Gone With Postcards & Covers

Vianna, Austria

2011-08-12T10:08:00.001+08:00

Prague, Czech Republic

2011-08-12T10:01:00.001+08:00

Skiathos, Greece

2011-08-07T23:10:00.001+08:00

Skiathos is a small island in the Aegean Sea belonging to Greece. Skiathos is the westernmost island in the Northern Sporades group of islands. The mainland of Greece and Magnesia lie to the west, while the island of Skopelos lies to the east. The name of the island dates back to ancient times. The Municipality of Skíathos includes the islands of Tsougria and Tsougriaki, and of the islets of Maragos, Arkos, Troulonisi and Aspronisi. Total land area of the island is 50 km². The major settlement on the island is the town of Skiathos (pop. 4,988 in 2001), while other settlements are Χanemos (195), Kalyvia (179), Troulos (159), and Koukounaries (126).

Minh Mang Tomb

2011-08-03T21:13:00.001+08:00

Minh Mạng was the second emperor of the Nguyễn Dynasty of Vietnam, reigning from 14 February 1820 until 20 January 1841. He was a younger son of Emperor Gia Long, whose eldest son, Crown Prince Canh, had died in 1801. He was well known for his opposition to French involvement in Vietnam and his rigid Confucian orthodoxy. As Gia Long aged, he took on a more isolationist foreign policy, and as a result favored Minh Mang especially for his outlook. Minh Mang was a classicist who was regarded as one of Vietnam's most scholarly monarchs. He was known as a poet and was regarded as an emperor who cared sincerely about his country and paid great attention to its rule, to the extent of micromanaging certain policies. He pursued a sceptical policy to Christian missionaries, often trying to inhibit their activities by administrative means, and later by explicitly banning proselytisation. His crackdowns led to negative European sentiment towards Vietnam and fomented discontent among Catholics at home and abroad which further antagonised Western attitudes towards Vietnam. As a result of his Confucian conservatism, Minh Mang allowed little innovation in Vietnamese society, and in time its military in particular became antiquated. He restricted trade and exchange with Western powers. At home he strengthened the central administration and had to contend with several rebellions, many of them Catholic-inspired. The most serious came in 1833 when southern Vietnam revolted, leading to a civil war lasting a year. This was further deepened by an invasion into the same area by Siamese forces who had attempted to retake Cambodia from Vietnam. After a long struggle, his forces managed to put down both enemies and regain control.

FDC from Germany: Town Hall of Alsfeld

2011-07-30T14:16:00.002+08:00

The town wall was built in an almost perfect circle centred on the market place (for strategic reasons). Roads lead mostly straight from the gates in the wall to the town centre. One can deduce where the town wall was from the picturesque narrow streets which remain in their original state: their bends and curves in those small streets follow the original town wall. Town Hall was constructed in medieval, Rähmbau style timber framing between 1512 and 1516. It is next to the market place in the center of the Altstadt. Its ground floor, built of stone, was once used as a market hall.

Oasis Australia

2011-07-29T22:29:00.001+08:00

Butterfly

2011-07-28T19:48:00.001+08:00

Jinli old street, Chengdu

2011-07-27T22:42:00.001+08:00

This old street is located in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.

Penang in memory

2011-07-24T17:04:00.001+08:00

FDC from Latvia: EUROPA 2011 - Forest

2011-07-23T22:21:00.001+08:00

Many thanks to Juris for this nice FDC from Latvia!

Country view of Finland

2011-07-22T23:36:00.001+08:00

Tartu, Estonia

2011-07-21T20:45:00.002+08:00

Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the city is the centre of southern Estonia. The Emajõgi river, which connects the two largest lakes of Estonia, crosses Tartu. The city is served by Tartu Airport. Historical names of the town include Tarbatu, an Estonian fortress founded in the 5th century, Yuryev (Юрьев) named c. 1030 by Yaroslav I the Wise, and Dorpat as first known by the German crusaders in the 13th century.

