Georgian Bay, Ontario - Canada

I got this postcard from a swap with "Willa". It shows the Georgian Bay at Bruce Peninsula National Park, in Ontario.

"In the heart of a World Biosphere Reserve, the 'Bruce' is a place of global significance. The massive, rugged cliffs of the park are inhabited by thousand year old cedar trees, overhanging the crystal clear waters of Georgian Bay. The park is comprised of an incredible array of habitats from rare alvars to dense forests and clean lakes. Together these form a greater ecosystem - the largest remaining chunk of natural habitat in southern Ontario." In: Parks Canada

"Bruce Peninsula National Park is a national park on the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, Canada. Located on a part of the Niagara Escarpment, the park comprises 156 square kilometres and is one of the largest protected areas in southern Ontario, forming the core of UNESCO's Niagara Escarpment World Biosphere Reserve. The park offers opportunities for many outdoor activities, including hiking, camping, and bird watching. The park has trails ranging in difficulty from easy to expert, and connects to the Bruce Trail.

Bruce Peninsula National Park also offers visitors vistas to view either the sunrise or sunset, the rocks of the Niagara Escarpment, and the wildlife, which includes black bear, many species of birds, wild orchids, massassauga rattlesnake, and much more." In: Wikipedia

Algarve - Portugal

Algarve region is a popular place for vacations, and from there arrived some great postcards!

Ludovico sent this multiview of Alte, a village in Loulé. The card shows the culture and the nature qualities of that area.

"Leninha" sent from Faro a postcard with a White Stork making a pose to the photographer.

Penguin

"Alexie" surprised me with another beautiful postcard with penguins! The postcard says "What I always wanted to tell you"

Millaa Millaa Falls - Australia

"Shinta" from Indonesia sent this amazing waterfall! As she says on the card, "the view reminds me of Eden", and I agree!

"The Millaa Millaa Falls are adjacent to the town of Millaa Millaa, on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia. Millaa Millaa is an Aboriginal word meaning plenty of water or waterfall. A popular destination of international tour operators, the falls are 18.3 metres high with a pool suitable for swimming at their base. The Millaa Millaa Falls are accessed by sealed road off the Palmerston Highway about 5 minutes from the township of Millaa Millaa." In: Wikipedia

Postcrossing Meeting in Lisbon and Sintra 05-06 August (Part II)

From the meeting with "kazinhabueno" in Sintra I received these great postcards:

"SusanaPortugal" sent this view not from the Nacional Palace of Sintra, as the postcard says, but from Regaleira Palace. "Quinta da Regaleira is an estate located near the historic center of Sintra, Portugal. It is classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO within the "Cultural Landscape of Sintra". Along with other palaces in this area (such as the Pena, Monserrate and Seteais palaces), it is one of the principal tourist attractions of Sintra. It consists of a romantic palace and chapel, and a luxurious park featuring lakes, grottoes, wells, benches, fountains, and a vast array of exquisite constructions. The palace is also known as "Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire", from the nickname of its first owner, António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro." In: Wikipedia

"Martinha" sent this great natural waterfall from one of the many gardens in Sintra. One more card for my waterfalls collection!

Postcrossing Meeting in Lisbon and Sintra 05-06 August (Part I)

The postcroser "kazinhabueno" visited Portugal in August and a meeting was arranged in Lisboa and other in Sintra.

From the Lisboa meeting I received:

"PilotOne" sent this postcard with the Hieronymite Monastery, from the XVI century, a manueline gothic style.  It's an UNESCO heritage site.

"Gracinha" sent this multiview postcard, a resumé of the must see places of Lisboa.

CN-407240 - Giant Panda

CN-407240 sen by "denghui1971"

"The giant panda, or panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca, literally meaning "black and white cat-foot") is a bear native to central-western and south western China. It is easily recognized by its large, distinctive black patches around the eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. Though it belongs to the order Carnivora, the panda's diet is 99% bamboo. Pandas in the wild will occasionally eat other grasses, wild tubers, or even meat in the form of birds, rodents or carrion. In captivity they may receive honey, eggs, fish, yams, shrub leaves, oranges, or bananas along with specially prepared feed.

