Sochi

Lyudmila sent me this card which shows the port of Sochi in Russia. Also displayed is the Swan Hellenic luxury cruise ship Minerva II.

Sochi is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated on the Black Sea coast near the border between Georgia/Abkhazia and Russia. Greater Sochi sprawls for 145 kilometers (90 mi) along the shores of the Black Sea near the Caucasus Mountains. According to the 2010 Census, the city had a permanent population of 343,334; up from 328,809 recorded in the 2002 Census, making it Russia's largest resort city.

Sochi will host the XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games in 2014, as well as the Russian Formula 1 Grand Prix from 2014 until at least 2020 subject to the circuit being ready in time. It is also one of the host cities for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Thank you Lyuda for this pretty card.

The Herrenhausen Gardens

The Herrenhausen Gardens in Germany is located in Herrenhausen, an urban district of Lower Saxony's capital of Hanover are made up of the Great Garden, the Berggarten, the Georgengarten and the Welfengarten. The gardens are a heritage of the Kings of Hanover.

The Great Garden has always been one of the most distinguished baroque formal gardens of Europe while the Berggarten has been transformed over the years from a simple vegetable garden into a large botanical garden with its own attractions. Both the Georgengarten and the Welfengarten have been made in the style of English gardens, and both are considered popular recreation areas for the residents of Hanover. The history of the gardens spans several centuries, and they remain a popular attraction to this day.

This nice card was sent to me by Vivian.

Lanhydrock in Cornwall

Lanhydrock (meaning "church enclosure of St Hydrock") is a civil parish centred on a country estate and mansion in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The parish lies south of the town of Bodmin and is bounded to the north by Bodmin parish, to the south by Lanlivery parish and to the west by Lanivet parish. The population was 171 in the 2001 census. The Parish Council meets every two months in Lanhydrock Memorial Hall.

Lanhydrock ecclesiastical parish is in the Deanery and Hundred of Pydar and in the Bodmin Registration District. The parish is in the Diocese of Truro and is now part of the Bodmin Team Ministry. The parish church is dedicated to St Hydrock and stands in the grounds of Lanhydrock House. Parts date back to the late 15th century and the church has a chancel, nave, north and south aisles and three-stage battlemented tower with one bell.

This pretty card sent to me by Ineke shows the church of St. Hydroc and the garden displaying attractive flower beds.

Mark Twain

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist. He wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), the latter often called "the Great American Novel."

Twain grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, which provided the setting for Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. After an apprenticeship with a printer, he worked as a typesetter and contributed articles to his older brother Orion's newspaper. He later became a riverboat pilot on the Mississipp River before heading west to join Orion in Nevada. He referred humorously to his singular lack of success at mining, turning to journalism for the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise. In 1865, his humorous story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" was published, based on a story he heard at Angels Hotel in Angels Camp California where he had spent some time as a miner. The short story brought international attention, even being translated to classic Greek. His wit and satire, in prose and in speech, earned praise from critics and peers, and he was a friend to presidents, artists, industrialists, and European royalty.

Though Twain earned a great deal of money from his writings and lectures, he invested in ventures that lost a great deal of money, notably the Paige Compositor, which failed because of its complexity and imprecision. In the wake of these financial setbacks he filed for protection from his creditors via a bankruptcy filing, and with the help of Henry Huttleston Rogers eventually overcame his financial troubles. Twain chose to pay all his pre-bankruptcy creditors in full, though he had no responsibility to do this under the law.

Twain was born shortly after a visit by Halley's Comet, and he predicted that he would "go out with it," too. He died the day following the comet's subsequent return. He was lauded as the "greatest American humorist of his age“, and William Faulkner called Twain "the father of American literature."

Thank you Ron for this card, that features an author and a man I have admired since I first read “Tom Sawyer”. In those days, many a time did I day dream of being young Tom J

James Bond in "Thunderball"

This picture postcard features the James Bond "Thunderball" one sheet movie poster by An Original Vintage Theatrical Folded One-Sheet Movie Poster by Robert McGinnis and Frank McCarthy. 

