Tuesday 12 May 2020

A Postcard A Day - Tuesday 12 May 2020 - T for Koenigsberg, battles and peas

Hello lovely girls,

I hope you are all well. And I also hope that in your country the 'curve' is flattening and restrictions are slowly being lifted.

Mail that has been 'stuck' in transfer is slowly coming through. I have received several cards:

Last week Iris wrote in her blog that her grandma was able to flee from Konigsberg (which was German until 1945)  with 7 children, one of which was Iris' mother. 

Koenigsberg is now called Kaliningrad and I happened to receive a card from Kaliningrad this week!

The postcard is a photo from 1910, but I am sure Iris' grandma will have known the city like this and would surely recognize the location, with a tower in the background. The tower belonged to the Koenigsberg Castle. Here is a picture of the castle as it was (from the internet):
On the back of the card is some info in Russian. With the camera translate function on my iphone I have been able to read: Steindamm, view from the house nr 99. The corner of Kopernika street and Zhytomyrska street.

Here is another old photo, where the castle is seen from above:
Unfortunately, there is nothing left of the old city. If you are interested in reading about the castle, this is a quick 2 minute read, and this is an even shorter bit about the monstrosity (House of the Soviets) that has been built in its place.

In September 1941 the Russians started to bomb the city, and in 1944 the British bombed the city. In 1945 the so-called battle of Koenigsberg took place and by the end of it the Soviets were in power. In April 1946 the city becomes part of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, per Potsdam Agreement.

Interesting is it not?

So what has been happening here?
 Hubby brought some more produce from our plot, which I then peeled, blanched and put in bags, ready to go in the freezer. We feel very blessed.
Then we had this situation with one some of our grandchildren in the UK. One of them got stuck while climbing through the window and mum & dad had to help him down.
Later that day, his younger brother slipped and broke his arm. The fracture was so complex that he had to be admitted to hospital and operated upon during the night. By the next morning he was home again. They are both well now. Phew.

Here is a picture i found on the Internet. A mural about the battles being fought. 
Now I'd better get a drink ready to be able to come to the T-Party. How about a coffee? I want to show you the glasses we drink coffee out of. They are double walled glass and I love them:


That is my qualifier to the T-Party hosted by Elizabeth and Bleubeard. Come and join us, any beverage will do. 

We've had some pretty awful weather here, but the other day the sun shone unexpectedly and a beautiful rainbow appeared. One of my friends from the Caniles Photoclub captured it from a very good angle:

That is it from my this Tuesday. I hope you all have a very pleasant week.
Keep smiling!,
Hugs,
Lisca

20 comments:

  1. Hi Lisca this was so interesting to read-thank you My husbands grandparents on both sides fled from the Nazis one side from Russia and one side from Hungry-glad you are getting mail through again I love getting mail. so awesome that your garden is producing so well-I used to have a large garden and I froze, canned, dehydrated it all-Love the rainbow-we are in for lots and lots of rain this week-it starts tonight or tomorrow.
    Happy T Hugs Kathy

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  2. Oh I do love the history of the postcard photos and the old buildings! Very slowly, restrictions are being loosened in our area:)
    Oh lucky you to have all that super fresh produce!! Yum!
    But awe, the poor grandchildren...glad to hear they are mending.
    And what's not to love about seeing a rainbow....happy T day!

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  3. LOVED that postcard you shared this week. So glad the mail is starting to loosen in Europe. We've had no trouble getting U.S. mail here, but I have no idea about anything coming from countries other than Canada, which seems to get through in a semi-normal fashion. I SO love that you give us such detailed history of the postcards you receive.

    You have a lovely bunch of veggies from your plot. How awesome. You certainly won't go hungry.

    Those glass cups you shared are brilliant. They are beautiful and functional at the same time. Thanks for sharing your postcard, your veggies you cooked and froze and your lovely coffee cups with us for T this Tuesday.

    BTW, things are starting to lift here, but no one feels it's time yet, since no one can get tested.

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  4. Your postcards are beautiful. There is something nostalgic about those old black and white postcards.
    Wow! What a great gardener your husband is. He is really bringing home a lot of produce. This is important during this time where food is scarce in some places.
    What a crazy story about your grandsons. Their parents certainly are busy. So glad that the one came out of his surgery well.
    Our state governor is being very stingy about what counties he allows to open despite data telling him it is safe to open. Some counties are choosing to open anyway. I am hoping ours will soon.
    Happy Tea Day,
    Kate

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  5. Love reading your posts, I may not comment but I do read and lear. The reason why I am commenting is I would love to see your garden so would you be so kind as to post some garden photos next time, that is a lot of veges, your garden must be huge

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  6. Wow what a coincidence, Lisca! I have no idea where they really came from, just "near Königsberg".
    Which is funny as in König is King and Mum married a man named Kaiser, Emperor, irony!
    Once, if I understood right, my Granma really went back for a visit, but she never really talked about it. Maybe she was too disappointed. They were poor back then, working for others on some farmer´s place.
    And she spoke "Platt".
    Thank you, that was very interesting. I regret... maybe... I dind´t keep asking for details.
    But it felt wrong, they were still hurt, and kids sense that. Granma died 2006, she had Alzheimer´s and didn´t know me anymore.
    And when she talked op Platt... not a chance!

