Thread by @Qagggy

I’m at #VC22 with 1,400 of my closest friends.

I’m sitting in the front row, as is my custom, “because that is where the learning happens.”

We are enjoying a europop performance with a mentos commercial on screen.

I am not going to livetweet because everyone is asleep at home.

We are being greeted by the mayor of Ljubljana, Zoran Janović, who is wildly popular for doing all the bike and pedestrian stuff.

I like mayors who show up and make things happen.

Henk Swarttouw, president of the European Cyclists Federation is delivering his opening remarks. He likes Ljubljana too. We all do!

Lots of welcoming is going on. Now we are being welcomed by Alena Bratušek, the Slovenian infrastructure secretary, the @SecretaryPete of Slovenia.

Ms. Bratušek points out that sLOVEnia is the only country with the word LOVE in the name. Can confirm.

Now we are hearing from Jan Gehl, an obscure architect from Copenhagen.

Jan Gehl says you can have an extra glass of wine if you cycle to dinner.

Hearing from Emmanuel John, president of the Africa Urban Cycling Organization, who is optimistic about the future of cycling in Africa.

According to Mr. John, 80% of city dwellers in Nigeria cannot afford a car and yet 40% of road fatalities are people walking and biking.