Tuesday 22 January 2019

A Postcard A Day - Tuesday 22 January 2019 - T for Russia


Translates: "A little coffee for you! So that you start the day with a lot of energy and a positive attitude. Good Morning"

Good morning lovely ladies,
Are you all ready for the T-party? Lets join Elisabeth and Bluebeard at Altered Book Lover with a beverage. My beverage you will see much later, but I think the cockerel has beaten me to it. (He obviously gets up much before me)
 My T-blog has a Russian theme today (totally by accident). 
To start with, both my postcards today are from Russia:

This one is a view of the Red Square in Moscow. I think the building on the left is the Kremlin. Has any of you been to Moscow? (I haven't).

The next card is an old image from 1960. The caption reads: 'The match will take place in any weather!' Dinamo Stadium. From the Russian Photo Museum. 

Bottom left is a commemorative coin of the World Championship soccer 2018:
The stamps are gorgeous. I think the large one faetures the Kremlin again, but I wasn't sure so I used my Google translate with the camera on my phone. The words on top say: "Happy New Year!"


On Tuesday we went to our usual restaurant to have a lovely lunch. There is a nice dining room, but we always sit in the bar to eat. The staff always reserve a table for us on Tuesdays. (There are only two tables in the bar area). 
While we are waiting for our drinks, here is hubby.
Here come our red wines. The waitress/co-owner is Mahri.
Erika did some book reviews the other day, so I thought I'd do that too as I have read two really good books lately. The first one, A Gentleman In Moscow by Amor Towles, I am about to finish but I can already say it is surprisingly good. The plot is that in 1922 a Russian  aristocrat gets sentenced by a Bolshevik tribunal (because he is unrepentent) to life long house arrest at the hotel where he is currently staying. All his properties and land are confiscated. He is lucky as most of the aristocracy was murdered. He gets offered a small attic room in the Hotel Metropole in Moscow in stead of his large suite where he used to live. Well I thought that it would be boring, but not at all! Count Rostov is a a delightful, educated, wise and resourceful man and you can't help but like him. Through him and the people he meets over the 30 years, the history of Russia comes through very subtly. The rise of communism, the second WW, etc. I love it and don't want it to end really. I comes highly recommended.

This is a photo of the hotel Metropole, which still exists today. It is near the Kremlin and at the back it overlooks the entrance of the Bolshoi theatre.
Another book I was totally blown away with is this one, All This I Will Give You by Dolores Redondo, a Spanish author.
It is a thriller, but a well written one. It is quite unusual, not only because it is set in Spain, but it is written as a literary novel, while it really is a murder mystery which turns into a nail biting thriller.  It's about Michael who is a writer and one night the police have to tell him that Alvaro, his husband of 10 years, has died in a car crash. The strange thing is that the accident happened in a totally different part of the country to where Alvaro said he was going. Michael travels to the scene and tries to find out what happened. It turns out Alvaro had a secret life he had not mentioned in all those 10 years. 
I won't say any more as I don't want to spoil it, but an awful lot happens. There are unexpected twists in the story nearly every chapter. It is well written and also well translated.
This is Dolores Redondo:
I hope someone can get hold of these as they are well worth reading. I read mine on my e-reader (Kindle). The Gentleman in Moscow was a special offer at 99pence and the Spanish one I paid full price for (but that's still not a lot).

That is it from me today. 
Happy T-Day everyone!
Have a good week!
Stay safe,
Lisca

21 comments:

  1. I tried to decipher the Spanish on the postcard and did OK considering I only had a few years (in high school:) Love the cards and stamps! And how nice to have a reserved table waiting for you and hubby.Love reading too but my reading is almost always non fiction. Interesting reads are in every genre. Happy T day!

