After the quiet romance of Paris and the soothing night train are gone behind, the sun, heat, humidity, and pace on the streets of Barcelona can be a bit of a shock.

Around 50 km away from its capital city Barcelona, the Hotel Masferrer is situated at the Natural Park Montseny, in a small town called Gualba, in the Province of Barcelona.

Chelsea, a trendy neighborhood in London, England, provides a good base for visitors to the city. Fashion boutiques, antique stores, restaurants and pubs make Chelsea a popular area for locals and tourists. Prices are reasonable in the smaller hotels, with bus and tube transportation to all the major attractions. Parks, museums and the River Thames are all added bonuses for staying at a hotel in the Chelsea area.

Barcelona and Real Madrid, perennial champions of La Liga find themselves firmly ensconced at the top of the table. After seven games the two Spanish giants are separated by only one point. Barcelona, with six wins and a draw sit atop the pile with 19 points, closely followed by their archrivals, whose recent 2-1 defeat to Sevilla provides the Catalan’s with their current margin for error. Boasting global superstars of the calibre of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo the teams attract and polarise fans in equal measure. Yet which of them will claim the La Liga title in June?

Located in the Catalonian region, Barcelona is the second largest city of Spain. It's a hybrid of languages (locals speak Catalan and Spanish), terrain (it's bordered by beaches and mountains) and architecture (modern buildings stand alongside Gothic structures). Barcelona's European and big city feel is not for students who seek the traditional flamenco-filled Spanish experience, though if they look hard enough, they will find it. Neither should its high housing and entertainment prices deter the budget-conscious, as there are various inexpensive ways to experience the city.