The Stedelijk has been a floating museum of modern art for a number of years now while its main building on the museumplein undergoes neverending renovation. By floating I mean moving around and announcing different exhibits in different parts of Amsterdam. One thing I can say is whatever they do, the Stedelijk always does things in style.

Which leads us to their latest temporary exhibits entitled "Taking Place" and "Monumentalisme". The former focuses on national culture in the Netherlands and the orgins from around the world. As the curator explains "This is not about tullips and wooden shoes." Taking Place, meanwhile, focuses on the history of the museum itself, getting people re-acquainted with the Stedelijk.

These two exhibitions will continue until January 2011 and are open to the public Tuesday thru Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Thursday night there are extended hours until 10pm. Regular entry is 10€.

If you can't make it to the Book Festival this weekend, or if you're looking for reasonable priced books in English and Dutch throughout the year, you should check out Antiquariaat, located at Voorstraat 55, in Utrecht. This used-book store has a very nice selection of books in both languages, and often offers extra discounts if you buy a few books at a time. They also buy books, but it's best to go on Tuesday afternoons when the store owner is there. The store isn't all cheap paperbacks; there are some quality, collectible books on offer as well. Either way, it's a nice place to browse and pick up some enjoyable reading material.

This weekend, in the Lombok area of Utrecht, the Fotoschool Statief will be hosting a photo exhibition tour featuring the work of some of their fourth-year students. The photographers will be on hand at the locations to explain their works and answer questions. Among the photographic subjects/styles featured are: documentary, urban, landscape, color, fantasy, surrealism, and fashion.

The event takes place September 11-12, from 13-18:00. The tour starts on the hour, every hour at the Statief Studio (Van den Boschstraat 2a), before moving on to Parkhuis, J.P. Coenstraat 7/bis; Peper en Flow, Vleutenseweg 228; and Kopi Susu, J.P. Coenstraat 69. Coffee and drinks will be available at the last two stops. For more information about the exhibiting photographers, visit the website, which also lists upcoming exhibits.

The 15th annual Rotterdam Philharmonic Gergiev festival features classical music in celebration of the rebuilding of Rotterdam, 70 years since its destruction in 1940. Music by composers such as Tchaikovsky and Mahler are among the pieces that will be featured in this years event. 30 concerts in nine days: performances take place at Rotterdam's De Doelen concert hall primarily, with a few others in different parts of the city.

The festival started on Sept. 2, and will continue until the grand final performance on Friday night, Sept 10th. Tickets can be reserved online where there are several choices of buying for individual or multiple performances.

This Saturday, September 11, The Sound of Music meets the Rocky Horror Picture Show, as you get a chance to watch the classic Julie Andrews film while singing along to all the favorite songs. It's not just a sing-along, though; you also get to yell out "Amen!" any time a nun shows up on screen, or use flashlights to distract the Nazis so they don't find the Van Trapp family. There's even more cowbell! Wear your best Sound of Music-related costume and compete for prizes! The audience does the judging.

All of this and more takes place at Theater de Speeldoos on Saturday, starting at 19:30. Tickets are €20, which also includes a gift bag that has extras you may need to get fully involved in the production. Links for ticket purchases, as well as information on what extras you can take along are on the theater's website (in Dutch).

If you want to add a bit of Latin flavor to your life, head to Trianon in Utrecht this Sunday, 12 September, for the Union Salsa Party/Dancefest. Starting at 20:00, there will be a salsa workshop for beginners to help you pick up some moves. Then you can spend the rest of the evening shaking and sashaying on the dance floor. The event costs only €5. Trianon is located at Oudegracht 252,Tel: 030 231 69 39.

The national Open Monument Day takes place this weekend throughout the country. Here in Utrecht, the official date is Saturday, September 11. The theme this year is the 19th century, exploring the contrasting thoughts of the time, as the Industrial Revolution ran up against the revival of historical architectural styles. The result was a number of fascinating buildings, many of which will be open this weekend to the public.

In Utrecht, there will be five different location categories throughout the city, including the historic and beautiful Maliebaan area, and the old city center. Various university buildings and numerous churches will be open, along with the Aorta Architecture Center, as well as places like the Geld Museum and the Molen De Ster. A full listing of all locations -- and there are a lot of them -- can be found on the official website. There's an English-language summary of the theme of the event that will help explain it in more detail, and through the website, you can also find links to the monuments that will be open throughout the rest of the country.

It's time for the annual Utrecht Uitfeest, the yearly kick-off of the cultural season. This year's events take place Sunday, September 12, throughout the day. A variety of events will be going on all over the city, including youth theater, literary masters discussions, music and theater acts previewing the upcoming Pop-Ronde and Theater Café Festivals, and, of course, dancing at the Winkel van Sinkel. There's even potential for finding love -- or at least a new friend -- with the mobile matchmakers positioned at the entrances to the city. This is a special auto-free Sunday, as well, so if you're driving in, you won't be able to drive or park in the old city center.