The giant panda lives in a few mountain ranges in central China, mainly in Sichuan province, but also in the Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. Due to farming, deforestation and other development, the panda has been driven out of the lowland areas where it once lived.

The panda is a conservation reliant endangered species. A 2007 report shows 239 pandas living in captivity inside China and another 27 outside the country. Wild population estimates vary; one estimate shows that there are about 1,590 individuals living in the wild, while a 2006 study via DNA analysis estimated that this figure could be as high as 2,000 to 3,000. Some reports also show that the number of pandas in the wild is on the rise. However, the IUCN does not believe there is enough certainty yet to reclassify the species from Endangered to Vulnerable.

While the dragon has historically served as China's national emblem, in recent decades the panda has also served as an emblem for the country. Its image appears on a large number of modern Chinese commemorative silver, gold, and platinum coins. Though the panda is often assumed to be docile, it has been known to attack humans, presumably out of irritation rather than predation." In: Wikipedia

LT-138461 - Vilnius

LT-138461 sent by "gizelle". A multiview postcard of Vilnius, Lithuania's capital. It shows St. Casimir Church, St. Anne Church and Benedict Monastery (at Vilnius Historic Center, UNESCO) and the Gedimino Avenue.

"Political centre of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from the 13th to the end of the 18th century, Vilnius has had a profound influence on the cultural and architectural development of much of eastern Europe. Despite invasions and partial destruction, it has preserved an impressive complex of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and classical buildings as well as its medieval layout and natural setting." In: UNESCO

RU-499705 - Peter and Paul Fortress

RU-499705 sent by "Areoka". An aerial view of Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, Russia.

"The Peter and Paul Fortress (Russian: Петропа́вловская кре́пость, Petropavlovskaya Krepost) is the original citadel of St. Petersburg, Russia, founded by Peter the Great in 1703 and built to Domenico Trezzini's designs from 1706-1740.

The fortress was established by Peter the Great on May 16 (by the Julian Calendar, hereafter indicated using "(J)"; May 27 by the Gregorian Calendar) 1703 on small Hare Island by the north bank of the Neva River, the last upstream island of the Neva delta. Built at the height of the Northern War in order to protect the projected capital from a feared Swedish counterattack, the fort never fulfilled its martial purpose. The citadel was completed with six bastions in earth and timber within a year, and it was rebuilt in stone from 1706-1740.

From around 1720, the fort served as a base for the city garrison and also as a prison for high ranking or political prisoners. The Trubetskoy bastion, rebuilt in the 1870s, became the main prison block. The first person to escape from the fortress prison (now an important destination for tourists) was the anarchist Prince Peter Kropotkin in 1876. Other people incarcerated in the "Russian Bastille" include Shneur Zalman of Liadi, Tsarevich Alexis, Artemy Volynsky, Tadeusz Kościuszko, Alexander Radishchev, the Decembrists, Grigory Danilevsky, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Mikhail Bakunin, Nikolai Chernyshevsky and Josip Broz Tito." In: Wikipedia

US-1215156 - Armadillo

US-1215156 sent by "text"

"Armadillos are New World placental mammals, known for having a leathery armor shell. Dasypodidae is the only surviving family in the order Cingulata, part of the superorder Xenarthra along with the anteaters and sloths. The word armadillo is Spanish for "little armored one". The Aztec called them azotochtli, Nahuatl for “turtle-rabbit.”

There are approximately ten extant genera and around 20 extant species of armadillo, some of which are distinguished by the number of bands on their armor. Their average length is about 75 centimetres (30 in), including tail; the Giant Armadillo grows up to 150 centimetres (59 in) and weighs up to 59 kilograms (130 lb), while the Pink Fairy Armadillos are diminutive species with an overall length of 12 to 15 centimetres (5 to 6 in). All species are native to the Americas, where they inhabit a variety of environments.

In the United States, the sole resident armadillo is the Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), which is most common in the central southernmost states, particularly Texas. Their range is as far east as South Carolina and Florida and as far north as Nebraska; they have been consistently expanding their range over the last century due to a lack of natural predators and have been found as far north as southern Illinois and Indiana." In: Wikipedia

San Gimignano's historic center - Italy

Piazza della Cisterna at San Gimignano sent by "micio"

"San Gimignano is a small walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, north-central Italy. It is mainly famous for its medieval architecture, especially its towers, which may be seen from several kilometres outside the town.

