Oregon

My another card from USA is showed Multnomah Falls:

The fifth highest in the United States, drops an impressive 620 thunderous feet and is the most popular of the many waterfalls along the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

Tagus

This is my first card from Portugal:

The Tagus is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. It is 1,038 km long, 716 km in Spain, 47 km along the border between Portugal and Spain and 275 km in Portugal, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Lisbon. It drains an area of 80,100 square kilometers (the second largest in the Iberian peninsula after the Douro). The Tagus is highly utilized for most of its course. Several dams and diversions supply drinking water to most of central Spain, including Madrid, and Portugal, while dozens of hydroelectric stations create power. Between dams it follows a very constricted course, but after Almourol it enters a vast alluvial valley prone to flooding. At its mouth is a large estuary on which the port city of Lisbon is situated.

The source of the Tagus is the Fuente de García, in the Montes Universales, Sistema Ibérico, Sierra de Albarracín Comarca. All its major tributaries enter the Tagus from the right (north) bank. The main cities it passes through are Aranjuez, Toledo, Talavera de la Reina and Alcántara in Spain, and Abrantes, Santarém, Almada and Lisbon in Portugal.

Portugal

Portuguese card :)

Óbidos is a town of approximately 3100 inhabitants and municipal seat of the municipality of Óbidos, located in the Oeste Subregion, of the Estremadura historical province, in Portugal.

The area of the town of Óbidos is located on a hilltop, encircled by a fortified wall, but divided between the two parishes of São Pedro and Santa Maria in the municipality of Óbidos.

Óbidos remains a well-preserved example of medieval architecture; its streets, squares, walls and its castle are a popular tourist destination.

Hoorn

This card was sent to me from Hoorn - the province in the  North Holland.

"Hoorn" is a very old Dutch word for "corner", the cost makes a bend there.

It is located on the IJsselmeer, 35 kilometres north of Amsterdam, and acquired city rights in 1357. Hoorn has 70 196 inhabitants. The area of the municipality is 52,49 km² (32,62 km² consists of water, mainly the Markermeer), and consists of the following villages and/or districts: Blokker, Hoorn, Zwaag, and parts of Bangert and De Hulk.

Cape Horn, the most southerly point of the Americas, was named after the town by Willem Schouten, who rounded it in 1616. The Hoorn Islands are also named after this city.

The City Of Hoorn has a twin city status with:

• Beersel, Belgium, since 1979
• Malacca Town, Malaysia, since 1989
• Příbram, Czech Republic, since 1992

Spain...one more time :)

One of my official card from Postcrossing project :)

A postcard shows Tarragona – a little city with one hundred inhabitants, beaches with golden sand and crystal waters. The city has a historical past with more than two thousand years old, has many Roman ruins. From 2000 is on World Heritage for UNESCO site J

9th P&L Postcard Exchange

I love to being a member of P&L group :) I met there plenty o wonderful people :) From time to time members of that group make an exchange of postcards :) This time I've got a card from Beatriz from Spain :)

On a postcard we can see a view of the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia (northern Spain). It's and UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985 and the destination of the St. James Way (Pilgrimage Route) . The view shows the main façade called: „OBRADOIRO” (what mean in Galician: "workshop”). 

Harbour

This lovely card I've got from 2 awesome Polish friends :)

Many thanks for you Gosia and Patricia :) You good know how to make a smile on my face :)

Kazan

This card I've got from Elena.

Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,535, it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia.

 The Qolşärif mosque located in Kazan Kremlin, was reputed to be -at the time of its construction- the largest mosque in Russia, and in Europe outside of Istanbul. Originally, the mosque was built in the Kazan Kremlin in the 16th century. It was named after Qolşärif who served there. Qolsharif died with his numerous students while defending Kazan from Russian forces in 1552. It is believed that the building featured minarets, both in the form of cupolas and tents. Its design was traditional for Volga Bulgaria, although elements of early Renaissance and Ottoman architecture could have been used as well. In 1552, during the storming of Kazan it was destroyed by Ivan The Terrible.

Tatar scholars speculate as to whether some elements of Qolşärif mosque can be seen in Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow (8 minarets, a central cupola, not typical for Russian architecture). Since 1996 the mosque has been rebuilt in Kazan Kremlin, although its look is decisively modern. Its inauguration on July 24, 2005 marked the beginning of celebrations dedicated to the Millennium of Kazan. It can accommodate 6,000 worshipers.

Several countries contributed to the fund that was set up to build Qolsharif mosque, namely Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates. Qolsharif is considered to be one of the most important symbols of Tatar aspirations. Nowadays the mosque predominantly serves as a Museum of Islam. At the same time during the major Muslim celebrations thousands of people gather there to pray.

