Rotterdam - the largest port with the hottest nightlife

Rotterdam is Europe’s largest port, and the second largest city of the Netherlands after Amsterdam. With a very upbeat and cosmopolitan population, Rotterdam has a fast, urban pace of life, with cultural events, clubs, pubs and bars, which attract interest not just from other parts of the Netherlands, but from across Europe and beyond. This is all set against the backdrop of Rotterdam’s stunning modern architecture.

In the Netherlands people often jokingly used to say that Rotterdam was the place for earning the money, and Amsterdam was the place for spending it. However people are re-thinking this old saying, as Rotterdam is now a magnet in its own right for those seeking a good night out, so much so, that it is now the popular place for Amsterdam residents to go for fun weekends.

Rotterdam has an impressive and varied music scene, and hosts a number of popular summer music festivals such as the Latin American-style Summer Carnival, the Metropolis Pop Festival, and the North Sea Jazz Festival. Rotterdam is also home to hardcore techno groups such as Neophyte.

If museums are your thing, then Rotterdam is not short of them – take your pick from The Netherlands Architecture Institute, The Historical Museum, The Maritime Museum, The Natural History Museum, or the Volkenkundig Museum, which covers various peoples and cultures around the world. If you like to see animals there is a zoo, and for marine life viewing there is Oceanium, which is a walkthrough sea aquarium where you can see many fascinating species of fish.

Rotterdam is not just a place for city break, but a place that you can keep coming back to.

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Florence - capital of Tuscany

Standing on the River Arno, Florence is the capital city of the much-loved Italian region of Tuscany. Florence was one of the main centres where the Renaissance bloomed, and this has left the city a wonderful legacy of the finest painting, sculpture and architecture, making it a great attraction to those who love art, and bringing in millions of visitors each year from all over the world.

The cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore has a magnificent dome built by Filippo Brunelleschi, and close by is the Campanile Tower which was partly designed by Giotto, whose stunningly realistic style became highly influential to Renaissance art.

In the centre of Florence you will find the Piazza della Signoria which is graced with the impressive Fountain of Neptune by Bartolomeo Ammannati. Ammannati’s portrayal of Neptune, flanked by mischievous satyrs and elegant seahorses, was chosen to represent the link between the city of Florence and the sea.

Over the River Arno is one of the most famous sights of Florence – the unique and beautiful Ponte Vecchio, meaning “Old Bridge”, which dates back to the Middle Ages. The stunning feature of the Ponte Vecchio is that it has buildings on it, one of the few bridges in the world with this feature. The buildings and houses on the bridge are now mainly shops, and taking a stroll across the bridge is like walking down an old narrow street, with plenty to see in terms of medieval architecture and stunning shop window displays.

For art and architecture, as well as great Italian food and ice cream, Florence is an ideal destination for a holiday or city break.


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Travel Journals

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Travel journals were all the rage in the 19th century. A lot of it had to do with the limited nature of travel: most people couldn't afford to go far, and with transportation being limited, armchair travel was the next best thing. Travel journals found a huge market with people who wanted to travel but couldn't (kind of like the Discovery Channel, I guess!).

But travel journals have a place in the 21st century, too. You probably won't publish them (unless you do it in the form of a guide, a la Lonely Planet). But you may very well find them a treasured memory of your holiday in the future.

I'm not talking about scrapbooking here, or writing a novel. The best travel journals are small coil bound notebooks where you record highlights of your day, interesting thoughts and sights, and ideas as they occur to you. You can do it in bed before you pass out for the night, on a plane, on a boat, on a train... er, you get the idea.

If you're an artist, pepper your journal with illustrations in true 19th century fashion. If not, leave spaces to paste photographs later on. You never know: your travel journal might become your very own blog in the future!