Dangling horse dominates, but you’ve a hearty appetite as well

Above: Skyline of downtown Austin, 11:59 p.m., December 31, 2023

Readers of this blog seem drawn to the embalmed horse, of course, suspended by artist Maurizio Cattelan from a dome in a former castle above Turin, Italy. And any mention of the Alamo always attracts a crowd, even when I’m drawing no line in the sand but waving a flag of truce. But you also seem drawn to photos of food, or cocktails, no matter the country of origin; street art; ghosts; and saintly tales not taught by nuns.

The following list represents the biannual results of the most-read postcards on this ever-rambling blog, with the numbers in parentheses indicating rankings from six months ago when applicable.

1. Postcard from Castello di Rivoli, Turin, Italy: History with a horse hanging overhead, 2019 (5)
2. Postcard from San Antonio, Texas: Time to toast the Alamo Trust, 2023
3. Postcard from Palermo, Sicily: When cocktails beckon, 2023
4. A place to seek miracles, 2020 (4)
5. The Madarasz murder mystery: Might Helen haunt Brackenridge Park, 2012 (3)
6. Postcard from Siracusa, Sicily: Restaurants La to Scu-, 2023
7. Postcard from Oaxaca, Mexico: ‘Nobodies’ populate walls, 2023 (6)
8. Postcard from Mexico City: The Lord of Poison and potent relics, 2017 (2)
9. Zilker Park: Founded on a fortune made in ice, 2021 (1)
10. Postcard from Morelia, Mexico: Vamos a Comer, 2023
11. Postcard from Siracusa, Sicily: Celebrating the bounty of the sea, 2023
12. Postcard from Siracusa, Sicily: Protector of eyes and the quill, 2023

And, before you sign out, some of you, as in most everyone, have neglected to vote in the important who-rocked-it-best poll found by scrolling down to the bottom of this recent post. Just takes a second.

Saint Mary Magdalene or Aquaman? Vote here now.

Austin sent 2023 out with a bang.

Best wishes throughout 2024, and please “Chat Back” anytime.

At right: Skyline, Austin, Texas, 12:01 a.m., January 1, 2024