The Qolsharif complex was envisioned to be an important cornerstone of Kazan’s architectural landscape. Besides the main mosque building it includes a library, publishing house and Imam's office.

The Kazan is the chief historic citadel of Tatarstan, situated in the city of Kazan. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 2000. (from wikipedia)

Moomin

I am not big fan of the Moomin - at least if we are talking about cartoons :) I prefer books with them ;) But it not mean that I wasn't very happy when I saw this what I found in the envelop with letter :)
These cards I've got from my Polish friends Patricia - a many thanks for you :)




Moomin - the main character, a spirited child with a keen sense of adventure and fun, and a generous spirit. He is Snufkin's best friend. He secretly has a crush on the Snork Maiden and expresses his emotions to her discreetly.

Little My - A small, mischievous and spiteful “Tomboy" little girl who is not afraid of anything. My is the little sister of the Mymble. When she wants something done, she does it straight away. She is very aggressive and often speaks rudely, but can be a good friend. She has a brash personality. She is red haired and her hair is always gathered in a pony tail. She always wears a simple red skirt.

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Polish bear :)

This card I've got from Poland :)

The National Park covers one of the two Alpine mountain ranges in Poland. The highest peak in Poland, Rysy (2,499 m AMSL), is located here. The Polish Tatra range, which is a part of the Carpathian Mountains, is divided into two parts: High Tatras (Tatry Wysokie) and Western Tatras (Tatry Zachodnie). The landscape consists of sharp-edged peaks and hollows with numerous rock formations. There are around 650 caves, of which the cave system Wielka Sniezna is the longest (18 km) and the deepest (maximum depth 814 m). Six caves of the system are open to public.

The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. Adult bears generally weigh between 100 and 635 kg and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator. There are several recognized subspecies within the brown bear species. In North America, two types are generally recognized, the coastal brown bear and the inland grizzly bear, and the two types could broadly define all brown bear subspecies. The exact number of overall brown subspecies remains in debate.

A view from northern Chile

This card I've got today :)

My first card from Chile.

Llamas grazin in a marsh located 4500 metres a.s.l., at the  feet of the Pomerape and Parinacota volcanoes, whose snow-capped peaks rise above 6000 m.

Tennessee

The part of USA which is still fairly rural with lots of farm, undeveloped areas like rivers, lakes, forest etc. 

Rottnest

Rottnest Island is located 18 kilometres off the Western Australian coast, near Fremantle. It is called Wadjemup by the Noongar people, meaning “place across the water". The island is 11 kilometres long, and 4,5 kilometres at its widest point. Its total land area is 19 square kilometres. Rottnest Island has been a popular local holiday destination for over 50 years.

It is antipodal to the island of Bermuda (from Wikipedia).

Anjun

This card I've got from my friend from The Netherlands. Thank you a lot (one more time:)) my dear Fiona.

Anjun it's a small country-side town with some about 1000 inhabitants. The church named "St. Michaëls" build in 1100. 

The little farm doesn't exist because it was destroyed some months ago. On farm place people want to build a Swedish house. 

The mill is a museum now. 

They have a lot of pastures, sheeps and cow. 

Seems it's a great place for me! Quiet and calm - full of relax :D 

The park

I have got this postcard from Ukrainian girl. The card is showing the Sharivka Park.


The monument of park-and-garden arts of the national significance. The park obtained its Western European features still in the early 19th century, when it was reconstructed and decorated with ponds and terrace with wide stairs. The central site of the park is occupied by the palace erected on a high hill.

Avalanche

This is one of my recently receive cards.

It's showing an avalanche in Telluride (Colorado, USA).

Holland

One day, when I had a very bad mood I opened my mailbox and...I've got this card:

I don't know do you will believe me or not, but...this card made my day in that period :) However I am not sure why :).

Le port

This postcard I have got from private swap. A sender is from France. Merci beaucoup Delphine pour ta carte  :)   

La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente - Maritime departament (from wikipedia).

La Rochelle was founded in the 10th century as a fishing village which began to expand in the 12th century to reach its apogee in the following century through the wine and salt trade.

With the protestant coup d’état on January 9th 1568, the people of La Rochelle opted for the reformed side. The city then acquired the status of free city. But in 1628, Louis XIII and Richelieu laid siege to the city, which threatened the latter's policy of unification, for thirteen months. Faced with famine, the city fell and found itself without a town hall and stripped of its privileges.

