I'm off to Amsterdam in a couple of hours, so before I go, I wanted to issue the standard disclaimer about possibly not being able to blog, answer e-mail, etc. until Monday. That being said, the only new news is that as posted, I went to the opera last night, and I have to conclude that it's one of those experiences I'm glad I've had, as well as being one of those experiences that I'll never have to have again. I was more bored than I thought I'd be, but there were unexpectedly entertaining bits, and this afternoon's backstage tour was much more interesting. The Royal Opera House is a beautiful, well-equipped venue, and I'd be happy to go and see something else there, although preferably not in the nosebleed seats (opera glasses would have been more than welcome last night).

While in Amsterdam, I plan to visit de Poezenboot, the Netherlands' only floating cat sanctuary. It's now my mission to see cats in other countries, since I still haven't seen more than one here in England (although I saw one within ten minutes of leaving the Dublin airport).