RU-72492 - Musical fountain in Saint Petersburg

© ?

RU-72492 sent by "PerfectRadish"

This fountain is located at Moskovsky Prospec (Moskovsky Avenue) just in front of The House of Soviets.

"The House of Soviets (Russian: Дом Советов, Dom Sovetov) is the office building built in Stalinist style in the late 1930s in Saint Petersburg (then Leningrad). It is located in the Moskovsky District of Saint Petersburg.

According to Soviet projects, the House of Soviets was planned to host the administration of Soviet Leningrad government. The location was chosen on undeveloped south outskirts of the city away from the downtown area which was prone to frequent floods. The construction was completed just before the Nazi invasion of Soviet Union at the beginning of World War II, and the building was never used for the intended purpose. In 1941, it was fortified and used as a local command post for Soviet Red Army during the Siege of Leningrad. Surviving reminders of that stronghold are small bunkers built from a reinforced concrete which still stand at several corners of the House of Soviets. Later, the building housed the Soviet research institute which focused on the design of electronic components for military objects. Among the notable engineers who worked there are two post-World War II defectors from the US, Alfred Sarant and Joel Barr. Currently, the office space in the building is rented out to various businesses.

A square in front of the House of Soviets is called Moscow Square (Moskovskaya Ploshad). During a construction of the subway station Moskovskaya in 1970, the square was remodelled and upgraded with a massive monument to Vladimir Lenin designed by Mikhail Anikushin. In 2006, several fountain features were added at the square." In: Wikipedia

The Fraumünster Abbey in Zurich - Switzerland

© Advision AG

unused, offered by Grace

"The Fraumünster abbey (lit. in English: [Our] Lady Minster) in Zurich was founded in 853 by Louis the German for his daughter Hildegard. He endowed the Benedictine convent with the lands of Zurich, Uri, and the Albis forest, and granted the convent immunity, placing it under his direct authority." In: Wikipedia

Map of Friesland - Netherlands

© Uitgeverij van der Meulen

Sent by "Annerie"

"Friesland or Frisia is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient, larger region of Frisia.

Friesland has 646,000 inhabitants (2010) and its capital is Leeuwarden (West Frisian: Ljouwert), with 91,817 inhabitants, in the centre of the province." In: Wikipedia

FI-1406287 - Shake it, baby!

© Jim Davis / Paws / Hallmark Cards

FI-1406287 sent by "artlover" 

One of the few things that makes Garfield do something!!! :D

RU-918615 - Krasnodar Philarmonic Society

© ?

RU-918615 sent by "vla-fabio"

"The Krasnodar Philharmonic Society was created on May 10, 1939.

Such renowned masters of the arts, as Lyudmila Zykina, Joseph Kobzon, Boris Shtokolov, Zurab Sotkilava, Nikolay Petrov, Anna Netrebko, and Valery Gergiev performed on the stage of the Krasnodar Philharmonic Society.

Today the Krasnodar Philharmonic Society is one of the major concert organizations in the south of Russia, possessing a vast creative potential, and enriched with achievements of a modern concert practice, continues the best traditions of the Russian philharmonic business. In 2007, by the order of the governor of the region — A.N.Tkachev, the Krasnodar Philharmonic Society was named after an outstanding Russian composer, a national artist of the USSR — G.F.Ponomarenko, whose life and career have been connected with Kuban for more than a quarter of a century. In 2009, the Krasnodar Philharmonic Society celebrates its 70th anniversary.

The more detailed and updated information is available at the official website of the Krasnodar Region's Department of Culture — "The Culture of Kuban" " In: Krasnodar

PT-234774 - Óbidos Castle

© Forways

PT-234774 sent by "nunoftferreira" 

I've been in Óbidos two time! Is a lovely village, specially during the Chocolate Festival! 

"Each July Óbidos castle hosts a traditional Medieval Market. For two weeks the castle and the surrounding town recreate the spirit of medieval Europe.

Flowing banners and heraldic flags set the mood together with hundreds of entertainers and stall holders dressed as merchants, jugglers, jesters, wandering minstrels, soldiers and more. Visitors can shop at the traditional handcrafts fair or watch medieval shows, horse displays and a costumed parade that winds its way through the streets. There are also displays of jousting knights and armed combat.

Spit roasted hog, hearty soups, rabbit, lamb, cod, quail, sausages and other grilled meats are just some of the many medieval style meals on offer from dozens of "taverns" and stalls spread throughout the market. Drinking from pewter tankards and eating from wooden trencher all adds to the experience." In: Wikipedia

Waterfall - Indonesia

© Locust Enterprises

Sent by Shinta, a peaceful waterfall.

"Thank you

We make a living by what we get,

But we make a life by what we give.

You made a difference."

BY-427689 - Ducklings

© A. Miadzvedz

BY-427689 sent by "Valus", lots of little ducks.

"Tintureiro" (1942) by Candido Portinari - Brazil

© ?

Sent by "andreaeiko" from the 12th Postcrossing Meeting in São Paulo (11/03/2012)

"Candido Portinari (December 29, 1903 - February 6, 1962) was one of the most important Brazilian painters and also a prominent and influential practitioner of the neo-realism style in painting.

Born to Giovan Battista Portinari and Domenica Torquato, Italian immigrants from Veneto, in a coffee plantation near Brodowski, in São Paulo, Portinari studied at the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes (ENBA) in Rio de Janeiro. In 1928 he won a gold medal at the ENBA and a trip to Paris where he stayed until 1930, when he returned to Brazil." In: Wikipedia

FI-1401614 - Harbor seal at Sealife in Helsinki

© Sealife

FI-1401614 sent by pampula

"The harbor (or harbour) seal (Phoca vitulina), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed of pinniped (walruses, eared seals, and true seals), they are found in coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Baltic and North Seas.

Harbor seals are brown, tan, or gray, with distinctive V-shaped nostrils. An adult can attain a length of 1.85 meters (6.1 ft) and a mass of 132 kilograms (290 lb). Females outlive males (30–35 years versus 20–25 years). Harbor seals stick to familiar resting spots or haulout sites, generally rocky areas (although ice, sand and mud may also be used) where they are protected from adverse weather conditions and predation, near a foraging area. Males may fight over mates underwater and on land. Females bear a single pup, which they care for alone. Pups are able to swim and dive within hours of birth, developing quickly on their mothers' fat-rich milk. Blubber under their skins helps to maintain body temperature." In: Wikipedia