Queen Louise's Bridge

Lithuania and Russia are  connected by the Queen Louise's Bridge over Nemunas River at Panemune (in Lituania) and Sovetsk (Russia).

The bridge is named after the Prussian Queen who in 1807 brokered a peace between Napoleon, Czar Alexander I and Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III, on a raft on the river Memel. It is probably the best-known landmark of modern Tilsit or Sovetsk.

At this boundary Russia has changed side a few times politically. Until 1918-1920 Russia was on the northern side, but after the end of World War II she appeared on the southern side. At that time Lithuania was occupied and became officially a Soviet republic. Since 1991 Lithuania is an independent country.

Thank you Olga for this nice card.

The Rowan Tree

Ella, sent me this pretty card with a picture of a Rowan tree. Now,  the rowans or mountain-ashes are shrubs or small trees in genus Sorbus of family Rosaceae. They are native throughout the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.  

The best-known species is the European Rowan Sorbus aucuparia, a small tree typically 4–12 m tall growing in a variety of habitats throughout northern Europe and in mountains in southern Europe and southwest Asia. Its berries are a favourite food for many birds and are a traditional wild-collected food in Britain and Scandinavia. It is one of the hardiest European trees, occurring to 71° north in Vardø in Arctic Norway, and has also become widely naturalised in northern North America.

Rowans are excellent small ornamental trees for parks, gardens and wildlife areas.  They are very attractive to fruit-eating birds, which is reflected in the old name "bird catcher".

The wood is dense and used for carving and turning and for tool handles and walking sticks. Rowan fruit are a traditional source of tannins for mordanting vegetable dyes. In Finland, it has been a traditional wood of choice for horse sled shafts and rake spikes.

The National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine - Taipei

This card that Irene sent me shows guards at The National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine, which is a shrine in Zhongshan District, Taipei, Taiwan, dedicated to the war dead of the Republic of China.

Built on Chingshan Mountain and overseeing the Keelung River in Taipei's Zhongshan District in 1969, the Martyrs Shrine recalls the architecture of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in Beijing's Forbidden City. The structure houses the spirit tablets of about 390,000 persons killed, among other engagements, during the Xinhai Revolution, Northern Expedition, Second Sino-Japanese War, Chinese Civil War, and the First and Second Taiwan Strait Crises. A changing of the honour guard from the various branches of the Republic of China Military, similar to the rituals at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, take place at the shrine.

The Martyrs' Shrine was the site of the funeral of Chiang Ching-kuo in 1988. On March 29 (Youth Day, commemorating the Huanghuagang Uprising) and September 3 (Armed Forces Day) of every year the President of the Republic of China leads the heads of the five Yuans (branches of government) to pay their respects to the martyrs by bowing and offering incense. Similar shrines are located in each locality in Taiwan, and similar ceremonies are led by county magistrates and city mayors.

Although the Martyrs Shrine is located in Taiwan, most of the soldiers were born on Mainland China. Taiwan was ruled by Japan throughout World War II, and about 200,000 Taiwanese who lived under Japanese rule served in the Japanese Imperial Army.

One Horse Power Rolls Royce!

Merja sent me this delightful card from Cyprus. She says, this is her on her "One HP Rolls Royce". Yes Dear, in these days of traffic jams everywhere, I think this is the right choice!

Johnston's Pier

Johnston's Pier in Singapore, was a jetty, landing-platform for the convenient arrival and departure of sea travellers. It once stood opposite Fullerton Square, and Hong Kong Bank Building at Battery Road and Collyer Quay. Built by the Municipal Commissioners, construction started in early 1854 and was completed on 13 March 1856. In its time many famous dignitaries, including British Royalty and other VIPs first set foot in Singapore on this pier. Johnston's Pier was named after Alexander Laurie Johnston (b. Dumfriesshire S Scotland - d. 19 February 1850, Bluehill. Kircudbright, Scotland), one of the earliest European settlers in Singapore. 

A platform made of iron and wood, extending from shore over water, and supported by piles and pillars, the wide platform of the pier reached out to the sea. These landing facilities included a 7-ton crane costing $900. Initially, only the arrival/departure pier-end was covered, and the increasing number of activity, made it necessary to be entirely sheltered. Two handsome, stylishy designed ornamental lamp-posts, with fluted columns, turn-over leaves, and four copper lanterns were ordered from England to add a bit of elegance to its entrance. Another red lamp used to hang at the end of the pier, warning ships as it entered the harbour. Thus Johnston's Pier was popularly known as Lampu Merah or "Red Lamp" in Malay; and also, Ang Teng (the Hokkien, Chinese dialect name) and Lampu Merah and, Ang Teng, also became the name for Clifford Pier.