Museums, theaters, cafés and more are taking part in the events, so check the official website for the full listing of events and times and plan accordingly. Most events should be free.

We all know I'm a sucker for news from the Amsterdam Zoo; Artis. Today they announced the birth of a male Tapir! Nakal is his name and mother and son are said to be doing just fine. The third son of Tapir Mom Aya and Tapir Father Dick, his birth is especially celebrated as all species of the Tapir are considered endangered species or at high risk of extinction.

"What is a Tapir?" you might be wondering, as I was. This small four legged cross between a pig and a horse, normally inhabits the jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia.

It is the middle of September, which means the weather isn't great and we can no longer use the excuse that everyone is on vacation when talking about whats on in Amsterdam. Here are my top three....

Friday:

The Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, fine ska from a band that seems to love playing in the Netherlands; Melkweg, 7pm, 16€ + Membership.

Saturday:

Rita Reys Young At Heart, she's known as Europe's first lady of jazz; Bimhuis, 8:30pm, 18€.

Sunday:

Korn performs along with support act Dimmu Borgir, both very beloved in some circles; Heineken Music Hall, 7:00pm, 39€.

Later in the evening, at 9 p.m., you can move over to Tivoli Oudegracht for activities and presentations that include art installations, spoken word performances, short theatric performances, and an appearance by peace activist Shirley Shackleton. Then, at 10:30 until 2 a.m., there will be music by the DJ collective Rebel Up! Sounclash and ska band The Upsessions. Reazun and Manu will also be making appearances.

For more information about the events, as well as a way to add a Twibbon to your Twitter and Facebook accounts, visit the website (in Dutch).

A homeless gentleman been featured in a few media outlets in the Netherlands, for giving tours of Maastricht. His name is Maarten Goemans and in an effort to generate some income and get himself back on his feet, he gives city tours.

Of all the tour guides one can have when visiting a city, something tells me a homeless city guide will provide a more interesting and unique overview of a city than anyone else could.

The only question I haven't found an answer to is: how does one find him?

It's that time of year again. Time for the annual Nederland Film Festival, in which the best and brightest -- both old hands and new artists -- present their work. The event is held each year here in Utrecht, and this year's festival takes place September 22 through October 1.

Throughout the following week, there will be showings of a variety of films by Dutch artists at locations throughout the city. The Stadsschouwburg is the place to be for the opening and closing ceremonies, while Neude, and various film houses throughout the city play host to a variety of showings and lectures. You can follow events and schedules through Twitter, iPhone apps, and of course, through the official website, which lists the full schedule of events and times. Many events and showings are open to the public (prices vary), so it's worthwhile to spend some time with the website to plan your festival strategy. If nothing else, go check out the large Golden Calf statue standing in front of the Stadsschouwburg.

I don't usually cover the Amsterdam scene, but I figured there might be enough Tom Waits fans in Amsterdam who would want to know about this current exhibit. In conjunction with the production of the play Richard III, which features music by Tom Waits, the Stadsschouwburg in Amsterdam where the play is being staged is also featuring an exhibit of photos of Tom Waits by Anton Corbijn over a 30-year period. The photos are part of a soon-to-be released book showcasing Corbijn's photos of Waits from 1977-2010.

The photos will be on display from September 22 through October 12, matching up with the staging of Richard III. The play is just about sold out, although there are a few extended shows that you may be able to get tickets to still. More information about the tickets for the play can be found here at the Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam website. The photo book is expected to be released sometime in October by Schirmer-Mossel Press.

Two videos showing you some of what took place at the legendary Robodock festival this year. The action ended yesterday but this images provide us with a great window into all the lights, sounds, and inventions at the event.

First its the preparation video, a great time-lapse edit:

Then comes footage from the drums, flames and brass show, which looks extremely warm:

In the Netherlands we've got plenty of old things and they are celebrated. People, places, even some old ideas date back to years that start with 14 or 15, sometimes even earlier.

One of the most famous old fixtures of Amsterdam is the Houten Huys, the Wooden House, located within the beautiful Begijnhof. Until recently the Wooden House was believed to have been built in 1452. That was until researchers uncovered new evidence this month that the house was actually built around 1528, making it younger but still keeping the title of oldest house in Amsterdam.

Here's how wikipedia explains it:

The ancient, restored wooden house ("Houten Huys", 34 Begijnhof, picture) is famous as one of the two wooden houses still existing in the center of Amsterdam (the other one being 1 Zeedijk); there are annexed villages like Nieuwendam (Amsterdam North) with many wooden houses and even a wooden church [1]. This house dates from about 1528, and is probably the oldest wooden house in the Netherlands.