Big Tub Lighthouse-Tobermory

2011-07-20T07:40:00.003+08:00

Tobermory is a small community located at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula in the municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula, Ontario, Canada. It is 300 km northwest of Toronto. The closest city to Tobermory is Owen Sound, 100 km south of Tobermory and connected by Highway 6. The community is known as the "fresh water SCUBA diving capital of the world", because of the numerous shipwrecks that lie in the surrounding waters, especially in Fathom Five National Marine Park. Tobermory and the surrounding area are popular vacation destinations. People come for the beaches, the diving, the unspoilt countryside and the relaxed pace of life. The town lies north of the Bruce Peninsula National Park.

The MS Chi-Cheemaun passenger-car ferry connects Tobermory to Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron. Tobermory is also the northern terminus of the Bruce Trail, and has twin harbours, known locally as "Big Tub" and "Little Tub".
The Grotto, Grotto - water carved rocks. Tobermory is typically a few degrees colder than Toronto. Most of the businesses in the town are open from May until the Thanksgiving long weekend in October, and are closed for the other seven months of the year.

Cover from Indonesia

2011-07-19T20:23:00.000+08:00

Many thanks to Irene Chen for this nice cover from Indonesia!

Beautiful Holland!

2011-07-18T07:30:00.002+08:00

Fireworks

2011-07-17T21:47:00.002+08:00

Le Caudan Waterfront, Mauritius

2011-07-14T21:44:00.003+08:00

Many thanks to David for this beautiful card from Mauritius!

Cover from Sri Lanka

2011-07-13T22:37:00.000+08:00

I sent this cover to myself, when I made a trip in Sri Lanka this April.

Daimonji Bon-Fire, Kyoto

2011-07-13T07:32:00.002+08:00

Daimonji is one of the iconic festivals of Kyoto, Japan. It is the culmination of the O-Bon festival on August 16th, in which five giant bonfires are lit on mountains surrounding the city. It signifies the moment when the spirits of deceased family members, who are said to visit this world during O-Bon, are believed to be returning to the spirit world—thus the name Okuribi (送り火) (roughly, "send-off fire").

The origins of the festival are obscure, but it is believed to be ancient. Specific families have the hereditary duty of organizing all the logistics of the bonfires, and they spend many hours annually providing volunteer labor to maintain this tradition.

Donetsk, Ukraine

2011-07-12T21:39:00.002+08:00

Donetsk is a large city in eastern Ukraine on the Kalmius river. Administratively, it is a center of Donetsk Oblast, while historically, it is the unofficial capital and largest city of the economic and cultural Donets Basin (Donbass) region. The city was founded in 1869 by a Welsh businessman, John Hughes, who constructed a steel plant and several coal mines in the region; the town was thus named Yuzovka (Юзовка) in recognition of his role in its founding ("Yuz" being a Russian or Ukrainian approximation of Hughes). During Soviet times, the city's steel industry was expanded.

In 1924 at the plenum Yuzovsky executive committee had decided to rename the town from Yuzovka to Stalin (Сталiн). In 1929-1931 the town was renamed in Stalino (Сталино). In 1932 the city became the center of Donetsk region. In 1961, during the De-Stalinisation the city was again renamed to its modern name Donetsk after the Seversky Donets river. In addition, some sources state that the city was briefly called Trotsk—after Leon Trotsky—for a few months in 1923. Today, the city still remains an important industrial centre for coal and steel in Ukraine.

Cover from France

2011-07-11T23:29:00.000+08:00

Many thanks to Eric for this great registered mail with so many stamps on the cover!

African Sunset

2011-07-04T07:36:00.001+08:00

Terracotta Army

2011-07-03T10:56:00.002+08:00

The Terracotta Army or the "Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses", is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. The figures, dating from 210 BC, were discovered in 1974 by some local farmers in Lintong District, Xi'an, Shaanxi province, near the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (Chinese: 秦始皇陵; pinyin: Qín Shǐhuáng Ling).

The figures vary in height, according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits.

Rapa Nui

2011-07-02T18:10:00.002+08:00

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

2011-07-01T18:44:00.003+08:00

Harrisburg is the capital of the United States Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, Reading, Scranton, Bethlehem and Lancaster. Harrisburg is the county seat of Dauphin County and lies on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, 105 miles (169 km) west-northwest of Philadelphia.

