Jackpot!

“Whiles I am a beggar, I will rail and say there is no sin but to be rich; and being rich, my virtue then shall be to say there is no vice but beggary.”

We fiddle with the format of the workshop - improving it slightly. In between sessions we get some publicity shots of the book with Gojko and Lisa (two well known authors). There’s open space, a closing keynote and a retrospective. I win a Kindle in the sponsor’s raffle. And it’s over.

I go into town for dinner with Lisa and Rob. They buy tram tickets at the station using a €20 note. The machine dispenses the change in small coins - dozens of 10c, 20c, and 50c pieces. It sounds like a fruit machine paying out.

The restaurant Rob has chosen is excellent. Old Amsterdam style, views of canals, and wonderful food. I choose the seasonal menu, which includes confit de canard, and happily sip the house red.

The remnants of the conference are at the hotel bar. Over a final beer, I hear great stories of Shakespeare, Scouting, and sketching.