Ulm on the River Danube

Tanja sent me this card of Ulm which is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 (2006), forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850 (first written mention in 22 July 854), is rich in history and traditions as a former Free Imperial City (German: freie Reichsstadt). Today, it is an economic centre due to its varied industries, and it is the seat of a university (University of Ulm, founded in 1967). Internationally, Ulm is primarily known for having the church with the tallest steeple in the world (161.53 m or 529.95 feet), the Gothic minster and as the birthplace of Albert Einstein.

Ulm has Ulm Minster a Lutheran church and former Roman Catholic church located in Ulm, Germany. Although sometimes referred to as Ulm Cathedral because of its great size, the church is not a cathedral as it has never been the seat of a bishop.

Ulm Minster, like Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom), was begun in the Gothic era and not completed until the late 19th century. It is the tallest church in the world, and the 4th tallest structure built before the 20th century, with a steeple measuring 161.5 metres (530 ft) and containing 768 steps. From the top level at 143 m (469 ft) there is a panoramic view of Ulm in Baden-Württemberg and Neu-Ulm in Bavaria and, in clear weather, a vista of the Alps from Säntis to the Zugspitze. The final stairwell to the top (known as the third Gallery) is a tall, spiraling staircase that has barely enough room for one person.

Montpellier

Montpellier is a city in southern France. It is the capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon region, as well as the Hérault department. Montpellier is the 8th largest city of France, and is also the fastest growing city in the country over the past 25 years. Located on the south coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea, it is the third-largest French city on the Mediterranean coast after Marseille and Nice. Montpellier is one of the few large cities in France without any (Gallo-)Roman heritage and also one of the few cities in southern France without a Greek foundation.

Jerome sent me this card from Montpellier which shows a beautiful picture of The Place de la Comédie which is the main focal point of the city of Montpellier, in the Hérault département in southern France. The square is first mentioned in 1755 and is named after the theatre located there, which burned down in 1785 and 1855.

The Place became the main focal point of the city when, in the mid-19th century the main railway station (Gare de Montpellier Saint-Roch) was built some 200 metres south of it. At that time, a smaller train going to the nearby beach at Palavas-les-Flots also had its provenance on the Place.

At the centre of the square is a fountain called the Three Graces, built by sculptor Étienne d'Antoine in 1790. The original piece was placed in the Musée Fabre in 1989, but moved again during the refurbishment of the museum to the Opéra Comédie, which is located at the square.

At its north-eastern corner the square continues into the Esplanade de Charles de Gaulle, a small park connecting the Place to the Corum, a large concrete and granite complex built by Claude Vasconi. At its south-eastern corner it is linked to the Lycée Joffre, formerly theCitadel of Montpellier.

Thank you Jerome for this lovely card.

Egrang

These two children in Indonesia are playing the game of Egrang.

Egrang is one of the traditional games in Indonesia. It is a game played on Stilts. In Indonesia it is usually played or competed during the commemoration of the independence day proclamation of Indonesia, August 17.

Thank you Ika Maria for this pretty card.

The International Building Exhibition Berlin

The International Building Exhibition Berlin (IBA Berlin) was an urban renewal project in Berlin, Germany. Initiated in 1979, it was completed in 1987, matching the 750th anniversary of the founding of Berlin. The IBA followed two distinct strategies: "careful urban renewal" and "critical reconstruction."

In 1979 Josef Paul Kleihues was appointed director of the IBA. He organised the exhibition along two distinct themes:IBA Alt aimed to explore methods of "careful urban renewal" and IBA Neu for experimenting "critical reconstruction." He invited many international architects including Peter Eisenman, Vittorio Gregotti, Herman Hertzberger, Hans Hollein, Arata Isozaki, Rob Krier, Aldo Rossi and James Stirling. Consequently the IBA was called by Time magazine "the most ambitious showcase of world architecture in this generation".

Thank you Merja for this interesting maxicard issued in Berlin in 1987.         

M/aux Astrid

"ASTRID" is a traditional English
sailing vessel, crewed by experienced sailors well 
acquainted with the Finnish archipelago. 

The ship is fitted discreetly with all conveniences needed for Both work and leisure. ASTRID's  galley too is equipped to satisfy the demands of all.

Thank you Merja for this pretty card. 

Pobeda” Theatre

“Pobeda” (Victory in English) Theatre in Novosibirsk, Ukraine. The stately building with columns erected in 1950s was carefully restored in the beginning of 2000s. Now it's the most popular theater in the city. The building has remarkable architecture and interior design, combining hi-tech with Stalin era. This is the place where you can watch art-house movies and films from festival programs. “Pobeda” often hosts first screenings and celebrity events.

Thank you Yulliana for this nice card.

100th anniversary of the Finnish artist and writer behind the Moomins

Tove Jansson, world-famous for the Moomins, was a versatile artist who completed many paintings, works of graphic arts and public works of art during her career. In addition to the Moomin books, she received recognition for her short stories and novels. Tove Jansson was a prolific artist whose career started in the 1930s and continued long into the 1990s.

An experimental artist and a writer with an eye for details. As an artist, Jansson mastered many techniques and held exhibitions that took her art into new and sometimes experimental directions. In addition to paintings, her works include a lot of works of graphic arts and public works of art from murals to mosaics. Throughout her life, open-mindedness and the pursuit of freedom were among Tove Jansson's strengths.

Tove Jansson also became known as a writer who put her mind to writing with the utmost meticulousness. Her short stories and novels are known for minimalistic narration and careful composition.

The Moomins remain popular from generation to generation. The first time Jansson drew the Moomintroll character it was for Garm, a liberal and satirical magazine that sniped at the world of global leaders during the Second World War.  The Moomins and the Great Flood, published in 1945, was the first in a series of books that became the most visible and best-known part of Tove Jansson's career. The third Moomin book, Finn Family Moomintroll, was published in 1948 and increased Jansson's fame outside Finland and Sweden.

In the 1950s, Tove Jansson started to draw and write a Moomin comic strip for the most widely read evening newspaper in the world, Evening News, which was published in London. Soon the comic strip was read in more than 20 countries.

The popularity of the Moomins has continued from generation to generation. The Moomin books have been translated into more than 30 languages and the Moomins have become familiar figures on television, in films, on theatre stages and in opera, too.

Thank you Ella for these lovely maxi cards depicting one of my favourite author and artist and the other showing the popular characters she created.