The Harrisburg-Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Dauphin, Cumberland, and Perry counties, had a population of 509,074 in 2000. A July 1, 2007 estimate placed the population at 528,892, making it the fifth largest Metropolitan Statistical Area in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown–Bethlehem–Easton (the Lehigh Valley), and Scranton–Wilkes Barre. The Harrisburg-Carlisle-Lebanon Combined Statistical Area, including both the Harrisburg-Carlisle and Lebanon Metropolitan Statistical Areas, had an estimated population of 656,781 in 2007 and was the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the state.

Harrisburg played a notable role in American history during the Westward Migration, the American Civil War, and the Industrial Revolution. During part of the 19th century, the building of the Pennsylvania Canal and later the Pennsylvania Railroad allowed Harrisburg to become one of the most industrialized cities in the Northeastern United States. The U.S. Navy ship USS Harrisburg, which served from 1918 to 1919 at the end of World War I, was named in honor of the city.

In the mid-to-late 20th century, the city's economic fortunes fluctuated with its major industries consisting of government, heavy manufacturing including the production of steel, agriculture (the greater Harrisburg area is at the heart of the fertile Pennsylvania Dutch Country), and food services (nearby Hershey is home of the chocolate maker, located just 10 miles east of Harrisburg). In 1981, following contractions in the steel and dairy industries, Harrisburg was declared the second most distressed city in the nation. The city subsequently experienced a resurgence under its former mayor Stephen R. Reed, with nearly $3 billion in new investment realized during his lengthy tenure.

African Sunset

2011-06-01T22:03:00.002+08:00

Cover from Australia

2011-05-31T00:16:00.001+08:00

Many thanks to Juris for this nice cover sent from Tasmania, Australia!

Temple on Mount Qingcheng

2011-05-29T12:24:00.001+08:00

Mount Qingcheng is a mountain in Dujiangyan, Sichuan, China. It is amongst the most important centres of Taoism (Daoism) in China. In Daoist mythology, it was the site of the Yellow Emperor's studies with Ning Fengzhi. As a centre of the Daoist religion it became host to many temples. The mountain has 36 peaks.

Vancouver, Canada

2011-05-29T05:17:00.002+08:00

Vancouver is a coastal city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is named for British Captain George Vancouver, who explored and first mapped the area in the 1790s.

The metropolitan area is the third-largest in the country, and most populous in Western Canada, with the city proper ranked eighth among Canadian cities. According to the 2006 census Vancouver had a population of 578,041, and 2,116,581 people resided in its metropolitan area. In 2009, Vancouver and the surrounding area (including Abbotsford) was estimated to have a population of 2,501,699. The 2010 estimated population of the city proper was 642,843. Over the last 30 years, immigration has dramatically increased, making the city more ethnically and linguistically diverse; 52% do not speak English as their first language. Almost 30% of the city's inhabitants are of Chinese heritage.

From a logging sawmill established in 1867 a settlement named Gastown grew, around which a townsite named Granville arose. With the announcement that the railhead would reach the site, it was renamed "Vancouver" and incorporated as a city in 1886. By 1887, the transcontinental railway was extended to the city to take advantage of its large natural seaport, which soon became a vital link in a trade route between the Orient, Eastern Canada, and London. Port Metro Vancouver is the new name for the Port of Vancouver, which is now the busiest and largest in Canada, as well as the fourth largest port (by tonnage) in North America. While forestry remains its largest industry, Vancouver is well known as an urban centre surrounded by nature, making tourism its second-largest industry. It also is the third-largest film production centre in North America after Los Angeles and New York City, earning its film industry the nickname Hollywood Nort

Minsk, Belarus

2011-05-29T05:15:00.001+08:00

FDC from USA: Year of the Rabbit

2011-05-29T05:08:00.001+08:00

Many thanks to Mr. Huang Zhenbang for this nice FDC from USA!

Beautiful Holland!

2011-05-28T13:33:00.001+08:00

Pałac w Wilanowie

2011-05-28T13:21:00.002+08:00

Wilanów Palace (Polish: Pałac w Wilanowie) is a royal palace located in the Wilanów district, Warsaw. Wilanów Palace survived the time of Poland's partitions and both World Wars and has preserved its authentic historical qualities, also is one of the most important monuments of Polish culture.