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  2. A Gentleman in Moscow was one of my books too and isn't it a good book? Not boring at all. And I didn't think to look for the Hotel Metropole online and to find it really exists is totally fascinating. Thanks so much for sharing that with us Lisca. And it's nice you have a special reserved table for Tuesdays. Now that is really special. Have a wonderful T day Lisca. Hugs-Erika

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  3. I almost read all the words in Spanish, it is the second language of California LOL!
    Your books look most interesting, I'll surely be looking for them. I think my first choice would be about the man in Moscow......sounds so interesting.
    Happy T-day

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  4. That first postcard had me chuckling. Very interesting post. I might have to put those books on my reserve list at the library if they have them.
    Happy T day!

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  5. Those books sound good, I will try to get them on my Kindle, too. Love the postcards, and the cheery one at the start with the coffee being poured out. Have a great week, happy T Day, hugs, Valerie

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  6. Always something beautiful and always lots of interest in your posts.

    The postcard is amazing and you found a very nice place to enjoy a drink.

    Have a great T Day

    Love Chrissie xx

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  7. I love the cover artwork for the Moscow book. Thank you for including your book reviews of what sound like two good novels. Happy T-Day.

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  8. oh, borrow me that cock, i hope he doesn´t wake me too early;) never been to russia and not sure if i ever will... and thanks for the book tip, always welcome:) happy t-day ♥

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  9. I enjoyed your post today-as always-that is a very pretty stamp.
    Thank you for the book reviews-they both sound interesting-especially the first one.
    Happy T hugs Kathy

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  10. I love the cockerel poster, Lisca. I wonder if the postcards from Russia made you seek out a Russian book or if it was coincidence. How nice to have a standing reservation at your favorite lunch restaurant. A gentleman in Moscow sounds like a fascinating story.

    Happy T-day! Hugs, Eileen

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  11. The post cards look great and I especially liked the first photo with the cockerel.
    the books you reviewed sound really good, I will look to see if our library can get them.
    Happy T day wishes Lisca.
    Yvonne xx

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  12. I'm loving the cheerful rooster offering us coffee :) I'm putting both those books on my list to look for. They sound right down my alley. Thx! Happy T Tuesday

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  13. Wow, those postage stamps are beautiful! Thanks is for the book reviews 😁. The restaurant looks like a lovely place for lunch too, wishing you a Happy T Day! J 😊 x

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  14. I had a Gentleman from Moscow on my to-read list. Perhaps I need to move it up on my list. Some lovely postcards but I have to agree that the stamp is gorgeous!
    Happy Tea Day,
    Kate

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  15. My sincere apologies for not visiting sooner, but my electricity went out about 4ish this morning. It is finally back on and I am loving that cockerel to start your weekly T post.

    I have never been to Russia, and since our president has irritated Russian leaders, I doubt it would be safe for an American to do so. I DO love the postcards, though and have created a couple of spreads in my 7 Continents AB using the Kremlin as the backdrop. Your postcards are fabulous, and I enjoyed the stamps, too.

    Nice review of the two books, but I fear most of my little reading time I have is spent reading boring peer review journals and articles in them. I love to read the statistics and statistical methodologies. Like I said, boring to most except me.

    You are so lucky to know the owner and have a reserved table each week. How awesome. Thanks for sharing your wine, your postcards, your book reviews, and your lovely cockerel pouring coffee with us for T this Tuesday.

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  16. Great postcards, so interesting to see what people choose to send. I'm sure they go out of their way to get good or unusual ones. I read Rules of Civility by Towles and enjoyed it so I'll be looking for this one.

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  17. I love this postcards and the stamp is amazing and thanks a lot for the book review - sounds interesting!
    Happy T-Day dear Lisca!
    Big hugs, Susi

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  18. Please look at my blog! Hugs, Valerie

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  19. Nice postcards and I really do like the stamps. Both books sound interesting I'll have to check them out.
    Thanks for stopping by for a visit . I'll be posting more about the winter sowing in the milk jugs.
    Carol

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  20. Lovely cards and I love those stamps!! Both of those books look like good read! Belated Happy T day! Chrisx

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  21. Oh, the book sound so good. Thanks for the recommendation. I love the rooster pouring coffee! Happy T Day week! I am so late, and so sorry!

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