Tibetan folklore (I)

A traditional Tibetan celebration. Trade with Chiu-Chiu.

Meeting in Lake Päijänne - Finland

This great postcard of Garfield came from a Postcrossing Meeting at Lake Päijänne, Finland, on 02/07/2011. It was sent by "dollart"

US-1136362 - Missouri

US-1136362 sent by "bcortelyou"

"Missouri: The beautiful scene offers a nostalgic glimpse of the past."

Casemates - Luxembourg

"Dollart" stopped by Luxembourg. She says that in 9 years not much have changed.

"The first tunnels for the underground defences below the old castle were dug out during the Spanish period in 1644. Extensions were made by the French engineer Vauban under Louis XIV in 1684 but it was from 1737 to 1746 that the Austrians completed the extraordinary complex of underground passages and galleries known as the casemates. With a total length of 23 km (14 mi) and depths of up to 40 m (131 ft), they accommodated 50 canons and a garrison of 1,200 men. In addition, they had underground facilities for housing equipment and horses as well as workshops, kitchens, bakeries and slaughterhouses. When the surface fortifications were dismantled in 1875, most of the underground defences remained largely untouched, 17 km (11 mi) of passageways remaining. In 1994, the casemates were added to the list of UNESCO's world heritage sites, attracting some 100,000 visitors a year.

In 1933, the Bock casemates were opened to the public. During the Second World War, they were used as a bomb shelter able to accommodate up to 35,000 people. Renovation work and repairs were undertaken in 2008–2009 including the opening up of the mine galleries which contained explosives able to blow up part of the Bock in case of need." In: Wikipedia

Rhine Falls - Switzerland

I love waterfalls and the sound of the water falling down... A few weeks ago I got a two more cards showing the Rhine Falls (Rhinefall) in Switzerland

sent by azzurri

sent by seemeith

The Fountain of Trevi - Italy

This one was sent from Belarus by Kate. This spot is beautiful! I miss Italy...

"The Trevi Fountain is a fountain in the Trevi rione in Rome, Italy. Standing 26 metres (85.3 feet) high and 20 metres (65.6 feet) wide, it is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world.

The fountain at the junction of three roads (tre vie) marks the terminal point of the "modern" Acqua Vergine, the revived Aqua Virgo, one of the ancient aqueducts that supplied water to ancient Rome. In 19 BC, supposedly with the help of a virgin, Roman technicians located a source of pure water some 13 km (8.1 mi) from the city. (This scene is presented on the present fountain's façade.) However, the eventual indirect route of the aqueduct made its length some 22 km (14 mi). This Aqua Virgo led the water into the Baths of Agrippa. It served Rome for more than four hundred years. The coup de grâce for the urban life of late classical Rome came when the Goth besiegers in 537/38 broke the aqueducts. Medieval Romans were reduced to drawing water from polluted wells and the Tiber River, which was also used as a sewer.

The Roman custom of building a handsome fountain at the endpoint of an aqueduct that brought water to Rome was revived in the 15th century, with the Renaissance. In 1453, Pope Nicholas V finished mending the Acqua Vergine aqueduct and built a simple basin, designed by the humanist architect Leon Battista Alberti, to herald the water's arrival." In: Wikipedia

The Battle of Chesma - Russia

This card is a gift from "dashaxrus" and shows a painting by Ivan Aivazovsky (1817-1900) called "The Battle of Chesma on the 25-26 of June, 1770".

Wikipedia and other websites say that this battle occurred on 5-7 of July...

"The naval Battle of Chesma took place on 5 -7 July 1770 near and in Çeşme (Chesme or Chesma) Bay, in the area between the western tip of Anatolia and the island of Chios, which was the site of a number of past naval battles between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice. It was a part of the Orlov Revolt of 1769, a precursor to the later Greek War of Independence (1821-29), and the first of a number of disastrous fleet battles for the Ottomans against Russia." In: Wikipedia

Postcrossing Meeting in Tomar - Portugal

Every year, we celebrate the Postcrossing Anniversary with a meeting. This year, the Postcrossing 6th anniversary was celebrated in Tomar on 16/07. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go there, but I received 3 postcards:

From geminiscp: Festa dos Tabuleiros (Tabuleiros Festival)

From PilotOne: Festa dos Tabuleiros (Tabuleiros Festival)

From leninha: São João Baptista Church

Map card of the West Indies

"9teen87", a friend that I met at the Postcrossing Meeting in Cologne, sent this amazing map postcard of The West Indies, a short-lived Federation composed by the British colonies at the Caribbean.