Ian Fleming's Thunderball, the 1965 Terence Young English James Bond 007 secret agent spy espionage fantasy action adventure thriller "L007k OUT!"; "L007k up! L007k down! L007k out!"; "Here comes the biggest Bond of all!"; "Based on the original story by Kevin McClory, Jack Whittingham and Ian Fleming") starring Sean Connery(asJames Bond 007), Claudine Auger, Adolfo Celi, Luciana Paluzzi, Rik Van Nutter, Martine Beswick, Guy Doleman, Molly Peters, Bernard Lee (as "M"), Lois Maxwell (as Miss Moneypenny), and Desmond Llewellyn (as "Q").

Thank you Jeff from Saginaw in Michigan for this nice card of my favourite Hollywood actor.

Turnau in Austria

Turnau is a market town at the foot of the Hochschwab in the Styrian District of Bruck an der Mur . Turnau has 5 boroughs: Turnau, Göriach, Seewiesen, Stübming, and Thal. Population of Turnau is 1615.

Turnau in Austria is a very small ski resort with just three ski lifts but it does boast a respectable 370 metres (1213 feet) of vertical descent. Turnau has 4 kilometers (2 miles) of pistes. Turnau is best suited to intermediate skiers and snowboarders but there is some terrain for beginners and advanced skiers.

The card shows a typical summer’s day in Turnau with the mountain cows grazing peacefully, with Hochanger and Aflenzer Staritzen in the background. An idyllic scene indeed. Thank you Thomas for this lovely card.

USSR Light Cruiser The KIROV

Kirov was a Project 26 Kirov-class cruiser of the Soviet Navy that served during the Winter War, World War II and into the Cold War. She attempted to bombard Finnish coast defence guns during action in the Winter War, but was driven off by a number of near misses that damaged her. She led the Evacuation of Tallinn at the end of August 1941, before being blockaded in Leningrad where she could only provide gunfire support during the Siege of Leningrad. She bombarded Finnish positions during the Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive in mid-1944, but played no further part in the war. Kirov was reclassified as a training cruiser on 2 August 1961 and sold for scrap on 22 February 1974.

Kirov was 191.3 metres (627 ft 7 in) long, had a beam of 17.66 metres (57 ft 11 in) and had a draft between 5.75 to 6.15 metres (18 ft 10 in to 20 ft 2 in). She displaced 7,890 tonnes (7,765 long tons) at standard load and 9,436 tonnes (9,287 long tons) at full load. Her steam turbines produced a total of 113,500 shaft horsepower (84,637 kW) and she reached 35.94 knots (66.56 km/h; 41.36 mph) on trials.

Kirov carried nine 180-millimeter (7.1 in) 57-caliber B-1-P guns in three electrically powered MK-3-180 triple turrets. Her secondary armament consisted of six single 100-millimeter (3.9 in) 56-caliber B-34 anti-aircraft guns fitted on each side of the rear funnel. Her light AA guns consisted of six semi-automatic 45-millimeter (1.8 in) 21-K AA guns and four DK 12.7-millimeter (0.50 in) machine guns. Six 533-millimeter (21.0 in) 39-Yu torpedo tubes were fitted in two triple mountings.

Kirov was damaged by a German magnetic mine while leaving Kronstadt on 17 October 1945 and was under repair until 20 December 1946. She was refitted from November 1949 to April 1953, during which her machinery was completely overhauled and her radars, fire control systems and anti-aircraft guns were replaced by the latest Soviet systems. She participated in fleet manoeuvres in the North Sea during January 1956. She was reclassified as a training cruiser, regularly visiting Poland and East Germany, on 2 August 1961 and sold for scrap on 22 February 1974. When Kirov was decommissioned, two gun turrets were installed in Saint Petersburg as a monument.
Thank you Merja for this wonderful card.

The Drachenfels Castle

The Drachenfels is a mountain 321 metres (1,053 ft) in the Siebengebirge  mountain range between Konigswinter and Bad Honnef in Germany.

The ruined castle atop the mountain, built between 1138 and 1167 by Archbishop Arnold I of Cologne bears the same name and was originally intended for the protection of the Cologne region from any assault from the south. Originally it consisted of abergfried with court, chapel and living quarters for servants. The castle was slighted in 1634, during the Thirty Years' War, by the Protestant Swedes and never rebuilt. As a strategic asset it had outlived its usefulness. Erosion due to the continued quarrying undermined much of the remains and only a small part is left today as shown on this card.

