Amstel Light

A perfectly strange and lovely morning in Amsterdam, plus a few recommendations if you go, and a great concert that has gotten my week completely off the rails.

Earlier this year I wrote about going to Paris and seeing the centuries-old taxidermy shop Deyrolle, where I marveled at peacocks I couldn't afford and came home with a couple of display boxes of butterflies. When I read about Amsterdam's newly opened Art Zoo in The New York Times, I knew I had to see it, and that if I did see it, I would be seeing it alone, because no one in my household shares my weird enchantment with artful – and ethically created – taxidermy.

When I think about taxidermy, I am not thinking about the head of a buck someone shot on a hunting trip and mounted on the wall, or the mouse on a stripper pole that my sister sent me a link to, wondering if that was the sort of artful and ethically created fare I sought (readers, it was not). What I am thinking about is a practice that dates back to Ancient Egyptian funerals (mummied cats!), and which during the Renaissance became a way for scientists to study the animal world and showcase it in museum settings. In the nineteenth century, taxidermy became more of an art form, where grandees could show off exotic catches in their study, for example. I remember doing my master's thesis research and coming across accounts of this person or that person with a stuffed camel or Galapagos tortoise or some such in their home or office or something and thinking "ew, weird" before changing my mind and deciding that maybe (or maybe not) I needed a peacock for my own office, much to my child's ongoing chagrin, and Beloved Mentor Pal's belief that talking about these kinds of things was weird, and to please stop.

Noted, but look: People like what they like. They're curious about what they're curious about. And so that's why I went to indulge my curiosity at Art Zoo, which is in an elegant seventeenth-century building located on one of the city's canals. The taxidermists at the heart of this project – Ferry van Tongeren and Jaap Sinke – first worked in advertising before deciding the rat race wasn't for them. If you've read this newsletter for any length of time, you know I have an abiding interest in second acts, so the idea that two Dutch guys would leave advertising and say "Hey, why don't we start a high-end taxidermy practice?" was especially titillating to me. That isn't exactly the most 21st century pivot. I mean, wouldn't you want to know more? Just me? Okay, it's fine if it's just me.

Still...

Where most taxidermists aim to pose an animal in a natural way, this duo is all about extravagant, whimsical poses that you might find in a seventeenth century painting.

If you seek a nineteenth century birdcage with 19 taxidermied birds, these are the guys you turn to (if you have the means). They've got the perfect Japanese spider crab to hang over your fireplace, and their own whimsical take on an Audubon-style flamingo. And now they have Art Zoo, a cabinet of curiosities which took two years to put together.

They note that none of the animals on display were killed for their creative purposes. They died of natural causes at zoos, or breeders, or were acquired as corpses. The displays are dramatic and creepy and elegant and jaw-dropping, whether it's the eagle wrestling with two snakes, the tiger eyeing some birds, or the specimen jars of preserved tulips that the duo grew specifically for the exhibit.

I really enjoyed my morning here and can't recommend it enough. It was a cool and breezy day when I went, so it was nice to sit outside underneath a fig tree and sip a cappuccino in Art Zoo's garden cafe. The only thing I regretted was not bringing a book, because it's a really nice spot to relax and process all the eclectic and theatrical marvels you've just seen. Amsterdam sure is fun!

Monday to Sunday, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; www.artzoo.com.

Another noncomprehensive list of places that tickled my fancy

Pure Bliss on Pure Boats

On our first full day in the city, I booked a two-hour cruise with Pure Boats, which offers a great, small-group experience (like, 20 people) around the city's canals, complete with snacks, drinks, and plenty of space to stretch out and actually enjoy the stories you're hearing. If you've never been to Amsterdam, this is a nice and relaxing way to learn about its history, culture and art from an experienced crew that includes an art historian. I can't recommend this enough as a way into whatever you decide to do next. Plus, whew...the breezes were nice.

