Finland – Votive Ship Barque Turku

Have you seen the tail of a whale in the Aura River close to the Varvintori Square. Somewhere near that place was located the old Turku shipyard where this whaler, the barque Turku, was built in 1852. Turku sailed and whaled in the Pacific. The Turku Ship Masters’ Association presented the scale model of Turku to the Cathedral as a votive ship in 1968.

Votive ships are seen in churches close to the coast. It was customary for mariners to build a miniature model of their own ship and donate it to their home church in thanks for making it home after a long voyage. The votive ship in the Cathedral was made by Åke Sandvall and was based on the original drawings of the barque. Åke Sandvall also built another votive ship in St. Michael's Church in Turku.

Fires have destroyed the earlier votive ships in the Cathedral. Hannele sent this nice card to me.

Poland – Narrow Gauge Railway Museum in Wenecja

The Narrow Gauge Railway Museum in Wenecja near Żnin is an open air museum collecting and exhibiting steam locomotives, passenger and freight cars, trolleys, railwaymen's tools, signalling equipment, contents of an old waiting room, and old maps. The 600 mm Narrow Gauge Railway Museum in Wenecja is a department of the Muzeum Ziemi Pałuckiej (the Żnin's Museum of Pałuki Land) and was established in 1972 at the suggestion of enthusiasts of the Pałuki region, of which Żnin is considered the capital. The Museum has collected many steam locomotives. One of the oldest is the German one, made by Orenstein & Koppel in Berlin in 1900. The Tx-1116 locomotive made by Henschel & Son (Kassel, 1918) and the Tx4-564 locomotive made by Hanomag (Hannover, 1923) are also very interesting. A real rarity is the Belgian locomotive made by Les Ateliers Metallurgiques Nivelles with the unique wheel arrangement 2-3-1 ("Pacific"), and the only one, which has steam brakes. There are also steam locomotives made in the first Polish plant in Chrzanów. The Narrow Gauge Railway Museum in Wenecja is situated at the foot of the ruins of the medieval castle (which can be seen in the picture) built in the 14th century by legendary Mikołaj Nałecz. Tourists can travel on the historic narrow gauge railway from Żnin via Wenecja to Biskupin which is famous for a reconstruction of the Lusatian culture settlement and the Archaeological Museum. This pretty card was sent to me jointly by my friends Kasia and Zbyszek.

Spain – Granada – La Alhambra

The Alhambra, the complete form of which was Calat Alhambra ("the red fortress"), is a palace and fortress complex constructed during the mid 14th century by the Moorish rulers of the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus, occupying a hilly terrace on the south-eastern border of the city of Granada, now in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain.
Once the residence of the Muslim rulers of Granada and their court, the site became a Christian palace. Within the Alhambra, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, erected the Palace of Charles V in 1527. After being allowed to fall into disrepair, the Alhambra was "rediscovered" in the 19th century. It is now one of Spain's major tourist attractions and exhibits the country's most famous Islamic architecture, together with Christian 16th-century and later interventions in buildings and gardens. This pretty picture postcard was sent to me by Anna of Torremolinos.

Finland - Lapland - Pallastunturi

This is a beautiful view of a Daybreak at Pallastunturi (Lapland) in winter. Sent to me by Paivi.

Greece - Gytheion

Gytheio is a town in the prefecture of Laconia in Greece, long known as the seaport of Sparta some 40 km away. Gytheio used to be an important port for many centuries until it was destroyed by an earthquake. Today it is the largest and most important town in Mani. It is also the capital of the municipality of Gytheio.
Gytheio is located in the north-east corner of Mani. It lies on the north-western end of the Laconian Gulf. Gytheio was built on a hill called Koumaro or Larysio in one of the most fertile areas in Mani, near the mouth of the Gythius River, which is usually dry and has been given the nickname of Xerodas, meaning 'dry'. Further north-east is the delta of the Evrotas River. Gytheio is built on hilly ground overlooking the Laconian Gulf. Offshore of Gytheio are several small islands, the most important of these being Cranae, which is connected to the mainland by a causeway. Gytheio is only 40 km southeast of Sparta. This lovely card was sent to me by Dear Friend Anna Maria of Athens.

USA - Major General Philip Sheridan

Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, who transferred Sheridan from command of an infantry division in the Western Theatre to lead the Cavalry Corps of the Army 0of the Potomac in the East. In 1864, he defeated Confederate forces in the Shenandoah Valley and his destruction of the economic infrastructure of the Valley, called "The Burning" by residents, was one of the first uses of scorched earth tactics in the war. In 1865, his cavalry pursued Gen. Robert E. Lee and was instrumental in forcing his surrender at Appomattox.

Sheridan prosecuted the later years of the Indian Wars of the Great Plains, tainting his reputation with some historians, who accuse him of racism and genocide. Both as a soldier and private citizen, he was instrumental in the development and protection of Yellowstone National Park.

HAPPY VALENTINE's DAY

HAPPY VALENTINE's DAY