The rock, like the rest of the Siebengebirge, is formed by the remnants of a volcano and has been the site of a trachyte quarry since Roman times, which, amongst others delivered the building material for the Cologne Cathedral. Of all the mountains in the Siebengebirge, it's closest to the river Rhine, which facilitates easy transport by barges, thus making it an excellent place for a quarry. This ended in 1836, when the Prussian government bought the quarry. In 1922 the first protection measures were put in place and in 1956 the site was declared a national park.

Thank you Kathrin for this card.

Tampere, Finland

Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of 217,767, growing to 313 058 people in the urban area and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is second-largest urban area and third most-populous municipality in Finland, after the Greater Helsinki municipalities of Helsinki and Espoo. In 2007, the entire Pirkanmaa region had around 470,000 residents, of which 230,000 were employed, and a turnover of 25 billion euros.

Tampere is located between two lakes, Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi. Since the two lakes differ in level by 18 metres (59 ft), the rapids linking them, Tammerkoski, have been an important power source throughout history, most recently for generating electricity. Tampere is dubbed the "Manchester of Finland" for its industrial past as the former center of Finnish industry, and this has given rise to its Finnish nickname "Manse" and terms such as "Manserock".

The card shows the Tammerkoski rapids that flow through the centre of Tampere. The park on the shore of the rapids is Koskipuisto (Rapids park) and the building over the rapids is a power plant producing electricity.

Joonas sent me this nice card.

The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família - Church of the Holy Family

The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família  (Church of the Holy Family), commonly known as the Sagrada Família, is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi (1852–1926). Although incomplete, the church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in Novembr 2010 Pope Benedict XVI consecrated and proclaimed it a minor basilica, as distinct from a cathedral which must be the seat of a bishop.

Though construction of Sagrada Família had commenced in 1882, Gaudí became involved in 1883, taking over the project and transforming it with his architectural and engineering style—combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted his last years to the project, and at the time of his death at age 73 in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete. Sagrada Família's construction progressed slowly, as it relied on private donations and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War—only to resume intermittent progress in the 1950s. Construction passed the midpoint in 2010 with some of the project's greatest challenges remaining and an anticipated completion date of 2026—the centennial of Gaudí's death.

The basílica has a long history of dividing the citizens of Barcelona—over the initial possibility it might compete with Barcelona's cathedral, over Gaudí's design itself, over the possibility that work after Gaudí's death disregarded his design, and the recent possibility that an underground tunnel of Spain's high-speed rail link to France could disturb its stability.

Describing Sagrada Família, art critic Rainer Zerbst said "it is probably impossible to find a church building anything like it in the entire history of art" and Paul Goldberger called it "the most extraordinary personal interpretation of Gothic architecture since the Middle Ages."

Hambach Castle - A symbol of Democracy.

On 27^th May 1832 around 30,000 people from all over Germany followed a call to take part in a political rally at the Hambach Castle near Neustadt in the Palatinate. With flags of black, red and gold were laid a commitment for peace and unity of Germany and called for a federal German Republic. The picture on the card shows the procession of this great assembly to the castle.

Hambach Castle near the urban district Hambach of Neustadt an der Weinstraße in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, is considered to be the symbol of the German democracy movement because of the Hambacher Fest which occurred here in 1832.

In the context of the Hambacher Fest of 1832 the then ruined castle was the focal point of the discontent of the Palatinate people over the repressive measures of the Bavarian administration which had been in office since 1816. The administration had retracted important rights which had been given to the people by French Revolution troops (governing 1797/98-1815). Since the Hambacher Fest, Hambach Castle has been considered a symbol of democracy.

Before the 150th anniversary of the Hambacher Fest in 1982 the castle was completely restored for about 12 million DM (about 6 million €). During a further renovation period 2006-07 before the 175th anniversary in 2007, the castle was closed to visitation for one year. Today the national memorial is a museum and convention centre with about 200,000 visitors per year. During the whole year events and receptions of the federal state Rhineland-Palatinate, the District Bad Dürkheim and the city Neustadt an der Weinstraße take place here. A VIP guest in May 1982 was US President Ronald Reagan with his speech "an die Jugend der Welt" (to the youth of the world). Also, Presidents of Germany mostly connect their inaugural visit in Rhineland-Palatinate with a visit to this historic site.

