Is this thing on?

Sorry, camera trouble, was just doing a test shot before I start reporting again.

My Trip to Haarlem

A new resolution: Karolina, Neil and I decided we truly wanted to explore as much of The Netherlands as possible- so as soon as Neil had holidays we embarked on a long adventure of discovering various Dutch cities! They were a little worried about how I would behave- but of course they had no reason to! I was extremely well-behaved! Our first stop was the city of Haarlem. I loved how small and quiet the city was- I wasn´t at all afraid and all the people were very friendly to me....A very nice lady even offered to take care of me while K and N went into a museum...but both mom and Neil knew I was a little sceptical so they decided to visit all the museums another time. We were very lucky that day because the weather was gorgeous, but I noticed K and N turned a different colour....strange.....I didn´t want to mention anything because I love them and didn´t want to hurt their feelings.....I really don´t understand why they just don´t shed their hair like I do....It´s much easier than changing colours....Oh well.....We were following a guide book that told us what path to take through the city....although we really didn´t need it- I could sniff my way around any city...but again K and N seemed a little worried so I indulged them and let them waste time reading instructions! I was on a fact finding mission...animals, food, gardens, canals, it was a feast for the senses!

I met one or two animals, I think they call them cats..but they seemed very afraid of me and one even hissed at me, so I decided to keep my distance....I did get a tad jealous when Neil decided to spend extra time with one of the cats...but don´t tell him....I tried to get his attention by showing him how talented I was...you know the usual thing that amuses humans: bark, bark, tail wag, body spin, etc....but to no avail....Anyway, the point is that we found the cats in what the Dutch call "Hofjes" or "courtyards." These were courtyards enclosed by rows of sweet little homes that were first laid out as monasteries in the Middle Ages. I read somewhere that they eventually took on broader roles for hospitals and inns, or as refuges for orphans, (like me), widows and the elderly. We also saw the main square of the old town, which is called "Grote Markt" where we stopped for some Herring! We took some beautiful pictures of the town hall and the "Grote Kerk" which is a Gothic Cathedral with a 50m-high steeple that can be seen from almost anywhere in the city.