This weekend was the massive Gay Pride Celebration here in Amsterdam. Whereas on Queen's Day the town turns orange, during pride everyone goes pink. From old to young, quiet to loud, onlookers to participants, locals to visitors from around the world - Pride 2009 will surely be remembered as one of the biggest ever. (perhaps in the world?)

Normally I put up some of my own videos after such a great party. But this year I came across someone with beautiful video posted on youtube. Therefore I present to you, a glimpse of pride 2009 from YouTube user ReneevanderSluis,

Many of you are no doubt familiar with the fantastic google maps option known as Street View. This option gives you the power to not only see a map but also to walk at the street level and see everything you would see if you were there in person.

Google in cooperation with some of the most popular theme parks in the Netherlands has now started on the project of making Street View available for inside the parks. In other words, you sitting there in your home in the US or Canada, you can first walk the paths of Efteling and see the rides at the Netherlands most loved action park. Once again taking mapping to a whole new level and providing you with a VERY good idea of what is located where for when you go ultimately go there in person.

Also a curious fact about the Street View mapping process, since they're inside the themeparks in places where cars can't go, they use the famous Google Street View Trike, which you can see for yourself in the photo below.

A long list of international bands and DJs is confirmed for the festival, with shows at both Tivoli locations, EKKO, as well as the Dom Square and the Catherine Convent. Some of the headliners include Lacuna Coil and Front 242. Other events include fashion shows held at the Domplein on Saturday and Sunday, and a market (free to the public) with vendors selling gothic/fantasy/underground wares ranging from clothing and makeup to music and books. The market runs Friday through Sunday, and there will be music performances throughout the market hours.

Multi-day and individual-day passes are available for purchase. Prices and purchase info can be found on the official Summer Darkness website. The site also contains a full listing of all events, times and locations, with most information given in both English and Dutch.

And hey, even if the event isn't your cup of tea, the city center becomes a great place to people watch, day and night.

The route generally covers approximately 22 kilometers, taking about two hours, with a brief stop halfway through. Because the weekly event is subsidized by the province of Utrecht, the group gets to skate on some of the best roadways and always has police protection, clearing the roads for their passage. Of course, to help keep everyone going and upbeat, a truck with a DJ leads the way, spinning discs and adding to the party atmosphere.

The Utrecht Skate Parade has a website that shows past routes and the upcoming route, as well as weather forecasts. Also included on the site is a forum, photos of past events, and more helpful information. The event is completely free and doesn't even require registration. Just show up to Lucasbolwerk, down by the Stadsschouwburg (the city theater), with skates ready to go. The group gathers at 7:45 p.m. every Friday night, weather permitting. After the skate, there are a number of cafés where you can relax, get a drink and maybe get to know some of your fellow skaters. You might come across a Trippist blogger, too.

Last week I spent an afternoon doing the most wonderful thing possible in the summer: cruising the canals. I've had a number of experiences on the water in Amsterdam, but this is the first time I've intimately explored my current home in Leiden.

Leiden is a much smaller city than Amsterdam, which added to the charm of tiny, deserted canals. Some of the routes we took ended in reverse, however - the water simply stopped or was completely bogged down in algae or trees. What an adventure!

If you get a chance, rent a boat or find a friend with a boat and get out on the water before winter closes in again.

The summer highlight of the theater calender has arrived in Amsterdam. Actually its been going on for several days now, the Parade is taking place down at Martin Luther King Park on the Amstel river.

People might warn you that Parade is very Dutch-language centered and not interesting if you don't speak the language, but I would argue that there is plenty for everyone and plenty to see and experience that transcends language. The action goes beyond theater, with many musicians, film makers and even good eats available to you everyday from now til August 16th.

Please note that you can only get tickets to a particular performance about 30 minutes before it begins so arrive early and be prepared to stand on line for the most popular shows. Better details and further info, including the daily schedule, available on their website.

Just for fun, here's a video from a past Parade performance:

Visiting museums in Leiden is apparently a popular pastime. According to the Sleutelstad, museum visitors for the seven major museums in Leiden peaked in July. In just the month of July, the museums had a total of 75,000 visitors - that's 52% more than last year!

Could it be the weather? Or maybe Leiden is becoming a more common stop on the tourist circuit. The article also points out that some other reasons may be that access is now free for children under 12 years of age. Also, July hosted Leiden's museum night, which more than 16,000 people attended.

