Tuesday 2 March 2021

A Postcard A Day - Tuesday 2 March 2021 - T for Tuesday and Second on the 2nd.

 Hello lovely people, 

I hope you are all well and ready for the T-Party hosted by Elizabeth and Bluebeard. 

I am showing you a postcard from Germany today. It features a travel poster from 1905 for the island of Sylt. It shows a map of the island and a train time table from Berlin to Sylt.

 Sylt is a German island in the Frisian archipelago in the North Sea. (Close to Denmark)



 It’s known for its long beaches, resorts and the Wadden Sea mudflats on the eastern side.  What you see on the photo are beach chairs with their back to the wind.

Since 1927, Sylt has been connected to the mainland by the Hindenburgdamm a causeway with a railway line on top.  (Not visible on my postcard as it didn't exist yet). 



In later years, it has been a resort for the German jet set and tourists in search of occasional celebrity sightings.

Since the mid-18th century, the vowel in the name of the island has been represented as "y" for unknown reasons, while older spellings are Sildt and Silt, allegedly derived from Danish sild "herring", or maybe related to English silt.



Sylt is mentioned in a pangram, a sentence that uses each letter in the German alphabet, including every umlaut (ä, ö, ü) plus the ß: Victor jagt zwölf Boxkämpfer quer über den großen Sylter Deich ("Victor chases twelve boxers across the Great Levee of Sylt").

The island was used during the filming of The Ghost Writer, as an alternate location for Martha's Vineyard, due to the film's director, Roman Polanski being unable to travel to the United States, due to an outstanding arrest warrant for rape. 


The ferry between the islands of Sylt and Rømø, the MS SyltExpress, features prominently in the film.  



The stamp is colourful and features a baby 'Haselmaus', or a hazel dormouse. 

They are so cute. I love field mice. In our cave house in the country we occasionally get one inside. You get things like that when you live in the country. They are so tiny too.


The above photos (except the postcard and the stamp), and a lot of the info comes from Wikipedia.

Most of you will know that my dear hubby has had surgery last Friday. (He has been diagnosed with bowel cancer.) Because of Covid I am not allowed to visit him. That's hard, but we talk on FaceTime a few times a day and I am keeping myself busy getting the house ready for when he comes home. He is doing OK. He will probably be discharged at the end of the week, although he has not been out of bed yet and still has lots of tubes, drips and drains attached to him. 

This is what they have been feeding him: Ensure, a nutritional drink. He was admitted on the 10th of Feb and has not been allowed to eat solids, poor chap.

I think the Ensure will have to be my T-party qualifier.

Because I don't think he'll be able to manage the stairs, I'm planning to get the downstairs flat ready. But there is no heating. (We only use it in the summer). So I remembered we have an almond shell burner in the wood shed:
Tomorrow a friend of ours will come and make a hole in the wall for the chimney pipe. He will install the stove, which three young men will manoeuvre down the steps (also tomorrow). I will give it a little (big) clean up and we're ready to go.

This one kicks out a lot of heat. It also works with olive pips and also with pellets.



Today being the 2nd of the month, Elizabeth and Bluebeard invite us to post a blogpost that has already been published once before. Here is mine from the 17th of March 2015:

Trip to Italy with nothing but snow!

We’ve just come back from an exciting week in Italy. We went to see our little grandson, who is now 4 months old. He was being baptized so we traveled there for the occasion.

It was a long journey: a long bus ride from Baza to Malaga (4 hours), then a two and a half hour flight to Rome. From Rome another 3 hour bus ride to Chieti, only it took us 5 hours because of the snow. It was snowing heavily and the bus almost didn’t make it, but they have special tires and with much delay we finally arrived at midnight. My son came to pick us up in a 4x4 to take us to his home. That was another arduous journey of about an hour and we made it to the outskirts of their town from where we had to walk (with suitcases) through the snow to the house as the streets were not accessible by car.


 Here is a photo of me looking out of the window of the house we were staying in, and another snow photo. I know that our Canadian friends will laugh at this but we live in sunny Spain and are not used to this amount of snow.

Meeting my grandson was a delight! He is a cheeky chappie, all smiles.


I had bought a nice outfit for the baptism with high heeled shoes, but what I eventually wore were a jumper, trousers and boots (because of the snow).


The baptism was on the 8th of March, which also is International Women’s Day. The restaurant where we went for dinner after church, had vases of mimosa on every table. Mimosa being (in Italy at least) the symbol of women’s day. I remember always buying a twig of mimosa for my girl friends on that day.



Thanks for visiting my page,

Happy T-Day!

See you soon and God bless!

Lisca


16 comments:

  1. Your postcard was quite unique and unusual. I'd never heard of this island before, and was surprised to learn about it. It seems I learn something new every T time. I really enjoyed reading about this island, seeing the photos, postcards, and the stamp of the mouse.

    It was great to see that Graham is doing better, but it's a bit concerning that he hasn't been allowed out of bed yet. It seems as soon as they can, people are encouraged to get up and move (at least here in the states). At least with the Ensure, he will get the nutrition he needs.

    I'm confused, which is not new for me. What happened to your renters? Did they leave so you can move to the first floor? It was great you have such good helpers willing to do things for you Cutting a hole in the wall must have been quite the task.

