Spotted in Amsterdam: Mickey Mouse

Just back from a week's vacation in Amsterdam, where I found one ageless American icon ringing a Dutch bell.

A rainy morning on the Herengracht (canal) at the Utrechtestraat bridge...

near the Handbag and Purse Museum (my wife dragged me, but what an amazing collection, spanning many periods and styles, full of  imagination, humor, beauty, and high craft)...

and one of the best herring stands in Amsterdam (you haven't had herring until you've had it in Amsterdam; it exposes Vita--and much else that passes for herring here--as the chokingly vinegared inedible glop I always thought it was. But this herring, served on a soft bun, with a sprinkling of fresh chopped onion and sliced sweet pickles, was meltingly tender, almost sushi-like, with an ethereally mild, fresh flavor.)

Tags: photography | Amsterdam | herring