Sea trade helped it back to its former glory, especially thanks to regular interchange with New France and the West Indies. From 1694, trade picked up as did the intellectual renaissance and artistic influence.

In the 19th century, wars and the French Revolution put the city into a stupor until the creation of the port of La Pallice in 1890. During the Second World War this became a German submarine base. In 1945, La Rochelle was the last French city to be liberated but luckily escaped major damage (from http://www.ville-larochelle.fr)

Temple in Japan

That's another card which I've got from Japan.

On the eastern side of the Itsukushima Shrine is the 27.6-meter tall Goju-no-to, a five-story pagoda that stands next to the Senjokaku (literally "hall of 1,000 tatami mats"). It is said that this pagoda was built in 1407. Its architectural style is a skillful combination of Japanese and Chinese features. Its warped cypress-bark roofing is Chinese style while the wooden door at the entrance is Japanese. Although visitors cannot go inside the pagoda, they still can enjoy the richly-colored Buddhist drawings on its walls and the magnificent gold decorative paintings on the upper part of its pillar. Although an ordinary five-story pagoda usually has a central pillar from its base all the way to the top, this one is made in an extremely rare style because its pillar stops at the second level.

Both this pagoda and the next-door Senjokaku have been designated as important cultural assets. Indeed, its elegantly curved roof and vivid vermilion color create a beautiful silhouette that stands out strikingly among the other features of the cityscape (from)

Kentucky's cave

Mammoth Cave National Park is a U.S. National Park in central Kentucky, encompassing portions of Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system known in the world. The official name of the system is the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System for the ridge under which the cave has formed. The park was established as a national park on July 1, 1941. It became a World Heritage Site on October 27, 1981, and an international Biosphere Reserve on September 26, 1990. (from wikipedia) 

Mammoth Cave National Park was established to preserve the cave system, including Mammoth Cave, the scenic river valleys of the Green and Nolin rivers, and a section of south central Kentucky. Beneath the sandstone-capped ridges of Mammoth Cave National Park lies the most extensive cave system on earth, with over 350 miles of passageway mapped and surveyed. And yet after 4,000 years of intermittent exploration, the full extent of this water-formed labyrinth remains a mystery. (from here)

The Mammoth Cave is the largest cave in the world. There are a lot of caves in Kentucky. The Natives American used caves as their shelters. Sometimes soldiers in their civil war were also used caves as bunkers and storage places. 

In Kentucky a lot of people go to explore caves in hopes to finding artifacts. 

Sweden

This is the next postcard which I have got from my dear penfriend. Thank you J.

Lund, situated in the centre of the attractive and expansive Öresund region in southern Sweden, is one of the oldest cities in Sweden with a history more than one thousand years old. Over the centuries it has earned a reputation for being a place where people meet, and, today, more than ever, Lund is a meeting place for ideas and creativity.

Here, the university, science-park, multicultural atmosphere and historical surroundings make up a unique combination. This, along with its central situation, has turned Lund into an international city where ideas are born - ideas that build enterprises and achieve success both nationally and internationally (from here).

Twin towns — sister cities (from Wikipedia):

• Viborg Municipality – Denmark
• Hamar – Norway
• Porvoo – Finland
• Dalvík – Iceland
• Nevers – France
• León – Nicaragua
• Greifswald – Germany
• Zabrze - Poland

The Jolly Fisherman

On the postcard you can see the Jolly Fisherman. It is the statue and fountain which you can find in Skegness J.

Skegness is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Located on the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, 69 km east of the city of Lincoln it has a total resident population of 18,910 (from Wikipedia).

The Jolly Fisherman it is a local mascot, designed by John Hassall in 1908 for the Great Northern Railway), and a slogan - "Skegness is so bracing" - a reference to the chilly prevailing north-easterly winds that can and frequently do blow off the North Sea. The slogan is thought to have come from an unknown member of staff of the railway. The poster was first seen at Easter in conjunction with an excursion from Kings Cross Station. The last of these trips ran in 1913 (from Wikipedia). 

Apologize

I am sorry for that huge delay in writing here. I had a small problem with scanner. However now is all OK and I will start to make my blog bigger and bigger, maybe also it will be still interesting for you :)
Thank you all for your patience :)

Afon Teifi

I have got this postcard from my penpal - Heidi. Thank you a lot my dear friend, you made my day with this card! 

The River Teifi forms the boundary between the counties of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire in south-west Wales for most of its 75 mile length, flowing into the sea below the town of Cardigan.