The town also is known for the white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, grown in the area." In: Wikipedia

" 'San Gimignano delle belle Torri' is in Tuscany, 56 km south of Florence. It served as an important relay point for pilgrims travelling to or from Rome on the Via Francigena. The patrician families who controlled the town built around 72 tower-houses (some as high as 50 m) as symbols of their wealth and power. Although only 14 have survived, San Gimignano has retained its feudal atmosphere and appearance. The town also has several masterpieces of 14th- and 15th-century Italian art." In: UNESCO

Santorini - Greece

An amazing view of Santorini, sent by Alexandra.

"Santorini , officially Thira, is an island located in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast from Greece's mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago which bears the same name and is the remnant of a volcanic caldera. It forms the southernmost member of the Cyclades group of islands, with an area of approximately 73 km2 (28 sq mi) and a 2001 census population of 13,670. The municipality of Santorini is composed of the inhabited islands of Santorini and Therasia and the uninhabited islands of Nea Kameni, Palaia Kameni, Aspronisi, and Christiana. The total land area is 90.623 km2 (34.990 sq mi). Santorini is part of the Santorini peripheral unit.

Santorini is essentially what remains after an enormous volcanic explosion that destroyed the earliest settlements on what was formerly a single island, and created the current geological caldera. A giant central lagoon, more or less rectangular, and measuring about 12 by 7 km (7.5 by 4.3 mi), is surrounded by 300 m (980 ft) high steep cliffs on three sides. The main island slopes downward from the cliffs to the surrounding Aegean Sea. On the fourth side, the lagoon is separated from the sea by another much smaller island called Therasia; the lagoon is connected to the sea in two places, in the northwest and southwest. The water in the centre of the lagoon is nearly 400 m (1,300 ft) deep, thus making it a safe harbour for all kinds of shipping. The island's harbours all lie in the lagoon and there are no ports on the outer perimeter of the island; the capital, Fira, clings to the top of the cliff looking down on the lagoon. The volcanic rocks present from the prior eruptions feature olivine and have a notably small presence of hornblende." In: Wikipedia

PT-188786 - Durma-Bem

PT-188786 sent by "Namida00"

This card is a reproduction of an old advertise of the insecticide "Durma-Bem" (in english Sleep-Well), a trademark of Albrecht Löbe.

The card says: Do you want to sleep well? Only with "Durma-Bem"! The most powerful destroyer of all insects"

BY-205625 - Mir Castle Complex

BY-205625 sent by "Majarika"

"The Mirsky Castle Complex is a UNESCO World Heritage site in Belarus located in the town of Mir in the Karelichy District of the Hrodna voblast.

The construction of the castle began at the end of the 15th century, in the Gothic architecture style. Building of the castle was completed by Duke Ilinich in the early 16th century near village Mir (formerly of Minsk guberniya). Around 1568 the Mir Castle passed into the hands of Mikołaj Krzysztof "the Orphan" Radziwiłł, who finished building the castle in the Renaissance style. A three-storey palace was built along the eastern and northern walls of the castle. Plastered facades were decorated with limestone portals, plates, balconies and porches.

After being abandoned for nearly a century and suffering severe damage during the Napoleonic period, the castle was restored at the end of the 19th century. In 1813, after the death of Dominik Hieronim Radziwiłł, the castle passed into the hands of his daughter Stefania, who married Ludwig zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. The castle later fell into the hands of their daughter Maria, who married Prince Chlodwig Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst.

