Finland – Santakari Beacon

Finland - MS Independence of the Seas

MS Independence of the Seas is a Freedom-class cruise ship operated by the Royal Caribbean cruise line that entered service in April 2008. The 15-deck ship can accommodate 4,370 passengers served by 1,360 crew. She was built in the Aker Finnyards drydock in Turku, Finland, builder of Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas, her sister ships of the Freedom class. At 154,407 gross tons, she joined Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas as the largest cruise ships and passenger vessels ever built (at the time of construction). She is 1,112 feet (339 m) long, and typically cruises at 21.6 knots (40.0 km/h; 24.9 mph). The vessel operates from Southampton, England sailing year round European itineraries.

Independence of the Seas is the third of the Freedom-class vessel. In October 2009, Oasis of the Seas, the first ship in the Oasis-class displaced the Freedom-class as the world's largest passenger ships. This lovely card was sent to me by my dear friend Pia.

Singapore – Raffles Hotel

My new friend in Singapore Wang Lee sent me this card. Raffles Hotel is one of Singapore's most graceful landmarks. More legend than hotel, this luxury Singapore hotel celebrates a tradition of unwavering service excellence spanning more than 120 years. Immortalized in the novels of Somerset Maugham and Rudyard Kipling, Raffles Hotel, Singapore’s colonial-styled architecture and lush tropical gardens exude an atmosphere of timeless elegance. Be it business or leisure, the charms of this luxurious Singapore hotel are enticing. 15 restaurants and bars beckon, including the Long Bar - home to the world renowned Singapore Sling; Tiffin Room, which continues the tradition of Afternoon Tea at Raffles and Bar & Billiard Room, well-known for its legend of "The Tiger under the Billiard Table." This luxurious Singapore hotel lies in the heart of the city, in close proximity to the banking and financial districts, Raffles City Convention Centre, Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre (SICEC), as well as leisure attractions including the casino at Marina Bay; the cultural sights of Arab Street and Chinatown and shopping at Raffles City shopping mall and Orchard Road shopping belt.

The Singapore Sling is a cocktail that was developed sometime before 1915 by Ngiam Tong Boon, a bartender working at the Long Bar in Raffles Hotel Singapore. The original recipe used gin, Cherry Heering, Bénédictine, and fresh pineapple juice, primarily from Sarawak pineapples which enhance the flavour and create a foamy top. Another speciality of the Long Bar which I can vouch for (having visited it a few times in April 2011) is the system of keeping roasted unpeeled peanuts in huge piles on every table. But the peculiar thing is that customers peel the peanuts, and eat them. That's fine, but the peels are also nonchalantly thrown on the floor. This I believe is traditional. But it is queer walking over a carpet of peanut peels!!!

Namibia – Luderitz Lighthouse

The German merchant Adolf Lüderitz founded Lüderitz, originally known as Angra Pequena, in 1883 as a trading base. The town's significance increased tremendously with the discovery of diamonds in the area in 1908, which lead to a big diamond rush. Today, the only landmark bearing testimony to an era of wealth and lavish colonial lifestyles is the ghost town of Kolmanskop, 10 km inland from Lüderitz, which is slowly being buried by sand. Lüderitz on the other hand, survived as a fishing town. However, tales of its former glory and its rich German colonial history has made it a very popular tourist destination. The resort is situated on Shark Peninsula, with an excellent view over the bay, town and harbour. Maria, sent me this card.

South Africa - Robben Island

From the 17^th to the 20^th centuries, Robben Island served as a place of banishment, isolation and imprisonment. Today it is a World Heritage Site and museum, a poignant reminder to the newly democratic South Africa, of the price paid for freedom.

Robben Island lies about 10 km from Table Bay Harbour and 7 km from Bloubergstrand. It was here that Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 18 years with many of his comrades. From here they could see the city from where they would rule the Republic of South Africa (RSA). Today the Island is a UNESCO World heritage site. An Island so integral to this Great Nation’s history, and indeed , to its future. Maria sent these two cards to me.

Finland – Kajaani

Kajaani is a town and municipality in Finland. It is the capital of the Kainuu region. It is located southeast of Oulujärvi (Lake Oulu), which drains to the Gulf of Bothnia along the Oulujoki (river Oulu). There are 38,137 (31 January 2011) inhabitants and city surface area is 2,264.01 square kilometres (874.14 sq mi) of which 428.94 km² (165.61 sq mi) is water. The population density is 20.78 inhabitants per square kilometre (53.8 /sq mi) . The town is unilingually Finnish. Kajaani is in the center of the region of Kainuu. Folklorist Elias Lönnrot began his travels from here when collecting folklore in Karelia. Eva sent this card.

Finland – Liperi

Merja sent me this pretty card of Liperi which is a small village near Joensuu. The rowing event displayed on the card takes place every year in July. The biggest row boat with seven pairs of oars is called the “Church Boat”. The name comes from olden times when people went to church by these kinds of boats in the countryside.

Liperi is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the North Karelia region. Liperi is a picturesque community of 12,253 (31 January 2011) with the growth rate of 83 newcomers in 11 months in 2007. The population density is 16.86 inhabitants per square kilometre (43.7 /sq mi). The municipality covers an area of 1,161.22 square kilometres (448.35 sq mi) of which 434.33 km² (167.70 sq mi) is water, so it can be described as beautiful countryside.