"The West Indies Federation, also known as the Federation of the West Indies, was a short-lived Caribbean federation that existed from January 3, 1958, to May 31, 1962. It consisted of several Caribbean colonies of the United Kingdom. The expressed intention of the Federation was to create a political unit that would become independent from Britain as a single state—possibly similar to the Canadian Confederation, Australian Federation, or Central African Federation; however, before that could happen, the Federation collapsed due to internal political conflicts.

[…]The West Indies Federation (or just West Indies) consisted of around 24 main inhabited islands and approximately 220–230 minor offshore islands, islets and cays (some inhabited, some uninhabited). The largest island was Jamaica, located in the far northwest of the Federation. To the southeast lay the second largest island, Trinidad, followed by Barbados (in terms of population), located at the eastern extremity of the Federation.

The Federation spanned across all the island groupings in the Caribbean:

1)The Greater Antilles: Jamaica and the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands

2)The Lesser Antilles:

a)Barbados, east of the Windward Islands

b)Leeward Islands: Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla, and Montserrat

c)Windward Islands: Dominica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada

d)Trinidad and Tobago

[…]Historically "West Indian" nations The Bahamas, Bermuda, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, and Guyana opted not to join because they believed that their future lay with association with North America (for both the Bahamas and Bermuda), Central America, the United States Virgin Islands, and South America respectively." In: Wikipedia

Gemini - Portugal

"Gracinha" wasn't able to go to the meeting in Monsaraz, so she sent everyone a postcard with a draw made by Giordano with their astrological sign! Mine is Gemini.

DE-1073429 - Sandmann

DE-1073429 sent by "Kathilein1988"

"The Sandman (German: Der Sandmann, 1816) is a short story written in German by E.T.A. Hoffmann. It was the first in an 1817 book of stories titled Die Nachtstücke (The Night Pieces)." In: Wikipedia

FI-1218276 - Reindeer

FI-1218276 sent by "huwefo", a reindeer.

"The reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one (or two, depending on taxonomy) has already gone extinct.

Reindeer vary considerably in color and size. Both sexes grow antlers, though they are typically larger in males. There are a few populations where females lack antlers completely.

Wild reindeer hunting and herding of semi-domesticated reindeer (for meat, hides, antlers, milk and transportation) is important to several Arctic and Subarctic people. Even far outside its range, the reindeer is well known due to the myth, probably originating in early 19th century America, in which Santa Claus's sleigh is pulled by flying reindeer, a popular secular element of Christmas. In Lapland, reindeer pull pulks." In: Wikipedia

Meeting in Vaduz - Liechtenstein

Once again, the 4th Swiss meeting was in Vaduz, Liechtenstein on 10/09/2011. From there I've got 3 postcards:

From "azzurri": Vaduz Castle, residence of the ruling Prince

From "chihuahua": the Vaduz Castle and the celebration of the National Day 

From "carolisha": a multiview of Vaduz with the Castle, Red House, the city, Old Town

Midnight sun - Norway

From a trade with Rita, from Italy, I got this amazing postcard with the midnight sun seen from North Cape. It's already one of my favorite postcards!

"The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon occurring in summer months at latitudes north and nearby to the south of the Arctic Circle, and south and nearby to the north of the Antarctic Circle where the sun remains visible at the local midnight. Given fair weather, the sun is visible for a continuous 24 hours, mostly north of the Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctic Circle. The number of days per year with potential midnight sun increases the farther poleward one goes from the equator." In: Wikipedia

NL-812103 - Seal

NL-812103 sent by "Gerrie31011985", a great photo of a seal!

"Acrobats of the Sea: A member of the pinniped family, seals are aptly suited to their watery environment. With streamlined bodies, eyes that see well underwater, ear passages and nostrils that clamp shut while underwater, and insulating blubber, they are the acrobats of the sea.

All Shapes and Sizes: Seals come in many different shapes, sizes and colors, and can be found in a variety of ocean habitats. The largest pinniped, the male southern elephant seal, can weigh as much as 5 1/2 tons. Its distinctive nose, which resembles an elephant's trunk, inflates when roaring to ward off male rivals during breeding season. The weddell seal uses its long upper incisor teeth to bite holes in sheets of ice to create breathing holes after its one-hour dive to find fish and squid." In: Discovery

The Castle and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Candles in Mourão - Portugal

"PilotOne" sent this one as a prize of a lottery: a partial view of Mourão Castle and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Candles.

