I'm leaving my heart in . . . Leiden, Haarlem, Den Haag, Utrecht, Enkhuizen, Delft, Elburg . . .

I know I'm sounding maudlin, but living in this beautiful country has been like a dream. In Leiden, particularly, virtually every time I step outside, the beauty of it sweeps over me. Streets unchanged in probably 600 years, the Saturday market likely the same. Thousands of people, on bikes, so other than people talking, it's quiet. The Rhine, biforcated when it reaches Leiden, into the "Old" and "New" Rhine as it heads out to empty into the North Sea. Someone's always playing the carillon in the Town Hall, and it echoes all over the inner city. Early on in my 2006 study year, I stopped at the bank (on the high street), and couldn't believe my ears, when I realised that the carilloneur was playing "I feel pretty", from West Side Story!

This afternoon I had a farewell drink and snack with Eva, the Polish marvel who gives great pedicures and advice on the world. We are soul sisters. She thinks that my move is for a reason, that likely I've had enough of Holland, but I haven't.

Tomorrow is another trip to The Hague, to sell a lovely silver service (my grandmother's) that I never use. Does anyone serve coffee and/or tea from large silver pots any more? I never have. I'm really scaling down my possessions and it continues to feel so freeing.

Thursday is my last book club meeting, and we're reading John Updike's "Couples", which I so far intensely DISlike. What a strange writer. I can't fathom why he has been so popular in the U.S. I will really miss discussing books with such a congenial group, though, and will look for a similar outlet in Washington. I will miss most of all Ans, the owner (of The Mayflower Book Shop), who has a superb stock of English-language books, is funny and understands life. There is a wonderful book store in Washington, called "Chapters", and maybe they have a book club, but it's (now) a big store and less personal. Ans's shop is tiny and very cosy.

I see that there is a major and well-organised Scottish country dancing web site, so will somehow get into that. I've wanted to do this since a kid, so it's time.

Right! Off to read Updike, which is work.

Thanks for listening.