    Oh, wow, that is some loot, beautiful! This year I plan to skip flowers on our little balcony and take to herbs, if you have ideas, please let me know.

    Sorry. I had to laugh about that pic with your grandchild. I laugh as I assume all went well, of course!
    Please, if the little one is in pain over a long period of time, take it serious. In my case there was a virus in the operation room and I got a bad bone infection, no one believed me. Could´ve lost the function of my hand....

    Sadly a clever mural. Both due to dumbness.

    Clever glasses.

    Did you make a wish on that rainbow???
    We married in Perth, Western Australia, in November, summer. A few drops of rain and a rainbow happened and everybody said this is special and brings luck :-)
    A happy T-day to you, and a big smile, plus some hugs. Oh, I have my Grandmother right in my heart now.

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  7. Lovely postcards, glad they are coming through again. Your home-grown veggies look fantastic, enjoy! Nice coffee cups, I have some smaller ones like that for espresso. And a wonderful rainbow. Sorry your grandchildren had problems, hope all is well now! Have a happy T Day, hugs, Valerie

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  8. Lisca you've certainly been busy shelling all those veggies, lovely to have it all fresh from the garden, Steve's tomatoe seedlings are coming on but we may be out of lockdown before we get any fruit, LOL
    Hope you have entered state one where you are, we can now go out in the car together and move around Murcia, not that we will go far as there seems lots of traffic around now, a bit scary so we will be just taking it carefully for now.
    Have a Happy T Day
    Jan x

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  9. Lovely post cards today, it must be a good feeling getting post delivered again. The restrictions being eased must help.
    I hope your grandsons arm will heal well, the picture will be a family memory talking point for quite a few years i think.
    The vegetables looked delicious, you must have a good garden growing area to get a good crop like this.
    Stay safe and Happy T day wishes.
    Yvonne xx

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  10. Wonderful postcards and photos. I'm sorry to hear about your grandchild's arm getting broken. Fantastic double rainbow. Happy T-Day!

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  11. Interesting story about Konigsberg. It is interesting how that little bit of Russia is there. Wow I didn't realize the story and what a time that must have been. It makes Iris' story all the more scary. And good news about your grandson-that he is home now that is-but another scary story how badly he hurt himself. And nice for fresh produce. Still too cold here for that. I hope you have a super T day Lisca. Hugs-Erika

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  12. I always get to the bottom of your T Tuesday post to comment only to find the previous post instead lol You'd think I'd remember to click on your individual T Tuesday post instead of just starting to read, but I _always_ forget lol

    Your produce looks delicious. Your grandchildren's trials and tribulations sound stressful :( I'm glad all is well now :) I love your double-walled glass coffee cups. Cool! The double rainbow takes my breath away. Gorgeous shot!

    Happy T Tuesday!

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  13. Very interesting indeed, Lisca. You're a great researcher. I enjoyed the info and the old photos of Koenigsberg Castle.

    That's quite a harvest. Good for you!

    I'm glad both boys will be okay. Their parents must have been nervous wrecks.

    Great photo of the double rainbow.

    Happy T-Day! Eileen xx

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  14. Some beautiful postcards you have received Lisca !! Great to know about Koenigsberg/Kaliningrad, the photographs are fabulous. Thanks so much.
    Hope your grandsons are now better, children sometimes don´t see the danger.
    Oh you have got a lot of vegetables, that ´s so good. Happy T-day !
    Wonderful photograph!
    I wish you a very nice evening, stay safe, and big hugs
    Caty

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  15. The info you provide to go along with your postcards is always so interesting. Looks like your garden plot is giving you a good harvest. We are still sheltering in place here in NoCA, USA. Some other states are gradually opening. I'm find with quarantine for the time being.

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  16. Such interesting postcards, thanks for sharing! What a suprise to see you grandson stuck in the window and I hope your other grandson is ok and recovers quickly after breaking his arm 😀. Wow, all those veggies look delicious, I love peas and broad beans and there is nothing better if they are fresh from the garden! Happy T Day wishes! Take care! Hugs, Jo x

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  17. Postcards are so interesting, a bit hof history and travel from the comfort of your favorite chair with a favorite beverage. Oh! The child in the window reminds me of a time when I forgot my keys to get into my house as a child. I got Himself to help me. We had windows like the ones at your grandson’s. Himself ws able to get it open with a screwdriver as it wasn’t locked, but both of us were too big to fit through the window so we pushed his kid brother through! 😺 Glad your window grandson is all right and I hope the little guy with the broken are is doing better. The photo of the rainbow is just awesome. Take care. Happy T Day

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  18. Beautiful ~ I love the battle mural -WOW- I'm glad the mail is moving and that you received some wonderful posts. I'm glad the grandkids are ok, I think the kids need this relief from quarantine the most. Yum to all the wonderful veggies ~

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  19. What a brilliant post! Wonderful pics and history about Koenigsberg - though very sad!
    What a clever mural that is ! You certainly are growing some lovely vegetables - good that you can freeze them too!
    I hope you Grandsons recover quickly!
    Happy T day! Chrisx

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