Olavinlinna

Olavinlinna is a 15th-century three-tower castle located in Savonlinna, Finland. It is the northernmost medieval stone fortress still standing.

The castle is built on an island in the Kyrönsalmi strait that connects the lakes Haukivesi and Pihlajavesi.

Thank you Virpi for this nice card.

Kingston

Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the Saint Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario.

Growing European exploration in the 17th century and the desire for the Europeans to establish a presence close to local Native occupants for purpose of trade led to the founding of a French trading post known as Fort Frontenac in 1673. The fort became a focus for settlement.

Located midway between Toronto and Montreal, Kingston was named the first capital of the Province of Canada on February 15, 1841, by Governor Lord Sydenham. While its time as a political centre was short, Kingston has remained an important military installation.

Kingston was the county seat of Frontenac County until 1998. Kingston is a separated municipality from the County of Frontenac. According to the 2011 Canadian census, the population of the city proper was 123,363, while the population of the census metropolitan area (CMA) was 159,561.

Kingston is nicknamed the "Limestone City" because of the many heritage buildings constructed using local limestone.

Look at the lovely stamps Karen has affixed to the card. The prominent stamp is the RMC cadet in his impressive uniform. The Royal Military College of Canada, established in 1876, is Canada's only military university (Collège Militaire Royal in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec is a military college), providing academic and leadership training to officer cadets, other members of Canada's armed forces and civilians. There are currently 1,100 undergraduate students and 500 full and part-time graduate students.

Thank you Karen for this nice card.

Pärnu

Pärnu is a city in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. It is a popular summer vacation resort with many hotels, restaurants, and large beaches. The Pärnu River flows through the city and drains into the Gulf of Riga. The city is served by Pärnu Airport.

Pärnu is a health resort of international stature. In addition to guests arriving from around fifty countries, it is also proved by its membership in the European Spas Association (since 2000) and the European Flag that has been flying at the beach of Pärnu since 2000. Many tourists in Pärnu are Finns and Estonians. Hotel and restaurant staff speak English, Russian and some Finnish in addition to Estonian.

Thank you Este for this card. 

Bobsleigh World Championships 1991

1991 Bobsleigh World Championships

This maxi card is about the 1991 World Bobsleigh Championships which was awarded to Altenberg. It was held from 4 to 17 February 1991.

Altenberg is a town in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the Ore Mountains, close to the border with the Czech Republic, 15 km northwest of Teplice, and 32 km south of Dresden.

It is home of the Altenberg bobsleigh, luge and skeleton track that has been in use since 1987.

The FIBT World Championships 2008 ran February 11–24, 2008 in Altenberg, Saxony, for the fifth time, having done so in 1991 (bobsleigh), 1994 (skeleton), 1999 (skeleton), and 2000 (men's bobsleigh). It was the first time Altenberg has hosted all of the events at one championship.

Thank you Maria for this maxicard with the pretty minisheet on it.

Ithaca College

Aimee sent me this pretty card. What a nice and peaceful scene at the Ithaca College. I’d love to lie down under one of those trees and keep watching the ducks and geese the whole day.

Ithaca College for those who are interested is a private college located on the South Hill of Ithaca, New York, United States. The school was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music. The college has a strong liberal arts core, but also offers several pre-professional programs and some graduate programs. The college is also known internationally for its communications program:the Roy H. Park School of Communications. 

The college is set against the backdrop of Cayuga Lake, the city of Ithaca, and several waterfalls and gorges. The college is perhaps best known for its large list of alumni who play or have played substantial roles in the world ofbroadcasting. The college has been ranked among the top ten master's universities in the North by U.S. News & World Report every year since 1996. For the 2010 rankings, the college was ranked 7 in this category.

An old Adage

This pretty and thought provoking card was sent to me by Heike from Halle in Germany. Some of you may remember that the composer G.F. Handel was born in Halle, near which flows the River Saale.

Coming back to the card. The main text says, “A great man is he who has not lost his child’s heart”. So true. And the tub boat says it all, “Old Love”. Thank you Heike for this very nice card.

Khamis Mosque in Bahrain

The Khamis Mosque is believed to be the first mosque in Bahrain, built during the era of the Umayyad caliph Umar II. According to Al Wasat journalist Kassim Hussain, other sources mention that it was build in a later era during the rule of Uyunids  with one minaret. The second was built two centuries later during the rule of Usfurids. The identical twin minarets of this ancient Islamic monument make it easily noticeable as one drives along the Shaikh Salman Road in Khamis.

It is considered to be one of the oldest mosques in the region, as its foundation is believed to have been laid as early as 692 AD. An inscription found on the site, however, suggests a foundation date of sometime during the 11th century. It has since been rebuilt twice in both the 14th and 15th centuries, when the minarets were constructed. The Khamis mosque has been partially restored recently.

Thank you Joanita for this nice card.