Every year since 2003, in the limits of the city of Paris, is taking place the Rock festival called “Rock en Seine”. The festival started modestly in 2003, lasting only one day with just two stages and reuniting 10 bands, but the publics response was that great that it became bigger year after year.

In 2007, the festival lasted three days with three stages and bands like The Hives, Björk and Albert Hammond Jr (The Strokes guitar player). Years before, bands like Muse, The White Stripes, Radiohead, Beck, Foo Fighters, Pixies and many others had attended. This shows the events quality and why it grew in so little time.

En el Rock en Seine, you will get to know young people from everywhere around the globe and seize the perfect opportunity to meet other cultures and meet travel buddies. Furthermore, Rock en Seine offers you the unique possibility to camp in the Saint Cloud Park, which was designed in the 17^th century by Le Nôtre.

For further details or information, click here: http://www.rockenseine.com/en/

France has always been famous for its cheese, wine, crêpes and croissants. However today we want to introduce you to a very ancient tradition from Alsace that is a well kept secret. This small region has maintained a typical dish called “tarte flambée” which actually means “flamed pie”. The pie has a rectangular or circular shaped dough, always topped with onion and “crème fraîche” and some other ingredients.

If you happened to be in this part of the world, a region between two countries  with a rich culture, you should not focus only in food. As well as having one of the delicious “tartes flambées” (also called Flammkuchen in German) you should visit Strasbourg, World Heritage site where the Cathedral is really worth a visit and you will have to  discover the rest by yourself!

Bon Apetit and Bon Voyage!

For many people, Ibiza is synonymous with hippies, sun, beach and partying from dusk till dawn. Indeed, you’ll be able to find all these attractions, but we still encourage you to explore the tranquil and more traditional side of Ibiza.

Don’t forget to visit the walled enclosure of Ibiza city, better known as Dalt Vila, and have dinner at some of its small restaurants, or wander through the renowned Ibizan markets, and by all means, enjoy yourself at some of the wonderful beaches of the island.

Ibiza offers quite a few alternatives for visitors. You can go to Ibiza to enjoy the music of the best Djs in the world or to discover a different island with amazing landscapes, paradisiacal beaches and spectacular sunsets.

Book your hotel in Ibiza.

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The Tourist Trophy Races are being held in the Isle f Man from the 30th of May until next 10th of June 2010. No other motorbike race has such a challenging track with never ending bends, bunchs, jumps and stone walls.

It is an undescriptable show. A race with more than 100 years of history and a great tradition.  Skill, bravery and concentration levels are required to run at more than 200 kilometres per hour in a urban track. This kind of race has been forbidden because of its danger, and this is one of the only ones that still remain.

Moreover, next saturday is Mad Sunday, when amateurs can pilot around the track. This is the main reason why people from all around the World visit this small Scotish island in this time of the year.

Do you want to know more? Visit the official web page for more information. If you are looking for a place to stay do not hesitate, Hotelopia always has the best offers!

This is a great time to visit London Zoo. The largest penguin pool in the country has just been opened . Penguins look really happy in their new home, which is bigger and deeper, and where they can exhibit more their natural behaviour.

London Zoo was voted the Best Tourism Experience 2010 so you shouldn’t miss it next time around! Visit ZSL London Zoo for more information and Hotelopia  for the best  hotels in London !

Golf started in Scotland before the XV century. The last few years it has gone from being a mostly rich man’s sport to becoming popular little by little.

In the 90’s a group of golfers called Natural Born Golfers in Berlin created urban golf: the main difference with traditional golf was it was not played on a course but on the streets. It spread throughout the world.

Nowadays, urban golf is also called cross golf or street golf, but it´s all the same thing, a game played through steets, over bridges, even up mountains and on beaches. The holes can be anything, from a bin to a pile of tyres. It usually uses a softer ball for safety, or a biodegradable one for seaside courses.

From Berlin to Paris or Valencia, this sport has more players each day; the same spirit of traditional golf but with a bit of adventure that tops up this “upper class” hobby. Feel wild!

This is a very special week in Dublin, from today until next Sunday 29^th of May it is Dublin Writers Festival. Dublin was named a Unesco City of Literature last year, joining only three such cities worldwide: Edinburgh, Melbourne and Iowa.

The festival is an annual gathering of Irish and international poets and writers. They will be reading their last books and there will be conferences and debates about them. One of the highlights of this festival will be an evening with Michael Palin, the author and Monty Python star will be looking back over his varied career. Check the details here.

