Bonjourno from the heart of Rome.

I have been here a few days now and walked the entire city  - my feet are super sore and I just want to be carried from now on in.

The tour of the Vatican was great - the only landlocked country in the world and a population of not quite 900 with the lowest birthrate.  So many interesting things emerged from my four hour tour.  For example: only the Swiss guard the pope.  This dates back to when the German Emperor arrived with his army to conquer Rome and every one else fled except the Swiss, of which 140 died during the battle.  If you are Swiss and want to work in what amounts to the Pope's army (or the Vatican army) you have to have come from a family that has been Catholic for at least 7 generations and be between 18 and 30 years old.  They wear the original uniforms rumored to be designed by Michaelangelo.

Also, they did not warn us ahead of time, but when I went to enter the Sistine Chapel you are supposed to have your shoulders and knees covered.  I was wearing a tank top, but luckily I had a scarf with me.  When the guard stopped me going into the Chapel I said that I could one or the other but not both.  They were divided, one said knees and the other two voted for shoulders.

St. Peter's Bascillica was truly grand.  Nuns everywhere taking pictures. 

Crazy little town the Vatican is.

Today, and fatigued of tours, I opted for a last minute spot in an Italian cooking school.  I expected to be lost and bored but quite the opposite.  We made four and a half dishes over the course of a few hours and then sat down to eat.  It was so good I am sick.  It feels like turkey dinner hang over I ate so much.

Our appetizer was prochuitto, mozzarella and eggplant stuffed pumpkin blossoms deep fried in beer batter.  The half dish was a dip that could also be used as a pasta sauce.

Then we made bowtie pasta and a sausage/mushroom sauce.

The second course, as it is called, was meatballs in a tomato sauce with a side dish of eggplant and tomato.

Rounded out by a chocolate soufflé.

They are the original 0 mile diet here - they only cook what is in season and what they buy at the market, all organic.  Fresh ingredients and our chef doesn't believe in food processors, the only spice he used was sea salt.  So good.

Here for one more whole day, then off to London on Thursday.

Thanks for reading.
c

And we bid farewell to The Hague.

Tomorrow I will take a train to Brussels and catch my flight to Rome (how fun is that?).

Today, we will pick up our certificates, do some laundry and start packing.

Tonight - our new friends, Lena the Russian, and Liz from Squamish, are coming over to help us drink the rest of our wine that we are refusing to pack given the strict weight regulations and then we will trod on down to the beach to watch the world fireworks competition.  It is Belgium v Germany.

The Hague has been so great I hope to return in the next few years.

I had a crappy head cold for a few days, but still don't feel like I missed out on seeing much - nothing I won't catch upon my return.

I probably already mentioned this, but the Dutch are the original cool.

I will be sad to give up my giant cruiser bike, but I might trade it in for a Vespa in Rome - one never knows.

Thanks to my super room mates, Lisa & Steve!  They took such great care of me when I was sick and hiding under the covers.

Home in about a week now.

c

Surf school graduate - not really.

Surfing in The Hague was great fun. 

First it was not quite 20 degrees C, but nothing four or five layers won't fix.
Then I had a great quinoa salad with fresh acai berry juice.
About an hour later a bit of sun appeared and I was successfully able to negotiate my wet, wet-suit just in time for yoga in the sand.
Finally - the surfing began.

Even though I ripped nearly every nail I have, including a tragic incident with my big toe, those waves are much larger than they look and sometimes it caused me to do underwater sommersaults and smash my face into the ocean sand - it was awesome.

I was lucky to be hit by another surf board only once because I am pretty sure mine hit more than a few people while I was underwater sommersaulting.

Anyway, I was spent and despite my instructor's best urging - I was not able to hop up and athletically smile for the camera.

But I am just fine with that.

Thanks to Lisa and Steve for cheering me on from the beach.

Apologies for the delay in postng.

I keep forgetting that people are reading this.

Not too much to report, life is good in The Hague - the hollowed grounds for peace and justice.
School is now over half way over.  We have three classes a day with three different professors.  This week two profs are French (we wear headphones to listen as it is live-translated by an English fellow) and one prof is a very animated Englishman - he is quite a cartoon.

Earlier this week we visited the Cyprus embassy which was very interesting - especially since I know nothing about Cyprus.  Then we were received by the French ambassador at his house which was great.  In true French style we were greeting with formal waiters bearing wine.  Then tiny little appetizers, followed by a speech by the tiny ambassador himself.  At the end of the speech, out comes the champagne and macaroons!  My favorite embassy visit yet.

Today, I am taking the formal tour of the Peace Palace - it is its 100th birthday this year.  Friday I will be at the Irish embassy.

As for this weekend, I'm not sure if my room mates are departing for Paris - but I am quite happy here in The Hague.  This weekend is the dutch version of Woodstock and I have signed up for surfing school.  Sunday I might take this big bike out for a ride in the country and look at all the flowers that are in bloom.

Speaking of flowers, we have a huge lavender shrub in the tiny yard at our apartment.  So I tied it up and as I was doing so I had several fat little bees land on my back.  They didn't sting or bite or whatever bees do - they just seemed more curious.

Looking forward to more good food (I may be too fat to surf if I keep eating) and some great coffee.

Hope all is well.
c

Legs of steel.

That will be Lisa and I by the time we bid The Hague farewell.
And just to make things as challenging as possible, we decided to try to ride our bikes to the Mayor's reception in dresses and heels.

Steve looked concerned as he took our picture on our way out.

Earlier that day I did have the first bike accident when I inadvertently cut someone off sending him up and over the median.  I have no doubt that more accidents are forthcoming.

We are ending our first week in class today, which means that it is already 1/3 over.

Tonight we are having a few people over for dinner and then heading to the beach.

The weather has turned very hot now - it is fantastic.

I have also worked out all of my travel plans to Rome so hopefully that is fun.

Today, I am touring the Humanity House and then the Vietnam embassy.

I should much more exciting stories once we return from Amsterdam and the canal flotilla pride parade!

c