Their son, Maurice Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst sold the castle to Nikolai Sviatopolk-Mirski, of the Bialynia clan, in 1895. Nikolaj's son Michail began to rebuild the castle according to the plans of architect Teodor Bursze. The Sviatopolk-Mirski family owned the castle up to 1939. During WWII, it came under the dominion of the Nazi occupying force and served as a ghetto for the local Jewish population prior to their liquidation." In: Wikipedia

Vineard of Pico in Açores - Portugal

sent by "joana122"

" The 987-ha site on the volcanic island of Pico, the second largest in the Azores archipelago, consists of a remarkable pattern of spaced-out, long linear walls running inland from, and parallel to, the rocky shore. The walls were built to protect the thousands of small, contiguous, rectangular plots (currais) from wind and seawater. Evidence of this viniculture, whose origins date back to the 15th century, is manifest in the extraordinary assembly of the fields, in houses and early 19th-century manor houses, in wine-cellars, churches and ports. The extraordinarily beautiful man-made landscape of the site is the best remaining area of a once much more widespread practice." In: UNESCO

FI-411425 - Snowy landscape

FI-411425 sent by "Tiitu"

This is a typical image of Finland, a great snowy landscape for several months.

Map card of Cyprus

unused from a swap of Nasia.

"Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of its most popular tourist destinations. An advanced, high-income economy with a very high Human Development Index, the Republic of Cyprus was a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement until it joined the European Union on 1 May 2004.


[...] The Republic of Cyprus has de jure sovereignty over the entire island of Cyprus and its surrounding waters except small portions, Akrotiri and Dhekelia, that are allocated by treaty to the United Kingdom as sovereign military bases. The Republic of Cyprus is de facto partitioned into two main parts; the area under the effective control of the Republic of Cyprus, comprising about 59% of the island's area, and the Turkish-controlled area in the north, calling itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, covering about 36% of the island's area and recognized only by Turkey." In: Wikipedia

Boa Vista Island - Cape Verde

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Another multiview card from Boa Vista Island. I wish I was there again right now!

"Boa Vista (Portuguese meaning “good view”) is the easternmost island of Cape Verde. It is located in the Barlavento group of the archipelago. The island is known for marine turtles and traditional music, as well as its ultramarathon and its sand dunes and beaches. The island also constitutes the municipality of Boa Vista, which has two parishes, Santa Isabel and São João Baptista." In: Wikipedia

The Great Barrier Reef - Australia

Sent by "hmassese"

"The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi). The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in north-east Australia.

The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. This reef supports a wide diversity of life and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. CNN labeled it one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The Queensland National Trust named it a state icon of Queensland.

A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which helps to limit the impact of human use, such as fishing and tourism. Other environmental pressures on the reef and its ecosystem include runoff, climate change accompanied by mass coral bleaching, and cyclic population outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish.

The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to and used by the Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and is an important part of local groups' cultures and spirituality. The reef is a very popular destination for tourists, especially in the Whitsunday Islands and Cairns regions. Tourism is an important economic activity for the region, generating $1 billion per year." In: Wikipedia

Pozzo Etrusco in Perugia - Italy

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The Pozzo Etrusco (in English: Etruscan Well) at Perugia's historic center.


"The Etruscan Well (Pozzo Etrusco) is situated just off Piazza IV Novembre on Piazza Danti 18. Walk down the alley and you will eventually come to the entrance door!

The exact date of the well is not known. Some estimates suggest 3 century B.C It is around 35 metres (115 ft.) deep and 5.5 metres (18-ft.) in diameter. It supplied the whole of the city with water in Etruscan times.

There are steps, passing dripping walls, that leads to a bridge near the bottom of the well, which offers great views of the inside of the well." In: Top Sight Seeing

Traditional grape crushing with the feet - Portugal

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On some rural areas this still the old way of crushing the grapes during the winemaking process.


" Crushing is the process when gently squeezing the berries and breaking the skins to start to liberate the contents of the berries. Destemming is the process of removing the grapes from the rachis (the stem which holds the grapes). In traditional and smaller-scale wine making, the harvested grapes are sometimes crushed by trampling them barefoot or by the use of inexpensive small scale crushers. These can also destem at the same time. However, in larger wineries, a mechanical crusher/destemmer is used. The decision about destemming is different for red and white wine making. " In: Wikipedia

Lord Murugan's statue - Malaysia

This postcard was a swap with "imasadsmiley" and shows a statue of Lord Murugan's at the the foot of Batu Caves.

