A Postcard A Day - Tuesday 20 January 2026 - T for Paella and Siena

 Hello lovely girls,

Brrr, it's so cold here! Temperatures around freezing (Below zero at night and above zero in the day). I'm having to light my stove every day. I know a lot of you would be used to much colder, but for the south of Spain, this is cold.

I've been cooking nice things as I seem to be hungrier when it's cold. But that's for later. Let's look at my postcard first:

It comes from France, but it shows Siena, which is in Italy.

Wikipedia writes: Siena is a city in Tuscany, in Central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. With a population of 52,991, it is the 12th-largest city in the region as of 2025.

The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking centre until the 13th and 14th centuries. Siena is also home to the oldest bank in the world, the Monte dei Paschi, which has been operating continuously since 1472 (554 years ago).

 Several significant Mediaeval and Renaissance painters were born and worked in Siena, among them Duccio di Buoninsegna, Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Simone Martini and Sassetta, and influenced the course of Italian and European art. The University of Siena, originally called Studium Senese, was founded in 1240, making it one of the oldest universities in continuous operation in the world.

I don't think I've been to Siena while I lived in Italy, but I do remember watching the 'Palio' every year on TV.

The Palio di Siena known locally simply as Il Palio; (from Latin pallium) is a horse race held twice each year, on 2 July and 16 August, in Siena, Italy. 

Ten horses and riders, bareback and dressed in the appropriate colours, represent ten of the seventeen contrade, or city wards, in a tradition dating back to the 17th century.

The stamp is interesting:

The stamp is French as the card was sent to me by Hélène from France. She had visited Siena during her holidays in Tuscany.

The French postal system called La Poste writes:

At La Poste, we deliver in TetrisTM mode. Thanks to optimized loading of our trucks, we can transport more parcels at a time and reduce the number of vehicles on the road. Our final score: 15,000 tonnes of CO2 avoided.

Well worth a stamp.

What have I been up to here in Spain?

Last Saturday there was a lunch and Bible study for English speakers. It was a 'bring-and-share' lunch. I made paella, the famous Valencian rice dish:

Here it is bubbling on my stove.

And this was the finished article. I had made it with seafood, but in most places it would be made with chicken or pork or even rabbit.

Other people had brought other dishes.

Today I will join the T-Party hosted by Elizabeth and Bluebeard, so I will show you a few more photos as I need to show a drink.

Yes, a few glasses of wine are visible. On this occasion it was mulled wine actually.

Finally a photo with myself in it (second from left).

That is it, my friends.

A very happy T-Day to all,

Lisca

 

A Postcard A Day - Friday 16 January 2026 - Friday Smiles

 Hello lovely girls,

We're well into January now and things are going back to normal. I love holidays but it's so nice to get back to my own routine. I'm back in the gym and back doing Pilates.

Let me show you a postcard:

As you can see, it's from Tyrol in Austria.

Tyrol was separated into a northern and southern part in 1919, after WWI. North and East Tyrol was assigned to the Republic of Austria, which was invaded by the Wehrmacht in 1938. South Tyrol (the green bit on the map) became part of Italy and is still today.

I don't have to tell you how beautiful Tyrol is, as you only have to look at Violetta's blog to appreciate that.

When I was a young mum living in Italy, I used to travel up to Austrian Tyrol every year and meet with my parents (traveling down from the Netherlands) and my sister (flying in from the UK) for a skiing holiday. My son learnt to ski as a toddler. We were jealous about how fast he learned (no sticks needed). My parents and I usually went cross country skiing, called Langlauf. Because we all speak German, our first teacher was Austrian and he was 84 years old. A great guy. (and quite a character) I shall never forget him. 

Later I also learnt downhill skiing.  Lovely memories.

The stamp on the card looks like this:

Sambucus nigra is a species complex of flowering plants in the family Viburnaceae native to most of Europe. Common names include elder, elderberry, black elder, European elder, European elderberry, and European black elderberry. Wikipedia

So much for my postcard. What's been happening here in Spain? Well I have made my first loaf of sourdough bread!

Above is what it looked like before going in the oven.

My visitors (HomeExchange) had given me a sourdough starter, and after feeding it for a few days, I made this loaf. I used stone ground wheat flour with some rye flour too.

And below is how it came out:

I'm 'dead chuffed', to use an English expression.

Would you like to see some photos of my cat Ronnie?

He is sitting next to me on the arm of my armchair.

He's a handsome boy.

And if you're not smiling now, the following funnies will get you giggling.