By the 1930s, the pier was worn out and the government decided to build a new one and name it after Sir Clifford.

My friend Hing Yan sent me this card.

Parliament House in Helsinki

The Eduskunta is the parliament of Finland. The unicameral parliament has 200 members and meets in the Parliament House in Helsinki. The latest election to the parliament took place on April 17, 2011. The card on display shows the Parliament House.

Parliament House is the seat of the Parliament of Finland. It is located in the Finnish capital of Helsinki, in the district of Töölö. In 1923 a competition was held to choose a site for a new Parliament House. Arkadianmäki, a hill beside what is now Mannerheimintie, was chosen as the best site. The architectural competition which was held in 1924 was won by the firm of Borg–Sirén–Åberg with a proposal called Oratoribus (Latin for "for the speakers"). Johan Sigfrid Sirén (1889–1961), who was mainly responsible for preparing the proposal, was given the task of designing Parliament House. The building was constructed 1926–1931 and was officially inaugurated on March 7, 1931. Ever since then, and especially during the Winter War and Continuation War, it has been the scene of many key moments in the nation's political life.

Thank you Ella for this pretty card.

The Wild West

This is the sort of Scene that inspires poets, writers of Western stories and Movies of non other than the American Wild West.

Thank you Norbert for this pretty card.

Notre-Dame Cathedral

Notre-Dame de Paris (for "Our Lady of Paris"), also known as Notre-Dame Cathedral or simply Notre-Dame, is an historic Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. The cathedral is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture and among the largest and most well-known church buildings in the world. The naturalism of its sculptures and stained glass are in contrast with earlier Romanesque architecture.

As the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Paris, Notre-Dame is the parish that contains the cathedra, or official chair, of the archbishop of Paris, currently Archbishop André Vingt-Trois. The cathedral treasury is notable for its reliquary which houses some of Catholicism's most important first-class relics including the purported Crown of Thorns, a fragment of the True Cross, and one of the Holy Nails.

In the 1790s, Notre-Dame suffered desecration during the radical phase of the French Revolution when much of its religious imagery was damaged or destroyed. An extensive restoration supervised by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc began in 1845. A project of further restoration and maintenance began in 1991.

Thank you Marie for this nice card.

Vegetarian borshch with mushrooms

Let me tell you first that the correct Oxford transliteration for the Russian word борщ is not borscht, but borshch. There are as many variations of borshch as there are cooks in the former Soviet Union. Its origins are Ukrainian, but it has become a staple dish of Russia. Some like it hot. Some prefer a cold version. It could be meat-based, or meat-free.

I had lots and lots of it when I lived in Vladivostk a long long time ago. But, that’s another story. 

If you are really interested in the actual cooking method of the dish shown on the card sent to me by my friend from the Urals Olya, do contact me.

Gediminas Avenue in Vilnius

This card sent to me by Renata gives a view of Gediminas Avenue as seen towards the Cathedral Square in Vilnius where she lives.

Gediminas Avenue is the main street of Vilnius, where most of the governmental institutions of Lithuania are concentrated, including the government, parliament, Constitutional Court and ministries. It is also the place of cultural institutions such as Lithuanian National Drama Theatre, Bank of Lithuania, Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre and Martynas Mažvydas National Library Nowadays it is also a popular shopping and dining street. It is partially a pedestrian street in the evenings when the traffic is prohibited.

Named after the Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas, the street terminates at the Žvėrynas Bridge over the Neris River near Seimas Palace on one end and at the Cathedral Square and Vilnius Castle Complex on the other, passing the Lukiškės Square. It connects the Old Town with Žvėrynas.

Aurora Borealis

Why do the Northern Lights occur?  A brief explanation of what happens according to me is, that, The Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights are caused when charged particles from the Sun collide with atoms and molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere at altitudes between 100 and 250 kms. Due to the collision, oxygen and nitrogen emit what is seen by us as auroral light. These lights are mostly seen in the areas north of the Arctic Circle, and rarely, below the Circle, and then only sometimes.

