On my trip back home to Florida to see my family and meet my new niece, I realized something was significantly lacking within my childhood home. What I miss most about Amsterdam, more than the streets, the cafes, the people and the food (hahaha), is my shelf-toilet. How I appreciate the gift it gives, just like an Indian-giver, each time I use it. I'll be back soon my friend.

April Fools! Have a great day.

We here at Trippist are about more than just recommending things we like and writing of our adventures in and around the Netherlands.

We are also into giving advice and tips, just in case they come in handy for your trip to the land of wooden shoes.

Therefore I have yet one more simple tip to pass onto you... it involves credit cards.

Like any young and healthy person living in Amsterdam, I travel. And as I travel I often have a credit card with me, just in case. While it is mostly only for when I don't have another option, I make it a habit to check if the place Im eating in, shopping at, or sleeping in, accepts credit cards, and which ones.

After much research and years of experience I can tell you within Europe it still varies a great deal. Sometimes the country you least expect, like say Croatia, turns out to be a very credit card friendly country. While the country you'd most expect, like the Netherlands, is surprisingly anti-credit card.

Now I'm not talking hotels, let's leave them out of the equation. When it comes to cafes, restaurants, shops and other miscelaneous places where you need to purchase something, it is very common that the business will not accept credit cards. They might even have a little machine that looks like it takes credit cards, but you'll be surprised to find it only works for Dutch debit cards and not much else.

Beyond that, if you're a VISA or Mastercard carrier, you'll probably have better luck. As in my experience, AMEX isn't very loved amongst the small business community in and around Amsterdam.

So if you do go, try to get some cash flow going. While cash machines can sometimes be quite hard to find, they're out there, and there's no operational reason why you couldn't get some cash from there and hold off on taking the gamble to see if your credit card is accepted at that next place you go to.

Oh, and on the off chance that you use travelers checks, my personal opinion is that you're trapped in the 80's and I hope it's fun.

Did you happen to see some idiots dressed up in shreds of the Amsterdam Weekly last week, somewhere near the Spuiplein? That would have been me. Myself and a few others, including some friends who distribute for the Weekly, were hired for a media stunt to dress up in painter's costumes that had been covered with floating, flimsy pieces of the newspaper and to pass out current editions to passerbys for about an hour of the Saturday afternoon. An hour of shame and hilarity. I even dragged along a friend of mine who had no idea what he was getting himself into. We more than earned our way into the Amsterdam Weekly private birthday bash at the Nieuwe Anita, one of my favorite bars. Unlimited sushi platters were served up alongside the Undercover Glutton's specialty toasties: impressive concoctions of brown nutty bread, sausage, Edam cheese, and mixed nuts. Sounds strange, no? But it was tasty! Also lots of bagels and desserts. Plus, free drinks;) The atmosphere was fun and we met some nice people there. Was it worth the humiliation? But of course. And with my red lipstick on, noone could decline as I hand them a free newspaper with a smile. My other international Amsterdammer friends, conversely, were threatened to be set on fire by some junkies who clearly lived on another planet. Luckily for us, Steve and Todd, Amsterdam weekly editor and owner, were there to protect us.

Looking to exercise your intellect this summer? The ISHSS (International School for Humanities and Social Sciences) at the University of Amsterdam offers a few intensive summer courses. These are known as Summer Institutes and include subjects such as Alcohol, Drugs and Addiction, Sexuality, Culture and Society, and Genomics & Globalisation. I can speak from experience - combining student life with the beautiful city of Amsterdam is a great choice!

This weekend, my program went on a little 2-day excursion to Maastricht. On the way down to this southern city, we stopped at Thorn, a cute little white-washed town. It was sweet, but not a place you absolutely need to see. On the trip, I ended up spending more times in caves than in Maastricht itself. In Maastricht, you can take a boat tour on the Meuse river to the St. Pietersberg caves, which aren’t caves at all but underground limestone quarries dug out by monks way back when in the 13th century. The boat tour isn’t very exciting, but the surprisingly huge caves were, with miles of wide corridors branching out from even wider passages and ceilings a hundred feet up. Our guide led us through with hissing gas lanterns, and within five minutes I was completely lost. The light from the lanterns didn’t extend far, and all the corridor openings looked shadowy and spooky as we passed. Interestingly, the caves have been a tourist attraction for hundreds of year, and so there were charcoal drawings and graffiti dating from 1570 on the walls. During World War II, the caves were used as a hiding place, and a chapel was built underground to accommodate the inhabitants. It was a pretty amazing if chilly experience, and I recommend seeing the caves if you’re stopping in Maastricht.
The city itself was cute and packed with tourists during the day. I didn’t get a chance to see any of the tourist sites in the city, but just walking around was pleasant, and there was good shopping and cafes. At night, though, it turned into a bit of a ghost town. There were bars open, but very few people out for a Saturday night. The bar I went to was also perplexingly dry – apparently it was their ‘practice’ opening night, and so there was virtually no alcohol present. The bartenders danced behind their alcohol-free bar, so at least there was entertainment.
On the way back from Maastricht, we stopped at the American War Cemetery in Margraten, which is startlingly beautiful. One doesn’t think of cemeteries as pretty, and I’m used to the old decrepit cemeteries in Massachusetts with dark crumbling headstones. Those places make you feel the history and grief, while the American War Cemetery featured immaculate green grass and bright white crosses laid out in curving lines were lovely and honored the fallen in a graceful, almost hopeful way. It’s a place I recommend seeing, if only for the strange experience of viewing a beautiful cemetery.
Next on our itinerary was Valkenburg, a pretty old city with nice cafes and the ruin of a castle. It’s another nice place to spend a day, although sadly I spent most of my time underground again. Don’t go to the coal mine museum/experience until you absolutely love mining. The tunnels were dark and dirty and our crazy tour guide kept turning on machines unexpectedly and laughing while we jumped in statement, the sound echoed around us. Also, mining is a boring subject. People living in caves? Interesting. Machines used to efficiently extract coal back in 1950? Not so interesting. Go visit the castle instead.
Our last stop was Drielandenpunt in Vaals, where Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands meet. This was incredibly confusing and anticlimactic, because the point where the three countries meet was not apparent. Any visions of having one foot in Germany and the other in Belgium were dashed. But there was ice cream, and the highest point in the Netherlands, which is a little statue.
Overall, it was great to see another part of the Netherlands. People in Maastricht wear helmets! Who knew?