www.pureboats.com

The Anne Frank House

I started crying the second I set foot into this museum, which fuses together the stories she shared in her diary about herself, the people in her world, and the Nazi oppression – and extermination – of Jewish people during World War II. One of the first things that got me welling up was her saying something along the lines of I can't wait for this war to be over so we can just go back to our normal lives. It made me think of a young boy I and some other writers have been communicating with in Gaza, who has been displaced, along with seven other members in his family. He had recently expressed nearly the same thing, so the past and present were definitely playing off of each other that day, and by the time I got to the hidden staircase, I got goosebumps. Otto Frank made sure the secret annex was in exactly the same state it was when the Nazis cleared it out after finding and deporting the Frank family. And it's heart-rending to see that for some of the people in Anne Frank's world, all that remained of their lives was, in one case, a grocery list and a textbook. If Anne's diary hadn't been found, we would have lost such a valuable record of that moment in time, and history lesson that people should truly never forget. If you know you'll be headed to Amsterdam, definitely buy your tickets for this at least a month before you leave.

www.annefrank.org

Ground Zero for Dutch Masters

You can't go to Amsterdam without seeing Dutch masters like Rembrandt and Vermeer. The Rijksmuseum is the place to go for this, as well as beautiful religious art, and a well-curated Asian art section. Sit outside in the surrounding gardens on a sunny day and you'll be treated to the museum's charming bell tower, which sounds every fifteen minutes daily. The music is straight out of a fairy tale.

www.rijksmuseum.nl

For the Indecisive Eater

Sometimes you can't decide what to eat and that's okay. Amsterdam has a great Food Hall – or Food Hallen – that has everything from Dim Sum to Vietnamese, tapas to raw oysters, local eats such as bitterballen, and the Indonesian fare that's so prevalent around town. After you eat, be sure to check out a movie in the same complex, or score a bike BECAUSE THE WHOLE WORLD RIDES BIKES IN AMSTERDAM.

www.foodhallen.nl

If You're Looking for Indonesian Food...

...try Long Pura, which has this spicy fish dish that's cooked in banana leaves, that was so good I am clearly still thinking about it weeks after the fact. Long Pura also has multiple options for Indonesian Rice Table, which is a little bit of everything from the menu in small, shareable portions. Tasty, tasty stuff here.

www.restaurant-longpura.com

Writing prompt: Write about your favorite travel memento. What is it, where did you find it, and what does it remind you of when you look at it?

“But I looked out of the open window too, over a large area of Amsterdam, over all the roofs and on to the horizon, which was such a pale blue that it was hard to see the dividing line. "As long as this exists," I thought, "and I may live to see it, this sunshine, the cloudless skies, while this lasts, I cannot be unhappy."

-- Anne Frank

Endnotes

Run the World (Girl)

Madison Askins says her parents once told her that if she were ever shot, she should play dead because it might increase her chance of survival. It was advice Askins tucked away in her mind but hoped she’d never need. Then came April 17, 2025, when Askins walked across the Florida State University campus, heard gunshots, and felt a bullet pierce her back. Sprawled on the ground, she remembered what her parents once told her and lay motionless, eyes closed, until emergency teams arrived and rushed her to the hospital.

Two people were killed that day, and Askins was among the six wounded. Since then, she has been taking it day by day, her eye on healing and receiving her master’s degree in urban and regional planning in May 2026.

“I am so done with school,” she says with a big, tired smile. “I’ve enjoyed the program and loved the people, but I am ready to graduate.”

Askins spoke with me over the summer about for this Tallahassee Magazine story that you can read by clicking here. She's an inspiring young lady with a very bright future ahead of her.

The Return of So-Called Empty Nesting!

This week, the youngster returned to school for year three at SCAD, so the old folks went to see Garbage play at The Eastern on Monday night. If your town is on their tour schedule, 10/10 would recommend seeing them. They put on such a fun and fabulous show. Of course, because my night owl days are behind me, I slept through my alarm on Tuesday morning and have been discombobulated ever since.

The Return of Book Festivals!

I do love a book festival. Don't you? Be sure to check out this great list of the ones that are coming up, courtesy of Book Reporter. And, if you can, attend them because it's good for you!

And the Return of Home Cooking!

Yep, Samin Nosrat and Hrishikesh Hirway are back with a new season of their funny, punny and truly helpful culinary podcast "Home Cooking". And next week, Samin's new and long-awaited cookbook Good Things comes out. Both are joyous bits of news in a world where that just seems to be in short supply.

Where I hope you'll donate this week

Along those lines, please consider a donation to Everytown for Gun Safety this week. It's important.