Simple pleasures nr. 19: A cup of good espresso coffee

A cup of good espresso coffee is definitively one of the small daily delights to look forward to at the beginning a new day. For lazy persons, like me, the traditional espresso machines are often too time consuming and complicated to use. That is why I bought a capsule machine.

There are many good capsule machines to choose from. I finally bought a Nespresso Citiz, a rather basic machine, but perfect for my needs. What I do not like, is the high price of capsules, which are available only through Nespresso. 

Fortunately, a friend of mine told me about the Dutch company Coffeeduck, which manufactures and sells refillable capsules for Nespresso´s espresso machines. With the Dutch refillable cups I have the freedom to choose whatever espresso coffee I like, instead of having to buy everything from Nespresso. And the refillable cups are also an environmentally excellent choice. 

The people at Nespresso are probably not delighted, but freedom to choose benefits the consumer. Nespresso could, of course, try to hit back by e.g. lowering the price for their capsules, or perhaps beginning to sell their own refillable cups. 

Simple pleasures nr 18: Stones on the beach

Living close to beach has always been important to me - although not so much because of the possibility to swim and get a sun tan. No, the thing I enjoy most is to stroll along the beach, preferably when it is almost empty of other people. Enjoying the beauty of the always changing colours of the water, the sound of the waves and the birds trying to catch something to eat, is just great. Observing ships passing by is an added bonus. They are reminders of the larger world outside of ones own small coastal neighbourhood.

Stones on a beach have a particular appeal. In my opinion there are few things in the world that are more satisfying to look at than rounded stones, which have been formed by the forces of nature during a long period of time.

In general I just enjoy the stone as they are on the beach, but when living in a number of westerm countries, I have picked a small number of stones to keep. They now remind me of some glorious bygone days on the beach ....

Simple pleasures nr 17: Watching sunsets

This was the view close to sunset this January 26 afternoon here in my part of the Øresund region.
A sunset is always nice to observe. That´s why I decided to add it to my list of simple pleasures.

Simple pleasures nr 14: A nostalgic walk in your neighbourhood

The other day I discovered that there is some really nice oldfashioned countryside quite close to where I  now live. I almost felt like walking in a time-machine, nostalgically recalling fond childhood memories, not from here, but from an environment that was not unlike this one:


Just enjoying a beautiful summer´s day

This old horse-chestnut tree in full bloom is a mighty sight

Sheep grazing contribute to a feeling of  less stress

This kind of wind power I like

During my walk this beautiful song by Schumann came into my mind, here performed by the unforgettable Fritz Wunderlich:

Simple pleasures nr 12: Old prints

Collecting antique paintings is nice, but a certain level of wealth is necessary in order to do it in a meaningful way. However, there is a more affordable way of collecting old art: bying antique prints.

Wherever you travel in the world, you will always find a wide variety of antique print dealers. There are well established quality print dealers, but with a little bit of luck, you can discover bargains in flea markets and similar places.

And, of course, today you can find almost anything on the net. My favourite print net dealer is Steve Bartrick Antique Prints & Maps, a UK based online shop with a huge selection of fine old prints to affordable prices. Warmly recommended!

Simple pleasures nr 11: The 20th anniversary of my Barbour jacket

I have worn my Barbour waxed jacket for 20 years now, and it is still serving me excellently. That´s the kind of clothing - which you do not have to change every second year - that I like. Fortunately there are still some companies that make these kind of high quality products, which are more or less disconnected from the rapid changes in fashion

PS
FT last year published an article on Dame Margaret, "The Queen of the Wax Jacket", which is well worth reading.

Simple pleasures nr 10: HD television

If you are about my age - which means not extremely young anymore - you will remember the first television broadcasts; the entire family gathered every evening in front of the miniscule telly in order to watch the favourite black and white programmes. Now - in  my case - over half a century later, we have enormous flat screens with High Definition quality picture and sound. A change to the better, which we, at least in my opinion, have to be grateful for.

Nowadays I watch mostly German language HD channels. The two main channels Erste and ZDF are technically of a very high quality, but they seldom show anything of great interest to myself - although they sometimes (particularly at Christmas time) surprise by broadcasting great concerts of classical music, opera and documentaries. My favourite HD channel is the German-French ARTE, which offers a great selection of high quality arts programmes and documentaries. Thanks to the HD technique, the picture quality is amazing. It is particularly fascinating to watch concert broadcasts and nature programmes.

Another German language HD channel is Austrian Servus TV, which in my opinion has the best HD picture quality of them all, although not all of their programmes are interesting from my point of view.

Then there is the additional bonus, that even the old dvd:s look great on HD equipment. The old classic "An American in Paris" looked like a new film, when I watched it on my HD blueray player the other day.

