Quiet city spring days in Norway / The Munch Museum / Simple pleasures / Thoughts on spring & life
This episode is a tribute to some of my favorite simple pleasures in life Cuddling with Mochi is definitely a simple pleasure! There's something peaceful and poetic about a rainy day We make a quick stop on our way home I love the retro decor of this café! I like this local café because the atmosphere is nice and they are dog friendly I'm going to enjoy this crunchy and soft croissant And I will of course share a little with my friend Mochi! A little people watching and a cup of coffee A true simple pleasure! The interior here makes me happy Spring has finally arrived in Oslo, but it is still a little chilly It's that funny time of year when some are still wearing thick winter jackets, while others have changed to their spring wardrobe Every year I think: Spring is a miracle! After months of darkness and cold, nature wakes up from its long slumber And it gives us a spectacular and beautiful show Even in the city, it feels like nature says: Hello, here I am! Did you miss me? Yes, yes! I missed you so much. Raising my head to look at the cherry blossoms in full bloom This is a simple pleasure which I look forward to every spring Two, three weeks ago, these branches looked dead Now they are heavy with amazingly beautiful flowers A true work of art Welcome back spring! The sound and the smell of rain is also a simple pleasure The Munch museum, an entire building dedicated to the works of artist Edvard Munch The building is quite controversial among Oslo people, but we can however all agree that Munch's art is wonderful! Munch painted nearly 1200 paintings Over 7000 drawings and 1800 prints You can see many of them right here Munch wanted to convey human emotions and inner turmoil in his art His art may not seem experimental today, but in his time, it was quite groundbreaking When Edvard Munch died in 1944, he had already decided that his art should be donated to the city of Oslo So you can follow the evolution of his art in this museum There are sketches in notebooks Woodblock prints Paintings of course Drawings And some very grand paintings When Munch started out as an artist in the 1880s, modernity with its trains and electricity fundamentally changed the way people lived He started to explore the deep sense of alienation and unease some modern city people experienced Throughout his life, he painted many self-portraits This is one of my favorites, because it's very honest Munch has painted himself as a tired and weary middle aged man No glamour or self importance Just a man in deep thought in a messy room The title underlines the theme of the painting "Sleepless night. Self-portrait in inner turmoil" Munch was 57 when he painted this in 1920 105 years later, I can relate to the feeling of inner turmoil he conveys in this painting Haven't we all felt this way at some point? What a contrast this self-portrait is! Here Munch has painted himself as a younger, handsome man. Posing proudly with his brushes. A serious 41 year old artist!
I sense that he was somehow playing a role, portraying himself as he longed to be perceived by the world "Self-portrait with brushes" (1904) Munch is most known for his painting "The Scream". But I'm intrigued by how he portrayed himself in his art He experienced with selfies too, which feels very modern These selfies are from1930 when he was 67 years old Munch used a small hand held camera. Pointed it at himself, and took these intriguing self portraits Some of them look playful Others have a sense of sadness and melancholy about them Lastly, this painting "Self-portrait by the window", circa 1940 It seems like he's peeled away many layers to reveal a vulnerable man As though he has reached an age where he no longer cares about how he is perceived And there is perhaps also a bit of dark humor and self -mockery here? Is he playing the role of a grumpy old man? Whatever Munch's intention, I find the symbolism in the painting moving The snow in the background. Perhaps an allegory to the fact that he was in the winter of his life
Edvard Munch died about 4 years after he had painted that painting. 80 years old. Being moved by works of art is a simple pleasure A little walk in the palace garden When I look at the beautiful cherry blossoms, I think about Edvard Munch's self portraits and how short life is in the great scheme of things Maybe that's what makes life beautiful and deeply sad at the same time Like these flowers, our time on earth is brief I remember a photograph from Japan taken after the horrible tsunami in the spring of 2011 It showed a totally destroyed residential area. No buildings were standing. In the middle of this tragic scene of destruction and death, there was something extraordinary A cherry blossom tree It was in full bloom I've never been able to forget that image Life goes on, even though you've gone through unbearable darkness Spring always return with the promise of new life. A fresh start
That is comforting It gives me hope Looking at leaves gently dancing in the wind A simple pleasure Spring and new beginnings in the city, on Oslo's parade street, Karl Johan Spring and new beginnings in the forest of Ekeberg park Walking with Mochi in the forest. One of my favorite simple pleasures Another simple pleasure: Warm bread, straight from the oven To sit in silence with someone you know well. A simple pleasure Being comfortable just sitting next to each other without feeling the pressure to talk Silence can be nice The two kids next door rang the door bell to say hello Sometimes they want to play with Mochi Mochi loves the kids, so she stormed out and ran into their flat! Their laughter warms my heart and makes me laugh too Recently, I gave them and their mother some Cinnamon rolls I had baked I think giving is a simple pleasure! Today the kids were giggling as they gave us a little present We named Mochi after the Japanese cake "Mochi" Because she is soft and sweet, just like this cake! The cute kids gave us this I'll leave you with one last simple pleasure:
2025-04-29 02:35
