Finnish Summer

Thank you Ari for this lovely card of the Finnish Summer that you guys are enjoying. The strawberries make my mouth water. I believe it is 15 to 18 degrees in your part of the world.

Its not too bad here in New Delhi where I live. The day before yesterday was the highest so far this Summer - only 44.5. Not bad eh! :-))

Moscow - View of the Arc de Triomphe and the Poklonnaya Hill

The third and the oldest surviving Triumphal Arch in Moscow was built in 1829–34 on Tverskaya Gate Square to Joseph Bové's designs in order to commemorate Russia's victory over Napoleon. It replaced an earlier wooden structure built by the veterans of the Napoleonic Wars in 1814.

The arch was built in brick and lined with ashlar. The columns and statues were of cast iron. A seiuga (six-horse chariot) was designed by Giovanni Vitali. The bilingual inscription in Russian and Latin ran as follows:

To the blessed memory of Alexander I who raised from ashes and adorned with many memorials of paternal care this former capital that had been committed to the mercy of fire during the invasion of the Gauls and twelve other nations.

The arch was dismantled in 1936 as part of Joseph Stalin's reconstruction of downtown Moscow. Vitali's sculptures were then put on exhibit at an architectural museum on the grounds of the former Donskoy Monastery. After the Second World War there were plans to rebuild the structure in front of the Belarussian Railway Station.

The current arch was built to Bove's original designs in 1966–68 in the middle of Kutuzovsky Avenue, close to the Victory Park. An open space surrounding the arch is known as the Victory Square.

Thank you Natasha for this nice card.

Lín Qīngxiá

Brigitte Lin (Lín Qīngxiá) or Brigitte Lin Ching Hsia (born 3 November 1954) is a Taiwanese actress. She was a popular actress, regarded as an icon of Chinese cinema, who acted in both Taiwanese and Hong Kong movies. She retired in 1994, although she had a minor role in the 1998 film Bishonen.

She was born in Taipei, and was "discovered" in 1972 by a film producer, and first appeared in many Taiwanese romance films based on the novels of Chiung Yao. Her movie debut is in Chuangwai. She later switched over to making movies in Hong Kong. At the height of her popularity she was arguably one of the most sought-after actresses in the Chinese film industry. She starred in more than 100 movies.

In Hong Kong movies, Lin made a career of playing transgender roles: in Peking Opera Blues she plays a tomboy who dresses in male Western clothes; in New Dragon Gate Inn she is a woman who dresses as a man, and in Swordsman II and III she plays a male character who castrates himself for power and so is now slowly turning into a woman. She had a good working relationship with Tsui Hark, acting in many of the films he directed (like Peking Opera Blues) and produced (Swordsman II).

She married businessman Michael Ying in 1994 and left the film industry. She has two daughters, born in 1997 and 2001. She made her first public appearance since her marriage at a screening of Ashes of Time Redux at the 2008 New York Film Festival.

My friend Aiting send me this lovely card.

Hamburg

This nice card sent to me by Marivi shows Hamburg Harbour, with the  "Sea Cloud II" on the Elbe. One can also see the St. Pauli and Michaelis Churches.

Wind Surfing

This nice card was sent to me by my friend Karoly in Serbia.

City of Goes in the Netherlands

Bart & Marion sent me this nice card featuring Goes, a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on Zuid-Beveland, in the province of Zeeland. The city of Goes has approximately 27,000 residents.

Appella Beach on Karpathos Island

This nice card was sent to me by Jens from Germany. The card has a photo of the Appella Beach on Karpathos Island.

Karpathos is the second largest of the Greek Dodecanese islands, in the southeastern  Aegean Sea. Together with the neighboring smaller Saria Island it forms the municipality of Karpathos, which is part of the Karpathos regional unit. Because of its remote location, Karpathos has preserved many peculiarities of dress, customs and dialect, the last resembling those of Crete and Cyprus. The island has also been called Carpathus in Latin, Scarpanto in Italian and Kerpe in Turkish.

The beaches of Karpathos island can be divided into four large groups: the beaches on the east coast are smaller and gravelly but without wind; the beaches of the southern part of the island, near the airport, area made of fine white sand; the sandy beach on the west coast are the most exposed to the Meltemi and they are only available in low wind conditions; the beaches of the north of the island, accessible only by sea and partly by a jeep.

East Coast: Amoopi, Karpathos Beach, Achata, Kato Latos (reachable only by foot), Kyra Panagia, Apella, Agios Nikolaos (Spoa).

South Coast - Damatria, Diakoftis, Devils Bay, Agriopotamos (nude beach).

West Coast - Lefkos beach, Mesohori Finiki, Arkasa Leucadius.

North Coast - Diafani, Vananda, Forokli

Kiel - The Bicycle City

This card with a photo of a bike was sent to me by Alexandra from Kiel, which is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 240,832 (June 2014).

Alexandra tells me that Kiel is a bicycle city. That's one great way of keeping fit. I loved cycling too, but that was many many years ago. I wonder if I would be able to balance on a cycle now!