EXHIBITION
Max Beckmann in Amsterdam, 1937-1947
This exhibition offers the first extensive retrospective of work by Max Beckmann in his years in Amsterdam. Max Beckmann (1884-1950) was one of the leading and most distinguished German artists of the 20th century.
Van Gogh Museum - Museumplein/Paulus Potterstraat 7
April 6 - August 19
10 Euro

CONCERTS
Josephine Foster (folk)
Paradiso - Weteringschans 6-8
April 7, 430PM
6 Euro

Latin Diva's: Cubop Big City Band (latin)
Bimhuis - Piet Heinkade 3
April 8, 9PM
16 Euro

Cansei de Ser Sexy (indie rock from Brazil)
Paradiso - Weteringschans 6-8
April 10, 915PM
12.50 Euro

Public Enemy (hip hop)
Melkweg - Lijnbaansgracht 234a
April 11, 9PM
29.50 Euro

DANCE
The Infamous Mudclub - 2nd Anniversary party with Kate Wax
11 - Oosterdokskade 3-5
April 6, 11PM
12 Euro

Electronation party with Electro-house pioneer John Acquaviva
Melkweg - Lijnbaansgracht 234a
April 6, 11PM
13 Euro

The Netherlands is so full of water that it's really a shame not to get on a boat once in a while. You can find plenty of tourist rides through the canals in central Amsterdam, or try out the paddle boats (if you dare). Or, if you're lucky, maybe you have a friend that has a boat with some spare room. There's nothing like motoring through the canals, waving at all the land-bound pedestrians.

Or maybe you're invited to a boat party. This was the craft that I once had the pleasure of sailing on for several hours. Complete with a knowledgeable captain, we celebrated an anniversary and a birthday and cruised through bodies of water much larger than the Prinsengracht. It is possible to rent one of these beauties - just get enough friends together so the price isn't terribly high, and away you go! It's a must-do in water-logged Nederland.

The first, and most important, food that I’ve discovered in Amsterdam is the Bapao bun. My friend discovered these one day when they were on Bonus at the Albert Heijn supermarket (Bonus items are sale items associated with your free Bonus card). The buns are made of Chinese-style soft white dough and filled with various tasty foods. My favorite is the kip, which is essentially curried chicken. The buns are perfect for me because I hate to cook, and they take less than a minute to be ready for consumption. Also, they are about 60 Euro cents each, and can be eaten in the packaging they come in. So there are no dishes! Hoorah!
I am really going to miss those buns when I go back to the US.
Another culinary delicacy I’ve been exposed to in Amsterdam are salami and brie sandwiches. I was a vegetarian for almost five years, and only recently quit for health reasons. I didn’t have much experience with salami before coming to Amsterdam, and tried the sandwich on a whim because I love brie. (An aside: I’m convinced that there is more brie in Amsterdam than in Paris). And behold, it was delicious. Now I’m addicted.
Another food combination that I am addicted to is bagels with cream cheese with tomato soup. Tomato soup is everywhere in Amsterdam, and in my desperate quest for bagels (which, sadly, are not everywhere) I ended up at a café that had tomato soup with a bagel as a daily special. I love both tomato soup and bagels (really, they approach the perfect food), so I got it. Dipping a cream-cheese covered bagel into tomato soup is surprisingly delicious.
Also, there are the cheese sandwiches. I’ve never seen a sandwich that was literally just bread and cheese before. But they are tasty, and as the sandwich place that I go to every Tuesday after class says on the menu: Go Dutch. Eat Cheese.