US-1338204 - Planet Earth

US-1338204 sent by "BlueBat"

My first postcard with a view of our planet!

Brussels - Belgium

"Martinha" and "SusanaPortugal" made a trip to Belgium and they stopped in Brussels. From there "martinha" sent this multiview postcard with some interesting spots to visit.

"Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region, is the capital of Belgium and hosts the headquarters of the European Union (EU). It is also the largest urban area in Belgium, comprising 19 municipalities, including the municipality of the City of Brussels, which is the de jure capital of Belgium, in addition to the seat of the French Community of Belgium and of the Flemish Community.

Brussels has grown from a 10th-century fortress town founded by a descendant of Charlemagne into a metropolis of more than one million inhabitants. The metropolitan area has a population of over 1.8 million, making it the largest in Belgium.

Since the end of the Second World War, Brussels has been a main center for international politics. Hosting principal EU institutions as well as the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the city has become the polyglot home of numerous international organisations, politicians, diplomats and civil servants.

Although historically Dutch-speaking, Brussels became increasingly French-speaking over the 19th and 20th centuries. Today a majority of inhabitants are native French-speakers, and both languages have official status. Linguistic tensions remain, and the language laws of the municipalities surrounding Brussels are an issue of considerable controversy in Belgium." In: Wikipedia

Sungai Tea Plantation - Malaysia

This postcard is from a project of swapping postcards with Malaysian special needs children. "Nor Fac Zah" sent this tea plantation in Sungai, Cameron Highlands.

"Cameron Highlands is the smallest district in the state of Pahang which is located in the north-western corner of the state. One of the wonders of Malaysia, it is the largest and most famous hill resort in the country. This highland paradise still retains much of the charm of an English village.

Being a primarily agricultural domain, you will find an abundance of vegetables and fruits farms here. Cameron Highlands is also the leading producer of flowers and tea in Malaysia. Be prepared for a lovely sight of extraordinary flowers you won’t see flourishing elsewhere in Malaysia! Located on the Titiwangsa Range at about 1500 metres above sea-level, the temperature here can drop to 16 ˚C or lower at certain times.

Cameron Highlands is made up of 4 main townships followed by smaller settlements at different elevations. The first town from the south is Ringlet, followed by Tanah Rata, Brinchang, Kea Farm, Tringkap, Kuala Terla and Kampung Raja." In: Cameron Highlands

Map card of Java Island - Indonesia

From a private swap with "Shinta".

FI-463304 - Proverb

FI-463304 sent by "Talatalo"

In Finnish: Onnea on hyvä terveys ja huono muístí

In English: Luck is good health and bad memory (translated by the sender)

Panoramic view of Figueira da Foz - Portugal

I wasn't expecting to receive this postcard! "Kryx87" sent it from Figueira da Foz, the place of her vacations! We can see the city and some of the beaches.

"Figueira da Foz , also known as Figueira for short, is a municipality in the Coimbra District, in Portugal. It is located at the mouth of the Mondego River, 40 km west of Coimbra, and sheltered by hills (Serra da Boa Viagem).

The seat is the city of Figueira da Foz. The city has a population of 46,600 and the municipality has in total 62,601 inhabitants. It is the second largest city in the district of Coimbra.

It is a coastal city with several beaches, summer and seaport facilities in the Atlantic Ocean coast. As a city of tourism it plays an important part in the centre of the country. A zone of legal gambling, one can find in Figueira one of the biggest casinos of the Iberian Peninsula – the Casino Peninsular." In: Wikipedia

Tibães Monastery in Braga - Portugal

unused, issued by Braga's Citty Hall

"The Monastery of St Martin of Tibães (Portuguese: Mosteiro de São Martinho de Tibães) is a monastery situated in the parish of Mire de Tibães, near Braga, in northern Portugal. It was the mother house of the Benedictine order in Portugal and Brazil, and it is known for the exuberant Rococo decoration of its church.

The first information about a monastic community in the region - the Monastery of Dumio, close to Tibães, founded by Saint Martin of Braga - dates from the 6th century.

