These days with relatively cheap short haul flight fares, it is easy to hop across the channel to Paris or think about escaping to Amsterdam for the weekend; and let's face it, that can be lot more fun than a weekend in Brighton or Southend.
You can easily get to the heart of Paris by plane or train and stay in a good hotel somewhere near the Latin Quarter and where the action is. By day you have the Eiffel Tower, Georges Pompidou Centre, the Louvre, and a wonderful city to explore, with perhaps a boat ride on a bateau mouche to see the sights and enjoy the ambience, whilst of an evening there is a wide variety of entertainment ranging from traditional tourist spots like the Moulin Rouge to various clubs featuring, jazz, world music, and many other different kinds to suit the most eclectic taste. The real Paris scene is typified by the smaller bars and clubs which can be varied in their location and difficult to find without a guide of some sort. They are sometimes underground in cellars, or in a converted factory, or even on a barge. You can drink exotic cocktails to a background of pulstaing electro-beats or grunge, or the voice of the local chanteuse. Paris is a unique experience and ideal for that weekend break away from all that's familiar and boring.
A similar story applies to Amsterdam, well known for its tolerant attitude towards excesses of all kinds. Whatever a tourist might want to try can be found in Amsterdam.
It would be a shame, though, to visit Amsterdam just for the thrill of smoking a joint in an authentic coffee house because there is so much more to do and see. You cannot miss the Van Gogh Museum, whilst also worth a visit are Anne Frank's house and the Rijksmuseum. You can get tickets online to save having to queue for ages.
The infamous "red light" district is still there in Amsterdam but has been toned down and there are less prostitutes and more trendy fashion houses and boutiques, and there are still, of course, the quiet, picturesque canals lined by tall, elegant buildings, and crossed by ornamental bridges.
For the active weekender there are plenty of sights to see and nightlife is plentiful and exuberant. There is the Paradiso, which is a former church but now hosts music events with some big names in the pop and rock world regularly appearing. Live jazz is very popular here and the Bimhuis is the place to see some of the greats from time to time, such as Chet Baker, and also to get good views over parts of the city.
There are many other varied music venues as well as many restaurants serving international cuisine. Dutch cuisine isn't especially raved over by chefs but is perfectly respectable and not just confined to meatballs. There are, however, French style bistros, a great fish restaurant, Chinese, Thai, and many Indonesian restaurants with variations on the Rijsttafel or Rice Table. This is not just rice but a selection of marinated and spit-roasted meats with savoury, sweet sauces of various kinds, plus a variety of salads. Chilli and coriander figure strongly in some dishes, and the whole experience is one that you would have difficulty finding in Brighton.
Gosh, the weekend goes so fast, does it not, and soon you have to think about back to work on Monday, but, when your colleagues ask "Did you have a good weekend?" you can say "Oh yes, and then some!"
