Olive Cheese Bread and Sopapilla Cheesecake. I debated on whether or not to make a dessert since we were already eating meatballs and bread slather.

Musings and photographs from an American expat living in Amsterdam. All photos by me, Suzanne Lee Miller, unless otherwise noted. Saturday, February 11, 2012. The official word is nay, no Elfstedentocht this year, but the winter is not over, and folks are still hopeful. Is a terrific wrap up of the mood after the royal announcement, and the Dutch passion for ice skating in general. Tuesday, February 7, 2012.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006. Italian Communist leader and theoretician. Born on the politically and economically marginalized island of Sardinia, Gramsci endured a difficult childhood. His father, a low-ranking civil servant, was imprisoned on dubious charges in 1903, compelling Gramsci to withdraw from school to help support his family. He was also plagued by poor health, developing a malformed spinal that rendered him hunchbacked for the rest of his life.