Whether you’re a believer or strictly atheist, check out Hotelopia’s guide to our most impressive religious must-sees around Europe for those planning a your city break this autumn.  Don’t forget to dress respectively (ie. no shorts, mini-skirts or vest tops).  Enjoy!

1. St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City (Rome):
As the headquarters of Catholicism and home to the Pope, followers and tourists make the pilgrimage to see what is undoubtedly one of Europe’s most prominent religious sights.   While the equally overstated St Peter’s Square is the place to go for some weekly Pope spotting, the impressive basilica which stands behind is the location of many important state events.

2.  The Sagarda Familia, Barcelona:
The fact Antonio Guaudi’s wedding cake masterpiece cathedral remains unfinished doesn’t detract from making this the centrepiece to the one of Europe’s most popular city break destinations.

3.  Aya Sofya, Istanbul:
You can’t fail to spot this artchitectual masterpiece of the religious world set in the heart of Istanbul.  The structure has served as both Christians and Muslims it’s structure reflects both influences. Today however, it is now a museum and documents its fascinating and colourful history.

4.  Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence:
Again Italy is home to another religious wonder of the world. This basilica stands proud in the heart of Florence and admittedly the outside is more impressive than inside you’ll see it’s in fact made up of amazing sculptures and artworks as well as thousands of tiles.

5.    St. Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow:
Located on Red Square, this nine-chapel cathedral is incredible to see up close.  Infact, it is by far one of the most stunning buildings in Russia.  Legend has it, that after the building was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible, he blinded the architect so as he wouldn’t build anything as beautiful again.

Check in free to Hotelopia’s all new Hotel Confidential. OK, it’s not actually a  hotel, but it gives you the opportunity to book a bargain hotel break for up to 25% off regular prices.

We’ve created a dedicated website which has exclusive access only to Hotelopia newsletter subscribers and Blogtelopia readers.

So click on the  Hotel Confidential link and check out our massive selection of hotels.  It’s where our participating hotels have dropped their rates so drastically that they’ve asked to keep their name confidential allowing you to save up to 25% on your hotel booking!

Check out the map , browse through a selection of our hand-picked hotels to save. Each hotel is well located hotel and offers excellent value for money.

Also browse through our independent customer reviews, as well as information on services and detailed mapping.

So what are you waiting for? Kids are back at school, the resorts have emptied and the favourite European cities are getting lively for the Autumn.

Availability on discounted hotels is limited.  Now book before the summer ends!

With all the recent media coverage surrounding overfishing and declining tuna stocks, Catalan chef Carme Ruscalleda is trying to create some balance in the ocean by getting jellyfish on the menu.

Anyone that’s been stung by these pesky sea creatures while holidaying in the Med will soon be able to take revenge and order them freshly cooked (minus stingers) at Carme Ruscalleda’s restaurant in Sant Pol del Mar near Barcelona soon.

A combination of warming sea temperatures and a decline in the jellyfish’s natural predators, such as turtles, tuna and sharks means jellyfish populations are growing to become potentially a sustainable oceanic food source.

The Mediterranean jellyfish haven’t yet been classified by the EU as legitimate food stuff, so currently the sea creatures have to be imported from China, which is crazy considering the amount of jelly fish we see during the winter months floating in the waters off Majorca.

Their popularity on menus in the Med will depend on how well they’ll be accepted by the diners and will mean a change in cultural attitudes towards these slimy sea creatures.

Found in restaurants throughout Asia, the Chinese believe jellyfish benefits, balance blood pressure, improves cholesterol, and helps joints.  It’s also good for the skin and great for the cardio-vascular system.  This is however, after the jelly fish has been correctly prepared and seasoned, so don’t try cooking jellyfish at home just yet folks.

In the first of a series of weird festivals around the world, Blogtelopia brings you inspiration for two great events coming up this winter.

Guaranteed to give you an experience of a lifetime and make your mates green with envy, book a break with a difference and head to where the parties at this winter.

1.   Roadkill Cookoff: On the 26 September, book a trip to West Virigina in the USA for the annual Roadkill Cookoff. The perfect event for the “recessionista” who can get inspiration from a festival of nature’s best cuisine – best of all, it’s already been slaughtered and it’s free.

