Weirdly enough... as soon as I started to think of 6 different photos that I could take of things starting with the letter "P" that I could tell an interesting story about... well, I started to not be able to think of ANYTHING that started with the letter "P"!
However, over the course of the week, I kept an eye out for things... and in the end, I had about ten things that could have worked and so it was a matter of thinking about what would make a more interesting story!
So, without further ado.... 6 things that start with the letter "P" that I have something interesting (at least to me...) to write a few words about! Thankfully, I am more at ease with the writing than the photo taking...
Palace
This is the Vredespaleis (Peace Palace) in Den Haag (NETHERLANDS). It is a place that I pass by relatively regularly as I'm cycling from place to place... and this time, I took a quick opportunity whilst the lights were red to take a photo from the intersection nearby!
The Peace Palace was designed to be the permanent home of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the predecessor to the current International Court of Justice which is the arm of the United Nations that oversees the application of International Law with high profile war crimes cases.
The construction of the Palace itself was a donation by the industrialist Andrew Carnegie, who was more interested in the housing a library of International Law than the idea of an actual court. This was in keeping with his idea that libraries should be readily accessible to the public, and hence his life's quest to build public libraries everywhere. However, in a recent podcast... I learnt more about this interesting person, and it turns out that despite his philanthropic quest to makes books more widely available, he was quite ruthless towards his own workers and in his own business dealings!
Anyway, it is possible to visit this historic and important landmark, but it requires that you make bookings the day before and bring passports, as it is quite a secure zone. I've visited twice, and it is quite awe inspiring... however, you do get some "interesting" questions on the tour groups... my favourite one so far was (nationality withheld...) "Were the Nuremberg trials held here?"...
Physics books
Before I progressed down my current career path of being a Baroque Violin/Viola/Viola dámore... I had studied and completed a degree in Physics and Theoretical Physics... I still hold quite a large interest in the fields of Mathematics and Physics (my father was a Mathematician...) and I do return occasionally to my books on these shelves to try and give my brain a mathematical workout from time to time.
However, each time I do it, I find that things are rustier and slower... But still, I do feel good for doing it! It is a nice change from the normal ideas and worldviews that circulate in the artistic fields!
Pants and Pocho
In the Netherlands, you ride a bike... if it is pouring rain, you ride a bike... if it is windy, you ride a bike!
However, if you are wearing a raincoat (or a wintercoat), you still get your legs drenched! Thus, the Rain Paints and Poncho is a constant companion in our bike saddle-bags. These are heavy waterproof plastic clothes that you wear over your regular pants and coat. Sure, you look very much like a clown... but you are a DRY clown!
... except for your shoes... I still need to figure out something for that!
Pianos
This is our living room! My wife is a pianist... and I do often play with the predecessors to the piano. So, technically... despite the fact that you can see 4 piano-like objects here, there is only really one that is understood by the modern public to be a "piano"... and that is the upright piano on the left side of the photo.
The Green monster on the right is a double manual harpsichord in the French style. Used mostly for music in the Baroque era... technically, late Baroque music in the French style. It is the predecessor to the fortepiano, and it plucks the strings via a lever mechanism rather than hitting the strings with covered hammer.
The brown one in the middle is a FortePiano, a 5 octave instrument in the rough style that would have existed in the time of Mozart. Used primarily for early Classical-era music it is an instrument that first started with the covered hammer style of striking the string. It is much less powerful in sound than a regular modern piano but it has a beautiful darker sound that better suits smaller spaces. Also interesting is the fact that it has knee pedals rather than the foot pedals that most people would be familiar with!
At the window, is a rectangular Clavichord. It is a late Baroque style instrument with a very soft intimate sound. It hits the strings with uncovered hammers, but the action is such that the key and hammer are connected, and thus holding down the key keeps the hammer in contact with the string. This means that it is possible to continue affecting the sound AFTER the hammer hits... something that isn't possible on all other keyboard instruments!
Power and Precision Tools
My scalpels and sledgehammers! I like tinkering with electronics, and as such the iFixit kit on the left is a huge asset for that sort of thing! With a wide variety of different heads for all the various types of screws that you might come across, in a quality non-stripping construction... and magnetic to boot! I Love these little guys!
On the right... is my very first set of Power Tools... a deWalt handheld combo Screwdriver/Drill... seriously, this thing is a must have for around the house chores... and all of those furniture assembly jobs (like those from IKEA).
I let my older girl handle both sets of tools, she has helped me tear down computers, repair her sister's toys and build her own bed. It's really a great way to bond together and learn how all these things work... although, I think my wife isn't so keen on her handling the power tools, but it isn't that powerful... and I don't let her use the hammer drill!
Podcasts
I love my podcasts... I listen to them in the shower, riding a bike, on the train/bus and just walking around doing the shopping. I have quite a wide list of subscribed podcasts, and as such I'm falling roughly 3 months behind on listening to them. However, there are a few podcasts that I listen to immediately instead of waiting until they hit the top of the queue... these would be the current affairs ones (Insiders, 7:30, Media Watch, Party Room, Between the Lines) and the Crypto ones (Unchained and Unconfirmed).
The podcasts are mostly focused on Current Affairs and News, Science and Technology, Economics and Crypto. I do keep it mostly free of loud and "EXCITING" podcasts... I am definitely more attracted to sober analysis and discourse!
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