Ah, to be young and just a wee bit crazy.... Glad to be able to read about your trials on the death bicycle after it happened and you were back in Swansea safe and sound. Curious about how you feel about the liberalism of this society. Good thing? Bad thing? Proud of you for exploring and finding your way in a foreign land. Can't wait to talk to you about it all. Thanks so much for sharing in the blogs! Would love to have you bring me home one of those "scary fellows" in the photo. Would look great on my new patio - think you could swing it? Ha.....

van Gogh Museum
Sam, having experienced Amsterdam once, in the seventies, I was not surprised to hear your descripton. The van Gogh museum was a highlight for me, of course, and I wrote a piece about it that was published somewhere, I forget where. "Crows over a Cornfield" was, as I recall, his last painting, and everyone analyzed it, saying the road that ends abruptly portends the end of Vincent's life. I'm not sure about that, but he was a tragic, misundertood figure, who, if he'd had proper nutrition and medication, may have lived and worked longer. I was able to touch "Crows," although strictly against the rules. The museum guard looked the other way for a second. I'm sure now that all sorts of alarms would go off if one touched a painting. By the way, he painted three versions of "Starry Night." Two survived, if I'm remembering correctly. The other may have been used to patch roofs, as I alluded to in The First Starry Night, which you read before it was ever published. Remember? I loved your proposed title (you were just a little guy then), but publishers and I decided differently. The bike adventure sounds scary. Be careful. It makes me feel so much better to say that! Hey, it's what we worriers do. Love you.

I just watched your video, funny stuff, slightly scary. The music is going to be in my dreams tonight.