Uspenski Cathedral

Uspenski Cathedral is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral in Helsinki, Finland, dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos (the Virgin Mary). Its name comes from the Old Church Slavonic word uspenie, which denotes the Dormition. Designed by the Russian architect Alexey Gornostaev (1808–1862), the cathedral was built after his death in 1862–1868. The crypt chapel of the cathedral is named after the holy Alexander Hotovitzky, who served as vicar of the Orthodox parish of Helsinki 1914–1917.

The Cathedral is set upon a hillside on the Katajanokka peninsula overlooking the city. On the back of the cathedral, there is a plaque commemorating Russian Emperor Alexander II, who was the sovereign of the Grand Duchy of Finland during the cathedral's construction. Main cathedral of the Finnish Orthodox Church in the diocese of Helsinki, Uspenski Cathedral is claimed to be the largest orthodox church in Western Europe, although Finland is normally included into Northern Europe. In 2006, about 516,500 tourists visited the church. The card presents a view from Kruununhaka to Katajanokka and Uspenski Cathedral. Ella had sent me this lovely postcard.

Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe

The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is a street in Paris, France. With its cinemas, cafés, luxury specialty shops and clipped horse-chestnut trees, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets and one of the most expensive strips of real estate in the world. Several French monuments are also on the street, including the Arc de Triomphe and the Place de la Concorde. The name is French for Elysian Fields, the place of the blessed dead in Greek mythology. The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is known as "The most beautiful avenue in the world", La plus belle avenue du monde in French. Thank you Maria for this lovely card.

Helsinki Harbour

What you see in the card is the South Harbour, which is a bay, and harbour area immediately next to the centre of the city of Helsinki, Finland. It is the largest passenger harbour in Finland, and 5.4 million passengers travel through it every year. Most of the harbour's traffic is to Stockholm, Sweden and Tallinn, Estonia, and cruises. In summertime, there is also a lot of small ship traffic.

The bay is bordered by the districts of Katajanokka, Kaartinkaupunki, Ullanlinna and Kaivopuisto. The waterway leading to the South Harbour is 9.6 metres deep. The most critical point on the waterway is the Kustaanmiekka strait, with a width of 80 metres. The waterway has a speed limit of 30 km/h, except for the Katajanokka area, which has a speed limit of 10 km/h. Helsinki is situated on a superlative natural harbor. The coast of Finland is surrounded by thousands of small islands, and Helsinki is hidden behind these islands. Helsinki's harbour is an important focal point of the city's urban environment. Waterbuses leave from Helsinki's municipal dock for tourist attractions in the surrounding islands. A huge outdoor produce market is located along side Helsinki harbor. The huge ships that you see carry people, mostly to Sweden and back are always prominent in Helsinki's harbour. Also, seen is the beautiful Helsinki Cathedral. Ella sent me this lovely card.

James Bond, 007

James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis, Christopher Wood, John Gardner, Raymond Benson, Sebastian Faulks and Jeffery Deaver. Additionally, Charlie Higson wrote a series on a young James Bond and Kate Westbrook wrote three novels based on the diaries of a recurring series character, Moneypenny.

The fictional British Secret Service agent has also been adapted for television, radio, comic strip and video game formats as well as being used in the longest running and the second-highest grossing film franchise to date, which started in 1962 with Dr. No, starring Sean Connery as Bond. As of 2012, there have been twenty two films in the Eon Productions series, with a twenty third, Skyfall, due for release on 26 October 2012. The film will star Daniel Craig in his third portrayal of Bond: he is the sixth actor to play Bond in the Eon series. There have also been two independent productions of Bond films, Casino Royale, a 1967 spoof, and Never Say Never Again, a 1983 remake of an earlier Eon-produced film, Thunderball.

The films are renowned for a number of features, including the musical accompaniment, with the theme songs to the films having picked up Academy Award nominations on several occasions. Other important elements which run through most of the films include Bond's cars, his guns and the gadgets he is supplied with by Q Branch. Thank you Maria for remembering my favourite screen character.

France - Moulin Rouge

Moulin Rouge is a cabaret in Paris, France. It was built in 1889 by Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Olympia. Close to Montmartre in the Paris district of Pigalle on Boulevard de Clichy in the 18th arrondissement, it is marked by the red windmill on its roof. The closest métro station is Blanche.