"Murugan also called Kartikeya, Skanda and Subrahmanya, is a popular Hindu deity especially among Tamil Hindus, worshipped primarily in areas with Tamil influence, especially South India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius and Reunion Island. His six most important shrines in India are the Arupadaiveedu temples, located in Tamil Nadu. In Sri Lanka, Hindus as well as Buddhists revere the sacred historical Nallur Kandaswamy temple in Jaffna and the sacred Buddhist and Hindu shrine or temple Katharagama (also in Sinhala "Katharagama Devalaya") dedicated to him, situated deep south in the country. Chinese in Penang, Kuala Lumpur, of Malaysia also pray to Lord Murugan during Thaipusam.

Lord Murugan is more popular in South India especially among Tamil people famously referred as Thamizh Kaduvul (God of Tamils) compared to other parts of India. He is the patron deity of the Tamil land (Tamil Nadu).  Like most Hindu deities, He is known by many other names, including Senthil (Smart), Saravaṇa, Kārtikeya (meaning 'son of Krittika' ), Arumugam, Sanmuga(from Sanskrit Ṣaṇmukha), Shadanana (meaning 'one with six faces'), Kumāra (meaning 'child or son'), Guhan or Guruhuha (meaning 'cave-dweller'), Skanda (meaning 'that which is spilled or oozed, namely seed' in Sanskrit), Subrahmaṇya, Vēlaṇ and Swaminatha. In Indonesia, the name Kartika is more commonly a girl's name.

In Durga Puja in Bengal, Murugan is considered to be a son of Parvati along with his brother Ganesha and his sisters Saraswati and Lakshmi." In: Wikipedia

SG-31438 - Ceremonial Balinese Cockfight

SG-31438 sent by "Miss_Munro"

This was my first postcard with chickens or roosters. This ceremonial Balinese cockfight from Indonesia was sent as an official Postcrossing postcard from Singapore.

"A cockfight is a blood sport between two roosters (cocks), held in a ring called a cockpit. Cockfighting is now illegal throughout all states in the United States, Brazil, Australia and in most of Europe. It is still legal in several U.S. territories.

The combatants, referred to as gamecocks, are specially bred birds, conditioned for increased stamina and strength. The comb and wattle are cut off in order to meet show standards of the American Gamefowl Society and the Old English Game Club and to prevent freezing in colder climates. Cocks possess congenital aggression toward all males of the same species. Cocks are given the best of care until near the age of two years old. They are conditioned, much like professional athletes prior to events or shows. Wagers are often made on the outcome of the match. While not all fights are to the death, the cocks may endure significant physical trauma. In many other areas around the world, cockfighting is still practised as a mainstream event; in some countries it is government controlled.

Cockfighting is considered a blood sport by animal welfare and animal rights activists and others, due in some part to the physical trauma the cocks inflict on each other. Advocates of the sport often list cultural and religious relevance as reasons for perpetuation of cockfighting as a sport." In: Wikipedia

DE-239745 - Snowy landscape at twilight by Claude Monet

DE-239745 sent by "Yllana".


This painting by Claude Monet is called "Snowy landsacpe at tiwiliht". It's a folded postcard issued by Hallmark.

" Claude Monet born Oscar Claude Monet (14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926), was a founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting. The term Impressionism is derived from the title of his painting Impression, Sunrise (Impression, soleil levant)." In: Wikipedia

Sameiro's Sanctuary in Braga - Portugal

The Sameiro's Sanctuary is located on the top of a mount. From there you get a great view to the city and it's sorrounded area.

" This hilltop sanctuary, situated 6.4 kms east of Braga, is second only to Fatima as a Portuguese Marian shrine. Built to honour the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, work commenced on the neoclassic domed church in 1863. At 566 metres above sea level, the church commands a panoramic view of the Minho. Inside there is a fine white polished granite high altar, a silver tabernacle and an 1880 statue of the patron by Eugénio Maccagnani. At the top of the imposing entrance staircase there are two pillars supporting statues of the Virgin and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. " In: A Portugal Atracction

both of them unused

CN-230643 - Olympic Stadium "Bird's Nest"

CN-230643 sent by "patria", a great night view of the Bird's Nest, the Olympic Stadium in Beijing


"Beijing National Stadium, also known officially as the National Stadium, or colloquially as the Bird's Nest, is a stadium in Beijing, China. The stadium was designed for use throughout the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics." In: Wikipedia

