Hello lovely girls,
Happy September! How time flies! I can't believe it's September. It does mean that days will get cooler thank goodness and the summer season is winding down. Here in Andalusia, children will be going back to school on the 10th, and most of my clubs and groups will start up again towards the end of the month.
My postcard for today comes from Colorado, USA:
It was sent to me via Postcrossing, by Deirdre. She actually lives in South Carolina. She sent me the card on the 31st of July and mentioned that where she lives, schools would be starting in two weeks (ie 14th of August). I'm in Italy now and my grandson doesn't start school until the 14th of September.
With more than 5,000 sites, including 600 cliff dwellings, it is the largest archaeological preserve in the United States. Mesa Verde (Spanish for "green table", or more specifically "green table mountain") is best known for structures such as Cliff Palace, one of the largest cliff dwellings in North America.
Starting c. 7500 BCE Mesa Verde was seasonally inhabited by a group of nomadic Paleo-Indians known as the Foothills Mountain Complex. The variety of projectile points found in the region indicates they were influenced by surrounding areas, including the Great Basin, the San Juan Basin, and the Rio Grande Valley. Later, Archaic people established semi-permanent rock shelters in and around the mesa. By 1000 BCE, the Basketmaker culture emerged from the local Archaic population, and by 750 CE the Ancestral Puebloans had developed from the Basketmaker culture.
The Pueblo people survived using a combination of hunting, gathering, and subsistence farming of crops such as corn, beans, and squash (the "Three Sisters"). They built the mesa's first pueblos sometime after 650, and by the end of the 12th century, they began to construct the massive cliff dwellings for which the park is best known. By 1285, following a period of social and environmental instability driven by a series of severe and prolonged droughts, they migrated south to locations in Arizona and New Mexico, including the Rio Chama, the Albuquerque Basin, the Pajarito Plateau, and the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Isn't that interesting. I visited this site briefly (I would have liked to spend more time but we were on a tour bus) in the year 2000 and have always wanted to go back.
As for me now, I'm in Italy visiting my son who has celebrated his 50th birthday a few days ago.
(Yes, my grandson has very long hair, but he likes it that way)
We had a dinner at the restaurant for the extended family. There will be many drink references for Elizabeth and Bluebeard and this bottle of Spumante is the first.
The weather is extremely hot. The other night we were walking back at midnight and the temperature was 38 degrees C (100,4F):
My son lives in the old historic centre of a small town in Abruzzo, Italy. It's called Guardiagrele and I lived there from 1977 to 1988. This visit is full of nostalgia as I always loved living there. (Unfortunately my marriage failed and I had to leave)
Wikipedia writes:
This is the Santa Maria Maggiore church in the center of town.
It has a portico on the side where people sit in the shade.
There are frescos on the wall in the portico. I took this picture the other night:
My daughter in law (in blue top) and her friends having a drink (Second drink reference). I'm not in it as I took the photo:
The famous pastry is called 'Le sise delle monache', which translates as 'nun's tits':
So for old times' sake, we bought some.
Nowadays the name is not considered politically correct and they call it Tre Monti (Three Mountains).
The other thing I wanted to eat for old times' sake were 'arrosticini Abruzzesi'. Little pieces of meat (lamb in the old days) on a stick which are roasted on the coals.(Photo from Internet)
Last night we went to a restaurant at the bottom of the street to eat some.
On the left the old tower (Torre Orsini) which dates from the 13th century.
Our arrosticini were presented like this:
My drink was an Aperol Spritz (Photo taken before the arrosticini arrived).
On the (short) walk home I had my photo taken at the fountain:
The town is also known for its wrought iron artists, so there are examples here and there in the town, like this fountain. The pots are made by the copper smiths who work at the entrance to the old town.
That is all my friends. I'm going to link up with Elizabeth and Bluebeard for the T-Party with all my drink references.
Happy T-Day all!
Lisca
8 comments:
I love that you received a postcard from Mesa Verde, and that you were able to visit it. It's a fascinating place, isn't it? I got to spend 2 days there and it was amazing. And it's great you could celebrate with your son in Italy. It looks like an interesting town that he lives in. And you look amazing in that fountain photo. That outfit is very complementary on you. I hope you have a super T day this week, and that your cold has improved. hugs-Erika
What an interesting postcard. I admit, I have never been to Mesa Verde. Wasn't even aware of the site. So glad you were able to visit. That's why I don't like tours. I want to go at my own pace, not someone else's.
How nice you are able to be with your son on a very monumental birthday. And it looks like there are many more drinks to come.
38 C is downright chilly where I live. Two days ago, it was 113 F or 45 C. My city has set up cooling centers for those who don't have AC. They are even bussed to the centers free of charge.
The Santa Maria Maggiore church is gorgeous. The frescos are impressive.
Lots of drinks in your DIL's photo, too.
I had to laugh at Nun's tits. I can see where it originally got that name.
I'm glad you showed the top of that meat. I had no idea what those "sticks" were before that. And thanks for sharing your Aperol Spritz with us, too.
You look beautiful in front of that fountain. And if course, my heart started beating faster when i saw all that copper!! I want all of those copper pots!
Thanks for sharing your trip to Italy and all your drinks with us for T this Tuesday. Happy belated 50th to your son.
17C here, brrrr, you are lucky!
My friend´s son is 1,80m at age 15 and has long hair, too. Those are the times...
A nice scene of where you lived.
Hmm, that meat looks yummy!
Happy T-Day.
oh Lisca your outfit is beautiful! Lovely! I love all the photos. The church and the architecture is breathtaking! The food is mouthwatering. Thank you for sharing your lovely photos with us. Happy Birthday to your son and also the desert is called what? LOL too funny! :) I also joined the post card club and I am about to send out my first postcard to Germany! :) I thank you for sharing the information with me. Happy September and I wish you a beautiful month full of love and happiness!
Love your outfit!! What a lovely Italian town that is. I want some nun's tits!!
And grilled meat!
I've been to Mesa Verde and it is magnificent!!
This is a lovely post. A very nice card. I have been to the Mesa Verde National Parke a few times. It is more beautiful than images can show and the feeling there is quite unique and spiritual. You have a very nice looking family. I'm happy you are able to experience some old time favorites in this amazing Italian town. It is so beautiful there. That pastry looks amazing. How names change. You look so happy and that red outfit is gorgeous on you.
You have a beautiful family. I went to parochial school for 8 years. I'm still laughing over "3 mountains" even though it's not politically correct. Looks like you're having a wonderful vacation. The picture of you by the fountain in your elegant outfit is so pretty. Happy T Day
My wife and I went to one of our Church camps in the Colorado mountains, and loved it. Happy birthday to your son. I've never been to Italy, but it's in my bucket list. Guardiagrele looks like a lovely town, so I can see how you loved living there. Godspeed!
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