The Monastery of Tibães was founded around 1060, and its feudal rights were granted by Henry of Burgundy, Count of Portugal, in 1110. During the Middle Ages, after the Kingdom of Portugal became independent, rich and vast proterties in the North of the country came into the possession of the Monastery. However, due to the extensive reconstruction work carried out in the 17th and 18th centuries, there are no architectural remnants from this early stage of the ensemble." In: Wikipedia

DE-330894 - Proverb

DE-330894 sent by "Maria-Elena"

A beautiful tree with a proverb

In German: "Wer in der Jugen Bäune pflanzt, kanm sich im Alter in deren Achatten setzen"

In English: "Those who planted trees in their youth can sit in the shade of age." (Google Translator)

Dogs and the Valley - Andorra

"Joaninha" was in Andorra and offered me this cute postcard with the dogs standing in front of the Valley. It's my first card from this little country...

"Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra (Catalan: Principat d'Andorra), also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, (Catalan: Principat de les Valls d'Andorra), is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of 468 km2 (181 sq mi) and an estimated population of 84,082 in 2009. Its capital, Andorra la Vella, is the highest capital city in Europe, being at an elevation of 1023 metres. The official language is Catalan, although Spanish, Portuguese, and French are also commonly spoken.

The Principality was formed in 1278. The role of monarch is exercised jointly by the two co-princes, the President of the French Republic and the Bishop of Urgell, Catalonia.

Andorra is a prosperous country mainly because of its tourism industry, which services an estimated 10.2 million visitors annually, and also because of its status as a tax haven. It is not a member of the European Union, but the euro is the de facto currency. The people of Andorra have the 4th highest human life expectancy in the world — 82 years at birth." In: Wikipedia

Traditional costume - Portugal

This is an used postcard that I bought a few months ago. It shows a traditional costume from the countryside. It has a postmark from ??-12-1930.

Fountains in Ericeira - Portugal

"PilotOne" sent this card of Ericeira showing 3 fountains:
- Fountain of S. Sebastião (XVII c.)
- Fountain of Cabo (XV c.)
- Fountain of Lua/ Bica or Calçada (XIII c.)


"Ericeira is a fishing and seaside resort town on the west coast of Portugal, in the municipality of Mafra, about 35 km north-west of the centre of Lisbon. Its name originates from Ouriceira, which derives from Ouriço, the Portuguese name for a sea urchin, as seen on the coat of arms." In: Wikipedia

Postcrossing Meeting in Rotterdam

Well, postcrossers love postcards and travels! So we make a lot of meetings. From the Rotterdam Meeting (20/08/2011) I got two postcards:

From "octabis" an aerial view of Goes.

From "chihuahua" a multiview postcard.

US-1271368 - 1919 Ford Model T

US-1271368 sent by "ShepardFamily"

From Dearborn, Michigan arrived this photo of the Ford Model T from 1919. The automobile is exhibited at Henry Ford Museum.

The postcard says :" Nearly half of the automobiles built in the United States in 1919 were Ford Model T's. Ten percent of all American cars produced that year were "closed" cars with a permanent hard top and side windows. Closed cars provided passengers with better protection from wind and rain that the traditional touring car body. Henry Ford's Model T, at $750.00, was the least expensive closed car on the market."

Mykonos - Greece

Another great place to visit in Greece: Mykonos... This view is absolutely amazing! Thanks "Nectaria" for sending this wonderful postcard!

"Mykonos is a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island spans an area of 85.5 km2 (33 sq mi) and rises to an elevation of 341 m (1,119 ft) at its highest point. There are 9,320 inhabitants (2001) most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, also known as Chora (i.e. the Town in Greek, a common denomination in Greece when the name of the island itself is the same as the name of the principal town), which lies on the west coast. Mykonos is one of the most cosmopolitan islands in Europe, and has attained iconic status among European holidaymakers; many  international celebrities  visit the island every year." In: Wikipedia

Pego do Inferno waterfall in Tavira - Portugal

I've never been in Tavira, but this place looks great to spend some times with a friends and family!
"Ninocas" sent it this year during her vacations in Algarve.

"A city of grandness in the past, Tavira is located on the west side of Algarve, in the middle of Cape of Santa Maria and Foz do Rio Guadiana. Two kilometers from the sea and rooted in the Gilão Riverside, harbored by a sandbank which protects the Ria Formosa, from Faro until Cacela. Such location was the key factor for the city's development and then for its lethargy and weakness. Tavira is, essentially, an estuary city and its history is linked to its port's evolution and its related activities." In: Câmara Municipal de Tavira