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