Leo the Great

Sunset from the Mt. of Olives

The unusually hot weather was today declared a heatwave not seen since a decade. And it will last for another week. The cold from lat week just disappeared and yesterday I even had to turn on the aircon!!

Fruit-tart and sunflowers for myself

This afternoon I had to walk up the Mt. of Olives to meet the group of profs and students. It was a difficult walk but I made in it 40 mins ... in the heat. I gave a quick explanaiton of the archeological sites seen from the panorama at the top of the Mount ... then we hurried down to Dominus Flevit and the Garden of Gethsemani. It was a good visit and everyone learned something new. At the garden of Gethsemane they had the chance to pray in silence as the basilica held it's daily Eucharistic Adoration.

Nadia's cheesecake

Today is my feast day ... St. Leo the Great. I missed the community Mass as I had to celebrate the Armenian Mass at the 3rd Station. After that I went to buy myself a fruit-tart that I really wanted to eat ... and 2 sunflowers for the Madonna statue in our refectory. I didn't think anyone would remember my feast day. Quite pathetic really. But Nadia our cook was making a blueberry cheesecake for me when I got home. She made the cheese last week and used it specially for the cheesecake. Loved it!!!!  And we had appetiser for lunch .,.. which means they were celebrating my feast!! We had raw salmon with cream of tartar. Then Nadia made a fantastic lasagna for pastasciuta ... and all the students were saying nobody had never had lasagna on their feast days. Then there were 4 roast chickens stuffed with rice. It was really a big meal! Appreciated all the hard work in the kitchen today!