Not too long ago, I wrote about the Keukenhof. Yesterday I finally visited, and it was a wonderful way to enjoy a holiday weekend! The park is large and lovely and full of immaculate flower gardens. Everything - including each blade of grass - is trimmed to perfection. The park is surrounded by bulb fields, so even from the fenced-in boundaries of the garden, visitors can see the beauty of the flowers extending into the distance.

It's best to avoid going by car (try to go by bike, as it's much easier to get in and out). It's also a treat to bike through the surrounding bulb fields, an experience best enjoyed on a bicycle. I'd also recommend visiting as close to opening time as possible (8 am) - by 10:30 or 11 the crowds have descended and it starts to feel a bit too much like an amusement park.

With weather as fickle as in Amsterdam, soup remains a constant on my eating agenda. Emily, another Trippist blogger, brought this to mind in her mention of bagels and tomato soup. I love fresh, seasonal ingredients, and these are found at my top two favorite places, the Soup Kitchen at Nieuwendijk 50 (near Centraal Station) and Soup Enzo at Jodenbreestraat 94A (almost directly across from the Albert Heijn). The choices change regularly and always have a match for the weather. They both have meat and vegetarian options, include hearty chunks of bread, and at the Soup Kitchen, include tapenade, butter or pesto spread. The Soup Kitchen also uses many biological ingredients. You can ask for a taste of any of the soups!

These two shops also offer fresh juice blends and many different kinds of sandwiches and salads, and serve everything up fast. Additionally, Soup Enzo has a shop located at Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 54 near the Museumplein, but as this is only a shop and not a restaurant, everything is made To-Go. Enjoy the hearty flavours and stay warm, because in Amsterdam even when the day starts sunny, it may end up cold and rainy.

I found this sign outside a Mexican/Spanish/Random restaurant near Centraal Station. Black chalkboard signs are fairly common around Amsterdam, so I guess this restaurant decided to add a little flair to this one. I thought the smily-face, fish, and chicken pictures instead of dots above the 'I's was adorable. Although, why do the bocadillos get a unhappy face?

So you've decided to make the big move to Amsterdam. Maybe you're just on an extended holiday, maybe you're studying, or maybe you've found a dream job in NL. Whatever the case, you're going to probably want to get a bicycle.

Other than the obvious hazards that you'll have to get used to (crazy traffic, deadly tram rails, tourists) there's one issue that is not often mentioned in regards to "normal" Dutch bikes, of the "omafiets" variety: They almost all come with back-peddling brakes.

It can be quite scary to realize that you're going to have to stop, and you instinctively reach for your handlebars to find - no brakes! Reverse peddling may seem a strange way to stop a bike, but it actually comes in handy when biking in Amsterdam. It's then possible to free up one hand for talking on the phone, holding an umbrella, or transporting groceries, to name a few.

If you're used to handbrakes, be aware of the change - but then embrace it for all the freedom it will give you.

As a student in Amsterdam, I am often informed about upcoming speakers, events and conferences that may be of intellectual value. One of the most interesting conferences to date was the 'Sex in the City' talk with the Mayor of Amsterdam, as well as several other keynote speakers. I believe that Janelle, another esteemed Trippist blogger, gave a commentary about that. We really had fun that day..Especially when Mr. Job Cohen, our Mayor, said the words: "Sex is pleasure".

Many of these events are open to the general public. I found the following on my faculty's website agenda.

Afrika Day! on Saturday the 14th of April.
Organized by Evert Vermeer Stichting and from 09.30 - 16.00.
The location is the Haagse Hogeschool, Johanna Westerdijkplein 75, The Hague

You can learn more on their website.

Hope to see you there!

MUSEUM WEEKEND
Visit Amsterdam museums for free! This year's theme is: ‘The art of perceiving.' During this weekend, museums will aim to stimulate all your senses.
Check out the website for participating museums (deelnemende musea)
April 14 & 15, Free

FILM FESTIVAL
During this third edition of the Filmmuseum Biennale silent films will been shown together with live performances of new soundtracks.
Locations: Filmmuseum, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, Paradiso, De Duif and Pathé Tuschinski
April 11 - 15
Single ticket 7.80 Euro, pass 22.50 Euro

CONCERTS
Grandmaster Flash - The Turntable Legend
Paradiso - Weteringschans 6-8
April 13 at midnight
17.50 Euro

The Rakes - Good Shoes
Melkweg - Lijnbaansgracht 234a
April 18, 830PM
12 Euro

Cruising down a canal in the Pijp yesterday, enjoying the perfect weather, I noticed at a certain point, a few man standing still, staring into the windows of houses. Right about there, I remembered where I was, the not-often-talked about Red Light District in the Pijp.

People are often so fixated on the Red Light District, especially you who have not been here yet. It has a sort of mythical status, to the point that I think people don't realize there are various districts in various towns and actually, well beyond the borders of the Netherlands.

But still, few can rival the insane circus atmosphere of Amsterdam main red light area. Where else can you be yelled at by sexworkers, while eating french fries, and shopping for another black tshirt with a big marijuana leaf on it?

