Two fishermen on a boat in an Amsterdam canal looking up

A Frisian Eel Fisherman in Amsterdam

On a cold day in January 2020 I was invited to come along on a boat ride with Bas Oosterbaan and his fellow skipper Gerben Brouwer. Despite the dreary…
House Bartolotti, Amsterdam, front view with two chimneys

Bartolotti House

Completed in 1620, the Bartolotti House was one of the largest merchant’s houses in the city, with a richly decorated and slightly curved facade (which…
Hajenius Cigar Store, Amsterdam, front view

Hajenius Cigars on the Rokin

P.G.C. Hajenius Cigars, located on the Rokin 82–96, is a Dutch cigar brand, now owned by Scandinavian Tobacco Group. Started in 1826 as a cigar store…
Close-up of rose-ringed paraqueet

The Green Invaders

No, I'm not talking about Martians, but about the rose-ringed parakeet, a medium-sized parrot 40 cm (16 in) in length (including the long tail feathers).…