The Teifi has its source in Llyn Teifi, one of several lakes known collectively as the Teifi Pools. These are situated towards the north of the county of Ceredigion. This wide area of Mid-Wales, with a very sparse population, is part of what is sometimes called the "desert of Wales". The river flows past Strata Florida Abbey and then through Pontrhydfendigaid before reaching the main river valley floor. Here it passes through one of the great raised mires of Britain, Gors Goch Glan Teifi, also known as Tregaron Bog. Over the next 30 miles, the Teifi meanders generally south-west in a gentle arc, passing through the towns and villages of Tregaron, Llanddewi Brefi, Cwmann, Lampeter, Llanybydder, Llandysul, Newcastle Emlyn, Cenarth, Llechryd and finally Cardigan. The river becomes tidal below Llechryd and descends into Cardigan through the steep-sided Cilgerran Gorge. Below Cardigan, the river broadens into a wide estuary, passing the seaside resort of Poppit Sands before finally entering the sea in Cardigan Bay (from).

Wentworth Falls

The Blue Mountains, located immediately to the west of the sprawling metropolian area that is Sydney, is one of the most accessible areas of (relatively unspoilt) highland natural beauty in New South Wales, Australia. Although not particularly high as a mountain range, the Blue Mountains is nonetheless renowned for its majestic scenery of a unique kind, for its cultural attractions and for its relatively tranquil, alternative mode of life.

The Blue Mountains region was inscribed as a World Heritage Area by UNESCO in 2000.

Consisting mainly of a sandstone plateau, the area is dissected by gorges up to 760 metres deep. The highest point of the range is Mount Werong at 1,215 metres above sea level. A large part of the Blue Mountains is incorporated into the Greater Blue Mountains Area World Heritage Site, consisting of seven national park areas and a conservation reserve.

The Blue Mountains area includes the local government areas of the City of Blue Mountains, the City of Hawkesbury, the City of Lithgow and Oberon.

The Greater Blue Mountains Area is inhabited by over 400 different forms of animals. Among them are rare mammal species like spotted-tailed quoll, the koala, the yellow-bellied glider and long-nosed potoroo. There are also some rare reptiles, like the Blue Mountains water skink.There are also some dingos in the area, which form the top predators and hunt for grey kangaroos.

The haze that gives them their name is the result of light glancing from tiny drops of airborne eucalyptus oil.

On the postcard you can see also and Wentworth Falls. It is a three-tiered seasonal waterfall fed by the Kedumba Creek, near the Blue Mountains town of Wentworth Falls in New South Wales, Australia. The falls are accessible via the National Pass and the Overcliff/Undercliff Walk. The total height of the waterfall is 187 metres.

Near the falls, there is a rocky knoll that has a large number of grinding grooves created by rubbing stone implements on the rock to shape and sharpen them. These marks have been determined to be signs of early human habitation nearby (from wikipedia).

Sanford Mills

This is postcard which I have received from official exchange on Postcrossing:)

On that postcard you can see an old factory mill in Medway, in Massachusetts state. It looks like hundreds of other mills built in the 1800s in this part of US.
Sanford Mills first opened as a wool mill in 1885. Later it became a candle-making factory. In 1989 it was converted into condominiums. It's located off of Village Street along The Charles River. 

Postcard from Bali

This postcard I received from my dearest friend who lives in Indonesia. Thank you my dear Corryn.

Besakih Temple is the biggest Hindu temple in Bali which the local people call Pura Besakih. It owns beautiful view from the top of temple area where we can see the wide nature panorama until to the ocean so that way this temple is many visited by tourists from all over the world. Besakih Temple is located in Besakih countryside, Rendang sub district, Karangasem regency, east part of the island. It is located in southwest side bevel of mount Agung, the biggest mounts in Bali. It is because pursuant to Agung Mount confidence is holiest and highest mount in Bali Island (from here)

The temple is actually a complex made up of twenty-two temples that sit on parallel ridges. It has stepped terraces and flights of stairs which ascend to a number of courtyards and brick gateways that lead up to the main spire Meru structure, which is called Pura Penataran Agung. All this is aligned along a single axis and designed to lead the spiritual upward and closer to the mountain which is considered sacred.

The symbolic center or main sanctuary of the complex is the Pura Penataran Agung and and the lotus throne or padmasana is the symbolic center of the main sanctuary and ritual focus of the entire complex. It dates to around the seventeenth century.

A series of eruptions of Mount Agung in 1963, which killed approximately 1,700 people also threatened Puru Besakih. The lava flows missed the temple complex by mere meters. The saving of the temple is regarded by the Balinese people as miraculous, and a signal from the gods that they wished to demonstrate their power but not destroy the monument the Balinese faithful had erected (from here)