Some may eventually wander over to the Jordaan and discover the mini-red-light. A slightly more tasteful area with a lovely canal view. But rarely do the tourists make it down to the Pijp's red light district. It stretches only about 2 or 3 blocks, strategically located just where a large pleasure boat company docks. Just a stones throw away from the beloved Albert Cuyp Market. (head south west to the Ruysdaelkade)

So whether you're an urban sociologist, a sex anthropologist, or a creepy old man, the Red Lights down in the south of Amsterdam may be of interest to you.

If your goal is a romantic Italian dinner, check out Casa di David. Located on Singel 426 just off the Koningsplein, it has an excellent ambiance. With two floors, a huge wood-burning stove in the back, and menus doubling as rolled up scrolls, you're sure to be entertained! Among other things you can order homemade pasta and delicious pizzas - the best I've found in the center of Amsterdam.

Casa di David is open from 5PM to 1130PM every day. Enjoy!

If you've never gone out to the spots around Westerpark, there is a lot to be said for the 20 minute bike ride. The Culture Park Westergasfabriek is a former gasworks, and "oozes a unique mood of adventure and energy."-from the website:)
Within the park, you will find the Flex bar, Pacific Parc, and other nice locations for weekend partying. The Pacific Park also often has good Sunday afternoon DJs. Additionally, there are funky breakfast and lunch spots, and the ExpressoFabrik with fantastic cappucino freddos.

Recently I went to the cinema at the Westergasfabriek, called Bioscoop het Ketelhuis. They play an interesting selection of international independent films and afterwards, you can go on to one of the bars for a drink. When I went, however, it was a special night. Free popcorn flowed, very cheap drinks were on offer (1 euro beers) and a cool jazz band played live. I don't know if this unique event will happen again, but I always recommend going out to the park anyway. There is always something happening, and it is just far enough that you feel you've escaped the city for the day (or night).

I've gotten into the habit of walking around with my iPod cranked up - whether it's music or a podcast, I can't get enough of all the information and entertainment that's available to me. But in the process I've realized that I've become removed from the world around me. The other day, I neglected to attach the headphones, and ended up hearing the enchanting sounds of Amsterdam.

Amsterdam has noise, of course, but you tend to tune it out after some time has gone by. But now, because of my break, I was suddenly aware of car engines and murmuring pedestrians, but also the sound of horse hoofs on pavement, pigeons wings flapping as they narrowly escaped death, and bike bells ringing at all of the above.

Listening to music is sometimes a nice escape, but f you've made this a habit, don't forget to re-immerse yourself in the sounds of Amsterdam from time to time.

Here's a little tip that you may never use, but might one day save you from a great deal of pain.

Due to the sideffects of global warming, Amsterdam has become a sort of warm weather spring-summer getaway, or at least it will in the coming years, mark my words. (that is until the oceans level rise and it all comes to an end)

So you may get here in April, like for example this year, and look around and think - WOW, its such nice weather, let's go swimming. And you may be lucky enough to take a boat straight down the Amstel river, toward a lovely town called OudeKerk. And after enjoying all the beautiful scenery, especially the plentiful nature, you may decide -- time to jump in for a swim.

Here's where my advice should chime in. ITS COLD. No really, I mean, it's cold. It might look lovely and there might be, as there were this weekend, families bar-b-q-ing on either side of the river... but still.. its cold. Colder than you think. Cause remember, it is still April, NOT the season for swimming in a canal, no matter how appealing the water might look. Just enjoy the scenery, have some snacks and drinks, wave at the other boats and the ladies in the bikini's... and sail on. Stay out of the water until at least... June. Ouch.