A mention of the "Maxburg" evokes a sense of affinity among students and academics: it is considered a stone symbol of freedom and fraternity especially among members of students' fraternities.

Since 1969 the castle has been the property of the - then newly created - District Bad Dürkheim. In 2002 it became part of a new charity: its owners are now the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate, the Bezirksverband Pfalz, the District Bad Dürkheim and the city of Neustadt an der Weinstraße. The charity is supported financially by the Federal Republic of Germany.

Thank you Merja for this wonderful maxi card, with the impressive 50 pfennig stamp.

The Tsar's Fishing Lodge in Finland

Alexander III of Russia (who ruled the Grand Duchy of Finland as part of the Russian Empire) had a very small manor or a medium sized log house built there, between the branches of the Kymi River. He would take relatively rustic vacations there, along with his family. His wife the empress Marie Feodorovna (née Dagmar of Denmark) enjoyed cooking while he fished or split wood. The log house is now a museum.

Alexander III and Dagmar had heard about the good salmon fishing at Langinkoski, so in the summer of 1880 they arrived at Langinkoski to watch the salmon fishing. They also took a liking to the beautiful river scenery and promised to return. Some years later they did return to Langinkoski. They said that they would like to have a little fishing hut on the banks of the river. The senate of the Grand Duchy of Finland took measures to have a villa built for the sovereign and his family on the very banks of the Langinkoski rapids. The lodge was designed by architect Magnus Schjerfbeck and the interior decorating was planned by architect Jac. Ahrenberg.

The construction of the lodge was begun in the summer of 1888. The imperial couple were so interested in their summer house in Finland that they came to watch the progress of the project. Along with them came their youngest children, grand duke Michael, 10, and grand duchess Olga, 6. The interior decorating of the lodge was almost totally designed and manufactured in Finland.

The pieces of furniture in the sitting room were manufactured by local cabinet-makers, the textiles by Tampella in Tampere, the chinaware by Arabia in Helsinki, the axe by Billnäs, the wine and drinking glasses by Karhula Glassworks and the kitchen stove by Högfors; all well-known firms which still exist.

When Finland became independent in 1917 the imperial fishing lodge was taken over by the Finnish government, but it was left without maintenance. Pieces of furniture were removed to unknown destinations and the lodge began to deteriorate.

Private individuals saved the lodge for posterity by establishing an association with the intention of turning the lodge into a museum. Their second attempt to get the government's permission for their project met with success and in 1933 the museum was opened. The association, Langinkoski Museum Society, acts as museum operator under a contract with the government and under the supervision of the National Board of Antiquities.

In the 1920s the beds of the emperor and the empress had been taken away to an unknown place. As a result of many years of detective work by the Museum Society the beds were traced at Kultaranta, the summer residence of the president of Finland! In 1956 they were returned to Langinkoski where they can be seen upstairs (the upper card) in the bedroom of the imperial couple. The covers have the Finnish coat of Arms on them.

My friend Merja sent me these two cards and posted them in an envelope, and very thoughtfully got the delightful postmark depicting the Imperial lodge. Thank you dear Merja.

The Russian Imperial Yacht Standart

The Russian Imperial Yacht Standart, serving Emperor Nicholas II and his family, was in her time (late 19th/early 20th century) the largest Imperial Yacht afloat. After the Russian Revolution the ship was placed in drydock until 1936, when she was converted to a minelayer. During World War II she played a significant role in the defence of Leningrad.

The Imperial Yacht Standart was built by order of Emperor Alexander III of Russia, and constructed at the Danish shipyard of Burmeister & Wain, beginning in 1893. She was launched on 21 March 1895 and came into service early September 1896.

Standart was fitted out with ornate fixtures, including mahogany panelling, crystal chandeliers, and other amenities that made the vessel a suitable floating palace for the Russian Imperial Family. The ship was manned and operated by a crew from the Russian Imperial Navy. During the reign of Nicholas II, Standart was commanded by a naval Captain, although the official commander was a Rear Admiral. Her commander in 1914 was Nikolai Pavlovich Sablin.