This card was sent to me by Tero .

The Riverwalk

San Antonio (Spanish for "Saint Anthony") is the seventh most populous city in the United States of America and the second most populous city in the state of Texas, with a population of 1.3 million

San Antonio was named for Saint Anthony of Padua, whose feast day is on June 13, when a Spanish expedition stopped in the area in 1691.Famous for Spanish missions, the Alamo, the River Walk, the Tower of the Americas, the Alamo Bowl, Marriage Island and host to SeaWorld and Six Flags Fiesta Texas theme parks. The city is home to the four-time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs and theannual San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, one of the largest in the country.

San Antonio has a strong military presence—it is home to Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base (which constitute Joint Base San Antonio), Lackland AFB/Kelly Field Annex and Brooks City-Base, with Camp Bullis and Camp Stanley outside the city. Kelly Air Force Base operated out of San Antonio until 2001, when the airfield was transferred over to Lackland AFB .

The picture on the card sent to me by Diane Marie of San Antonio is that of The famous San Antonio River Walk (also known as Paseo del Río) is a network of walkways along the banks of the San Antonio River, one story beneath the streets of Downtown San Antonio, Texas, USA. Lined by bars, shops and restaurants, the River Walk is an important part of the city's urban fabric and a tourist attraction in its own right.

Today, the River Walk is an enormously successful special-case pedestrian street, one level down from the automobile street. The River Walk winds and loops under bridges as two parallel sidewalks lined with restaurants and shops, connecting the major tourist draws from the Alamo to River centre Mall, to the Arneson River Theatre, to Marriage Island, to La Villita, to Hemis Fair Park, to the Tower Life Building, to the San Antonio Museum of Art, and the Pearl Brewery. During the annual springtime Fiesta San Antonio, the River Parade features flowery floats that "float" down the river.

Paparoa National Park

This is a typical scene on the West coast of South Island, New Zealand. I believe driving along the coast here is superb, though it does get quite wet at times. One can see the native Punga ferns and rushes framing the picture on this card sent to me by Aaron. This is a scene from the Paparoa National Park Area. Melville Bay is in the distance.

Black Forest gateau

This card was sent to me by Melanie from Rastatt, a city and baroque residence in the District of Rastatt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the Murg river, 6 km (3.7 mi) above its junction with the Rhine and has a population of around 50'000 (2011). Rastatt was an important place of the War of the Spanish Succession (Treaty of Rastatt) and the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states. This town is in Southern Germany but, North of the famous Black Forest.

Maybe, you know of the Black Forest gateau? You see the two pretty women in this picture on the card. The ones in the traditional costumes! They are in the colours of the cake. The red hat for the lovely cherries, the white shirts represent whipped cream and the dark dresses for the chocolate cake itself. Delicious (the cake of course J). 

Black Forest gâteau and Black Forest cake are the English names for the German dessert Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, literally "Black Forest cherry torte". Black Forest cake originated in Germany.

What exactly is this cake? Typically, Black Forest cake consists of several layers of chocolate cake, with whipped cream and cherries between each layer. Then the cake is decorated with additional whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and chocolate shavings. In some European traditions sour cherries are used both between the layers and for decorating the top. Traditionally, Kirschwasser (a clear liquor distilled from tart cherries) is added to the cake, although other liquors are also used (such as rum, which is common in Austrian recipes). In the United States, Black Forest cake is most often prepared without alcohol. German statutory interpretation states Kirschwasser as a mandatory ingredient, otherwise the cake is legally not allowed to be marketed as Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte. True Black Forest cakes are decorated with black cherries. A small tip: if black cherries are not available, use glacee cherries dipped in melted chocolate.

"Stamp Day" Turku

This maxi card was issued on 9.10.2013 at Turku, Finland to commemorate Philately Day or “Stamp Day”as the locals in Turku call it. The stamp is a personalised one by the Post Offices in Turku. The sailing vessel featured on this card is the famous SS Soumen Joutsen, better and more affectionately known as the “Swan of Finland”. Thank you Pia for this nice card.