The palace and park in Wilanów is not only a priceless testimony to the splendour of Poland in the past, but also a place for cultural events and concerts, including Summer Royal Concerts in the Rose Garden and the International Summer Old Music Academy. Since 2006, the palace is a member of the international association of European Royal Residences.

Región de Los Lagos

2011-05-03T06:27:00.002+08:00

The X Los Lagos Region (Spanish: X Región de Los Lagos) is one of Chile's 15 regions which are first order administrative divisions and comprises four provinces: Chiloé, Llanquihue, Palena and Osorno Province. The Los Lagos Region contains the country's second largest island, Chiloé, and the second largest lake, Llanquihue. Its capital is Puerto Montt; other important cities include Osorno, Castro, Ancud, and Puerto Varas, Frutillar. Also visit Archaeological site of Monte Verde. The region is part of Northern Patagonia as the presence of Tehuelches ( first Patagons ) were present as of 14.500AD.

The region has an area of 67,013 km2 (25,874 sq mi) and its population, according to the 2002 INE Census was 1,073,135, with a population density of 15.8 /km² including Valdivia Province that in 2007 became a region of its own. It is bordered on the north by Los Ríos Region, on the south by Aisén Region, on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the east by Argentina (provinces of Neuquén, Río Negro and Chubut). The region, in general, has a natural vegetation of Valdivian temperate rain forest. The coastal part, except for the south of the Chiloé Island, has a temperate climate with cold winter rain. To the south, the climate is characterized by constant rain and not having dry seasons.

Photographer: Dino Cappelletti

2011-04-29T20:13:00.002+08:00

FDC's from Hong Kong: Year of the Rabbit

2011-04-27T07:08:00.003+08:00

Many thanks to Hiu Fan for these nice FDC's from Hong Kong!

Card from Finland

2011-04-26T07:18:00.002+08:00

Quinta de la Rosa

2011-04-25T05:58:00.001+08:00

Autumn Splendor, Oregon

2011-04-24T09:39:00.001+08:00

FDC from Indonesia: Year of the Rabbit

2011-04-23T06:07:00.002+08:00

Many thanks to Irene for this nice FDC from Indoneisa!

São Paulo, Brazil

2011-04-22T10:11:00.001+08:00

British Museum

2011-04-21T07:15:00.001+08:00

The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present.

The British Museum was established in 1753, largely based on the collections of the physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane. The museum first opened to the public on 15 January 1759 in Montagu House in Bloomsbury, on the site of the current museum building. Its expansion over the following two and a half centuries was largely a result of an expanding British colonial footprint and has resulted in the creation of several branch institutions, the first being the British Museum (Natural History) in South Kensington in 1887. Some objects in the collection, most notably the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon, are the objects of intense controversy and calls for restitution to their countries of origin.

Until 1997, when the British Library (previously centred on the Round Reading Room) moved to a new site, the British Museum was unique in that it housed both a national museum of antiquities and a national library in the same building. The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and as with all other national museums in the United Kingdom it charges no admission fee. Since 2002 the director of the museum has been Neil MacGregor. Conservative Peer Lord Sainsbury has pledged to donate £25 million to the Museum to aid funding for a large scale extension, set to make it the world's largest museum by collection upon completion.

Flamingo Ballet

2011-04-20T07:13:00.002+08:00

Flamingos or flamingoes are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus, the only genus in the family Phoenicopteridae. There are four flamingo species in the Americas and two species in the Old World.

Scientists have discovered that flamingos are dying by the thousands along the Great Rift Valley lakes of Kenya and Tanzania. However, they are baffled as to the reason. Possible causes include avian cholera, botulism, metal poisoning, pesticides or poisonous bacteria, say researchers. Also, fears for the future of the Lesser Flamingo — Phoeniconaias minor — have been raised by plans to pipe water from one of their key breeding areas, the shores of Lake Natron. The lakes are crucial to the birds' breeding success because the flamingos feed off the blooms of cyanobacteria that thrive there.

