THE recommendation for this weekend consists of 3 concerts, one major location: Westerpark.

Anyone who goes by Westerpark this week will notice the huge summer stage that his been setup to accommodate a very big concert series entitled Live at Westerpark. So let's cut to the chase:

Friday: Simply Red, 8pm, €49.
Saturday: Lenny Kravitz, 8pm, €59.
Sunday: Anouk, 8pm, officially sold out.

You probably noticed 2 things about the weekend schedule. Some legendary names at some very expensive prices. For the true fans out there, I'm sure its worth it.

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Although I've mentioned it on the blog before, this past sunday I made my way to Arnhem for a meeting and a tour of the Museum of Modern Art; also known as MMKA. While I had long heard that this place existed and was interesting to see, I was still surprised with how beautiful it is. Inside and outisde.

Inside MMKA is not overwhelming yet it isn't so small that you're done in an hour. Between the exhibit, entitled Rebelle Art and Feminism 1969-2009 and the permanent collection, there were plenty of pieces that had me laughing, confused, impressed, disgusted, and often - in awe.

Beyond the fantastic art, MMKA also hits you with a beautiful garden. A garden located on top of one of those Arnhem hills overlooking the river, a beautiful green landscape the likes of which you don't normally get to see in the Netherlands. You can sit out there looking down at the river and taking in the scenery while enjoying the mind numbingly good brownies from the museum café. I may take the 1 hour 30 minute ride back very soon just to do it again.

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As always, expats have lots of choices if they look to Cosmo Polite for things to do. A couple examples of what to expect in the coming weeks:

On Tuesday, July 7th the group will attend the Robeco Summer Concerts. Thursday the 16th is the monthly Thursday Expat Drinks, and Thursday the 23rd hosts a summer wine tasting. Saturday the 25th of July is a Salsa Beginners workshop, and another Robeco Concert presents itself on Tuesday the 28th.

See Cosmo Polite’s website for more information and to learn more about the club.

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Amsterdam and Rotterdam have their museum nights in the winter months, but Leiden holds its night of cultural fun in July. The deal is similar to the other cities – lots of museums opening their doors until late with exciting programs and a whole new look at their contents. A couple details:

Museum night in Leiden runs from 8pm until late on July 4th, 2009. In addition to the many museums that will take part, there will be DJ's, concerts, outdoor cinema, workshops, theater, dance and more. Afterparties will be held in InCasa and ALSV Quintus.

Interested participants can buy a Passe-partout for €10, which can be purchased online (see the banner at the top of the page), at participating museums and at the Visitor’s Center Leiden.

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The summer’s heating up, and there’s so many things going on I don’t even know where to start. And now, there’s an entire website dedicated to discovering the summer in Leiden.

The months of June, July, August and September are full of activities and events in art, culture and music. The website “Zomer in Leiden” provides a comprehensive look at all of these, updated each Monday.

Mark this website and get ready to enjoy the summer months to the fullest.

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It is quite hot out there. Like middle of the summer, is every window opened? type hot. And with summer come the cool evening concerts, among them I recommend....

Friday:

The Netherlands Air guitar Championship takes place at Paradiso, 8:30pm, €10 + membership.

Saturday:

Part of their summer concert series the Royal Netherlands Concertgebouw Orchestra plays in their house; 8:15pm, tickets range from €29 to €40.

Sunday:

Duff McKagan's Loaded (Velvet Revolver / ex-Guns N' Roses) has been touring the world, you can see them at Melkweg this Sunday; 8:30pm, €20 + membership.

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In the city where I live, Amsterdam, there used to be a few people riding around on segways. However, 2 or 3 years ago, the futuristic transport devices seemed to disappear from the urban landscape. In 2007 there was supposed to have been a national ban on segways from public streets. Somehow in the beloved city of Delft in 2009, segway tours are still going strong.

A segway tour of Delft lasts about an hour. You can book it at the tourist information point, keeping in mind that its a minimum group of 4, otherwise you have to pay a surcharge. The €56, 60 minute tour is given by a professional guide, as is the €46, 45-minute tour. The tours depart 4 times daily, check the website for exact times.

While you may not be able to experience the wonder of seeing all Dutch cities by segway, it is still pretty cool that a city like Delft still offers you that unique option.

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The Hermitage is opened!

Yes over the weekend there was major fanfare on the Amstel as the Queen and the Russian president got together along with several other important people to have a ceremony and declare the Hermitage- opened. The museum is the only branch outside of Russia, of the world famous Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg.

For the past 300+ years the building on the Amstel had served as a home for the elderly. Until the decision was made several years ago that it should be renovated and made into a permanent museum. As one would expect, it will offer visitors a chance to view rare works of Russian art.

The museum is opened daily, from 10am to 5pm. Admission is €15 for adults. But children under 16 or those with an I Amsterdam card, get in for free.

Here's a video of the opening ceremony:

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Looking for an excuse to get to know Den Haag better? There’s still a week left to go in the 2009 Hague Festivals. For the second year in a row, Den Haag is hosting a large number of events in the city, such as Festival Classique, The Hague Sculpture, Shopping Night, Dutch Veterans Day, and Parkpop.

For a full list of events, click here. To see photos of this year’s events, check this page.

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It is time again for the Amsterdam Roots Festival. This Sunday you can enjoy, for free, national and international musical acts as well as browse the more than 100 stands that make up the festival.

Among the acts this year are names like: Natacha Atlas & The Mazeeka Ensemble, Zimbabwe's Chiwoniso, and Miami-based Locos Por Juana. Beyond the music, there will also be dance workshops and demonstrations of numerous styles like: salsa, samba, African dance, and tango.

Last year 60,000 people found their way to Oosterpark to enjoy the roots festival. This year organizers expect even more visitors to what has become one of the city's most loved festivals. Stands as well as performances will start around noon and continue til at least 9pm, giving you plenty of time to enjoy at least some of it.

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