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Amsterdam is famous for its canals and is sometimes called the “Venice of the North” due to over one hundred kilometres of canals that create rings around this quaint, free-thinking city. Canals are referred to as “grachtengordel” and are the result of thoughtful city planning in the early 1600s, although some canals existed as early as the 14th century. The 17th century was the golden age of Amsterdam and much of the beauty and awe that inspires travellers can be attributed to the desire of the city’s officials to create a safe environment for its citizens.

Over the years, a melange of humble streets and narrower canals have formed around the original ringed waterways, thus causing the development of almost 100 islands within the city. Walking these tiny streets is like stepping into a wonderful maze and is a delightful way to pass the afternoon. When strolling, one will notice the hundreds of bridges that cross the canals to connect the streets. The bridges and the canals are a stunning sight to behold. So beautiful, in fact, that many people choose to take up residence right on the water and live in a houseboat.

It didn’t take the residents of Amsterdam long to figure out that the canals were a prime means of getting around in the city. In 1621 Queen Elisabeth of Bohemia was the first to ride the canals for pleasure when she was gifted with a fantastic floating parade. Today, riding on Amsterdam’s canals is popular with over 3 million visitors each year and this is no surprise given that the city was designed to be viewed from the water. Locals use the canals as an easy way to commute, taking advantage of the public canal-bus system. Many businesses use the canal traffic to their benefit and drive customers to their doorsteps via the waterways. Aside from tour boat establishments, many restaurants, shops and hotels in Amsterdam cater directly to canal traffic.

The canals are such an important part of the city that the locals have created a canal festival. Occurring in August of each year, the Grachtenfestival is a week-long event that highlights music, architecture, and various culturally historic sites throughout the city. The city comes alive with music and excitement as recitals spring up anywhere from a garden to a rooftop to a canal in front of one of the many Amsterdam hotels.

Travellers who come to Amsterdam will find themselves in awe of the beauty and wonder inherent in the intricate design of Amsterdam’s canals. Whether it’s a canal cruise, a stroll along the meandering side streets or taking in a festival parade, visitors will find themselves as thankful as the residents for the versatility offered by these historic canals.

When people consider British media, London is the first place that springs to mind. After all, the capital is where the vast majority of popular television show studios, news programme producers, newspaper and magazine publishers and other major media outlets are headquartered. No discussion of the British media would be complete, though, without the inclusion of Brighton. Nicknamed “Silicon Beach,” this popular seaside resort town is also a force to be reckoned with in the media world.

The 1990s: Silicon Beach is Born

Digital media really started picking up with the skyrocketing popularity of the Internet during the 1990s. This coincides with the approximate time when “new media” firms began flocking to Brighton. Similar to California’s Silicon Valley, Brighton became the digital media hotbed of Britain during those exciting years. Some of the hippest and most promising Internet upstarts set up shop in Brighton, and the annual Brighton and Hove Virtual Festival helped cement its reputation.

A Rich Digital Media Tradition

As more and more new media agencies headquartered themselves in Brighton, the city made a smart move by encouraging the phenomenon. The Brighton Media Centre is one exceptional example of the accommodations that were made to make room for creative, cutting-edge digital media firms in Brighton. With its prime location just a few blocks from the beach – and within walking distance to many of the city’s very best amenities – the Brighton Media Centre is proof positive that the city embraces its newfound reputation as a new media mecca.

Major New Media Players Move In

Fledgling technology firms are what prompted the influx of new media companies into Brighton, but bigger names eventually swooped in to snap up some of the limelight. Linden Lab, the company responsible for the popular virtual world known as “Second Life,” built a second office in Brighton in 2007; their headquarters are in San Francisco. Near the end of that same year, media giant Disney decided to headquarter the branch responsible for the British version of its online game, Club Penguin, in Brighton. These relatively new arrivals prove once again that Brighton is still Silicon-by-the-Sea.

Planning a Business Trip to Brighton?

With so many new media and digital technology firms headquartered in Brighton, it’s not unusual for business professionals to require occasional trips there. Fortunately, there are a number of splendid hotels in Brighton that can accommodate business travellers with ease. Many Brighton hotels are geared especially toward businessmen, with affordable rates and central locations. If you end up in Brighton on business, don’t forget to squeeze in a little bit of fun, too. Even if you just include a stroll along the beach, you’ll easily see why Brighton has enamoured so many people through the years.

Like all of Italy, the capital city of Rome has long been famed for its coffee and coffee bars. Italians take pride in their coffee, or caffé in Italian, and many cultures around the world have adopted Italian favourites like cappuccino, latte and macchiato.

As one might expect in a country that takes coffee so seriously, Rome has a vast number of excellent coffee bars to choose from. Romans often have their own favourite barista (bartender) who they loyally patronize. A great barista not only makes good coffee, but also provides fast and excellent service, and a bit of entertainment as an added touch. Talented baristas will help their customers quickly find out what they like best about Italian coffee.

Walking through the streets of Rome, one will spot many establishments with the word “café” in their names signifying a coffee bar. Some of these may not be well-known but still serve great coffee. However, others have managed to gain reputations that lift them above Rome’s huge crowd of cafés.

At coffee bars, your bill will be a few times larger if you sit down at a table rather than at the bar. At most establishments, they will have prices for both table and bar service. When Romans come to the bar, they are generally looking to have their coffee and then leave…quickly. If you are interested in idly chatting like you would at a Paris cafè or at a Starbuck’s, then it is best to get a table. A Roman will usually down their coffee in a minute or so at the bar. The locals also will leave tips at the table about five times higher than they do standing at the bar.

Some of the terminology useful while bar-hopping in Rome include:

• Expresso – A single shot of coffee, usually ordered with “un caffé, per favore.”
• Caffè Americano – American-strength coffee, weaker than expresso.
• Cappucino – Coffee with lots of steamed milk, especially popular in the morning.
• Macchiato – Coffee that with “spots” of steamed milk.
• Caffè Corretto – Expresso with a shot of liquor.
• Caffè Latte – Hot milk mixed with coffee.
• Crema – Cream, also known as schiuma.
• Pasticcini – A pastry served with coffee at cafès.
• Lo Zucchero – sugar
• Il Cucchiaio – spoon

Great coffee can be found at a Rome hotel, at a trattoria, and at many other establishments. Visitors staying at hotels in Rome may not need to venture any further than their hotel’s café for an outstanding coffee experience. Of course, part of the fun is not limiting oneself at first but sampling all that the Eternal City has to offer.