The Finnish Training Ship Suomen Joutsen is featured on this stamp on the FDC commemorating the Tall Ship Race in 1972. Suomen Joutsen (Swan of Finland in English) (former names are Laënnec, Oldenburg) is a three-mast, steel hull, full rigged ship. She was built in 1902 in St. Nazaire, France to serve in the trade between Atlantic and Pacific ports. In 1930 she was bought by the Government of Finland to serve as Finnish Navy training ship. Before World War II she made eight long ocean voyages. From 1956 she was a stationary Seamen's School for the Finnish Merchant Navy. Since 1991, she has been a museum ship owned by City of Turku, Finland.

Annual Conference of Heads of Government of the Working Community of the Danube region

This pretty maxicard was issued by Yugolavia on 15.5.1991 to commemorate the Regular Annual Conference of Heads of Government of the Working Community of the Danube region which was held in Belgrade from 15th to 17 May 1991.

Thank you Karoly from Serbia for this nice card.

The Eiffel Tower

David from France sent me this nice card. The Eiffel Tower is an iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris, named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. Erected in 1889 as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair, it has become both a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The tower is the tallest structure in Paris and the most-visited paid monument in the world; 7.1 million people ascended it in 2011. The tower received its 250 millionth visitor in 2010. I consider myself one of the lucky ones, as I had the privilege of going up to the first level. And what a view it was from there. But, that was a long long time ago, and a fit tale for the grand children on a soon approaching winter’s evening!

The tower stands 324 metres (1,063 ft) tall, about the same height as an 81-storey building. During its construction, the Eiffel Tower surpassed the Washington Monument to assume the title of the tallest man-made structure in the world, a title it held for 41 years, until the Chrysler Building in New York City was built in 1930. Because of the addition of the antenna atop the Eiffel Tower in 1957, it is now taller than the Chrysler Building by 17 feet (5.2 m). Not including broadcast antennas, it is the second-tallest structure in France, after the Millau Viaduct.

The tower has three levels for visitors. The third level observatory's upper platform is at 279.11 m (915.7 ft) the highest accessible to the public in the European Union. Tickets can be purchased to ascend, by stairs or lift (elevator), to the first and second levels. The walk from ground level to the first level is over 300 steps, as is the walk from the first to the second level. Although there are stairs to the third and highest level, these are usually closed to the public and it is usually accessible only by lift. The first and second levels have restaurants.

The tower has become the most prominent symbol of both Paris and France, often in the establishing shot of films set in the city.

Aleksandrovsky Square, Minsk

Aleksandrovsky Square is a small public garden in the heart of Minsk has a rich history and not by chance serves as the centre of “gravity” of a city life. And, in this card look at the car, we would call it a vintage model today.

 Its official, faded name is the Central Square. Long ago people renamed it in its historical version - Aleksandrovsky, probably, due to closeness to the residence of the head of Belarus Aleksander Lukashenko.

Thank you Eugenie for this nice old card.

Convent of Intercession

Suzdal is a town and the administrative center of Suzdalsky District of Vladimir Oblast, Russia, situated northeast of Moscow, 26 kilometers (16 mi) from the city of Vladimir, on the Kamenka River. Population: 10,535.

One of the important sites in the town of Suzdal is the Convent of Intercession shown on this card. The convent was founded in 1264. In the centre of this beautiful white walled convent is the cathedral of the Intercession; it was an add on built in 1518 by an unknown person. The interior of the cathedral has no paintings or stained glass, it is just plan white stone walls all around. The church was and still is, one of the richest convents in Russia. The convent is the home of many nuns and is also the burial vault for twenty nuns of noble birth. Connected to the white stoned wall cathedral is an art museum you can tour. There are many beautiful paintings but none in the actual cathedral itself. This building is filled with beautiful arches and art created in the 16th and 17th century.  

This nice card was sent to me bu Irina.

Sunset

Audrey sent me this lovely card with the sunset over Taipei.
Thank you Audrey.

Greetings from Heidelberg

Heidelberg is a city in south-west Germany. The fifth-largest city in the State of Baden Württemberg after Stuttgart,Mannheim, Karlsruhe and Freiburg im Breisgau, Heidelberg is part of the densely populated Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region. In 2011, over 149,000 people lived in the city. Heidelberg lies on the River Neckar in a steep valley in the Odenwald.

A former residence of the Electorate of the Palatinate, Heidelberg is the location of Heidelberg University, well known far beyond Germany's borders. Heidelberg is a popular tourist destination due to its romantic and picturesque cityscape, including Heidelberg Castle and the baroque style Old Town.

Thank you Gabriele and Lisa for this nice card.