In 1907, Standart ran aground on an uncharted rock off the Finnish coast. Although damaged, the ship did not sink and was repaired and soon returned to service. The Russian Imperial Family was vacationing on the Standart during the Summer of 1914, when they received the news of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in Sarajevo. With the outbreak of World War I, Standart was placed in dry dock.

After the fall of the Romanov Dynasty, Standart was stripped down and pressed into naval service. The ship was renamed 18 marta (18 March), and later Marti. In 1932-1936, Marti was converted into a minelayer by the Marti yard in Leningrad. During the Second World War, Marti served in the Baltic, laying mines and bombarding shore positions along the coast. On 23 September 1941, Marti was damaged in an air attack at Kronstadt, but later repaired and continued service until the end of the war.

After the war, Marti was converted into a training ship and renamed Oka in 1957. She continued serving in that role until she was scrapped at Tallinn, Estonia, in 1963.

Thank you Merja for this nice card.

Tiannv - the fairy

This lovely card was sent to me by Wenshiqi from China. She tells me that the picture on the card is a cartoon image of a role in a Peking opera. They call her "Tiannv"(a fairy), something like chang-e (the goddess of the moon in chinese culture). 

Painting by Frans Hals

This is a painting by Frans Hals a dutch artist. It depicts a meeting of officers and NCOs of the security detail. A 1633 Frans Hals painting in the Frans Hals  Museum, Haarlem.

This lovely card was sent to me by Laury.  She says that this is a typical dutch painting from the 17^th Century. The man shown at the bottom of the picture is Colonnel Yohan Claese Loo. This painting it seems was an inspiration for a self-portrait by William Merritt Chase. 

Helmond, Netherlands

Helmond is a municipality and a city in the province of North Brabant in the southern Netherlands. It is quite near Eindhoven a big city. Eindhoven is known for many things, amongst them PSV Eindhoven the football club. If luck favours them Eindhoven may host the 2018 FIFA World Cup there. Helmond has many textile companies. The Vlisco factory is located next to the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal which runs through the city. Helmond is home of the professional football team of Helmond Sport. The centre of Helmond has a castle which was built by Jan III van Berlaer around 1350.

This pretty card which sends greetings from Helmond was sent to me by Brigite and John who live in Helmond and are very proud of it. I would be too if I lived in such a nice town!

The National Sanctuary Complex "Sophia of Kiev"

The National Sanctuary Complex "Sophia of Kiev" is a state museum administration in Kiev and Sudak responsible for maintenance and preservation of some of its most precious historic sites. The card shows a large portion of the National Sanctuary complex in Kiev.

·         Complex of Saint Sophia Cathedral, prime landmark

·         Golden Gates, part of Sofia of Kiev since 1983

·         St. Cyril's Monastery, created in 1929, it was transferred to Sofia of Kiev in 1965

·         St Andrew's Church, part of All-Ukrainian Historic Site 1935, it was transferred to Sofia of Kiev in 1939 and 1968.

The creation of the cultural preserve (sanctuary) in 1934 by the order of the authorities of the Soviet Ukraine at the site of the Saint Sophia Cathedral has likely saved one of the holiest sites in Eastern Europe from destruction during the Soviet-wide anti-religious campaign of early 1930s. The preserve was established in place of the cathedral of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church that was dissolved in 1930. The museum's responsibilities were gradually expanded to other historic locations of Kiev.

In 1994, the sanctuary was accorded its current status of “National”. This card shows the many important monuments and churches in Kiev. Julia who lives in Kiev sent me this card.

The Cathedral of Our Lady

The Cathedral of Our Lady is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Antwerp, Belgium. Today's see of the Diocese of Antwerp was started in 1352 and, although the first stage of construction was ended in 1521, has never been 'completed'. In Gothic style, its architects were Jan and Pieter Appelmans. It contains a number of significant works by the Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens, as well as paintings by artists such as Otto van Veen, Jacob de Backer and Marten de Vos.

The cathedral is on the list of World Heritage Sites.

Where the cathedral now stands, there was a small chapel of Our Lady from the 9th to the 12th century, which acquired the status of parish church in 1124. During the course of the twelfth century, it was replaced by a larger Romanesque church (80 metres (260 ft) long and 42 metres (138 ft) wide).