A little bit about Kiel. Kiel has also been one of the traditional homes of the German Navy's Baltic fleet, and continues to be a major high-tech shipbuilding centre. Located in Kiel is the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR) at the University of Kiel. Kiel is an important sea transport hub, thanks to its location on the Kiel Fjord (Kieler Förde) and the busiest artificial waterway in the world, Kiel Canal (Nord-Ostsee-Kanal). A number of passenger ferries to Sweden, Norway, Russia, and other countries operate from here. Moreover, today Kiel harbour is an important port of call for cruise ships touring the Baltic Sea.

In 2005 Kiel's GDP per capita was €35,618, which is well above Germany's national average, and 159% of the European Union's average.

Within Germany and parts of Europe, the city is known for its leading handball team, THW Kiel. The city is home to the University of Kiel (established in 1665).

The name of the city is most likely derived from the wedge form of its bay (Keil in German).

The Holy Rosary Cathedral

The Holy Rosary Cathedral  is the oldest Catholic church in Taiwan, located in Lingya District, Kaohsiung, just east of the Love River. It is the seat of the Bishop of Kaohsiung. The cathedral was first established in 1860 and rebuilt to its present dimensions in 1928.

Thank you Yi-zhen for this lovely card.

Frankfurt on the Main

Ellen sent me this card with a view of Frankfurt on the Main. Frankfurt is the most important trade and economic center in Germany. 

This view is over the Main.

Russian Beauty

This lovely card was sent to me by Elena.

Winter in Germany

Roland sent me this card showng a typical winter's scene in Germany.

Painting by Ivan Aivazovsky

The painting shown on the card is by Ivan Aivazovsky (1817-1900). He was a famous marine painter. Maria from Samara in Russsia who sent me this nice card says she like the works of this artist. Thank you Samara.

Brig "Mercury" Attacked by Two Turkish Ships

This wonderful card was sent to me by Mikhail Timona from the Republic of Mordovia.

Brig "Mercury" Attacked by Two Turkish Ships is an 1892 oil on canvas painting by Russian painter Ivan Aivazovsky (1817–1900). Aivazovsky painted over 6,000 works, more than half of which are seascapes.

It depicts three ships in close combat on a rough sea; as the name suggests, the battle occurs between two Turkish warships, and another ship referred to in the painting's title as the Russian brig Mercury. While Aivazovsky painted many seascapes, often involving ships and boats of various descriptions, and many showing ships that were damaged or shipwrecked, few of his works featured ships in close naval combat.

The battle portrayed was part of the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-29, a war sparked by the Greeks' struggle for independence and ensuing events. The Turkish Sultan became hostile to the Russians due their participation in the Battle of Navarino and, as a result, proceeded to close the Dardanelles for Russian ships and revoked the 1826 Convention of Akkerman.

After the conflict had ended, one of the navigators of the Turkish ships made a comment commending theMercury for her seaworthiness, and the captain for his bravery:

If in the great deeds of ancient or our times there are the feats of bravery, so this act put the others in the shade and the name of a hero should be wrote by the gold letter in the shrine of glory: the captain wasKazarsky, and the name of this brig was “Mercury”

Water Towers in Netherlands

Since 1839 Water towers form a characteristic part of the environment in the Netherlands. The first towers were used for the water supply of the steam locomotives of the railways, followed by that of the tramway. This type of water tower was not very successful because of its small size and capacity.  

Most notable are the bigger water towers. From 1856 more than 260 water towers were built for the benefit of the central water supply.  

 Finally, by hospitals and private water towers built as part of small drinking water supplies in places where there was no mains present. The number of decommissioned towers are rising constantly. In addition, it does not appear that there would be many water towers built in the Netherlands in the future due better technological advances.

This card sent to me by Marianne show ten of the prominent water towers in Holland.

Children’s Philharmonic Hall, Minsk

Anastasia from Minsk sent me this lovely card.

The Church of the Holy Spirit was built in the 17^th century. Today it is reconstructed and serves as the Children’s Philharmonic Hall. Some researchers believe that the stone temple of the Holy Spirit was built around 1616. It is believed that the construction took place later - in the 30 - 40 years of the 17th century. Originally the church was Uniate, but in 1795, was handed to the Orthodox Church, and has since become known as the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

After the reunification of the Uniate chirch with the Orthodox (1839) Minsk icon of the Mother of God was returned to the Orthodox sanctuary in the Cathedral.

In 1835 there was a fire, after which the church was mostly rebuilt. Second restructuring of the church took place in 1893. In 1930, the cathedral was closed and transferred to the organization to collect grain. In the same year it was denied the bells in the city. In 1936, the church was blown up. At the site of the church was constructed a menagerie.

In 2009 began the restoration of the church building, designed by architect Baglasov S.G. You can have a look on the ancient foundations of the church by going down to the basement of the building.

A Concert hall for 240 seats has balcony where the choir can be placed. At the side of the restored buildings are administrative offices, costume, artistic room and cloakroom. Special hinged gallery connects the structure to the music school located in the neighbourhood.

The Arc de Triomphe in Paris

Annick sent me this card from Paris. The famous Arc de Triomphe is the centre piece of this photograph.