If you like literature this is a great opportunity to visit the Irish Capital and have a wonder around. Don’t forget to book your hotel in Hotelopia.

The weather has been very good in the last month and in a coutry like this, it is impossible not to enjoy the sunny days. We now want to give you a list of some of the best gardens in the UK, Iconic gardens that should not be missed:

(See this link for family and kitchen gardens.)

Bodnant, Clwyd
Grand terraced lawns, a laburnum tunnel, a renowned collection of Chinese rhododendrons, a gloriously romantic waterfall and an 18th-century pavilion make this the most celebrated garden in Wales. It even comes with views of Snowdonia.
(01492 650460; www.bodnantgarden.co.uk)

Brodsworth Hall & Gardens, Yorkshire
Formal garden with follies, a fern dell, Italianate terraces and rose dell.
(01302 722598; www.english-heritage.co.uk)

Castle Howard, York
On a grand scale, this contains formal gardens, the remains of a 19th-century parterre and a rose garden. Woodland walks, sculptures and landscaped park.
(01653 648333; www.castlehoward.co.uk)

Crathes Castle, Grampian
Award-winning walled garden with colour-themed areas that include golden, blue and pastel shades.
(01330 844525; www.nts.org.uk)

Hidcote Manor Gardens, Gloucestershire
Hidcote set the trend for dividing a garden into rooms separated by hedges and walls. Sublime planting; the hot borders are world famous.
(01386 438333; www.nationaltrust.org.uk)

Iford Manor, Wiltshire
Italianate garden with terraces, cloisters, gazebos and statues.
(01225 863146; www.ifordmanor.co.uk)

Kiftsgate Court, Gloucestershire
Famous for its roses but also colour-coordinated herbaceous plantings and a contemporary water garden.
(01386 438777; www.kiftsgate.co.uk)

Mount Stewart, Co. Down
Rare and tender shrubs thrive here. Formal garden, sunken Spanish garden, rhododendrons, lake walk.
(028 4278 8387; www.nationaltrust.org.uk)

Painswick Rococo Garden, Glos
An 18th-century garden, painstakingly restored, and with unusual architectural features, too.
(01452 813204; www.rococogarden.co.uk)

Powis Castle & Garden, Powys
Spectacular hanging terraces with giant yew hedges. Formal gardens woodland and views of Severn valley.
(01938 551920; www.nationaltrust.org.uk)

Rousham Manor, Oxfordshire
The original 18th-century landscape remains almost entirely intact and exudes peace and harmony.
(01869 347110; www.rousham.org)

Sissinghurst Castle Gardens, Kent
Inspirational, loved by gardeners the world over and iconic for its classic design of garden rooms, vistas and exuberant planting schemes.
(01580 710700; www.nationaltrust.org.uk)

Stourhead, Wiltshire
Temples, bridges and trees reflected in the still waters of a lake combine to create a memorable painterly scene in this famously beautiful 18th-century landscape.
(01747 841152; www.nationaltrust.org.uk)

Stowe Landscape Gardens, Bucks
This magnificent “Capability” Brown landscape has been receiving visitors since the 18th century. Full of symbolic features that include temples and statues. All should visit.
(01280 822850; www.nationaltrust.org.uk)

The route of the Olympic torch has been revealed. It will land in the UK on the 18th of May 2012, a year on today. Then it will start the route around the United Kingdom with the idea of being, at some point, within an hour journey from 95% of the population.

The torch will travel around big cities like Liverpool, Southampton, Cardiff, Manchester and Edinburgh but it will also visit the islands and it may also make a short visit to Dublin (this is still being studied).

Wherever the torch may be within those two months and a half, there will be a celebration: Concerts and shows will be held on 66 of the 70 days to welcome the torch into the country. So don’t miss the chance to have a life time experience!

Today is Internet day and we have decided to take the opportunity to give you some numbers on what Internet means nowadays. This information comes from the Royal Pingdom Report 2010:

- There are 1,97 billion users in Internet, this is about one third of the population worldwide.

- Europe represents 24,2% of total Internet users.
- There are more than 152 million blogs in Internet, thank you for reading ours!
- Facebook has more than 600 million users.
- More than 2 billion videos are watched daily on Youtube.

With these numbers we’ll be able to think how important Internet has become in very little time and how it has changed our way of life.

The  travelling sector has been especially affected by the Web, as it has  revolutionized the way we buy tickets, make reservation and the information we obtain about the places we go.

Because withouth Internet, Hotelopia would not exist… and without its readers, this blog wouldn’t exists either… Thank you!