A Postcard A Day - Tuesday 23 July 2024 - T for Swanboats and Westerns

 Hello lovely peeps,

Are  you ready to party? We are T-Partying today at Bluebeard and Elizabeth's Altered Booklover. Do join us and bring a drink (meaning: post and image of a beverage on your blogpost).

A while ago Elizabeth announced an exchange for the T-Party anniversary and CJ and I exchanged two postcards and two tea bags. My cards are on their way to CJ but she was quicker off the mark and I have already received my postcards. One of them is this one:

It features Swanboats at Dock. I read on the back: "Graceful swanboats await visitors to the Public Garden in the heart of Boston. Soon delighted children and their weary parents will glide around the pond... a Boston tradition since 1877". I have never been to Boston and I had never heard of these boats. Aren't they pretty.

Wikipedia writes: The Swan Boats operate in the same pond in the Public Garden in which they have operated for over 140 years. A Swan Boat ride is a peaceful experience, usually lasting about 12–15 minutes. Each boat is powered solely by a driver, often a high school or college student, who pedals the boat like a bicycle. The boats are steered by pulling one of two ropes connected to a series of pulleys and a rudder. The Swan Boats remain a Boston tradition and symbol of the city.

The stamp is a standard gerbera flower. But CJ might have remembered that the orange one is my favorite, so thank you CJ. 

Here in Andalucia it's all systems go. My son and his family are over from Italy so we are spending some quality time together. Today (Monday) we went to Oasys Mini Hollywood, a Western style theme park in the Tabernas desert. It was once a film set.

I got this photo from Wikipedia as I would not have been able to photograph from up high. 

Originally known as Yucca City, the set was designed by Carlo Simi and built for Sergio Leone's For a Few Dollars More in 1965. It was also used as a set for other films, such as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). 

(My son)

After filming of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly was completed, the extras in the project bought the set and ran it as a tourist attraction. 

(My D-I-L)

They were later bought out by a hotel group. The park features daily cowboy stunt shows, such as a mock bank raid,

and a re-enactment of the final moments of Jesse James. It also has a swimming complex, abandoned gold mine, Cowboy style saloon, a Fun Barn for children's activities, a zoo with birds and big cats in cages and many mock western stores.

My son and I (without glasses).

On the way out there was a bench with writing above it:

"Don't go without a kiss".

Now today is the T-Party so I need a drink (to show you).

My son and his wife fancied paella, the traditional rice dish from Valencia. We asked around and none of the bars had it on the menu. One of the bars, the Kiosko, said we could order it and they would cook it especially for us.

Here we are having a good time. I invited my Friend Dian too as the paella was for 5 people.

Drinkwise, I think I had a white wine. The small blue bottles are fizzy water, which by the way is more expensive than wine.

Now you are a bit more up-to-date about what I'm up to.

Happy T-Day to all!

Lisca