So after returning from my weekend trip to Maastricht, I headed off to London again. This time, I did a sweep of the English countryside, hitting Ascot, Oxford, Bath, the Vale of the White Horse, the Glastonbury Tor and Abbey, and Stonehenge two and a half days. I cheated though – my father was in town and rented a car to drive me around. I highly recommend seeing the sights in Glastonbury – the view from the top of the Tor is incredible. Oxford was super pretty, and close to London. You can also go punting there if you’re into small tipsy boats. The Vale of the White Horse isn’t worth going to if you’re on a budget – it’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere, and the whole white chalk horse is only visible by air. I had fun running around that hilltop, though. It also has a great view. Bath is something of a party town in addition to having some lovely ruins and cathedrals. Stonehenge is, of course, memorable. I’m happy that it is still surrounded by green hills, and the highway that runs near it will be moved underground soon.
After a day’s break in Amsterdam, I went to Prague. I’m a regular jetsetter these days! I wonder if all jetsetters get terrible colds as a result. Prague is hilly too. Not a good place to be if you’re on the verge of dying, but I survived. The lovely exchange rate helped ease my pain. I just bought ice cream at every vendor I saw.
If you go to Prague, beware of the transportation system. No one checks your ticket like they do in Amsterdam and tickets are only available in Metro stations, but being caught without a valid ticket will set you back 400 koruna – about 15 euros. That happened to me and my friends, unfortunately. It was our first day and we got stranded without tickets or a way to purchase them, and my friends weren’t carrying enough cash to pay for the ticket, so the disguised police officers followed us to an ATM. That was odd. We became convinced they weren’t actual officers – their badges were just laminated cards similar to the ISIC card. The moral of the story: Always have extra tickets on you!
We took a day trip to Karlovy Vary, the famous spa town about two hours by bus from Prague. Getting there was easy – there are hourly buses that cost about 90 koruna if you have an ISIC card (the only valid student ID in Prague). The town was beautiful, but we faced some serious student discrimination. We were excited to spend on some self-pampering, but we were rebuffed without explanation by two separate hotels that advertised spa treatments. So beware if you decide to visit. The town also focuses more on medicinal treatments than the usual beauty salon services.
The city was overall a trifle depressing, although that may have been due to my illness. The people were friendly and the service in the restaurants we visited was pretty uniformly good. We did spend literally an hour wandering the streets trying to find a restaurant listed in one of our guide books, only to be informed by a kind Czech native that the restaurant had closed nearly three years ago. Another food story: We went to a Czech restaurant and attempted to find out the contents of the “bohemian dumpling”. Our waiter informed us that there was no meat, no vegetables and no bread involved, so we got pretty confused. It turned out to be the same type of dough used in the bapaos that I adore. Tasty, but not what one immediately associates with the word dumpling.
If you do visit and want a cheap clean place to stay, I recommend the Boathouse Hostel. It’s not on a boat, tragically, but it’s nice and the ladies who run it are super friendly and helpful. It’s a little ways outside the center of the city and about a ten minute walk from the closest tram stop, but the location is pretty (on a river!) and quiet, and the walk home will sober you up.

Today, I discovered a ferris wheel being set up in Dam Square. It appears that a carnival will be going on in front of Queen Beatrix's palace. I'm not sure when it will be open, but the ferris wheel is almost complete. Normally, I shy away from ferris wheels, but I might just have to go on this one. The view must be amazing.

Test Subject: Walki Talki Red Light District Walking Tour
Estimated Time: 1 Hour
Start Time: 4:50PM
Finish Time: 5:36PM
Procedure: Download MP3 files to iPod or other MP3 player; print out accompanying map; “walk the walk”.
Comments: The tour was easy to use, and it took less than five minutes to set up a Walking Tour playlist on my iPod and hit the road. Printing out the map was more difficult simply because I don’t have a printer. I started late afternoon on a Tuesday to reduce the number of pedestrians. The time turned out to be great – there was plenty of light and people still around, but the streets weren’t too cluttered.
I was a bit apprehensive when I read the title on the map, afraid I’d be wandering around the Red Light District for an hour. “On the right you’ll see a lovely sex shop, and on your left, an assortment of lovely ladies”. But the title is really a misnomer, as the tour spends most of its time elsewhere, beginning in Dam Square, and ends in Nieuwmarket. Narrated by “BBC travel guru” Ben Silburn, the tour tries to incorporate humor and historical facts into one guide. It starts off with early 90s music, and is clearly geared for young adult listeners. I could have done without the simulated sex-sounds, though. There are occasional jokes about drug use and sex, and so I wouldn’t recommend it for younger children. 12-year-old boys should love it, though. The tour actually provides a lot of really interesting facts about the city, and the sometimes-awkward humor really detracted from that. The whip sound when Silburn jokes about how the “bad” Americans need liability disclaimers? Unnecessary. The tour was incredibly well-paced, though, unlike many audio guides I’ve experienced. Interesting information not immediately related to a monument or square carries you from point to point, so that you don’t need to stand around waiting for the guide to finish or pause it while walking. I stopped to take pictures and notes along the way, and only had to pause once or twice. Walki-talki’s estimation of time needed for the tour seemed exaggerated, but allows for extra wandering or shopping.
The only parts that I found jarring – aside from the, um, more colorful sounds – were when Silburn or the guest guide pretended to be physically present, asking me to follow them or informing me that they’d “meet” me at a certain location. C’mon now, I’m walking around with a pair of headphones on. Clearly you’re not actually guiding me around the city.
The directions were good, the information interesting, Silburn’s voice is pleasant to listen to, and the occasional jokes about Dutch culture were fun. I’m generally not a huge fan of audio guides because they are so often start-and-stop, but this one was well-done and I enjoyed my walk around the city. The only real detriment to the audio guide system was the fact that the tour drowned out the noise of the city, preventing you from getting the full experience.
The tour is currently available on the Walki Talki website for $5.00. I’m not sure I would pay for it, but if you want a tour without a huge group of tourists surrounding you and a harassed lady holding up an umbrella shouting at the head of the group, it’s definitely worth it.

The picture is of Little Venice, one of the sights along the tour route.

Yes we ALL know that you can smoke joints in the Netherlands. How could you miss it? With coffeeshops, headshops and smart shops on every corner, it's impossible to overlook. Ok so we have weed, and we have magic mushrooms, and we have herbal enhancers, many of which are also illegal in other countries.