The Venus of Willendorf

This interesting card was sent to me by Daniela from Austria. The Venus of Willendorf, now known in academia as the Woman of Willendorf, is an 11 cm (4.3 in) high statuette of a female figure estimated to have been made between 24,000 and 22,000 BCE. It was found in 1908 by a workman named Johann Veran or Josef Veram during excavations conducted by archaeologists Josef Szombathy, Hugo Obermaier and Josef Bayer at a paleolithic site near Willendorf, a village in Lower Austria near the city of Krems. It is carved from an oolitic limestone that is not local to the area, and tinted with red ochre. The "Venus of Willendorf" is now in the Naturhistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria.

Several similar statuettes and other forms of art have been discovered, and they are collectively referred to as Venus figurines, although they pre-date the mythological figure of Venus by millennia.

After a wide variety of proposed dates, following a revised analysis of the stratigraphy of its site in 1990, the figure has been estimated to have been carved 24,000–22,000 BCE. Very little is known about its origin, method of creation, or cultural significance.

The purpose of the carving is the subject of much speculation. It never had feet and does not stand on its own. The apparent large size of the breasts and abdomen, and the detail put into the vulva, have led scholars to interpret the figure as a fertility symbol. The figure has no visible face, her head being covered with circular horizontal bands of what might be rows of plaited hair, or a type of headdress.

The nickname, urging a comparison to the classical image of "Venus," is now controversial. According to Christopher Witcombe, "the ironic identification of these figurines as 'Venus' pleasantly satisfied certain assumptions at the time about the primitive, about women, and about taste." Catherine McCoid and LeRoy McDermott hypothesize that the figurines may have been created as self-portraits.

São Paulo, Brazil

Paulista Avenue (Avenida Paulista in Portuguese, Paulista being the gentilic for those born in São Paulo state) is one of the most important avenues in São Paulo, Brazil. The 2.8 kilometre thoroughfare is notable for headquartering a large number of financial and cultural institutions, as well as being home to an extensive shopping area and to Latin America's most comprehensive fine-art museum, MASP. Since the 1960s, the avenue has been identified as one of the main business centers in the city. Being one of the highest points in São Paulo, it is distinctively clustered with radio and TV stations antennae, such as Gazeta's. The road is served by a subway line and many major bus routes. The avenue, which was inaugurated in December 1891, is generally regarded as the most expensive real estate anywhere in Latin America.

Thank you Sarah for this card.

The Billiard Room

Located in the Bachelor’s Wing of George W. Vanderbilt’s country chateau, the Billiard Room was a place where men would retire after dinner to smoke and play billiards. True to Victorean fashion, women rarely, if ever, entered this male domain.

The Billiard Room, part of Biltmore House’s Bachelor's Wing. Decorated with an ornamental plaster ceiling and rich oak paneling the Billiard Room was equipped with both a pool table and a carom table (table without pockets.) This room was mostly an attraction to men, yet welcoming the ladies if they chose to stop by.  Secret door panels on either side of the fireplace led to the private quarters of the Bachelors’ Wing.

Thank you very much indeed Sarah for this nice card.

Mount Fuji

THIS CARD HIGHLIGHTS THE COMMON SENSE OF THE STUPID, CALLOUS AND ILLITERATE POSTAL WORKER IN THE NEW DELHI POST OFFICE WHO STAMPED THIS CARD THE WAY HE DID.

Mount Fuji located on Honshu Island, is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776.24 m (12,389 ft). An active strato-volcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about 100 kilometres (60 mi) south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone, which is snow-capped several months a year, is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and photographs, as well as visited by sightseers and climbers. It is one of Japan's "Three Holy Mountains" along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku; it is a Special Place of Scenic Beauty, a Historic Site, and was added to the World Heritage List as a Cultural Site on June 22nd, 2013.

The mountain has been selected as a “cultural” rather than a “natural” heritage site. As per UNESCO, Mount Fuji has “inspired artists and poets and been the object of pilgrimage for centuries”. The 25 locations include the mountain itself, Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha and six other Sengen shrines, two lodging houses, Lake Yamanaka, Lake Kawaguchi, the eight Oshino Hakkai hot springs, two lava tree molds, the remains of the Fuji-kō cult in the Hitoana cave, Shiraito Falls, and Miho no Matsubara pine tree grove.

Thank you Fuchico for this card.