Leonid Alexeev (left) is one of St. Petersburg's leading designers. The man on the right holds an invisible tray of drinks.

Shoppers need something to carry all that retro Russian swag. Asya Malbershtein's leather bags do the trick.

The elegant Angleterre hotel screens foreign-language films. You don't need subtitles for all the people-watching opportunities here.

Word Order book store is St. Peterburg's unofficial intellectual hub. It's name also nabs a pretty decent Scrabble score.

• The citizens of Russia's second biggest city are known for having a style of their own


• On weekends, locals gather in Udelka to sell vintage clothing and oddities


• Russia's fashion scene is emerging, with names such as Leonid Alexeev and Tatyana Parfionova at its fore

(CNN) -- When you think about Russian style, don't think Moscow, think St. Petersburg.

Like the city -- which is crammed with elegant architecture -- the citizens of Russia's fashion capital know how to look good.

Their reputation for being easygoing and adventurous is often expressed in clothing.

Gaudy colors and bad leisurewear aren't the thing in St. Petersburg -- here fashionistas are more likely to mix designer threads with Grandma's castoffs.

But getting the look can take some effort; it requires legwork.

St. Petersburg isn't about grabbing something boring off the peg, its about experimenting.

Best street market

Good street markets are hard to find in St. Petersburg, but a 30-minute subway trip to the northern suburbs takes you to a clothing goldmine where you can find just about anything.

MORE: St. Petersburg's 10 best sights

Udelnaya station, on Line 2, gives its name to Udelka, a nearby market featuring row after row of commercial "secondhand from Europe" outlets.

These are best ignored en route to the main attraction: a huge field where on weekends hundreds of locals gather to sell attic plunder.

Vintage Soviet clothes, furniture, cameras, antiques, musical instruments, vinyl, old military outfits, pins and medals are all on sale -- as are weirder items such as breast enlargers.

Half the sellers are professional rag men, so they're usually able to help in the hunt for something special -- although their definition of special may differ from their customer's.

Best garage sale

A hipper version of Udelka featuring fewer mothballs and considerably more fashionable goods is held regularly in the Loft Project Etagi (74, Ligovsky Prospekt), a cultural center in an old bread factory.

Off is the place to go to buy or hire classy vintage gear.

During summer, the monthly "Garage Sale" occupies the whole building, but the best finds can be made in the yard or on the terrace.

MORE: Russia's 10 ritziest hotels

Even if there's no market, it's worth a visit Etagi to check out art and photo exhibitions and cupboard-sized shops such as Milnaya Belka (2/F, Loft Project Etagi +7 812 980 11 66), which sells Russian and Asian designers.

There's also the Green Room (+7 812 458 80 03), a cheap but cheerful café.

Best retro shops

When the markets aren't on, you can still bag a bargain.

Worth a look is St. Petersburg's legendary second hand and clothing rental shop, Off (60 Obvodnogo Canal Quay, +7 8 812 929 92 03).

Run by a pair of extravagant shopkeepers, Off features an extensive collection of Soviet retro and vintage clothes and was favorite with Vladislav Mamyshev-Monroe, a Russian artist and gay rights icon who died last year.

Off is located in a popular loft called Tkachi, where locals come to lay their hands on bicycles, furniture, shoes and musical instruments.

Best place for boots

They're not particularly stylish, but when it comes to handling the St. Petersburg rainy seasons -- all three of them -- it's hard to beat a pair of Soviet gumboots.

These can still be picked up at the vast Red Triangle factory (136 Obvodnogo Canal Quay) that once produced them.

Udelka market features some of St. Petersburg's best attic plunder.

If you're not interested in the boots, it's still worth a trip for a glimpse into St. Petersburg's industrial communist past -- one that's slowly being reclaimed by its capitalistic future.

Best places for designer clothes

Russia's fashion industry is just emerging, but with St. Petersburg is at the forefront it's slowly making a name for itself.

Leonid Alexeev (4, Veselnaya Street, 4, +7 812 322 08 96), the engine of the local fashion scene and one its most productive designers, sells haute couture and pret-a-porter clothes, plus accessories and perfumes.