What else is legal in the Netherlands? Lets see.. How about euthanasia? Yes. How about same-sex marriages? But of course. Polygamy? Even polygamy? Well, all but in name, yes (civil unions among 3 have occured). What about file-sharing programs like Kazaa? YES! Isn't it remarkable that a society with so many things deemed insiduous, portrayed as malicious, subversive and even dangerous, a nation with all these things openly accepted, that this country still manages to simply function on a daily basis?! And not only that, it excels!

The Netherlands was even ranked recently by the BBC as the #1 foreign aid provider (relative to the size of the economy) out of the worlds top 21 wealthiest countries. The BBC article says, "the Netherlands led the pack on generous investment and aid as well as measures to curb greenhouse gases".

Let us now sing the praise of a country so well adjusted. Despite the day to day annoyances, the institutionalized frustrations (ehum.. IND) and that pesky 'tourist' infestation, this is a pretty great place to live!

With Amsterdam as busy as it is it's a good idea to plan ahead when looking for a place to stay. Ibis Hotels, who offer basic but comfortable rooms, have a new deal called "Happy 30". Rooms in Amsterdam are offered for 49 en 69 Euro when you book at least 30 days in advance.
Ibis also introduced this campaign in 15 other European countries. The interactive maps will tell you where the hotels are located exactly.

So plan ahead and save some $$$!

I'm back in Minnesota for a brief visit. Upon peering out the window of the plane as we landed, I was shocked to realize that Minnesota is somehow still back at the end of winter, whereas the Netherlands is completely spring. The land of the Dutch has flowers and green trees (not quite the spectacular version you see in the picture, but close) and Minnesota still has snow on the ground, although the sun is shining faithfully.

I hope that spring really does appear in the near future, which means I'll get to experience it twice this year. Maybe there's something nice about freezing through the first few days of my visit, after all.

EXHIBITION
World Press Photo Exhibition
Oude Kerk - Oudekerksplein 23
April 24 - June 17
5 Euro

CONCERTS
Skatalites (reggae, ska). Two original bandmembers from 1964!
Paradiso - Weteringschans 6-8
April 21, 8PM
17,50 Euro

Idlewild (rock)
Paradiso - Weteringschans 6-8
April 22, 1030PM
12 Euro

Brett Anderson (pop). Solo debut of former Suede front man.
Melkweg - Lijnbaansgracht 234a
April 23, 830PM
16 Euro

The Friday Night Skate is a great way to discover Amsterdam by night! Free rides every Friday with every week a new route, starting in the Vondelpark at 8PM. For more info and the actual route of the week check out the FNS website.
If you didn't bring skates in your backpack you can rent skates at Vondeltuin/Rent a Skate at 5 Euro an hour. ISIC, ITIC and IYTC card holders will get a discount of 1,50 Euro. The Vondeltuin/Rent a Skate outlet is located at Vlietwaard 311 (Phone: 020-6645091).

If you have any other tips on where to rent skates let us know by leaving a comment!

Photos: George Janszen

Today, I went to Alkmaar, about 40 minutes by train from Amsterdam, to see the fabled cheese market. I heard tales of members of the cheese-maker guilds toting big fat cheese on sleds to be weighed, and as a lover of good cheeses, I was hoping to snag some traditional Dutch cheese. So off I went horribly early in the morning.
Alas, it really wasn’t that exciting. I tried to take some pictures for you, dear readers, but it was difficult over the hordes of heads in front of me. And… there really wasn’t that much to see. Some guys in funny costumes were running around with cheeses on painted wooden sleds while a woman watched and provided commentary in Dutch and sometimes English. There was cheese available for purchase, but (as far as I found – there may have been an almighty cheese vendor that I missed) it was just one kind available in different flavors. It all seemed rather tourist-y, and the massive crowds didn’t help dissuade me.
So we went off the beaten path and just wandered around. Alkmaar is a very pretty place with some great shopping. Trains run frequently between Alkmaar and Amsterdam Centraal, so it’s easily a day trip, or even just a morning jaunt. I recommend you go if you have time, but perhaps on a less crowded day. The cheese market/spectacle is only on Friday mornings between May and September, so it’s easily avoided or seen as you prefer.

Recently my roommate and I were trying to decide what to do with ourselves on a sunny Sunday morning. My friend was making breakfast as we brainstormed. She mentioned that she had recently heard about a monkey park somewhere, and we both thought "monkeys? In the Netherlands?"

My roommate was cooking up her egg and matzoh cracker scramble, a Jewish traditional meal. We were both feeling pretty lazy, and although the ideas sounded great, the motivation was lacking.. I was reading the matzoh package when I noticed a picture of a monkey on a peel-off sticker. It was in fact a coupon for discounted admission to the monkey park! Once we finished laughing, we decided that we could not ignore such a sign, so we went to the train station and took the first one we could find to Apeldoorn.

Once there, we then had to take a bus, for about 25 mins. The price for admission to the park is 16 euros for adults, with reduced prices for seniors and children. They also offer guided tours in English, and the area itself offers excellent camping if you would like to make it a weekend trip.

