Vienna is cold, and dark, and sad. It is laid out as though for a royal parade; the streets are wide and they're flanked by monumental buildings, decorated with the faces of angry gods. And on the roof are statues of national heroes, wielding weapons of destruction.

Believe in fate, but lean forward where fate can see you.

The trouble with children is that they're not returnable.

The formula for achieving a successful relationship is simple: you should treat all disasters as if they were trivialities but never treat a triviality as if it were a disaster.

It may be true that artists adopt a flamboyant appearance, but it's also true that people who look funny get stuck with the arts.

The trouble with European cities is that they are drenched in their history, almost all of which is terrible.

Well, it has done terrifying things. Religious ideas are inflammatory in a way that I find difficult to understand. There are very few wars over the theory of relativity. Very few heated arguments, for that matter. Whereas, in Northern Ireland, they are killing one another over religion.