So, I say thank you to all of you out there somewhere, who have worked hard in order to give us the possibility to enjoy high quality HD television!

Simple pleasures nr 9: Free audio books

Do you want to listen to Aldous Huxley read his "Bave New World", Hemingway reading a short story or tens of other great books -  for free? Sounds too good to bee true, but actually the outstanding Open Culture site offers all that - and much more. I just finished listening to Jane Austen´s Pride and Prejudice, which has always been one of my personal favourites, also as a video (the one with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle). It is true that many of the audiobooks are read by volunteers, not professional actors, but still, this is a wonderful resource for friends of good literature.

Simple pleasures nr 8: In Praise of Idleness

Let us be lazy in everything, except in loving and drinking, except in being lazy
G. E.Lessing


Few things in this world are as misunderstood as idleness. This force for the good has not received the appreciation that it deserves. Fortunately there are signs of things improving:

Watch this great video - it might change your life (to the better).

The philosopher Bertrand Russell did appreciate idleness. He even wrote en essay with the title "In Praise of Idleness" 

The French seem to have enjoyed the idea of lazyness already in Medieval times. The French economist, writer and psychoanalyst Corinne Maier has continued this noble French tradition in her best selling book "Bonjour Laziness: Jumping Off the Corporate Ladder" .

Simple pleasures nr 7: Small Museums

(Image by Bagatti Valsecchi Museum)


It is true that most of the great masterpieces of different art forms are to be found in the the big and famous museums in London, Paris, New York, Rome, Berlin and many other cities. But I am probably not the only one who does not like to stand and wait in long lines before being able to actually enter a museum. That is one reason why I nowadays prefer to visit smaller museums, wherever I go. There are thousands of fascinating small museums in every corner of the world, waiting to be explored. No lines at the entrance, and sometimes no entrance fee either. And inside you can look at the most interesting objects without being disturbed by hundreds of other visitors and noisy groups. The staff in these small museums are often friendly volunteers, who are most willing to answer your questions and tell you interesting stories about the exhibits and the museum in general. I remember for example a fascinating discussion that I had with a volunteer - an arts student - in the magnificent Bagatti Valsecchi Museum in Milan a couple of years ago.

There are many fine small museums in the world, but here my own favourites:

• Sir John Soane´s Museum in London
• The Bagatti Valsecchi Museum in Milan
• The Morgan Library & Museum in New York
• The Galleria Borghese in Rome
• The David  Collection in Copenhagen

                                  A brief presentation of Sir John Soane´s Museum:

                                 
                            A brief presentation of the Bagatti Valsecchi Museum:

                             A brief presentation of the Morgan Library & Museum:

A brief presentation of the Galleria Borghese:

Simple pleasures nr 16: Organ recitals

No wonder that the pipe organ is called “the king of instruments”. There is no mightier sound than the sound of a big organ in a medieval cathedral (although you will find outstanding organs in tiny parish churches and concert halls, too).

And there are literally thousands of organ recitals on offer in churches all over the world. The reason that this post is in the simple pleasures department is not that playing the organ would be simple – quite the contrary, of course – but because most of the recitals, often by world class organists, are either free or with very low ticket prices. This is probably due to the fact that organ music is not part of the commercially created “star” cult dominating so much of popular and parts of classical music these days.

Take for example one of the greatest living organists, Dame Gillian Weir. She toured a number of big and small Danish and Swedish cities earlier this year. To hear one such recital is so much more rewarding than most expensively priced concerts by e.g. some opera singers, who already are past their prime.

In the UK there is a great site which helps you find interesting organ concerts. Similar sites might be available in other countries.

To put you in the right mood, listen to the German organist and conductor Karl Richter play Bach´s famous toccata and fugue in D minor.

PS

The photo shows the organ of the Santa Maria della Scala in Siena (Tuscany), built c. 1515.

Simple pleasures nr 6: Flea Markets

Japanese flea market

A usually open-air market for secondhand articles and antiques
(translation of French Marché aux puces, a market in Paris)
Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Where-ever you travel in the world, you are bound to find flea markets. Some of them are not what they used to be, but there are still many where you can make great bargains.

This is an excellent site to find out about flea markets around the world.

My serious interest in flea markets began in Copenhagen, a city with many excellent markets. Here you find more information about them.

London is another city with many interesting flea markets. And, of course, the orignal flea market is in Paris.