Whatever the reason, now's your chance to see what everyone is so excited about. The museums included in the count are the Hortus Botanicus, Boerhaave Museum, Naturalis, the National Museum of Antiquities, Ethnology Museum, the Stedelijk Museum, Siebold House and The Lakenhal.

The Netherlands is a picturesque country, and often attracts great photographers from all over the world that are drawn to its photo opportunities. Recently, Expatify wrote about an American Expat called Kerry O'Malley. She's a fine-art photographer that lives in Eindhoven and has taken a number of spectacular panoramic shots of Volendam.

For those of you who have not yet visited, Volendam is a beautiful, quaint town that is located just under 40 kilometers north of Amsterdam. I have no doubt these shots (see Expatify for her examples of her photos) will encourage you to visit.

Amsterdam summers are filled with parties that resemble festivals and festivals that become giant parties. They tend to take place in interesting buildings or appropriated spaces that used to serve some other purpose. Of course being the international hub that it is, you always have both DJ's from around the world and DJ's from right down the street.

Presale tickets run about €30 and it makes sense to buy them beforehand just in case. You can buy them online or at select record shops in Amsterdam. That's Saturday the 29th of August and its a full day party starting at, read carefully now, 11am. Festivities will continue until 11pm at night. Directions and lots more info about who is spinning from what city in what corner of the world, all that can be found on the website.

August 14-16 will see the Railway Museum (Spoorwegmuseum) in Utrecht take on an Indonesian flair as the museum celebrates Pasar Perron. For the 16th year, the museum helps to celebrate Indonesian culture by becoming an original and entertaining marketplace. Enjoy food, music, demonstrations, film screenings, dancing and shopping as the museum and its trains and stations become like another land.

Part of the reason for this annual celebration is the famous Indonesian wood-burning steam locomotive, which now makes its home at the Railway Museum. You can see this train, known as the Sri Gunung, or Mountain Queen, in World 3 of the museum. The price of entry for the Pasar Perron is the usual entrance fee for the museum.For more information about the festival and the museum, visit the museum's website. Information about the event is available only in Dutch, but the site does include information about the museum itself in English.

Some of the musical acts there include melodic live-electronica artist, dB; electronic hip-hop artist Astro Poser; old-school hip-hop from the Benny Parker Showcase; as well as Fah, HakkiTakki, Don Funcke, and the 030303 DJs. With new styles of music comes new styles of art. Graphic Surgery will be there with their industrial-inspired graphic prints and paintings. The D-struct group will be featuring designer T-shirts, including offerings from the Utrecht label, Stickit. There will also be installations from HKU-graduates Daniel Roozendaal and Gino Hoiting.

No Vacancies
Saturday 16:00-04:00
Location: dB's cabinet around 100, 3534 BE Utrecht
Admission: €10, which includes the BBQ
No Vacancies on Hyves

The Pluk the night outdoor film series is a huge hit. For the rest of August, in select locations around the city, a huge outdoor screen will be set up along with lawn chairs and venders selling refreshments. The films include documentaries, shorts, and generally speaking films you wouldn't see in most theaters right now. Of course another key aspect is that its free.

I went to Pluk the Nacht this week, its current location is Stenen hoofd which is right on the Ij habor, just over from Central Station. The location was packed with people on chairs and also on their own picnic blankets. Also nearby were stands selling food and drinks to enhace the film experience.

The coolest thing about Plucht has to be its DIY attitude. Sure there are vendors ready to sell you something but the feeling never stays far from do it yourself, bring your own, and don't worry about money in this place. Starting on the 18th the festival moves to Timor Plein in the Oost, I'm thinking it will be well worth it to get over there and take in another great film night.

Leiden may be small, but it's home to some pretty cool international places. For example, Joho. According to the website,

"Starting in the early 90's as a local youth organisation focused on study & career, JoHo has grown into an international organization with the goal to set up a network of worldwide centers, dealing with international cooperation, personal development and travel. The main focuses of the organization are passing on knowledge, promoting international contacts and awareness and giving advice."

Sound like something worth checking out? Head to the website for some great travel advice - they have travel insurance information, how to find work abroad, insider tips for places to stay during world travel, and a ton of jobs, internships, and volunteer experiences.

If the website isn't enough, you can head over to Joho in Leiden, located at Stille Rijn 8-9. Joho also has locations in Amsterdam, Utrecht, Groningen and Rotterdam.

