I can’t call myself an audiophile, but I am definitely a sound-a-holic. I collect sounds and certain tactile experiences and search them out compulsively. When I saw Amélie for the first time, this scene reassured me. Perhaps I have unseen accomplices!

Driving back from Kettler today, the skies opened up and briefly pelted our car with heavy, fat drops. It’s one of P’s favorite sounds. Mine, too.

Other favorite things:

1. Breaking a York peppermint pattie. (must be held close to ear)

2. Tires on gravel, below 10 MPH.

3. Carriage wheels and horse clop-clopping on cobblestone roads. (BBC, Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes, preferably)

4. Opening a can of tennis balls. (related: opening champagne)

5. The cacophony of a music department hallway. (at least one French horn required for full effect)

6. The sound of flags waving in the wind.

7. Throaty Italian exhaust. (related: Formula 1 straightaways)

8. Clicking boots on marble, preferably in a stairwell.

9. Gentle waves lapping against boats in Baltimore Harbor, at night. Yes, it’s very specific, but I can’t guarantee the same sound other places.

10. Train horns, in the distance. This one combines rain and trains! 

Stunning illustration of old Montréal from Julia’s blog.