Once inside, you can walk around and see the many different kinds of monkeys, gorillas, and others, most of which are in large pens just like any traditional zoo. Yet some of the monkeys, the spider monkeys, roam free, free enough to come and snatch your wallet or camera! Recently, park officials decided to train the monkeys to stop touching humans, to our great disappointment. They do this by arming staff with water squirt guns and using them on any frisky monkeys. At any rate, they still run all around you, and are just an arm's length away.

We had a great time. You can find out further details by visiting the Apenheul website . The park is open from 9:30 to 5. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

I've mentioned the Lloyd Hotel before, as you may recall my video entry from my first visit there.

As luck would have it, a dear friend invited me to come to Lloyd Time, recently. Now, I have a tendency to forget little details, and somehow the term "Lloyd Time" left me very confused. When is Lloyd Time, and why is it so named?

Not letting that stop me, I went over to the Lloyd and sure enough, at the entrance there is a sign promoting Lloyd Time, apparently every monday, which on that particular day was dedicated to Islamic Philosophy and Art, especially Art from the region in and around Turkey.

I had arrived early, and to my surprise was immediately invited to sit down at a table where several of the evenings speakers were seated. Instantly knee-deep in a conversation involving how Arabic writing changed with the dawn of the printing press, one very interesting gentleman eventually took out a laptop to show me illustrations of just what they were talking about.

As the evening went on, fruit salad and tea magically made their way down the table to me, and we sat listening to each presenter talk about their research. A crowd of spectators gathered on the couches positioned in front of us... I wondered if Lloyd Time had regulars? Would I become a regular?

Whether I do or not depends largely on the ultimate frisbee season, and how my team does this year. But that shouldn't keep me from recommending a little Lloyd Time to you, every monday night at 9 at the Lloyd Hotel, just a brief tram ride east of Central Station.

Many students I have met are well aware of the street bounty offered up the night before trash day around Amsterdam, particularly in nicer neighborhoods like the Jordaan.

There is another place where you can find all sorts of unique objects to personalize, and 'jazz up', your home. Even if (or especially if !) you are only in Amsterdam temporarily.

Every day the Waterlooplein street market vendors begin the shutdown, and weeding out, of their junk. Certainly the real antiques will be held onto, ready to wait out the following days, but plenty of really great stuff is discarded every night!

The best time to go is 5:30 or 6. Some of the objects I've adopted in the past year and a half here:
A large beautiful rug. A small table on wheels. A painted plate from Tenerife. A bronz plate from Morocco. Several glass vases. Several baskets. Old maps of Europe. Old maps of Holland. And, much, much more. Some of the weirder objects tended to scare people in my old flat. These were picked up by my previous roommate who had an eccentric flair for decorating, including a giant sized barbie doll head with half her hair missing, and a large broken painting that eerily resembled her, as if it were her very own great grandmother.

It can be great fun to go trash picking, if you're not scared by the highly competitive junkies and fellow students! And you will certainly find something special, something that feels as if it were left there just for you. Happy picking!

There's so many ways to enjoy spring flowers in the Netherlands, and I can't seem to stop talking about them. I've urged a visit to Keukenhof, and encouraged bike rides through the bulb fields, but there's another way to enjoy these amazing fields of color: from the plane!

If you're taking a flight out of the Netherlands in the next few weeks, make sure to look down. I guarantee you'll gasp at the beauty of the fields from the air. I wish I had a photo, but my moment of enjoyment was over before I had time to get out my camera. But, really, it has to be seen to be believed.

It's all over in a few more weeks, so if you don't have a trip planned, make sure to get in the air sometime next spring.

The Amsterdam Arena is good for a lot of things: sporting events (although I've never attended) and expos (ditto) are probably two of them. One thing it is not good for is attending a concert, especially one where you're interested in a decent level of acoustics.

The only time I've been to the Arena was to see a U2 concert. I waited in line for hours for the tickets, and excitedly planned for months in order to hear them live. What I didn't know was that our seats would be so high up that we felt we were in danger of plunging to our deaths.

I also didn't know that the sound would be so bad that some of the songs (and all of Bono's political talk) would be incomprehensible. It was so disappointing, especially after all the anticipation!

My advice? Stick to the Heineken Music Hall. It's smaller and the sound is amazing, so you can simultaneously enjoy your beer, your companion(s) and your music.