Yes, join the fun as festival goers bring along their fresh road-kill.  The barbecues are lit and a chefs gather to cook up a storm by either grilling, flaming, or baking whatever’s brought to the table.

Expect some surprises, and dishes you probably will never find anywhere else.

Favourites in the past have included squirrel gravy over biscuits, teriyaki marinated bear and tasty deer sausage.

After this festival, animals everywhere will be taking care crossing the road.

2.  Hadaka Matsuri: The Japanese Naked Festival: If you’ve ever wanted the chance to get naked in the middle of Japan’s freezing winter, then here’s your chance.

On January 14th, head to small town of Konomiya, outside Nagoya.  And when you hear the cry “Hadaka ni narimashou!” it’s time to get naked – well almost.

Sake fuelled naked men take the streets, cover themselves in a loin cloth (although some don’t worry about that) in an attempt to touch the hin-otoko (or “god-man” an honorary position selected from the group of followers the day before).

When he appears, the crowd surge forward to touch the “god man” for luck. Judging by the video, it also looks like all that body warmth really keeps out the cold.

Red strips of cloth are given out to the thousands of spectators and participators.   Grabbing one is brings luck for year ahead.   And if  it at least wards off hypothermia then it’ll have definitely worked its magic.

This is what happens when celebrities start to blog.

Gywneth Paltrow, “A” list movie star and wife of Coldplay’s Chris Martin seems to have had enough of the being represented to the world by the tabloid media and has turned to the blogshere to share her tips on travelling, eating,  sustainability and relationships.

On Goop.com, the actress writes regularly about topics which she feels passionately about, giving an insight into her personality and life.

In addition, check out Gywneth’s own recommendations for hotels in London, Barcelona, Paris, New York and Los Angeles where she claims to have stayed.  If you can’t afford a room in these plush pads, then check out the Hotelopia website.

Plus read about her restaurant recommendations.  It’s also nice to see  one of her favourites, Wagamamas, is also mine.  This Asian chain restaurant  serves fantastic fusion food, although I’ve yet to spot her sharing a table with office workers and budget travellers.

Overall, Goop is not a bad read.  There’s some interesting stuff in here, which isn’t just targeted to other “A” listers with piles of cash.  But let’s just hope Gywneth writes Goop herself (and doesn’t have a team of blogsters to do the work for her).

This month, we’ve selected Almeria in Spain as Hotelopia’s destination of the month.

Read more about the southern tip of Spain, as well as our great hotel offers in and around the region. All this information and more will be included in our newsletter.  Click here to subscribe.

So what’s so great about Almeria?  Almeria boasts more hours of sunshine per year than anywhere else in Spain. In fact, you can easily visit in February or March, find a sunny spot and strip off to your bathers to catch some rays. And since, this is Spain’s most southerly tip, it’s easy to find your own piece of beach paradise on the hundreds of kilometres of glorious coastline.

What’s more, this is the perfect place to see lasting impact the once ruling Moors had on the region. Everyone’s heard of the Alhambra in Granada, but Almeria is home to the equally stunning Alcazaba, an imposing Arabic fortress which stands boldly on the coast.

Add to this Almeria’s desert-like and cactus filled landscape and you’ll think you’re in Arizona than anywhere in Spain. The region has provided a location for various blockbuster movies and spaghetti westerns, which also makes this a great place to learn or to go horse-riding – Yee-ha!

Travelling the world isn’t just about seeing the sights or chilling out on a beach.  And getting to grips with a country’s fruity gastronomic delights is as much of an adventure as the distance travelled.

We’ve scoured Hotelopia’s destinations and found five of the world’s most unusual fruits to try to help you make the most of booking an exotic break.

1.    Durian Fruit
This South East Asian delicacy smells like “hell” and “tastes like heaven” – see the Youtube video below.  In fact, when I was travelling in Singapore, there are signs on the MRT underground metro to say that the passengers are banned from carrying the fruit.  And I can confirm, that it does smell like skunk but the flesh is actually quite tasty.
2.  Dragon Fruit
Found in Central and South America (and also Marks & Spencers) the Dragon fruit is also known as the Pitaya or Pitahaya fruit.   It’s actually a fruit from a type of catus and can be eaten on its own when you slice through the bright pink skin.