Have a lovely weekend,

Keep smiling!

Lisca

A Postcard A Day - Tuesday 13 January 2026 - T for Andalusia, white wine and tapa

 Hello lovely peeps,

I forgot to photograph a postcard and as I can't photograph them at night under the lamp (too much glare), I am showing a card that I have sent rather than received, as it was already on my computer:

It's a fun map of my region Andalucia. If you look closely, you'll be able to distinguish 8 provinces: Huelva, Sevilla, Cádiz, Málaga, Córdoba, Jaen, Granada, Almería.

Google writes: Andalusia is a large autonomous region of hills, rivers and farmland bordering Spain’s southern coast. It was under Moorish rule from the 8th-15th centuries, a legacy that shows in its architecture, including such landmarks as the Alcázar castle in Seville, the capital city, as well as Córdoba’s Mezquita Mosque-Cathedral and Granada’s Alhambra palace. ― Google Capital: Seville Area: 87,597 km² .

I live in the Granada province which is a large stretched out province. I live under the feet of the flamenco dancer on the map, near the border with Almería. Granada is known (apart from the Alhambra) for its Sierra Nevada mountains and ski resort. The southern most ski pistes in Europe.

My week has been pretty uneventful. I have started my usual activities again, like Pilates twice a week and Gym, also twice a week. I've also had a haircut:

We've also started Intercambio (Spanish/English conversation group) again. But for one reason or another (there is some flu etc going round) only Jayne and I turned up. So I suggested to Jayne we go out for a drink:

Jayne had to drive so she had a non-alcoholic beer and I had my white wine. Of course we got a free 'tapa', a little snack, with our drink:

It was a slice of bread with a few slices of cured ham and some olives. It was really nice ham. 

As today is the T-Party, hosted by Elizabeth and Bluebeard, this glass of wine can be my 'ticket' to the party.

That is all from me today. Short and sweet as they say.

Happy T-Day all,

Lisca

A Postcard A Day - Friday 9 January 2026 - Friday Smiles

 

Hello lovely ladies,

Happy Friday to you! I hope to make you smile today. I have some funnies lined up and my postcard might make you smile too:

It comes to me from France and is entitled: Défilé de maillots de bain (bathing costume show). It made me smile. There is no information or date about this photo but I guess it dates from just before WWII. The costumes are all knitted! They did not have the synthetic materials we have now. I like the fact that the models look like 'real women'. I mean, they are not anorexic or extremely skinny like today's models. They look like a nice bunch of girls having fun! Each bathing suit has the same logo, so it might be a show of a particular make of bathing suit. Who knows...

The stamp is interesting:

On the side it reads: Pavillon France Expo 2025 Osaka.

Maria-Christina Florian writes:

French architecture studio Coldefy and Italian architecture practice CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati have completed the 'Theatre of Life,' the project selected as France's national pavilion at Expo Osaka 2025, and welcomes visitors until 13 October. 

The pavilion welcomes both natural and artificial habitats, aiming to illustrate how design can connect human and non-human worlds while showcasing France's contribution to culture and the natural environment. In the exhibition, the visitors are invited to explore France's multiple ecosystems and rediscover a connection to nature.

What has been happening here in my Spanish village? Nothing much. We have had such terrible weather that the Three Kings parade and festivities were mostly cancelled and the 3 Kings had to 'hold court' in the sports hall.

Here is our mayoress welcoming the 'Kings'. It is the most important celebration for the children as the 'Kings' bring presents. (Spanish children don't get Christmas presents, the get Kings presents.)

Above a photo of the town hall with decorations, which are now in the process of being taken down.

The rains have finally stopped and I have been able to wash sheets (and dry them) as the sun has come out. Yesterday I did three washing machine loads back to back and it's all dry!

With all the bad weather, I have been reading a lot. At the moment I am reading:

It's about the art of story telling.

In 1627 Barbary pirates raided the coast of Iceland and abducted some 400 of its people, including 250 from a tiny island off the mainland. Among the captives sold into slavery in Algiers were the island pastor, his wife and their three children. Although the raid itself is well documented, little is known about what happened to the women and children afterwards. It was a time when women everywhere were largely silent. 

The Sealwoman's Gift is about the eternal power of storytelling to help us survive. 

Sally Magnussen is not only a writer, she is a Scottish TV presenter. Her father, Magnus Magnussen, was born in Iceland. He also was a well known Scottish TV presenter and writer. He died in 2007.

That is all from me now. I will leave you with some funnies.

Enjoy your weekend,

Lisca