In 1352, construction was begun on a new Our Lady’s church which would become the largest Gothic church in the Netherlands. In the beginning, it was to be provided with two towers of equal height. In 1521, after nearly 170 years, the new church of Our Lady was ready. The south tower reached only as far as the third string course.

During the night of 5–6 October 1533, the new church was largely gutted by fire. The completion of the second tower was therefore delayed, which led to its ultimate postponement. Moreover, the church only became cathedral of the bishopric of Antwerp in 1559 but lost this title again from 1801 to 1961, following the Concordat of 1801. During the Iconoclasm of 20 August 1566 (at the start of the Eighty Years' War), Protestants destroyed a large part of the cathedral interior. Later, when Antwerp came under Protestant administration in 1581, a number of artistic treasures were once again destroyed, removed or sold. The restoration of Roman Catholic authority came in 1585 with the fall of Antwerp.

In 1794 the French revolutionaries who conquered the region plundered Our Lady’s Cathedral and inflicted serious damage. Around 1798, the French administration intended to demolish the building but after each blow, the cathedral was able to recover. In 1816, various important works of art were returned from Paris, including three Rubens masterpieces. And over the course of the 19th century, the church was completely restored and refurnished.

Between 1965 and 1993, a complete restoration took place.

My friend Hildegarde sent me this nice card.

Polynesia

A little About the Polynesia 

This legendary 248-foot schooner was acquired by Windjammer in 1975 and christened Polynesia. Originally built in 1938 and christened Argus, she was one of the last of the Portuguese Grand Banks fleet. She was featured in the May 1952 edition of National Geographic magazine and in the late maritime writer, Allen Villers’ book, “The Quest for the Schooner Argus.” Under her new name, Polynesia, she was completely refurbished and air conditioned to blend today's comfort with yesterday's romance and grace, with comfortable luxury accommodations, while still retaining the charm of her maritime history.  

When Windjammer Barefoot Cruises ceased operations in 2007, Polynesia was acquired by Portuguese interests, returned to Portugal and renamed Argus, where she will be providing sail training to youth, a great next step for a true classic.

Thank you Yunju for this lovely card.

Mainz

"Greetings from Mainz" says the card. This pretty card was sent to me by Alexandra.
Mainz is the capital of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. It was the capital of the Electorate of Mainz at the time of the Holy Roman Empire. In antiquity Mainz was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire; it was founded as a military post by the Romans in the late 1st century BC. The city is located on the river Rhine at its confluence with the Main opposite Wiesbaden, in the western part of the Frankfurt Rhine-Main; in the modern age, Frankfurt shares much of its regional importance.

The city is famous as the home of the invention of the movable-type printing press, as the first books printed using movable type were manufactured in Mainz by Gutenberg in the early 1450s. Until the twentieth century, Mainz was usually referred to in English as Mayence.

Mainz is located on the 50th latitude, on the west bank of the river Rhine, opposite the confluence of the Main with the Rhine. The population in the early 2012 was 200,957, an additional 18,619 people maintain a primary residence elsewhere but have a second home in Mainz. The city is part of the Rhein Metro area comprising 5.8 million people. Mainz can easily be reached from Frankfurt International Airport in 25 minutes by commuter railway.

Nijō Castle, Kyoto

Nijō Castle is a flatland castle located in Kyoto, Japan. The castle consists of two concentric rings of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins of the Honmaru Palace, various support buildings and several gardens. The surface area of the castle is 275,000 square meters, of which 8000 square meters is occupied by buildings.

In 1601, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, ordered all the feudal lords in Western Japan to contribute to the construction of Nijō Castle, which was completed during the reign of Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1626. Parts of Fushimi Castle, such as the main tower and the karamon, were moved here in 1625-26. It was built as the Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa Shoguns. The Tokugawa Shogunate used Edo as the capital city, but Kyoto continued to be the home of the Imperial Court. Kyoto Imperial Palace is located north-east of Nijo Castle.

The central keep, or donjon, was struck by lightning and burned to the ground in 1750. In 1788, the Inner Palace was destroyed by a city-wide fire. The site remained empty until it was replaced by a prince's residence transferred from the Kyoto Imperial Palace in 1893. In 1867, the Ninomaru Palace was the stage for the declaration by Tokugawa Yoshinobu, returning the authority to the Imperial Court. Next year the Imperial Cabinet was installed in the castle. The palace became imperial property and was declared a detached palace. During this time, the Tokugawa hollyhock crest was removed wherever possible and replaced with the imperial chrysanthemum. In 1939, the palace was donated to the city of Kyoto and opened to the public the following year. In the 21st century, typhoons have periodically caused sections of plaster to peel off the walls after exposure to rain and wind.