QUEEN'S DAY AND QUEEN'S NIGHT
Don't miss the biggest orange celebration in Amsterdam on April 30! The Dutch celebrate their Queen's Birthday (Koninginnedag) with open street markets, music everywhere, street performers and lots of beer... The celebrations start the evening before with special Queen’s Night parties in most bars and nightclubs. Live music is played on outside stages set up on the Nieuwmarkt, Leidseplein, Reguliersdwarsstraat, Westermarkt, Westerstraat, Rembrandtplein and Amstelveld and several spots outside the Singelgracht from 7PM till 1AM. More information and a selection of Queen’s Night Parties in Amsterdam.
April 30 and April 29 (evening)
Everywhere

CONCERT
Partyline (punk, indie, new wave)
Occii - Amstelveenseweg 134
April 27, 9PM
5 Euro

EXHIBITION
"To See or Not to See" at the Hortus Botanicus envolves around the famous Swedish scientist Linnaeus, who spent three years in the Netherlands. During that time he seezed the opportunity to spread his ideas worldwide. The exhibition shows the world through the eyes of Linnaeus.
The Hortus Botanicus is located in the Plantage district behind 300-year-old gates. It's one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world (established in 1638). The Orangery has a nice outdoor cafe and is a good spot to take a break. While you are there don't skip the three-climate greenhouse and the palmhouse.
Hortus Botanicus - Plantage Middenlaan 2a
Linnaeus exhibition April 27 - September 30
6 Euro

Photos from Flickr: Andries3 and Lizbef

I realize we do alot of recommending on Trippist. But this isn't about that. This is about an Amsterdam evening I spent, this week, with the punkrock band New Found Glory.

Now NFG and I do have some history. Back in my days of punk and ska and touring in the US, we played a show down in Miami, almost 10 years ago. Christ I'm old.

So when an old friend who works for the band emailed and said "guess who's in town, meet me at the such-n-such hotel and come to the Melkweg for the show", I naturally said yes.

It is among my guilty and perhaps silly pleasures, but I love having just the right friends so that often when I show up to Melkweg or Paradiso, I say "Im on the guestlist," those are the moments where I probably get all over confident, strangely proud to be the old friend.

And so it went, showed up on a lazy summer-come-early tuesday night, breezed right past the Dutch emo-teens, and into the grote zaal. And indeed, the place isn't as full as I remember so many shows in this town, or other NFG shows in the past. But the not-quite-full room made up for the surprising elbow room by singing their hearts out. At some point I started to wonder if the crowd should have their own mic with which to sing the songs for the band. It was still a cool thing to watch, your friends' music memorized and adored by a truckload of Dutch kids.

Of course my favorite part of the show is the end, when I get to hang out, sit on the bus, and walk the city in search of whatever food is left over. Not to mention the bizarre assortment of food in the green room that includes a jar of peanutbutter but not much else to eat it with. With the help (or burden depending on how you want to look at it) of several die-hard-fan teenage girls, we explore everything that after midnight Leidseplein has to offer. Which is terms of quality, isn't really much.

But nevermind that. Two things met the requirements of the band:
1- The Easy Times coffee shop. One of the most unremarkable JOINTS in town, but it is open late & has weed, so when you're a punk band on tour, that seems to work.
2-BurgerKing. The Horror. That terrible smelling blightly lit fake food establishment stands right on the square as if it will never close.. EVER. And who knew, this was just what the boys and girls wanted., before rushing back to the giant bus and heading on an all night trip to Paris.

What did I learn from such an experience? Nothing really. It wasn't about what I like in Amsterdam, it was about spending time with a friend, and letting rockstars do what they need to do, no matter how bad the choice of Amsterdam establishment.

Tomorrow is Queen's Day. Although I'm currently out of the Netherlands, I've experienced this city-wide party quite a number of times, and each year I've become less enthusiastic about attending. Last year, in fact, I huddled in my apartment working for most of the day, after a brief morning stroll. But it's important to be positive, too, so I do have advice for some of you more enthusiastic participants.

One, bring lots of change to pay for the toilet. There are more toilets available for use in Amsterdam on Queen's Day than any other day of the year, but you also have to pay about 50 cents to use them. It's probably also a good idea to bring interesting conversation partners or at least a book, since you'll be waiting at least 30 minutes to use the toilets every place you go.

Two, be prepared to have beer poured on you. No matter what happens, you will return home with beer in your hair, on your clothes, and squishing in your shoes. There's no way to avoid it.

Three, learn to enjoy the crowds. The fastest possible gait is a shuffle, so you'll be getting very friendly with a lot of strangers in just a few hours. Who knows? Maybe some of the world's best relationships have formed on Amsterdam's late April streets.

Queen's Day is a rocking party, after all, and the energy of the day will get you through. Take lots of pictures, too - if you're a temporary resident or visitor, you'll never see anything quite like this again.

According to the clock, Queen's day began an hour ago. Or maybe it begins whenever the city wakes up with its already big hangover following queen's night.

I'll have lots to say about QD'07, the biggest national party of the year, but for now I already have one major disappointment to announce.

Due to heavy frisbee action at a local park following rigorous boating and a bar-b-q in my yard.... I missed the Drag Queen Olympics!

By the time I cycled over, it had already passed. Probably the awards were given out, and the ladies had already sweated it out in the annual Drag Queen test of might and skill. Especially the handbag throw, that one I did not want to miss. Actually the stilleto sprint would have also been quite the spectacle. All I can say is that, if you were there, I envy you, and come next Olympics, which should be right back here on April 29th, 2008... that's where I'll be.