Sampaguita Festival in San Pedro, Laguna, Philippines

My friend Michael in the Philippines sent me this colourful card about the Sampaguita Festival which is a week-long celebration which includes various activities ranging from  cultural to athletics, trade fairs, dance contests, parades,  art-exhibits, social and religious gatherings, tribal dance and sports  exhibitions in San Pedro, Laguna, Philippines. The festival is about celebrating the national flower of the Philippines- the sampaguita flower.

The town of San Pedro, Laguna is a place that has a thriving 'sampaguita-industry' in the Philippines. Garlands of sampaguita flowers  are being made in the town. Farmers in the town are still  cultivating the flower. The Sampaguita Festival coincides with San Pedro Day- a local holiday for the town. San Pedro Day is celebrated every February 21- the actual day when the said festival is at its peak.  The pictures on this card show participants being awarded for their costumes.

The Town of Cello in Germany

Wiebke from Germany sent me this card which shows different views of the town Celle where she lives. Now, for those of you who have visited Hanover may have visited Celle too, for it isn't too far from there. 

Cello is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the River Aller, a tributary of the Weser and has a population of about 71,000. Celle is the southern gateway to the Lüneburg Heath, has a castle (Schloss Celle) built in the renaissance and baroque style and a picturesque old town centre (the Altstadt) with over 400 timber-framed houses, making Celle one of the most remarkable members of the German Timber-Frame Road. From 1378 to 1705, Celle was the official residence of the Lüneburg branch of the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg (House of Welf) who had been banished from their original ducal seat by its townsfolk.

Thank you Wiebke.

Have a nice Summer

Towe from Sweden wishes "Have a nice Summer" with this nice card.

Thank you Towe, hope you have a great Summer too.

Indian Silver - Åland's most successful trotting horse

Åland's most successful trotting horse so far was Indian Silver. Out of 61 starts, Indian Silver won 24 races.

Indian Silver had his breakthrough in 1997 at the age of four. This was the year he was housed for professional training at Stig H Johansson stables, one of the most reputed jockeys and trainers in Swedish trotting history.
Indian Silver's track record includes wins in Eliterennen in Gelsenkirchen, Copenhagen Cup and Momarken Grand Prix. Out of 61 starts, Indian Silver won 24, was placed second 12 times and third 7 times. He was in the Swedish Elitloppet final twice. In 2009, Indian Silver died from colic.
Founded in 1936, Ålandstravet - Åland Equestrian Association arranges harness racing, dressage, show jumping and Icelandic horse racing. In 2015, six harness racing events will take place at Ålandstravet.

Thank you Ella.

President's image of Åland women 1.5.2015

"Åland women" was President Tarja Halonen's choice of theme when asked to contribute to the My Åland stamp series. This postcard featuring the famous sea-farer Mimmi Widbom was issued on 1.5.2015.

Serafina Wilhelmina "Mimmi" Widbom was an extraordinary woman of her time being, as she was, a professional seafarer. She worked as cook and chief steward on several of Åland shipowner Gustaf Erikson's ships in the early 1900s. Mimmi Widbom rounded Cape Horn eight times and she made her last voyage as active sailor in 1943.
President Tarja Halonen is the third President of Finland to participate in Åland Post stamp series My Åland, which offers celebrities with a connection to Aland an opportunity to illustrate their opinion of the Aland province and personal view of Aland. In 2004, President Mauno Koivisto's stamp was issued, and President Martti Ahtisaari's stamp appeared in 2009. 

Thank you Ella.

Finnish Summer

Thank you Ari for this lovely card of the Finnish Summer that you guys are enjoying. The strawberries make my mouth water. I believe it is 15 to 18 degrees in your part of the world.

Its not too bad here in New Delhi where I live. The day before yesterday was the highest so far this Summer - only 44.5. Not bad eh! :-))

Moscow - View of the Arc de Triomphe and the Poklonnaya Hill

The third and the oldest surviving Triumphal Arch in Moscow was built in 1829–34 on Tverskaya Gate Square to Joseph Bové's designs in order to commemorate Russia's victory over Napoleon. It replaced an earlier wooden structure built by the veterans of the Napoleonic Wars in 1814.

The arch was built in brick and lined with ashlar. The columns and statues were of cast iron. A seiuga (six-horse chariot) was designed by Giovanni Vitali. The bilingual inscription in Russian and Latin ran as follows:

To the blessed memory of Alexander I who raised from ashes and adorned with many memorials of paternal care this former capital that had been committed to the mercy of fire during the invasion of the Gauls and twelve other nations.

The arch was dismantled in 1936 as part of Joseph Stalin's reconstruction of downtown Moscow. Vitali's sculptures were then put on exhibit at an architectural museum on the grounds of the former Donskoy Monastery. After the Second World War there were plans to rebuild the structure in front of the Belarussian Railway Station.

The current arch was built to Bove's original designs in 1966–68 in the middle of Kutuzovsky Avenue, close to the Victory Park. An open space surrounding the arch is known as the Victory Square.

Thank you Natasha for this nice card.