Another leading light is Tatyana Parfionova (Nevski Prospekt, 51, +7 812 713 14 15).

Parfionova is one the city's most popular designers and while her striking outfits might not protect against the snowy rigors of a Russian winter, they regularly appear on fashion week runways and represent the country abroad.

One of St. Petersburg's youngest and most challenging designers is Asya Malbershtein (Kazanskaya, 5, +7 812 6491699; by appointment only), who specializes in minimalistic leather goods.

Best places for accessories

Sticking with Asya Malbershtein, her accessories can also be found in 8-Store (Dvortsovaya Quay 20), one of several designer outlets in Taigaspace -- a beautiful 18th-century merchant house that also houses creative start-ups.

MORE: 7 golden travel tips for Russia

Marmeladova buketik (Rubenstein St., 40, +7 812 988 0448) is a somewhat girly outlet named after the heroine of Fyodor Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment."

This clothing, accessories and flower shop is owned by a St. Petersburg socialite who, in addition to making the clothes himself, also runs a chic Sixties-style barbershop around the corner.

Best places to people-watch

For those who have mastered St. Petersburg style, there are plenty of places to show it off.

Designer Leonid Alexeev (left) is one of St. Petersburg's fashion gurus.

The best people-watching can be found in the large-windowed cafes on Nevsky Prospekt, a central street that's busy and crowded day and night -- particularly in summer when the day is almost indistinguishable from night.

In the fashionable Rubenstein Street, party animals, foodies and local celebrities can be found mingling among the dozens of bars, upscale restaurants and coffee bars that include Mitte Café (27 Rubenstein St.; +7 812 416 14 16).

A more highbrow scene can be found at the art house foreign language film screenings in the elegant Angleterre hotel (Malaya Morskaya, 24; +7 981 870 7757).

And because this is the city Dostoevsky once called home, there's St. Petersburg's best independent book retailer, Word Order (Fontanka Quay, 15).

Offering more than just books, and surrounded by popular bars such as Produkty (Fontanka Quay 17; +7 812 312-57-54) this tiny shop has long been the unofficial center of the city's intellectual activities and regularly hosts discussions on contemporary Russian cinema, philosophy and media.

Anna Balagurova is editor of the St. Petersburg edition of The Village, a Russian internet newspaper focusing on the city, its style and culture.

Memo to imperfect moms

Sarah Kovac, 30, is a speaker, author and freelance journalist. She was born with a disorder called arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. Most of her joints don't move from the tops of her shoulders to her fingertips.

Kovac and her husband Adam are the parents of a son Ethan, 4, and a daughter Taylor, 8 months.

Kovac has found ways around her physical disabilities, using her feet instead of hands in many situations such as eating.

Kovac can't pick her children up, but she has adapted to her children's needs despite her disability. She can change diapers with her feet.

Kovac with her son in Omaha, Nebraska, in 2012. She says her own struggle has helped her teach her children resilience.

Kovac has written a book about her journey called "In Capable Arms: Living a Life Embraced by Grace." She signs it with her feet.

Kovac travels often for speaking engagements. She types and drives with her feet and toes.

• Sarah Kovac says her disability has made her feel less capable as a mom


• She says it's hard for her to watch her son take physical risks


• But her imperfections will teach her kids not to run from difficulty


• If you're an imperfect mom, "don't be afraid," she says

(CNN) -- It was one of those days when I would have given anything to be someone else.

We were at the park and I watched my 3-year-old son climb the slide's ladder. He crossed the balance beam and conquered the climbing wall, and I just stood there, trying to tell my fears to shut up.

I knew that, if he were to fall, these arms could not catch him. I could only kiss away the tears I failed to save him from. I am a mother with upper limb differences, and this swallowing of fear is a daily effort on my part, since I've always felt a little less capable as a human being, and especially now as a mother.

I was born with a disability called arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC), and it left my arms weak, shorter than average and stiff. This makes the most mundane tasks quite difficult sometimes, but I'm so grateful that AMC also left my hands hooked under -- it's with these "hooks" I am able to carry my children, at least for a few seconds here and there.