Thank you Budou for this nice card.

The Cooper

This is another profession highlighted in the “For the Youth 1987” series of stamps released by Germany on 9.4.1987. This profession is as old as the desire of the people to enjoy the juice of the fruits harvested by him, be stored in suitable containers.  

A Cooper is a person who makes or repairs casks, barrels, etc. Traditionally, a Cooper is someone who makes wooden staved vessels, bound together with hoops and possessing flat ends or heads as shown on this card. Examples of a cooper's work include but are not limited to casks, barrels, buckets, tubs, butter churns, hogsheads, firkins, tierces, rundlets, puncheons, pipes, tuns, butts, pins and breakers.

The word is derived from Middle Dutch kūpe "basket, wood, tub" and may ultimately stem from cupa, the Latin word for vat. Everything a cooper produces is referred to collectively as cooperage. A cask is any piece of cooperage containing a bouge, bilge, or bulge in the middle of the container. A barrel is technically a measure of the size of a cask, so the term "barrel-maker" cannot be used synonymously with "cooper." The facility in which casks are made is also referred to as a cooperage.

Thank you Maria for this interesting card.

The Furrier

A Furrier is a person who sells or makes fur clothing. This profession is amongst the oldest of humanity. From time immemorial, man has used the skins of animals for protection against the cold. Today this craft is used to manufacture costly and exotic clothing for men and women.

This maxicard is one amongst many issued on 9.4.1987 highlighting traditional professions in Germany. 

Thank you Maria for this interesting card with a very nice stamp.

Murmansk

Murmansk is a port city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, 12 kilometers (7.5 mi) from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland. Population: 307,257 (2010 Census), 336,137 (2002 Census), 468,039 (1989 Census). Despite its rapidly declining population, Murmansk remains the largest city north of the Arctic Circle.

Murmansk is set to be the Russian terminus of the Arctic Bridge (or Arctic Sea Bridge), a sea route linking it to the Canadian port of Churchill, Manitoba. The passage has not been fully tested for commercial shipping yet, but Russia has shown interest in it. It is believed that, once developed (along with the Northwest Passage), the bridge will serve as major trade route between Europe and Asia.

At least two cruiser of the Soviet Navy  have borne the name Murmansk, after the city and naval base of Murmansk:

• Soviet Cruiser Murmansk (1944) was the former USS Milwaukee, an Omaha – class cruiser transferred to the USSR in 1944 and decommissioned in 1949.
• Soviet Cruiser Murmansk (1955) was a Sverdlov – class cruiser launched in 1955. She was decommissioned in 1989 and sold for scrapping in 1994, but was wrecked while being towed to the breakers.

Thank you Ksenia for this nice card.

Duluth Street, Montreal

Richard sent me this picture post card of the Duluth Street in the French-speaking area of Montreal, but English speakers will do OK in the many restaurants. Bring your own bottle, and enjoy the people-watching! The Duluth Avenue is an east-west line from Montreal. It connects the Mount Royal Park in Lafontaine Park and crosses the district Le Plateau-Mont-Royal.

There are many restaurants and small shops. Avenue Duluth appears from 1859 under the name of Saint-Jean-Baptiste in the village of the same name. On December 1, 1890, the street was renamed " Duluth ", in honor of Daniel Greysolon, Sieur the Lhut (1639-1710), French “woodsman and explorer”.
The commercial and manufacturing functions primarily characterized this way since the beginning of the twentieth century. They included a candy factory and clothing, shoe stores, a gas station, grocery store and a bakery. Towards the middle of the twentieth century, the shops are among others being replaced by shops of home repair and printing and a veterinary hospital. Partly under the influence of the Greek community of Montreal, the face of the avenue changed in the early 1980s and became highly commercialised. 

Yes you guessed right. The card is from Canada, but posted in the United States. Hence, the really really nice US stamps you see alongside, which had been pasted on the envelope.