    Thanks for sharing your postcards, your photos, your stove, your update on Graham, and the Ensure you shared with us for T this Tuesday, dear Lisca.

    I also remember that Second on the 2nd post. I remember the happy, happy baby and your smiling face out the window. Thanks for this second look on the 2nd, dear.

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  2. "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" seems shorter than "Victor jagt zwölf Boxkämpfer quer über den großen Sylter Deich." I'd fail a typing test on either one!

    I wish your husband a good recovery!

    be safe... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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  3. Sorry to hear about your husband's diagnosis. Hopefully he'll get home and start recovery and any other treatments. It's really interesting about Sylt. I have never heard of it nor how it replaced Martha's Vineyard in that film. I love seeing your second on the second post too. Your grandson is getting big now too since it has been 6 years. Hope all else is well and your husband continues to recover. Happy T day. Hugs-Erika

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  4. Always fun to see your postcards and get a history lesson as well. So sorry to hear about your hubby. Ensure has been the drink of choice for years here for those in need of essential minerals, vitamins and caloric intake when they can't eat. I do hope your hubby will have been able to move about before they release him. Glad you have some help to get things set up for his return home. Sending prayers and get well wishes.
    Oh and how cute is that dormouse.... take care of yourself, and happy T day!

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  5. What a fun pangram - thanks again for a little history-lesson, I didn´t know of the train!
    Oh, such a cute stamp, really, did they have to destroy it like that?
    Oh, hope your hubby recovers fully! It is scary, for sure.

    Wow, that was some long journey! But sure worth it, what a cute face!

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  6. Lisca, so sorry to hear about Graham’s diagnosis but good to hear he will be home shortly, pleased to hear you have good neighbours to help you.
    I’ve never heard of the stove that burns pips but I know you can buy stoves that burn pellets, we used to have a stove in Germany, 1971 that burnt compressed coal, egg shaped, didn’t give off much heat and cost a fortune, to us at least!
    Love the history of Sylt and the cute mouse, wouldn’t like them in the house though!
    Take care of yourself Lisca, sending you a virtual hug, sending best wishes to Graham for a good recovery
    Jan S

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  7. So sorry to hear of the diagnose for your husband, and hope he can soon come home and get well soon. It must be hard not being able to visit him, too. No visitors are allowed in our clinic, either. The cards are great. I like Sylt, but the field mouse is just beautiful, they are such adorable little animals. Hope you get everything ready on time for Graham's return, nice of the neighbours to help. Take care, hugs, Valerie

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  8. Your posts are always so full of beauty, information, love and creativity. I am so very sorry to hear about Graham's diagnosis. I know the two of you will come through this together. Nice that you have friends that will come over to help you with the heater. I will keep a candle going for you both. Hugs and love.

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  9. Beautiful post Lisca, I often wondered what it would be like to live on an island-kinda cool this one is now connected to the mainland.
    I am so sorry about the cancer, but good he can come home soon. that is a very interesting wood stove on what you can burn in it-very nice to have friends to set that up for you. that will be nice. sending love and hugs

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  10. I am sorry to hear of your husband's diagnosis. and that you can't visit him must make this much harder. Having him home will be nice, and I know you're both counting the days. I hope his recovery goes smoothly. How wonderful that you can adapt the downstairs for cold weather. Happy T Tuesday!

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  11. Lisca, LOL, you had me laughing, the numbers in my journal are calories burned - the steps are a tad more :-)

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  12. So sorry to hear about your hubby's diagnosis, wishing home a full and speedy recovery! I hope that you are ok too and how lovely to have him home soon, you're doing such a fabulous job getting the downstairs apartment ready for him, the heater is a great idea 😁. Those cards and postage stamps are lovely too! Take care and Happy T Day! Hugs, Jo x

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  13. What a lovely postcard. I love vintage travel posters, in fact, I am using them to decorate our new bathroom.
    I am so sorry to hear that your hubby has bowel cancer. It sounds like you are very busy getting your home ready for his home coming. And a lot of work! That is wonderful that you have a friend to lend a hand to move that heater and create a new chimney. I hope all goes well.
    Loved seeing the photos from your previous trip. And what a cutie your grandson is. Adorable!
    Happy Tea day,
    Kate

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  14. So interesting to read about the postcard and travel poster. I hope your husband is doing well. How nice to have a heater that can be used (almond shells!) and friends that will help move and install it. Your husband will be very well-cared for when he returns home. Your grandson is such a beautiful baby. That smile! Take care and Happy T Day

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  15. I had never heard of Sylt and your information about it is interesting! I do know about field mice though, one used to come and steal nuts from our bird feeder. he had such a sweet face I never chased him off!
    I am sorry to read about your hubby, but pleased to know that your friends are helping towards his coming home to a warm flat!
    Your Italian visit looks very cold - I bet meeting your Grandson made the snow seem less cold. Wishing you both happier times ahead! Belated Happy T Day, Chrisx

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  16. Hello sweetie, I happened along for a read and realised you hadn't posted, so came for a wander through your tuesday post, I'm so sorry about the diagnosis, but I'm hoping fingers and toes crossed that there are things they can do and hope that Graham will be home with you soon. You seem to have got on with sorting the arrangements at home, I hope you managed to get the almond shell fire sorted and that you've managed to spring clean the downstairs flat. Thinking of you both, biggest hugs and sending you lots of prayers

    Virginia

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