(Image by free-photos.biz)

Simple pleasures nr 5:The Sound of Church Bells

 "A bell is a hollow vessel usually of metal,
but sometimes of horn, wood, glass, or clay, struck near the rim by an
interior clapper or exterior hammer or mallet to produce a ringing
sound".
Encyclopedia Britannica

The sound of a bell has the power to charm, to amaze, to warn, to
frighten, and to lift the spirit. Bells are ubiquitous even in our
electronic age.
Bill Hibberts

I have always been fascinated by bells, particularly church bells.
Wherever I am, I feel safe and happy when I hear the sound of church
bells.

The history of bells goes back almost to the dawn of civilisation. It
began with crude metallic objects were sounded to ward of all kinds of
evil spirits, to mark festival occasions or to alter the weather.

In Europe church bells became common in the early Middle ages. Since
those times church bells have been ringing in the big cathedrals as
well as in the tiniest parish churches. The St Lawrence Church in
Ipswich has the oldest surviving circle of bells in the world. The
oldest of those bells were cast in the 1440s.

Watch and listen to some of the most famous Big Bells:

Bells have inspired many poets. Edward Allan Poe´s "The Bells" is probably the most wellknown bell
poem. Here you can listen to a reading of the poem.

PS
Thank you to all people from the Philippines visiting this page!

Simple pleasures nr 4: Shipping forecasts

 

 

Every now and then, I find myself listening to Scandinavian, German or
British shipping forecasts. The other day, I asked myself the question,
what is it in these mostly rather monotonously read sea weather
reports that is so fascinating.

Well, in a fast moving world, full of loud noises and change, maybe it is exactly the monotony  that is so appealing? And those familiar names, like Dogger, Viking, Fisher and German Bight. They all seem so stable, welcoming and reassuring, even when stormy weather is forecasted.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/coast/shipping/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qfvv

 

 

Simple pleasures nr 3: Light a candle

There is not enough darkness in all the world to put out the light of even one small candle

Robert Alden

Candles are - fortunately - no more man´s main source of light. But there are still so many reasons to light a candle. Particularly here up in the the north of Europe, where days are short this time of the year. The warm glow of a candle brightens up the darkest day.

While living in Copenhagen some years ago, I noticed that the Danes have a very nice habit of lighting candles in their homes, even on days when there is no particular reason to mark a celebration. They just enjoy the the warm light a candle creates.

There seems to be a lot of uncertainties about the origin of candles. The Romans are credited with developing the wick candle, which they used for lighting their homes and places of worship. With the introduction of the light bulb in 1879 the the production of candles declined, but before long it started to grow again, when people learned to appreciate the beauty of light from living candles .

If you are interested in learning more about candle history, and candles in general, this site has a lot of interesting information:

http://www.candlecomfort.com/historyofcandles.html

(picture from beautifulfreepictures.com)

Simple pleasures nr 2: Internet radio

I have always been a great fan of the radio as a medium. Listening to the human voice - or pleasant noises like music - is very relaxing. And you can do it with your eyes closed, lying on your favourite couch. And because radio programmes are not expensive to produce, many such special interest programmes are available, which are rarely found on television.

Through the internet you can receive literally thousands of radio stations from all over the world. I used to listen to some of them on my PC. It is, however, a rather uncomfortable way of listening. That is why I recently acquired an internet radio receiver. And I have not regretted this small investment.

Now I am able to wake up to the news (including information about "staus" on the Autobahns!) presented by my favourite German language news station, Radio B5 Aktuell from the Bayerischer Rundfunk in Munich. Or I can listen to my former favourite Washington DC local music station WETA. And the the Danish DR has an excellent 24 hour classical music service called Allegro, which is part of my daily listening. The possibilities are endlesss.

A great number of internet receivers are available. Here you can find more info on the one I own:
http://www.argonaudio.com/sound/i-net/argon_inet_1.htm

Simple pleasures nr 1: late evening walks in your neighbourhood

Having just returned from a late evening walk in my new neighbourhood, I realized that I had just found myself a new hobby - late evening walks in the neighbourhood or some other densely populated area.

I feel that I owe you, dear reader, an explanation.

This time of the year it gets pretty dark up here in the North of Europe already in the late afternoon. Fortunately, most villas in my neighbourhood have excellent interior lighting. When I strolled along the empty streets, it was difficult to avoid looking straight into people´s homes. It was fascinating to get a glimpse of how my neighbours have decorated the interiors of their houses. (In order to avoid any misunderstanding, please understand that I have no interest in prying into other peoples privacy - only to satisfy my natural curiosity for interior design). I was e.g. very pleased to note that the old house, which I have always admired, also had the most charming interior. Now I am already looking forward to my next evening walk, somehwat further away from my own place.

PS
And with evening walks there is the added benefit of feeling that its good for your health. Late evening walks also contribute to the general security of the neighbourhood. Burglars do not want to be seen.