The Moulin Rouge is best known as the spiritual birthplace of the modern form of the can-can dance. Originally introduced as a seductive dance by the courtesans who operated from the site, the can-can dance revue evolved into a form of entertainment of its own and led to the introduction of cabarets across Europe. Today the Moulin Rouge is a tourist attraction, offering musical dance entertainment for visitors from around the world. Much of the romance of turn-of-the-twentieth-century France is still present in the club's decor. My friend Maria sent this card.

Cyprus - Agia Napa

The holiday paradise of Cyprus, with its lovely golden beaches, clear sea waters, wonderful dreamy nights and its pleasant and warm-hearted inhabitants has maintained a simplicity of life which is in full accord with the historic traditions of Cyprus. Geographically, Ayia Napa is situated near Cape Greco, just south of Famagusta, and forms part of a larger area known by the name of "Kokkinochorgia" (a name derived from the red-colour of its soil). Before it developed into a cosmopolitan tourist centre with its majestic beach Cyprus hotels and holiday apartments, Ayia Napa was a purely agricultural village. Today, despite its enormous development, its people still find time to engage in their old occupations, namely farming and fishing. Merja sent me this nice postcard.

According to a local tradition, one day a hunter who happened to be in the area, was greatly astonished when a hare, which was being chased by his dog suddenly disappeared. The dog kept up the hot pursuit and followed the hared to his refuge, which was none other than a cave. The hunter, guided by the dog's persistent and excited baking’s soon located the mouth of the cave. On entering, he gasped with surprise, because before his very eyes was the icon of Virgin Mary which was soon to become famous all over the island. It appears that during the persecutions of the Christians in the 8th and 9th century A.D. some Christians carefully selected this cave to serve as a hiding place for the Virgin Mary of Agia Napa, which was later shortened to Agia Napa. The inhabitants of the neighbouring villages, in honour of Virgin Mary, conducted liturgies in the cave itself. This location continued to be inhabited until the 15th century. Tradition has it that when this location became renowned and important as a holy shrine, it attracted the attention of a young, noble lady from Venice who then lived in famagusta. Her father had strictly forbidden her to marry the man she loved on the pretext that he was a commoner and so she left home and found refuge in Agia Napa. She soon had a church and some monastic cells built and in this way the monastery came into being. The present monastery was built around 1500 but inside the church there is a cave, which suggests it, may have been used as a place of worship in a much earlier period. During the latter part of the Venetian rule (1489-1570) the monastery became quite famous, acquired extensive wealth and even survived the persecutions by the Turks during the Ottoman rule.

From the very first moment, the visitor to Ayia Napa feels a sense of belonging, at home in this welcoming environment. Here, Cypriot hospitality is an accepted part of everyday life.

Louisbourg Lighthouse

Louisbourg Lighthouse is a historic Canadian lighthouse at Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, and is the site of the first lighthouse in Canada. Construction began on the lighthouse in 1730 to assist navigation to Fortress Louisbourg. It was completed in 1734. A fire in 1736 destroyed the lantern but the stone tower was unharmed and a new lantern was installed in 1738. Lighthouse Point played a decisive role in both sieges of Fortress Louisbourg as, once captured, it provided a commanding gun battery location to bombard the fortress. This lighthouse was badly damaged in 1758 during the Final Siege of Louisbourg and abandoned by the British after they demolished the fortress. Stonework ruins from the first tower are still visible at the site. The government of Nova Scotia in 1842 built a square wooden lighthouse with a black stripe. The lighthouse was a large 2 ¹⁄₂-story wooden building supported by a massive masonry base. It included the keeper's dwelling in the base of the light. A foghorn building was added in 1902. This lighthouse was destroyed by fire in 1922. The foundation remains visible today and has been excavated and stabilized by Parks Canada archaeologists.

The lighthouse today. An octagonal concrete lighthouse decorated with neoclassical architectural features was built in 1923. The tower is a twin of the Georges Island Lighthouse in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Louisbourg lighthouse was destaffed in 1990. The lighthouse is a popular look off point and in 2008 became the start of a coastal walking trail. Interpretive plaques mark the ruins of the previous lighthouses.