opening ceremony, although I don't claim to understand the logic of this choice. The center

is not very large, but it really doesn't have to be. Besides the few exhibitions about Thomas' life, there is a restaurant, a book store, and a fine coffee shop. I bought a copy of his poems and an illustrated version of 'A Child's Christmas in Wales'. I remember reading this when I was in school and I've always identified with it. Having reread it, I now have a greater appreciation for the work since I've seen Swansea. You cannot seperate the artist from his birthplace.

I also have a new appreciation for Thomas. He has an incredibly sense of humor which I never grasped previously. For example, you might remember the name of the town which serves as the setting for 'Under Milk Wood'. It is Llareggub.

This might seem like a very funny name, but it really isn't. 'LL' is a common letter in the Welsh alphabet and there are many cities in Wales that begin with this letter. (LLanelli, Llangeitho, Llansantffraed, Llandowror, and a thousand other unpronouncable names serve as fine examples) Anyway, in my foolishness, I never realized that LLAREGGUB doesn't exist and was always intended as a joke. If you are familiar with British slang, spell the name of the town backwards. You'll probably get it.
Swansea is an interesting city in that it is one of those European towns which includes a mix of different architecture styles. You'll see these old factories and ancient row houses lined up as far as the eye can see. Then, you'll turn the corner and come face to face with some building which looks like it was designed to be one giant curve. It can be a definite hodgepodge, but I wouldn't call it distasteful.

Today I had some free time so I drove into the city of Swansea. This is the town where Dylan Thomas was born which was my chief motivation for wanting to go there. I set the Tom Tom to take me to the Dylan Thomas Center and wound up next to this lovely little marina. I just had to take a picture.

Swansea has more artists and musicians per capita than any other city in Wales. I would definitely call it the cultural center of the country and the Dylan Thomas center is the hub. In 1995, Jimmy Carter was the chief dignatary at the