Leiden has its share of hotels, but finding a charming new establishment just minutes from the train station is a rare event. That's what happened this weekend: While walking back from the Saturday market, I spotted the Rembrandt Hotel, a smart, modern oasis in the middle of an otherwise hectic street.

I hopped online when I got home and checked out their website. Indeed, the rooms are brand new and very chic, and the hotel even has executive rooms on the top floor, complete with balconies. They have a fabulous looking restaurant and serve breakfast each morning.

I also checked out TripAdvisor - and there's already one review. If you're planning to visit Leiden, I recommend looking at this hotel. Located at the Nieuwe Beestenmarkt 10, it's very close to central station and even closer to shopping and museums.

It's always possible to find classical music concerts in Leiden, and next week is no exception.

Next Thursday, 20 August, the Hooglandse Kerk in Leiden will put on a concert with Jos van der Kooy. Follow this link to see details of the program. Admission is € 10, which includes a coffee / tea break and additionally, a drink afterwards. Not a bad deal for an evening of beautiful music.

The Hooglandse Kerk is located at Middelweg 2, close to the Hooigracht in the center of Leiden.

During the summer, the bandstand gets put to use with the Lazy Sunday Afternoon concert series. We're down to the last three weeks, as the series ends in mid September, but this Sunday, you can enjoy The Leprechauns. Inspired by folk music, they also add in musical touches from around the world. The four musicians play a variety of instruments, including guitar, violin, mandolin, banjo and accordion. The show begins at 2 p.m., but the park is open for enjoyment at any time.

If you want to see the schedule for the rest of the summer, you can check out the ZIMIHC website, the amateur art supporters and organizers of the concert series. One word of caution, though. Lepelenburg Park is off-limits to dogs, so your canine friends will have to sit this one out.

I'm not. But several thousand people are. The annual summer music festival which takes place in Biddinghuizen takes place from the 21st to the 23rd of August. With only a few days remaining before it begins, more and more of my friends are finding tickets via friends or online.
Although I'm not going, I started wondering what all the fuss was, just who is playing at lowlands that I would want to see? Upon consulting the list I found out that the list of bands is neverending. So, who would I want to see; here is a quick list:

• The Aggrolites
• Beirut
• Bloc Party
• Calexico
• Metric
• Bon Iver

That is my shortlist. Have a look for yourself and remember, there are only a few days left but there are still ways to get tickets to what has long been THE arts an d entertainment festival of the summer.

There seems to be a trend of a new kind of café and bakery in Amsterdam. Over the past 8 years a type of breakfast-lunch café that bakes its own bread, scones, and pies has sprung up in different corners of the city. These places are usually large with a classic 1950's bakery look to them, complete with old-school dishware and homemade jams.

While my lunch partner went for the french breakfast consisting of croissants and jam, I went for a dry goat cheese sandwich served on excellent homemade bread. We topped off the meal with 2 pies, one of pure chocolate, and one of lemon. The pure chocolate won best pie as far as our taste buds were concerned, but the lemon managed to bring joy in its own right.

If you're just heading into or out of town and near the train station, make a quick turn and try out Gebroeders Niemeijer. Your stomach will be pleased with the caliber of food that awaits you.

Just as I finished writing about Joho, the youth organisation focused on study & career, they've moved! On August 17 Joho moved from the Stille Rijn and took the old location of the VVV in Leiden. They are now very close to the Central Station.

Now, even if you're in Leiden and just have a couple minutes to spare, you can walk up and check out their new location. My favorite feature? In the window they have a giant world map, complete with descriptions of fun and educational opportunities available in different parts of the globe. Volunteering, language classes, environmental excursions, you name it!

The address of Joho's new location is Stationsweg 2D.

I heard about this site on BBC's Click Online: It's called CoolCapitals, and it highlights only five (of the coolest, apparently) capitals in Europe: Amsterdam, Antwerp, Valencia, Vienna, and Zurich.

Of course, here on Trippist we'll focus on Amsterdam. Check out that portion of the site, and you'll find a map with options like fashion, architecture, design, and events. By clicking on design, for example, the site gives you some great suggestions as to where you can go to check out cutting-edge shops in the city. You can also use the site to search for travel deals and flights.

If you're contemplating a trip to Amsterdam, CoolCapitals is a great place to start to get an inside scoop.

