Monday was the last full day with all four of us, and it was really a terrific day. We saved the best museum, the Van Gogh, for last. There was a fascinating temporary exhibit about his painting, The Sunflowers. First we attended a short talk about the painting. Apparently, after he painted it, Van Gogh felt that the uppermost sunflower…
I’ve been a fan of John Waters for over 40 years. I’ve seen all of his films and read all of his books. I’ve met him twice, and he autographed his book Crackpot for me. His books have been hilarious, and this one doesn’t disappoint. The guy is completely nuts. The first part of the book deals mostly with Hollywood…
On Saturdays, there’s a nice farmer’s market called Noordemarkt, on the northern part of the Prinsengracht. The plan was to check it out, and since Udi lives close to the market, pop by his place, introduce the guys to him, and show them the joys of a canal-view apartment. The market was very nice, as usual. Lots of fresh fruits,…
Excellent night last night at Radio City Music Hall!! Celebrating Peter Fonda and the movie’s 50 years, “Easy Rider” was shown with Steppenwolf singer John Kay and The Byrds’ Roger McGuinn performing the soundtrack LIVE! They were terrific. Great vibe. Great finale, too. “Easy Rider’s” iconic soundtrack includes Steppenwolf classics like “The Pusher” and “Born to Be Wild,” as well…
40 years ago tonight, this photo was taken at The Clash concert at the Palladium. I was at this concert with my friend Neil. Sam & Dave, and the Undertones, were the opening act. It was Yom Kippur and my mother was not pleased. What a show! Here’s the full show bootlegged and preserved:
The bleary-eyed bunch woke up around 9:00 a.m. and began screaming for coffee. We pulled ourselves together and hit the street, on our way to Blue, a popular eatery that offers excellent brunch, with a great view of the city. Amsterdam is home to many fantastic museums, and the guys definitely wanted to see the big three: The Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk…
I woke up early, got dressed, and started walking toward Central Station. Plumeau and Rosen were due to arrive at Schipol Airport at 8:30 a.m. I grabbed the 7:30 train, got to the airport at 8:00, and looked at the arrivals board to see which arrival hall they would be coming through. I knew they had to go through passport control,…
Introduction: The Backstory In early 1978, as I was finishing up my freshman year of college at New York University (NYU), I realized that this wasn’t the collegiate experience that I was expecting or hoping for. I was still living at home, riding the subway into the city for my classes, and then coming back home to Brooklyn to try…
Amsterdam weather is notoriously iffy. Clouds can appear and rain can come pouring down at a moment’s notice. I was obsessively checking the weather before Robb’s arrival, and it all looked favorable, except for Tuesday, his second day. Most of the agenda I planned centered on outdoor activities, because Robb doesn’t like generally like museums. In this pouring rain, though,…
Oosterpark, Amsterdam – Photos
A really fabulous book about the loneliness you can feel when you live in New York City. The book is a very insightful meditation on being alone, with the author discussing New York artists whose work reflects that loneliness. There are great sections on these artists, most of whom I was familiar with (Warhol, Hopper, Basquiat, Klaus Nomi) and some…
There are many biographies of Lou Reed out there, but people say that this one is the best. (I’ve read one other; I have three more on my bookshelf.) DeCurtis is amazingly comprehensive, chronicling every phase of Lou’s life, personally and musically, with many fascinating and insightful stories. It also goes into detail about Lou’s bisexuality, something other books tend…
Ah, home sweet second home. I arrived in Amsterdam, to spend the last few days of this long winter trip. The weather forecast for the second Amsterdam leg of the trip did not look promising. As is typical in Amsterdam, it was rain, rain, and more rain. I would have liked sunny weather, but I didn’t really care. In my…
I had no pre-set plans for my last day in Chiang Mai. I knew that there was a huge Sunday market, and I planned on going there. I suspected it was an all-day affair, but the woman at the front desk of the hotel told me that it began at 5:00 p.m. I didn’t really want to travel 45 minutes…
My new Chiang Mai hotel, the Green Tiger Hotel, was a charming little place in the heart of the old town. My room was standard, but very nice. Attached to the hotel is a popular vegan restaurant, Reform Kafe. There’s a cute koi pond in the restaurant lobby, and a small swimming pool on the main floor of the hotel. …