2010: Sarah Kovac: Diapering with feet

Disability Theatre

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As I watch my little boy flit from one obstacle to another, I remember the summer before I started kindergarten. I was playing at the park while my own mother watched from the shade.

I didn't dare tackle the very tall slide, as ladders always scared me. I couldn't properly grip the rungs, and even at that young age, I understood that I had limits.

Instead, I climbed the wide steps of the elephant-shaped slide, which was probably intended for children much younger than me. I reached the top and shoved off. From the first moment of my descent, I began to lose control. My body had turned sideways by the time I reached the bottom, and I fell onto the concrete landing, left arm first.

The thing about arms affected by AMC is that they don't bend. They just break. My mom rushed me to the hospital for this, the first of the seven arm breaks of my childhood.

Naturally, even now as an adult, I find it difficult to watch my son take physical risks without feeling a surge of panic. Without remembering the crunch of snapping bone.

He, however, seems to live for anything that would terrify me. Often I force myself to turn away so he can earn his boyhood scrapes without this nervous mom swooping in.

For disabled parents, challenges are bonding point

For many things, I have to use my feet. I have to admit that toes are poor substitutes for fingers, and for every obstacle I've overcome, there are 10 that I haven't. Despite that, I drive a car. I change diapers. I've published a book and am a freelance journalist -- every word typed by toe. I travel all over the country to speak to schools, women's groups, churches.

But the truth is, as my son laid on my chest moments after birth, I didn't know how I would manage to hold him. I didn't know how I'd work a car seat. I'd changed exactly one diaper, years before, and I'd never held an infant. I was in over my head.

But my son and I adapted to each other quickly, so that within two weeks my husband went back to work and I was able to care for my new baby -- not without difficulty, but without help. Luckily, newborns are extremely patient (read: they can't move), so I was able to work on those things that were difficult, and take my time until it became a little more natural for me.

But really, most of what I do throughout the day is struggle. I am in such awe as I watch how easily other moms pick up their toddlers. How easily someone turns the page of a book. How quickly other writers can type. Wow. What would that be like?

Struggle has been the great theme of my 30 years. And for most of those years, I hated it. I would have given anything to be normal -- to be anyone other than me. I wanted to blend in. Who doesn't?

I can't tell you the number of times I thought, whispered, growled under my breath, "WHY does everything have to be so freaking difficult for me?" After attempting to open a window. To button my pants. To strain pasta.

But as I've become an adult, as I worked through so much pain in writing my memoir, I began to see that Struggle is not my enemy. In fact, I can thank Struggle for developing in me many of the traits I like most about myself. And Struggle in my life gives me the ability to teach my kids resilience. Empathy. Determination. Hope. So many intangibles that a perfect mom would not be able to model for her children.

Because I'm flawed, I can perfectly prepare my kids to deal with the imperfect boss, the imperfect spouse, the imperfect child. Because I am weak, my children can see how little weakness can do to hold us back from living a life filled with purpose.

Because I struggle in front of them daily, my children will inherently know not to run from the difficult things in life, because they see Struggle create in me such gratitude and joy over even the smallest blessings. My children have been dealt an awesome hand.

The intrepid: What it's like to be a blind parent

It's Mother's Day, and you might be an imperfect mom. Don't be afraid! Don't wish you were someone else. You're the mom your kids need most. You're the ideal person to prepare your children to thrive in this often less-than-ideal world.

I've heard it said that your greatest strength is also your greatest weakness. But it could be that your greatest weakness is your greatest strength -- as a parent, as a person. Love an imperfect mom today, especially if that mom is you.

Our favorite TV moms

Ah, motherhood and television. They go together likes hugs and kisses, right? After all, we're talking the medium of "Leave It to Beaver's" June Cleaver (Barbara Billingsley, here with Jerry Mathers as the Beaver), among others. But then there are the moms who appear less than loving ...

"Downton Abbey" would be much less entertaining without the cutting Dowager Countess, played by Maggie Smith. There's love in her heart -- she did raise Robert and Rosamund (with the help of servants, of course) -- but her mouth says things such as, "I will applaud your discretion when you leave."