If you're in the mood for something a bit high-brow, yet still with an edge of controversy, head to Augustinuskerk (St. Augustine Church) on Thursday night in Utrecht. There, the cantatas of Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow will be performed by Capella Frisiae and Accademia Amsterdam. Who is Zachow and what's so controversial about a choral cantata performance? Well, if you're not familiar with Zachow (1663-1712), you might be more familiar with his most famous student, Georg Friedrich Handel, composer of the infamous Messiah. The Thursday concert will serve to revive the festive cantatas by the Baroque composer, who some think has been unfairly forgotten in the shadow of his famous pupil.

The concert begins at 8 p.m. Thursday, August 27, at Augustinuskerk, located at Oudegracht 69. Prices range from €12.50-15 and can be purchased online through kerkenluisteren.nl or utrechtuitboro.nl. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Utrecht Uitboro location at Domplein 9-10, or may be purchased via telephone (030 231 67 30).

The city of Amsterdam as well as the national government are both quite proud of what they see as a successful campaign to improve the quality and cleanliness of the water in the Ij harbor. Compared to decades past, they point to the fact that the ecosystem the lives off the Ij is improving and of course, the growing number of people who swim at different spots deemed clean and pleasant for a dip.

It is perhaps for this reason that 20 swimmers have decided to set out to circle around KNSM eiland, a stones throw away from Central Station and the busiest part of the inner harbor. This sunday, August 30th, starting at 12pm, these brave souls will compete for the Marie Braun Trophy. There is sure to be some fanfare and fun to be had for onlookers, as the city is mobilizing its resources to support the event.

Information in english is available on the swimmer's official website, where you can also read about a similar competition they participated in Rotterdam earlier this summer. They also have a blog, though be prepared, it is in Dutch.

There's a good chance that you've been at least slightly aware of the growing number of ukuleles popping up everywhere. The trendiest of indie bands use them, movie characters strum away on the celluloid, and ukulele orchestras who play much more than Hawaiian riffs are springing up around the world.

One of the more popular indie musicians to put the focus on this charming little instrument is Dent May and His Magnificent Ukulele. Combining classic crooner stylings with a healthy dose of humor and sardonic wit, this Mississippi-born musician is doing his part to elevate the ukulele. You can hear him for yourself on Friday, August 28, at Ekko in Utrecht. The show starts at 8:30, with support from Utrecht-artists Heug!, and tickets are €9. Check out the Ekko website for some videos and more information on ticket purchases.

If you're a ukulele musician yourself, or want to become one, Rotterdam is the place to be. The Uke Box, a ukulele duo, helps organize a monthly Ukulele Jamboree, which usually includes a free lesson before the show starts. The Jamboree has been on hiatus this summer as The Uke Box has been hitting the international ukulele festival circuit, but they're starting back up in September. To get back into the swing of things, a picnic will be held in Breda on Sunday, September 6, at 1 p.m. in Het Valkenburg Park. Take a tasty dish for the picnic potluck and don't forget your ukulele! More information can be found at the Ukulele Interventie website. The site is in Dutch, but if you need some English-language help, you're in luck, as Shelley Rickey, one of the members of The Uke Box, is another native of Mississippi and will most likely be more than thrilled to help out.

On Saturday, September 12 and Sunday, September 13, 2009, the annual Open Monumentendagen again comes to Leiden. This experience allows visitors to explore more than 30 buildings in Leiden that are usually not open to the public. Within these buildings visitors can view various card collections.

The Town Hall in Leiden also holds activities, particularly for children. To add to the fun, Leiden is car-free on Sunday, September 13. If you want to plan ahead for this event, you can pick up a free program guide at the following locations in Leiden:

Stadhuis (City Hall), Stadhuisplein 1
Stadsbouwhuis, Langegracht 72
Openbare bibliotheek (Public Library), Nieuwstraat 4

Open Monumentendagen is held on Saturday (September 12) from 10-5pm and on Sunday (September 13) from 12-5pm. For more information online, visit the official website.

A new gallery has opened in Leiden. Known as De Pieter, or The Peter, it features a collection from ten Dutch artists. Works are included from such names as Marlies van Boekel, Eva de Visser, Baldwin Writer, Barthel Brussee, Hans Bos, Marjan Waanders, Peter acid, Michel Siebes, Charlotte Boschma and Christiaan van Tol.

Even better, during opening hours on Saturdays (from 12:00 to 17:00) and Sundays (from 13:00 to 17:00) an artist is always present in order to better explain the exhibited work.

The gallery is named after the nearby Pieterskerk and is located on the Lokhorstraat 21.