BE-70844 - Apu Nahasapeemapetilon

BE-70844 sent by "Dreamweaverbird" a great postcard from The Simpson's TV series :D


"Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is a character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head". Apu is the proprietor of the Kwik-E-Mart, a popular convenience store in Springfield, and a friend of Homer Simpson. He is also an Indian immigrant." In: Wikipedia

Legend of Galo de Barcelos - Portugal

sent by "leninha"

I collect cards with chickens and roosters, so I was very happy to receive this one. The Barcelos' Rooster is a national icon and it's found everywhere in the country.

"The legend of the Rooster of Barcelos tells the story of a dead rooster's miraculous intervention in proving the innocence of a man who had been falsely accused and sentenced to death. The story is associated with the 17th-century calvary that is part of the collection of the Archeological Museum located in Paço dos Condes, a gothic-style palace in Barcelos, a city in the Braga District of northwest Portugal.

According to the legend, silver had been stolen from a landowner in Barcelos, and the inhabitants of that city were looking for the criminal who had committed the crime. One day, a man from neighboring Galicia turned up and became suspect, despite his pleas of innocence. The Galician swore that he was merely passing through Barcelos on a Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela to complete a promise.

Nevertheless, the authorities arrested the Galician and condemned him to hang. The man asked them to take him in front of the judge who had condemned him. The authorities honored his request and took him to the house of the magistrate, who was holding a banquet with some friends. Affirming his innocence, the Galician pointed to a roasted rooster on top of the banquet table and exclaimed, "It is as certain that I am innocent as it is certain that this rooster will crow when they hang me." The judge pushed aside his plate because he decided to not eat the rooster. But still, the judge ignored the Galician's appeal.

However, while the pilgrim was being hanged, the roasted rooster stood up on the table and crowed as the Galician predicted. Understanding his error, the judge ran to the gallows, only to discover that the Galician had been saved from hanging thanks to a poorly made knot in the rope. The man was immediately freed and sent off in peace.

Some years later, the Galician returned to Barcelos to sculpt the Calvary (or Crucifix) to the Lord of the Rooster (Portuguese, "Cruzeiro do Senhor do Galo") in praise to the Virgin Mary and to Saint James. The monument is located in the Archeological Museum of Barcelos." In: Wikipedia

Giza - Egypt

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A night view of Giza-sound and light at the pyramids of Giza, an UNESCO world heritage place. I would love visit it!


"The Giza Necropolis is an archaeological site on the Giza Plateau, on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. This complex of ancient monuments includes the three pyramid complexes known as the Great Pyramids, the massive sculpture known as the Great Sphinx, several cemeteries, a workers' village and an industrial complex. It is located some 9 km (5 mi) inland into the desert from the old town of Giza on the Nile, some 25 km (15 mi) southwest of Cairo city centre. The pyramids, which have always loomed large as emblems of ancient Egypt in the Western imagination, were popularised in Hellenistic times, when the Great Pyramid was listed by Antipater of Sidon as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is by far the oldest of the ancient Wonders and the only one still in existence." In: Wikipedia

Torre del Oro of Sevilla - Spain

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"The Torre del Oro (Spanish: "Gold Tower") is a dodecagonal military watchtower in Seville, southern Spain, built by the Berbers during the Almohad dynasty in order to control access to Seville via the Guadalquivir river.

Constructed in the first third of the 13th century, the tower served as a prison during the Middle Ages and as a secure enclosure for the protection of precious metals periodically brought by the fleet of the Indies, another possible origin for the tower's name.

The tower is divided into three levels, with the third and uppermost being circular in shape and added in 1760. This tower has a lesser-known half sister: the Torre de la Plata, an octagonal tower." In: Wikipedia

Eurochocolate 2006 - Italy

The Eurochocolate is a chocolate festival in Perugia, Italy. This was the official postcard from the 2006 edition. I was there during the all week! It was a week full o great chocolates, hot chocolates, ice-creams and so on...

At the back is the official postmark. There wasn't no official stamp.

Map card with typical windows - Portugal

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A map postcard with the districts and some typical windows.