3.  Ugli Fruit
The Ugli Fruit isn’t the world’s prettiest fruit, but is a cross between a grapefruit and a Clementine.  The delicious taste detracts from its ugly gnarly appearance, and is most likely to be tasted by those holidaying in Jamaica.

4.  Lamut (Sapodilla)
Visitors to Mexico will probably mistake the the Lamut fruit or a potato.  In fact the taste is surprisingly tasty.  Also, the dried sap from its Sapodilla trees (chicle) is also used to make chewing gum (or “chicles” as it’s called in Spanish).

5. Soursop
Its green cactus-like appearance doesn’t look like the most delicious fruit, but again, looks can be deceiving.  The Soursop’s pulp is tasty (if you can get around the seeds), vitamin enriched and resembles something between a strawberry and pineapple.   However you’ll need to travel to the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America to try one.

While someone’s idea of paradise is someone else’s impression of holiday hell, check out www.worstholidays.com for inspiration on places to avoid when booking a break. Don’t forget to take with a large pinch of salt.

According to the website, Norway tops the list as the world’s worst holiday destination, billed as the most expensive place in the world.

You can expect to pay $660 for hiring a small car, then easily pour $70 into crossing toll bridges.  And eating out on a budget is great, if you like hot dogs, which at  $7 a pop are the cheapest food around (and that’s from the street vendors).

However, if you’re looking for a chav free holiday, this is the place to go.  Another reader writes “I imagine the ‘pricey-ness’ would keep the rif-raff out, and that’s good thing.”

Other least favoured destinations include bizarrely Costa Rica, which is also blamed for being overpriced and touristy.  In France, the website claims people are arrogant, especially when it comes to visitors inability to speak French, and blasts the the country’s scenery as being unspectacular and urban areas as dirty.

Indonesia is blacklisted for being overly humid, while India is said to be swamped by bureaucracy making moving around a challenge, and where everyone’s out to make a fast buck.

Most bizarrely, creeping into numbers nine and ten in the websites “top ten” of worst places to go is Iraq and Afghanistan. Looks like you’ll be dodging a bullet if you avoid booking a break to these destinations.

After reports earlier this week that airline Sky Europe had collapsed, Blogteloipa brings you advice on how to book flights safely, avoid losing your cash and where you stand should an airline go bust.

According to Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, if your flight cost between £100 and £30,000 and was paid for by credit card, then money can be claimed back.  This also applies if your flight or trip was booked through an ATOL bonded agent.

If however, you booked your flight was booked with a Visa Debit card, the best advice is to contact the account provider who will try and recover the money.

It’s also the tour operators responsibility to make alternative arrangements for passengers left stranded by the collapse of package holiday companies.

Rochelle Turner from Which? Holiday says, “With yet another tour operator collapsing and leaving holiday-makers stranded, it’s really important that people take steps to ensure they are protected should a similar incident occur in the future.

Also check your travel insurance policy, which should be able to help you out.

To protect yourself in the future, make sure you check the clauses set out by your travel insurance, and book with a reputable flight company such as easyjet.com or if you’re travelling further a field, gulfair.com.

As September sets in, employers are warned about the potential “end of summer hangover” which affects thousands of workers returning to work.

Some one in three workers dread settling back into the daily grind, according to a survey carried out by the organisation Investors in People.

The change of season, and fewer daylight hours are just one factor contributing to the post summer depression.  Employees are reported to be less motivated and dread a stockpile of work and emails.

Investors in People are suggesting that employers ease workers gently back into the working day, starting by simply welcoming them back.   It’s amazing the amount of workplaces that don’t actually do this.  Employers, take note!

They also recommend a mini-reintroduction into the workplace to help prevent a post vacational productivity gap which could impact on the economy.

However, in the current economic climate it seems anyone returning to work is lucky enough to have a job.  And instead of moaning about it, the best way of getting over post-holiday depression is to book another break and have something to look forward to.

Check out Hotelopia’s autumn offers on city breaks.  The summer may (almost) be over, but this the perfect time to visit some of Europe’s top cities for less.  Temperatures have cooled, kids have gone back to school, and hotel prices are cheaper.  So what are you waiting for?