Betty Draper -- later Betty Francis (January Jones, here with Marten Holden Weiner) -- tries to be a polished, grown-up mother on "Mad Men," but the years have shown that her glamorous sheen hides a brittle interior.

Lucille Bluth (Jessica Walter) doesn't even try to hide her brittleness. The "Arrested Development" matriarch abuses underlings -- that would be almost everybody -- and has been known to enjoy a drink. Or several.

And Estelle Costanza (Estelle Harris)? She was a perpetual thorn in the side of her son, George (Jason Alexander), on "Seinfeld." However, on at least one occasion, he was master of his domain.

Other mothers have their complexities. Carmela Soprano (Edie Falco) cared about her children and loved her husband Tony, but she tried to turn a blind eye to his business (which wasn't really waste management) and was known to consider straying.

Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham, left) may have been mother to Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel), but she wasn't always the adult on "Gilmore Girls." Since she gave birth to Rory when she was 16, she had a lot of growing up to do.

On "Roseanne," Roseanne Barr (left, with Sara Gilbert) could be brash and sarcastic, but she was good with her children -- often while being brash and sarcastic.

Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies, right, with Makenzie Vega as daughter Grace) on "The Good Wife" has been through a lot: her husband's infidelity, challenges at her law firm, up-and-down relationships. She can be mercurial, but as a mother, she's steadfast and protective.

"Weeds' " Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker, here with Alexander Gould) bent a few rules to maintain the comfortable lifestyle of herself and her kids. Like selling marijuana and trying to stay out of jail. Hey, it was a living.

Peggy Bundy of "Married ... With Children" (Katey Sagal, second from right) was blowzy and materialistic, but she would stand with her family when threatened. Son Bud (David Faustino), husband Al (Ed O'Neill) and daughter Kelly (Christina Applegate) were usually firmly behind her.

"Modern Family's" Claire Dunphy (Julie Bowen) and Gloria Pritchett (Sofia Vergara) are more lovable. The pair don't always see eye to eye, especially since Gloria is married to Claire's father, but they always put their families first.

"One Day at a Time" featured a divorced single mother, a rarity on television in the 1970s. Ann Romano (Bonnie Franklin, center) handled two daughters (played by Mackenzie Phillips, left, and Valerie Bertinelli, right), their mixed-up lives (including husbands Michael Lembeck and Boyd Gaines) and a wacky super played by Pat Harrington.

Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden, right) had the mixed blessing of being a mother on the starship Enterprise in "Star Trek: The Next Generation." It could be hard taking care of the crew -- and a son, Wesley, played by Wil Wheaton. Of course, the precocious Wesley Crusher always saved the day.

A mother that was also the literal leader of the band? That was the case on "The Partridge Family" in which Shirley Partridge (Shirley Jones, left) sang with her children and drove the bus. Sure, maybe Keith (David Cassidy, second from left) sang lead, but we know who was really in charge.

There are the good, All-American moms. "The Brady Bunch's" Carol Brady -- played by Florence Henderson -- always knew the right thing to say and had the warm hug to give. Her daughters -- Jan (Eve Plumb, left), Marcia (Maureen McCormick, center) and Cindy (Susan Olsen) -- looked up to her.

"Good Times' " Florida Evans (Esther Rolle, third from left) provided a lot of love and discipline to her children, Michael, J.J. and Thelma (Ralph Carter, left, Jimmie Walker and BernNadette Stanis).

In "Family Ties," Elyse Keaton (Meredith Baxter, second from left) juggled life as an architect with a mother's sturdy guidance for her children (from left, Justine Bateman, Brian Bonsall, Tina Yothers and Michael J. Fox). Husband Steven (Michael Gross, far left) was an equal partner.

"The Cosby Show's" Clair Huxtable (Phylicia Rashad, right, with Keshia Knight Pulliam) could keep her doctor husband, played by Bill Cosby, on his toes, and was a successful lawyer and mother to boot.

Maybe Marge Simpson isn't as perfect as Clair Huxtable. Maybe her children can be difficult and her hair barely fits in the car. The loving wife of Homer and mother of Maggie, Lisa and Bart is the heart of the Simpson clan, the one to lead the way when things go awry. Which they often do.

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