Category: Experiences

… is Robert Adams, an internationally renowned and environmentally-aware landscape photographer. Together with other American photographers, he shaped a new direction in landscape photography in the 1970s: “New Topographics”. I studied his writings and illustrated books carefully and found in them the foundation on which I built my own photographic work and from which I developed my own visual language. Through him I learned that a successful photograph combines three aspects: geographical, metaphorical and autobiographical.

Ti Amo (I love …) Ai Suma, a wine from Piedmont. Not as popular as Tignanello and Sassica from Tuscany, just not a super Tuscan. Nevertheless, a very special wine from the Barbera grape. In principle, it is harvested like a German Spätlese (late-harvested wine), although this quality classification does not actually exist in Italy.  Only Giacomo Bologna had the courage in the last century to harvest his Piedmont Barbera much later and produce a truly great wine. On a visit to the estate in the 90s, his daughter Raffaella Bologna warmly welcomed us to an extensive wine tasting, even though she had already sold all the wines by subscription beforehand. We were able to taste all the wines – but not buy a single bottle from her.

As a stereotypical Gemini it is hard to single out any one thing as a favourite. However, one piece of music has stayed with me since I first heard it as a student and never ceases to move me: the Adagietto, 4^th Movement of Mahler’s 5^th Symphony. The music has, thanks to its use at Kennedy’s funeral and the movie “Death in Venice”, often been associated with mourning. In actual fact it was a love song to Mahler’s future wife. It leaves me breathless at the way Mahler gently weaves through an abstract melody tune with just strings and a harp gliding from minor to major, resolving lines of a melody only after stretching the anticipatory note, instructing the orchestra to switch gently from soft to sonorous, melancholic to passionate. A wonderful expression of Romantic longing.

Because it’s quick and delicious. And it’s easy too.

Lemon spaghetti (serves 3-4)
1 onion
1 lemon (untreated)
Lemon thyme (if available)
Lemon balm (if available)
2 cups crême fraiche
500g spaghetti
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Put the water for the spaghetti on to boil and salt it, of course, and as soon as it boils, cook the spaghetti until al dente. At the same time, chop the onions and grate the zest of the lemon. Chop the herbs if you have them. Fry everything together in a pan with olive oil until the onions are glazed. Add the crême fraiche and stir. Squeeze half of the lemon and add the juice to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm until the spaghetti is ready and serve together.

Dear friends of the Harlequin!

The Harlequin team is now taking leave for the summer holidays. While we are away, all the Harlequins will be sharing their personal favourites with you. Today we start literarily- minded, but depending on your interests, “Harlequin’s favourite” can also be culinary, ornithological (alcoholic? philosophical? … ). Let us surprise you!

We wish you and ourselves a wonderful holiday!

Sunny, summery greetings

Your Harlequin Team

My favourite novel character…

… is Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple. I devoured the Miss Marple detective novels as a teenager and was thrilled by the English atmosphere. Everything was “so very British”! From Miss Marple I learned that most things in life are not what they seem at first sight. A very useful lesson that will accompany me all my life!

War – aggression – attack – invasion – declaration of war – for sanctions – civilian victims – killing soldiers – dead children – You Putin, you‘re Putin‘ me about here, why don‘t you go Putin up those Putin-like children over there! War – aggression – attack – invasion – declaration of war – for sanctions – civilian victims – killing soldiers – dead children – You Putin, you‘re Putin‘ me about here, why don‘t you go Putin up those Putin-like children over there! War – aggression – attack – invasion – declaration of war – for sanctions – civilian victims – killing soldiers – dead children – You Putin, you‘re Putin‘ me about here, why don‘t you go Putin up those Putin-like children over there!

Continue reading “This sounds much better in Russian…”

A few days ago, I was walking our dog past a building site that was secured by a series of fence sections. On one of these sections, one of the construction companies involved had hoped to draw attention to itself with a canvas advertisement. In my case it really succeeded.

Continue reading “This made me think…”

Today’s article is not about cooking, we are not doing food science or rating a restaurant. No, we are looking at the world from the special perspective of a polyglot gourmet. A person who knows borders from travelling, who likes to cross them, but who would also like to explain what other borders there are: culinary boundaries – the boundaries of good taste. To be fair, it should be mentioned briefly that the exact course of the border is often disputed, but these details are rather irrelevant for this article.

Continue reading “The limits of good taste (Part 2)”

My grandmother was an interesting woman. Whenever I think of her, experiences from my youth and her words of wisdom come to mind. In every situation in life, for every circumstance, there was – if necessary – a suitable saying. For her, these were fixed guidelines, almost commandments. There was no discussion, it was just the way things were.

Continue reading “The limits of good taste (Part 1)”

Do you know Neuss (pronounced /nois/)? No? It’s worth a visit, especially for birdwatchers. And it’s back to the cheerful springtime topic of ornithology. So if you were in the mood for a Harlequin article on agile project management or artificial intelligence today, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a while longer.

Continue reading “Heaven scent?”