You may have heard the news in your neck of the woods, but here in Holland it made the front page: Anne Frank's Celebrated Chestnut Tree fell under the force of heavy winds earlier this week.

It is referred to as Anne Frank's tree as in her writing she refers several times to the tree which was just outside her window behind the garden house where she and her family were hiding. The tree has long stood as a part of the Anne Frank museum and a beloved symbol. However over the past 3 years the tree had many problems with sicknesses, leading to a famous battle between those who wanted to cut it down and those who wanted to save it. The saving side won the battle, until this week when extreme winds arrived in Amsterdam.

Within all the reports of the tree's death, one question did surface: what to do with the wood? No decision has been made yet. But there are already several saplings from the tree being grown in different parts of the world, including in California.

Next time you find yourself in the Anne Frank museum you will unfortunately not see that trusty old chestnut tree. Maybe they will leave a photo as a reminder...

In only a few hours Sail2010 will begin with the fantastic Sail Parade, the arrival of a huge array of Dutch and International ships in the Ij harbor. The opening will stretch from 10am to 3pm, which is a big window of time for everyone to catch a glimpse. Starting at 10am tomorrow there will also be activities for children at Pirate Island (thematically renamed section of Java Island). There will also be an area for MINI-SAIL which is apparently where miniature boats will be featured.

The entire Sail event is not widely known outside of the Netherlands but make no mistake, this event, which takes place every 5 years, is right up there among this city's biggest and most fun events.

Naturally for full information, including what is happening at what time on each day, as well as full descriptions of featured ships, consult their website. I'll also be keeping an eye on SAIL2010's twitter account for details as to what is going on throughout the long weekend.

Truth be told, many of the Gay Pride 2010 events started on Sunday, but there is plenty of time to join the fun before the big parade this weekend.

Your ultimate guide to Gay Pride Weekend, which stretches from the 5th to the 8th of August, is available here.

As you may know, The Netherlands, especially Amsterdam, is considered one the gay capitals of Europe. Meaning this is the place where the gay community, friends, and neighbors, set up a lawn chair along the canal, share some drinks, and enjoy the fun.

Unfortunately this year, my favorite event - The Drag Queen Olympics- was canceled last minute and moved to Madrid. As a consolation, there will be a Drag King Betty Contestat King Betty's, with judging by Vera Bergkamp, EllenElla and Miss Windymills.

I attended the Red Bull Fierste Ljeppen competition here in Utrecht on Saturday and got to enjoy watching this historic Dutch sport. Although it dates back to the 1200s at least, the competitions nowadays are modern and exciting. The crowd was huge, as well, with more than 13,000 spectators there that day to enjoy the sport and the beautiful weather. We saw some high fliers and a few big splashes, and even saw a new world record being set by Thewis Hobma, who jumped 20.72 meters. I thought I'd share a few of my photos, in case you didn't get to go but are curious about the sport.

It's just a few weeks away - Amsterdam's world famous Gay Pride Parade! I'm sure as the time draws closer my fellow Trippist writers will have more details for you, but for now, put Saturday, August 7th on your calendars. That's the day that the Canal Parade will take place. If you don't participate in any other events, this is the one not to miss.

The official website already has all details available for the Canal Parade. Check out the site for an official map, where you can see the parade begins at 2pm on the Prinsengracht at the Westerdok harbor (west of the Central Station). It travels around the Prinsengracht until it makes a left onto the Amstel, then heads north in the direction of the Oosterdok, finishing around 5pm.

The website also provides a full schedule of events from Friday August 6th until Sunday August 8th. If the Canal Parade isn't what you had in mind, an incredible variety of parties and cultural events await you during the weekend.

The story is circulating in the local press this morning in Amsterdam, as the Public Transport Museum has announced they are on the verge of bankruptcy. This comes after years very public warnings and statements by the museum about the city's lack of support for their existence and future locations as their old garages are being closed down.

This means for anyone visiting Amsterdam, now more than ever, it is a fine time to visit the public transport museum. Boasting a large collection of classic trams, buses, and ferries going as far back as 1901, the museum is eager to welcome visitors. They also run classic electric tram rides (daily) from old Harlemmerstation to the beautiful countryside outside of Amsterdam south. Regular price for a round trip ticket is 4 euros and its an excellent option for anyone who loves old trams and is looking to get out of the city for the day.

Do it now, before its too late!

Yes indeed the worldcup crazyness has come and gone. Yes indeed, it left on a bit of a low note as the boys in orange lost in the final. But on the other hand, it left the country with alot of good memories and funny moments, many of which captured in images and videos... the way we like it here at trippist!

Yesterday the team returned to Amsterdam were greeted with a thank you/welcome home parade. However perhaps the funniest and most eye-catching images are from the day of the final against Spain.

Here is a photo collection by our pal Marc at Amsterdamize.com, entitled "World of Orange"

This fall will present an interesting opportunity for any rare book lovers or authors out there. The American Book Center has purchased an Espresso Book Machine (EBM), capable of rapidly printing any text in just a matter of minutes! From the blog:

We hope to have it installed and ready to print obscure in and out of print titles within minutes by late September. This machine is also a godsend for authors, students, anyone who wants to quickly turn a document into an actual book with full color cover. Plans for incorporating this ingenious device into our stores are now being made. Even more so than ever before, ABC is the first place to check for wild and wonderful titles.

Check out a demonstration video on the ABC Blog. Sounds like a great idea for anyone writing a thesis that wants a nice finished final version, too. Stay tuned.

On this date in 1122, Emperor Henrik V made Utrecht into a city proper. Today, Utrecht is celebrating its 888th birthday. The city looks good for its age! You can get in on the celebration by attending any of the variety of events going on around town today and in some cases throughout the week. Some museums are offering free entrance, other spots have special offers for anyone with a name derived from Henrik; a bronze seal of the city is being placed in the pavement at the Vismarkt; and much more. Check the special Stadsdag website (in Dutch) for the full program of events.

Big music festival season will soon be upon us here in the Netherlands, that time of year when huge multi-day outdoor events take place throughout the country. While some names are world-reknowned, often its the smaller festivals that are most memorable.

In just over one week's time the Walk the Line Festival will take place in the Hague. While the title sounds like it must be a giant Johnny Cash festival, its actually just a nice music festival not necessarily obsessed with the Man in Black. Bands include Bonobo, Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, Blaudzun, and AVI Buffalo, all of which you can preview via the organization's very cool (and noisy!) website.

Tickets are available online, 25€ for one day or 45€ for both days. The dates are 14 and 15 of May and the specific locations are also explained in detail on the website.