Finland - Lapland

This is another nice picture post card featuring a scene in Lapland. This nice card was sent to me by Esa.

Vladivostok.

Vladivostok is Russia's largest port city on the Pacific Ocean and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai. It is situated at the head of the Golden Horn Bay, not far from Russia's border with China and North Korea. It is the home port of the Russian Pacific Fleet.
Stepan Osipovich Makarov (January 8 1849— April 13 1904) was a famous Russian vice-admiral, a highly accomplished and decorated commander of the Imperial Russian Navy, and a distinguished oceanographer, awarded by the Russian Academy of Sciences, and author of several books. According to his honour, "Shiritoru", where was a town in Sakhalin island, was renamed as Makarov in 1946. Makarov was highly decorated for his service as a captain of the Russian torpedo boat tender Velikiy Knyaz Konstantin in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78. He was one of the first adopters of the idea of torpedo boats and he himself went to action in torpedo boats. On January 16, 1877 he was first in the world to launch torpedoes from a boat (which itself was launched from a tender) against a Turkish armed ship Intibah.
This is a monument in honour of that Great Russian Admiral . It overlooks the sea at the far Eastern Russian port of Vladivostok. I was fortunate to be a resident of this wonderful city for two winters. This pretty card was sent to me by my friend Elena.

Czech Republic – Ještěd Tower

Ještěd Tower is a 94 metre-tall tower used to transmit television signal built on the top of Ještěd mountain near Liberec in the Czech Republic. Ještěd Tower is a reinforced concrete construction with a shape called hyperboloid, built between 1963 and 1968. Its architect was Karel Hubáček. The shape was chosen since it naturally extends the silhouette of the hill and moreover well resists the extreme climate conditions on the top of the hill. In the Tower's lowest sections it contains a hotel and a tower restaurant. It serves as a dominant attraction in the city and as a place to oversee much of Bohemia and parts of Poland and Germany. This superb card was sent to me by Stan.

Germany - Cologne Cathedral

Begun in 1248, the construction of this Gothic masterpiece took place in several stages and was not completed until 1880. Over seven centuries, successive builders were inspired by the same faith and a spirit of absolute fidelity to the original plans. The local people in Cologne say that, when there is nothing more to be done on or to the Cathedral, that will be the end of the World :-(( or ;-)) Its your choice.

Apart from its exceptional intrinsic value and the artistic masterpieces it contains, Cologne Cathedral testifies to the enduring strength of European Christianity. Even today, there's always something to be repaired or restored.

This outstanding card was sent to me by Anja.

Hungary - Budapest by night

This lovely picture is a panoramic view of Budapest the Capital of Hungary by night. In the foreground is the UNESCO WHS Buda Castle.Buda Castle is the historical castle complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest, Hungary, first completed in 1265. In the past, it was also called Royal Palace and Royal Castle. Buda Castle was built on the southern tip of Castle Hill, next to the old Castle District, which is famous for its medieval, Baroque and 19th century houses and public buildings. The Castle Hill Funicular links it to Adam Clark Square and the Széchenyi Chain Bridge. Buda Castle is part of the Budapest World Heritage Site, declared in 1987.

Csilla Nell sent this lovely card to me.

Brazil - Estádio Moisés Lucarelli,

The Estádio Moisés Lucarelli, also known as Estádio Majestoso, or just Majestoso, is a football stadium inaugurated on September 12, 1948 in Campinas, São Paulo, with a maximum capacity of 19,722 people. The stadium is owned by Associação Atlética Ponte Preta. The stadium has a pitch size of 107m x 70m and its area stands at 36,000 m². Its formal name honors Moisés Lucarelli, the co-ordinator of the stadium construction works commission. Its nickname, Estádio Majestoso, means Majestic Stadium, because it was the third largest stadium in Brazil at the time of its inauguration. The stadium was inaugurated on September 12, 1948. The stadium was built with the help of hundreds of Ponte Preta supporters. The inaugural match was played on September 12, 1948, when XV de Piracicaba beat Ponte Preta 3-0. The first goal of the stadium was scored by XV de Piracicaba's Sato. The stadium's attendance official record currently stands at 34,985, set on February 1, 1978 when São Paulo beat Ponte Preta 3-1. The stadium's attendance record currently stands at 33,500, set on August 17, 1970 when Santos beat Ponte Preta 1-0. The stadium biggest score was set on April 16, 1994, when Ponte Preta beat Ferroviária 8-1. This very interesting card was sent to me by Guilherme Salustiano.

Russia

Here is a picture of a smart private of the 13th Nizhegorodshy Dragoon Regiment in 1842. This card was sent to me by Liubov.