Cover from Spain

2011-04-19T00:09:00.000+08:00

Neuschwanstein Castle

2011-04-18T06:53:00.002+08:00

Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th-century Gothic Revival palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as an homage to Richard Wagner.

The palace was intended as a personal refuge for the reclusive king, but it was opened to the paying public immediately after his death in 1886. Since then over 60 million people have visited Neuschwanstein Castle. More than 1.3 million people visit annually, with up to 6,000 per day in the summer. The palace has appeared prominently in several movies and was the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Moddares Road, Tehran

2011-04-17T23:45:00.002+08:00

Kshesinskaya Masion, St. Petersburg

2011-04-16T00:11:00.002+08:00

Geirangerfjord

2011-04-15T07:24:00.001+08:00

The Geiranger fjord is a fjord in the Sunnmøre region of Møre og Romsdal county in Norway. It is in the municipality of Stranda. It is a 15-kilometre (9.3 mi) long branch of the Storfjord (Great Fjord). The small village of Geiranger is located at the end of the fjord where the Geirangelva river empties into it.

The fjord is one of Norway's most visited tourist sites and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, jointly with Nærøyfjord, since 2005, although this status is now threatened by the disputed plans to build power lines across the fjord. A car ferry, which doubles as a sightseeing trip, is operated by Fjord1 Nordvestlandske. It runs lengthwise along the fjord between the small towns of Geiranger and Hellesylt. Along the fjord's sides there lie a number of now abandoned farms. Some restoration has been made by the Storfjordens venner association. The most commonly visited among these are Skageflå, Knivsflå, and Blomberg. Skageflå may also be reached on foot from Geiranger, while the others require a boat excursion. The fjord is also host to several impressive waterfalls.

Motovun, Croatia

2011-04-14T07:25:00.002+08:00

Motovun is a village in central Istria, Croatia. The population of the village itself is 531, with a total of 983 residents in the municipality (2001); 442 of the residents have Italian as their mother language. The Parenzana was a narrow gauge railroad that ran from Trieste to Poreč between 1902-1935, passed valley below the town.

Since 1999, Motovun has hosted the international Motovun Film Festival for independent and avant-garde films from the U.S. and Europe. The biggest current local issue is the battle between foreign developers, who have proposed two 18-hole golf courses and a 500+-bed resort in the valley below the town, extending the existing 9-hole course and some of the local community, who are opposed to the proposals because of objections against the real estate speculation around the project, rejection of 123 building sites for villas in the protected natural environment and concerns about possible damage to their truffles growing on the other side of the river. The community is divided on the issue, as many welcome the development as a year round aid to jobs and local tourist revenues. An environmental impact study has now been completed.

Longji Terrace

2011-04-13T07:34:00.001+08:00

This Terrace is located in the Southwest of China.

First card from Morocco

2011-04-12T07:09:00.001+08:00

Many thanks to Driss for this nice card from Morocco!

FDC from Hong Kong: A circle of 12 years!

2011-04-11T06:44:00.000+08:00

Many thanks to Hiu Fan for this nice FDC from Hong Kong! What a big size!

Brisbane, Australia

2011-04-10T10:04:00.002+08:00

Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has an approximate population of 2 million. The Brisbane central business district stands on the original settlement and is situated inside a bend of the Brisbane River approximately 23 kilometres from its mouth at Moreton Bay. The metropolitan area extends in all directions along the floodplain of the Brisbane River valley between the bay and the Great Dividing Range. While the city is governed by several municipalities, they are centred around the Brisbane City Council which has jurisdiction over the largest area and population in metropolitan Brisbane and is also Australia's largest Local Government Area by population.

Brisbane is named after the river on which it sits which, in turn, was named after Sir Thomas Brisbane, the Governor of New South Wales from 1821 to 1825. The first European settlement in Queensland was a penal colony at Redcliffe, 28 kilometres (17 mi) north of the Brisbane central business district, in 1824. That settlement was soon abandoned and moved to North Quay in 1825. Free settlers were permitted from 1842. Brisbane was chosen as the capital when Queensland was proclaimed a separate colony from New South Wales in 1859. The city played a central role in the Allied campaign during World War II as the South West Pacific headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur. Brisbane has hosted many large cultural and sporting events including the 1982 Commonwealth Games, World Expo '88 and the final Goodwill Games in 2001. In 2008, Brisbane was classified as a gamma world city+ in the World Cities Study Group’s inventory by Loughborough University. It was also rated the 16th most livable city in the world in 2009 by The Economist.

