The Spanish love to party and the Nit de Foc (23^rd June), on the eve of the Sant Joan, is one of the biggest fiestas. In most coastal cities in Spain this night is celebrated with bonfires, music and dancing. The bravest ones can jump over the fire. This normally takes places in the beach.

Apart from the fire, some places around the country have their very own traditions: for example in Ciutadella, Menorca, the typical elements of the celebration are the “caixers”, horse riders who dance with the horses around the streets of the town.  In Alicante these days the tradition is to burn ninots ( figures made of cardboard) and eat coca, the traditional desert.

This breathless combination of street parties, bonfires, fireworks and pop concerts will surely impress and sate even the most demanding of travelers.

Woodstock as the precursory of the free thinking and the intellectual revolt expressed through the spectacular guitar solos from Jimi Hendrix, the tremendous voice vibratos from Janis Joplin and the charisma from Joe Cocker on stage always reminds us that creativity has this singular strength to reunite people, all of them fascinated, bewitched, and transported to a third underlying dimension. Only Art has this power to reunite people from different horizons without any form of prejudice or value judgment…The great German philosopher Nietzsche used to say that life without music would be an error….today you get the chance to discover a handful of talents but you also have the opportunity to go out there and play with your instrument in front of an unknown public. You still got time! Don’t be ashamed!

Today is the first day of the summer. That means more probability of having sunny days and what is more important: holidays! In the northern hemisphere today is the longest day of the year and this day has been celebrated since the ancient times. It is the summer solstice.

The pagans celebrated this day with fire, to symbolize the power of the sun. The tradition was to dance and jump around the fire to purify souls. Nowadays, there are still celebrations of these days, normally Christianized as Saint John celebration on the night of the 23^rd of June. We will talk about that tomorrow.

Today we just want to wish you a very happy summer and we hope you enjoy it in the best hotels!

Fuerteventura, a natural paradise

To visit Fuerteventura is to live a unique experience. Within its 1,659 km2 there are no less than twenty-four volcanoes, and along its coastline you’ll discover some of the most paradisiacal beaches of the Atlantic Ocean. The island enjoys 3,000 hours of sunlight each year, and attracts all type of visitors in search of a warm climate and good tourist services.

The options to enjoy a “special” vacation are many and varied: UNESCO declared the whole island as a Biosphere Reserve in 2009, and if you are looking for nature in its pure state then this island is the place you’re looking for. Moreover, Fuerteventura is the perfect destination for doing aquatic sports, such as surfing, windsurfing, kiteboarding, and of course diving.

Fuerteventura offers tourist attractions to enjoy with your family, partner or with friends, so having fun is assured: you can take a camel ride, or you can explore amazing places in a 4-wheel drive, and by all means, take advantage to make a get-away at any time of the year.

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The new Riverside Museum is not going to be just another museum. It will not bore kids in school trips because it will have cool items such as a Lambretta LD150 scooter, donated by Franz Ferdinand’s lead singer, or a 1988 Chrysler Jeep from Robbie Coltrane.

The transport collection has been moved from the city’s transport museum, which was closed last year, to a modern building beside the river. The structure has been built by Zaha Hadid and it celebrates the leading role of Scotland in developing transport and technology.

From trams to trolleybuses and a complete archive of the scotish underground railway, which was third in the world when opened. To complete the collection the majestic ship Glenlee will be moored outside.

However, it is not all about transport. Three historic streets dating from as early as 1900 have been recreated for visitors to explore. The new riverside museum will be opened next week, on the 21st! For the best deals in Hotels in Glasgow visit Hotelopia!

Summer days have finally arrived and when it’s sunny, we all have the need to enjoy the good temperatures, the light and the nature. Here is our idea: whether in a park, in the garden, in the beach or in the forest, organizing a PICNIC is a great idea to enjoy the good weather with family, friends or your partner. You can either sor it out in the city or plan a weekend trip and do it where you go.

If you have time, you will be able to prepare baskets, sandwiches and drinks as for it to be a delicious homemade lunch. However, we realise that  we are all so busy and wrapped up in our daily lives, that sometimes our best made plans turn out to be nothing more than a stale baguette and yesterday’s cheese. Our recommendation: someone can do it for you!

We are not lying, in the last few years there has been an increase in companies in this sector all over the world. Different menus for different occasions: romantic, party… and different services, some companies bring the food to wherever you are; some only prepare the baskets with everything you need. A different way of celebrating a special occasion.

Some companies:

Amsterdam, Holland: www.butlerforhire.nl

Cape town, South Africa: http://www.picnics.co.za/home/

Denver, USA: http://denverspicniccompany.com/

Bath, UK: http://www.bathpicnic.co.uk/

Sydney, Australia: http://sydneypicnic.com.au/

The Festival d’Avignon was founded by Jean Velar in 1947. Since then, it has become one of the most celebrated and popular contemporary arts events in the world.

This year, thousands of theatre-lovers will again take gather in this city in the south of France to enjoy all types of artistic demonstrations. It is a 21 days party, starting next 6^th of July until the 26^th, in which there will be activities for all ages. The Festival will feature plays and workshops for children as well as shows, debates, concerts and exhibitions for adults.

Avignon is also the perfect scenario for this event. It was the capital of Christendom during the Middle Ages and it retains monuments such as its cathedral and the “pont d’Avignon”as well as the ancient city walls that remind the visitor how big the city was at the time. It has been catalogued as UNESCO World Heritage so whether you go to the Festival or just to visit the city, there are lots of things to do in Avignon in this time of the year!

Edinburgh is summer has a different rithm, as the festival changes the way edimburghians spend their days.Tickets for the festival go on sale tomorrow on edfringe.com and some have been waiting for this moment the wole year. It is the world’s largests arts festival which gets bigger and better every year.

One more year, the fringe has broken its own record, with an increase in the number of shows of 4% and more than 21,000 performes.

2011 is the year of the Cabaret. It will join the offer of comedians, actors and street performers with ukeleles, acrobats and mind-reading psychics. It is also the first year in which it will be possible to buy tickets using smartphone apps.

The whole city becomes a big stage where everything is possible. Do not miss your ticket and remember to book the hotel as soon as possible… they will soon be full!

You may be a professional astronomer or it may only be that you are interested in knowing a bit more about stars, whatever it is, Google Sky Map is the perfect application for you.

The program uses integrated GPS in smartphones to make the mobile pone work in a very intuitive way: the user can point the mobile phone to the sky and he will be able to see on the screen, the name of the star he is looking at. Moreover the application shows names of constellations and if the user is looking for a planet or a star in particular, you can name it and the program will say exactly where to look to find it.

It is a great application that will amaze everyone and will help all of us learn more about stars, especially now that summer nights are not far…

The biggest city in the south-west of England, Bristol, has a rich history. In the 15^th century boats would set sail from here bound for Ireland, France and America. It was also the terminus for the UK’s first major railway, built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

To find out more just head to the city´s new museum, opening on the 17^th June. The aim of M Shed is to tell the story of the city and its people, from prehistoric times to the 21st century. Among its exhibits you will find the electric cranes, the fire boat and the harbor steam train, which will take you directly to those early years.

If you are going to Bristol we also suggest that you visit the Georgian house if you are interested in knowing more about how people have lived in this lovely city throughout time. If Nature is more your cup of tea, don’t forget to have a wander around the Zoo or the Aquarium. The best hotels in Hotelopia!