Helsinki

This pretty scene from Helsinki was sent to me by my dear friend Ella.

Lighthouse at Vallisaari Island off Helsinki

This pretty picture is of the Island of Vallisaari and the quaint little lighthouse on it. The island is off the well known Soumenlinna Fortress about which a lot has already been written on this blog. In the background can be seen the Island of Lauttosaari. All these islands are near Helsinki, the Capital of Finland. It may be of interest to some that a violent explosion took place on 7^th September 1937 at the army's weapons loading unit on Vallisaari island which destroyed the magazine and much of the nearby infrastructure. 12 people were killed and dozens wounded. The shockwave caused earthquake-like tremors 5 km away in Helsinki. The explosions continued for a day and a massive black cloud rose above the island. People fled in panic to mainland. Many of the dead were buried near Piper's Park on neighbouring Suomenlinna island, where the memorial stands today. My Dear Friend Ella sent me this pretty card.

Ayia Napa Monastery

The monastery of Agia Napa is located in the homonymous village in Ammochostos District. The village got its name from the “Icon of Virgin Mary of Napes”, which means “the Saint of the woods” and thus, she was named “Agia Napa”. This is how the village got its name, Agia Napa, “Holy Forest”.

There is not sufficient evidence as to when the Monastery was originally founded. The cave, the hiding place and the well, all testify to the existence of the Christian community, from the time of the Byzantine era. Agia Napa was given its name before 1366. The Monastery though, as it is today, is a building of the 15th century, when Cyprus was under the sovereignty of the Venetians. According to local tradition, in the cave that has now become a church, the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary was found by a hunter. The hunter’s dog was first to see the glowing icon and began barking, insistently calling over his master. A considerable number of believers started visiting the holy place of the cave, as soon as they heard about the discovery of the icon. The icon had probably been placed in the cave during the period of iconoclasm (7th-8th century) and thus, it was rescued. In the 14th century, the remaining half of the cave was built into a church. Another tradition mentions that the daughter of a noble Venetian family took refuge in the cave out of obstinacy, because of her parents’ refusal to allow her marriage with a non-aristocrat. It is said that around the year 1500 the wealthy Venetian built the church, the cells and a flourmill, on her own expenses. (The flourmill was probably installed in the Monastery during the period of the Turkish domination). A women’s Monastery and a Roman chapel were gradually created. The right aisle of the church, right after the entrance, operated as the Roman chapel. The enormous sycamore tree of the Monastery, which is found next to the reservoir, is said to have been planted by the Venetian woman. When the time of her death approached, she built the stone, vaulted monument. She wished to be buried in this monument, next to the dew of the reservoir. On the northern side of the courtyard, there is a fountain with the shape of the head of a wild boar. Above that, the two-floor building is standing, in which the Venetian daughter initially lived.

Up on the hill, on the west side of the church, there is a small, ancient church, that again according to tradition, the Virgin Mary lay down for a while to rest. By the grace of the Virgin Mary, couples who are infertile and women who are experiencing difficulties during pregnancy, arrive at the monastery everyday to pray for help and request to gird the miraculous belt of the Saint of Agia Napa. The monastery is a particularly graceful place, where anyone and everyone with faith, can find comfort and spiritual peacefulness. Our loving All Holy Mother, everyday opens her arms to us all, in order to take away our worries and troubles, no matter how severe they seem to be. The Virgin Mary everyday prays for us, for the salvation of our souls. My dear friend Merja gave me this maxicard.

Birds of Prey of Cyprus

These three maxi cards show three of the Birds of Prey in Cyprus. These three stamps are part of a set of six stamps. The birds are from the top The Owl. The owl is a night bird about 22 cm long. It can be seen in many areas like forests, farmlands, farms as well as in populated areas. It feeds mainly on rodents, reptiles, small birds and insects. It lays 3 to 6 eggs in crevices of cliffs, in holes of buildings or in heaps of stones, during the April – June Period. Then we have Eleonora’s Falcon shown at lower left. This is a medium size bird of prey about 38cm long. It feeds mainly on small birds as well as on insects. It lives in flocks and builds its nest in cavities as well as on rocky islands. It lays 2-3 eggs about the middle of July, so that at the time of growing of the young birds, there is plenty of food, because this period coincides with the birds’ migration. And finally , we have another view of the Eleonora’s Falcon in flight. These lovely maxi cards were given to me by my Dear Friend Merja.

Berlin

For details about the famous Brandenburg Gate please see my post dated 16.06.2011. Neither the Gate nor Berlin have changed appreciably since then ;-)) Michaela sent this card to me.

Secret Buddha (Krodha Guhyasamaja)

Preaching Secret Buddha dharma Krodha Guhyasamaja is also called “Happy Buddha” with the image of a man and a woman holding each other’s arms. For those interested to know more about this form of Buddhism it is advisable, to read the texts of the dharma mentioned. The author of this blog is not competent to interpret the nuances or the finer points. This card was sent to me by Michael from Canton.

Mark Twain

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist. He is most noted for his novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876), and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), the latter often called "the Great American Novel." Twain grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, which would later provide the setting for Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. He apprenticed with a printer. He also worked as a typesetter and contributed articles to his older brother Orion's newspaper. After toiling as a printer in various cities, he became a master riverboat pilot on the Mississippi River, before heading west to join Orion. He was a failure at gold mining, so he next turned to journalism. While a reporter, he wrote a humorous story, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, which became very popular and brought nationwide attention. His travelogues were also well-received. Twain had found his calling. He achieved great success as a writer and public speaker. His wit and satire earned praise from critics and peers, and he was a friend to presidents, artists, industrialists, and European royalty. However, he lacked financial acumen. Though he made a great deal of money from his writings and lectures, he squandered it on various ventures, in particular the Paige Compositor, and was forced to declare bankruptcy. With the help of Henry Huttleston Rogers, however, he eventually overcame his financial troubles. Twain worked hard to ensure that all of his creditors were paid in full, even though his bankruptcy had relieved him of the legal responsibility.

Twain was born during a visit by Halley's Comet, and predicted that he would "go out with it" as well. He died the day following the comet's subsequent return. He was lauded as the "greatest American humorist of his age," and William Faulkner called Twain "the father of American literature."

Mark Twain, summered in Elmira for more than twenty years. Perched high above the Chemung River Valley in his octagonal study, Twain penned his literary classics as the crisp, valley air rolled over the lush hills towards a wine stained sunset. The Chemung River Valley is the southern gateway into New York’s largest wine-producing region, The Finger Lakes. Internationally recognized for breathtaking vistas and award-winning wine, the unique geographic conditions of the region make it the ideal home for more than 100 wineries and vineyards. Maria sent me this card.