A set of 40 postcards from Faroe Islands II.

2011-03-30T07:26:00.006+08:00

University of Michigan

2011-03-30T07:08:00.002+08:00

The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (commonly referred to as Michigan, U-M, UMich, or U of M) is a public research university located in the state of Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan. U-M has two satellite campuses in Flint and Dearborn.

The university was founded in 1817 in Detroit as the Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania, about 20 years before the Michigan Territory officially became a state. What would become the university moved to Ann Arbor in 1837 onto 40 acres (16 ha) of what is now known as Central Campus. Since its establishment in Ann Arbor, the university has physically expanded to include more than 584 major buildings with a combined area of more than 31 million gross square feet (712 acres or 2.38 km²), and transformed its academic program from a strictly classical curriculum to one that includes science and research. During the 20th century and early 2000s, U-M was the site of much student activism. When presidential candidate John F. Kennedy visited the University on October 14, 1960, he gave an impromptu speech on the steps of the Michigan Union that led to a University of Michigan student movement which contributed to the establishment of the Peace Corps. The University was also a focal point in the controversy over affirmative action within higher education admissions. In the 2011 U.S. News & World Report "National University Rankings", the university was ranked 29th among national universities in the United States, In 1995, the National Research Council ranked Michigan third nationally for the quality of its graduate programs. Michigan has one of the world's largest living alumni groups at 460,000 in 2007. U-M owns the University of Michigan Health System and has one of the largest research expenditures of any American university, passing the $1.14 billion mark during the 2009-2010 academic year.

Its athletic teams, called the Wolverines, are members of the Big Ten Conference and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. The athletic program is known for its success in ice hockey and football. The football team plays in Michigan Stadium, also known as "The Big House," the largest football stadium in the world.

Cover from Mauritius

2011-03-29T07:20:00.000+08:00

Many thanks to David for thid nice cover from Mauritius!

Kilimanjaro & Zebras

2011-03-28T07:10:00.001+08:00

Many thanks to Bhavin for this great card from Kenya!

Taiwanese wooden card

2011-03-27T10:57:00.003+08:00

Many thanks to Wen for this very special wooden card fro Taiwan! It's 5mm thick!

Paccadilly Circus, London

2011-03-26T05:54:00.002+08:00

Piccadilly Circus is a famous road junction and public space of London's West End in the City of Westminster, built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with the major shopping street of Piccadilly. In this context, a circus, from the Latin word meaning "circle", is a round open space at a street junction. This landmark should not be confused with the intersection of the Mount Franklin and Brindabella roads on the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales Border, also called Piccadilly Circus.

Piccadilly now links directly to the theatres on Shaftesbury Avenue, as well as the Haymarket, Coventry Street (onwards to Leicester Square), and Glasshouse Street. The Circus is close to major shopping and entertainment areas in the West End. Its status as a major traffic intersection has made Piccadilly Circus a busy meeting place and a tourist attraction in its own right. The Circus is particularly known for its video display and neon signs mounted on the corner building on the northern side, as well as the Shaftesbury memorial fountain and statue of an archer popularly known as Eros (sometimes called The Angel of Christian Charity, but intended to be Anteros). It is surrounded by several noted buildings, including the London Pavilion and Criterion Theatre. Directly underneath the plaza is Piccadilly Circus tube station, part of the London Underground rapid transit system.

FDC from India: Crafts Museum

2011-03-25T07:29:00.000+08:00

Quan Thanh Temple，Hanoi

2011-03-24T07:17:00.004+08:00

Quan Thanh Temple is a Taoist temple in Hanoi, Vietnam. Dated to the 11th century, the temple was dedicated to Xuan Wu, or Trấn Vũ in Vietnamese, one of the principal deities in Taoism. As one of the Four Sacred Temples of the capital, Quan Thanh Temple is located near West Lake in a ward of same name, