Tuesday 6 August 2024

A Postcard A Day - Tuesday 6 August 2024 - T for cut glass windows, a Spanish pop singer and T-bags

 Hello lovely girls,

How are you all? I am a lot more rested since my son and family have left. It was really lovely to have them around and now I miss them, but it was extremely tiring. Partly because of the intense heat and partly because of their youthful energy. I am now rested and can think straight again.

I've had some happy mail. More about that later, but first let me show you my postcard for today:


It was sent to me by my friend Maggie, who always sends me a postcard from the places she visits. This time from a city called León. (By the way, Iris, León means 'lion' in Spanish!).

The postcard features one of the many stain glass windows for which the León cathedral is famous.

Wikipedia writes:
Santa María de Regla de León Cathedral is a Catholic church, the episcopal see of the diocese of León in the city of León, Castile and León, north-western Spain.



Initiated in the 13th century, it is one of the greatest works of the Gothic style, with French influences. 


León Cathedral has a frame which contains 130 windows, together with three large rose windows, a number which is only surpassed by the 176 windows of Chartres cathedral, but the windows of Chartres cover a much smaller surface area. The windows of León reflect both scenes of nature and aspects of the supernatural and the constructors knew enough about optical science to be able achieve light effects and, through them, generate or manipulate the architectural space.


The windows were the responsibility of a small army of glass smiths and blacksmiths who, while the church itself was being constructed, were designing, decorating and cutting the glass panels and then joining them with molten lead. From the late thirteenth century the architectural framework was prepared for the windows in the major chapels and, from the early fourteenth century, in the principal and adjoining naves.


The stamp is of a Spanish pop star:
Wikipedia writes:
Luis Manuel Ferri Llopis (Aielo de Malferit, 3 August 1944 – VillarrubioCuenca, 16 April 1973), better known by his stage name Nino Bravo, was a Spanish baroque pop and ballad singer.

He died in a car crash only 28 years old.

Now for my other mail:
A large yellow envelope from the USA. It has a teacup stamp on it so you can guess that this was CJ's tea-bags. 'True Blueberry'. I have yet to drink it, but I'm sure I will like it. 

And she sent all sorts of other goodies as well:
A gorgeous little mauve 'cup' with my name on it. 
And this beautiful disk, which is home made with flowers and kitties in a teacup. It also has the cutest little medallion of a kitty in a cup. Really lovely. Thank you CJ.
And then there was a sticker sheet, which I will definitely use on my postcards. 
CJ also wrote me a short letter. You have beautiful handwriting CJ!

What's happening here in Spain? The fiesta season is beginning. Officially the Feria starts on the 6th but we've had a week of pre-feria activities. There were concerts and exhibitions, competitions and sports events.


 
I went to see a singer called Maria del Tango, one of the few flamenco singers I like. She has an amazing voice and does 'fuse' music (not pure flamenco, which is something I can't cope with). 
Please tell me if the video will play. Not that I can do anything about it if it doesn't. But I'd like to know. I've tried a video before and it didn't work.

As today is T-Day, hosted by Elizabeth and Bluebeard, I will include a drink:
I was invited by Isa and Arris, my friend Antonia's daughter and S-i-L, for a supper. in the cool of the evening. Here we are just putting out all the food.
There were all sorts of salads, rice dishes, dips and home made bread.
On this photo some drinks are visible.
Arris had been trying to get the BBQ going but ended up burning all the wood without cooking anything. But there was so much food that nobody needed any meat.
Here are Antonia and I. My friend doesn't like this photo for obvious reasons but I'm including it as it has more than one drink in it.

That is all for now.
Happy T-Day all!
Lisca

PS I posted on Monday Murals yesterday, for anyone who wanted to see more Almería murals, go here.


























6 comments:

Mae Travels said...

Your information on Leon and its cathedral is very interesting, and I enjoyed the photos you shared. I had no idea that it has so much more stained glass than Chartres!
All that food looks very tempting.
The family visit sounds wonderful but exhausting.
best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I am sure you miss your family, but I know you are happy to have a bit of a breather before you made it to your next adventures this week. You never seem to stop, either.

That is a stunning postcard. A really lovely cathedral and that stained glass is out of this world. I enjoyed the stamp, too. Too sad his life was taken far too soon.

A meatless meal is my kind of meal. What a huge spread. You were certainly dressed cool! Thanks for sharing so many drinks with us, as well as the postcard and gifts from CJ, for T this Tuesday, dear Lisca. She told me she sent you a package and what a lovely gift it was.

Spyder said...

Oh wow what a great time you've been having, a real adventure! And all that lovely food and drinks! Fabulous! Happy T day...for once I think I'm early!!!
((Lyn))

Iris Flavia said...

Lisca, yes, I speak still a bit of French, so Henry and I knew right away :-)
I also can order beer in Spanish... but that´s sadly all - I could´ve used Spanish so often!!!! But at school we could chose between French and Latin only - and it still is the same, I learned from big Niece.
I fail to understand how people with the tools they had back then created cathedrals/buildings and glas like that!
Sad about the early death of that singer.
Yay to the happy mail, how wonderful!
Oh,so sad: The video is unavailable here (bet it´s GEMA again - or blogger is having another fit). I tried FF and Chrome...
Fun pic of you - and your "unwilling" friend ;-)
Happy T-Day!

Let's Art Journal said...

The cathedral looks so beautiful and how lovely to listen to one of your favourite music artists, I bet it was amazing 😊. (No video, it says it's unavailable). Wow, that supper looks so good, and the evening looks so calm and peaceful - perfect! Happy T Day wishes! Hugs, Jo x

CJ Kennedy said...

The stained glass windows of the cathedral are amazing. I enjoyed learning a little bit of the history. I'm so glad the packet arrived. I mailed it from a different post office than the post office where I live. Usually S has me fill out a douane, but J said the envelope was flat enough to go as regular mail. I was worried customs would get upset and the packet would be returned. So, whew! I'm glad you enjoyed the little things. I like the blueberry tea cold. Sometimes if I have a lemon flavor tea bag, I mix them together. Very refreshing especially if it's hot. Stay cool and Happy T Day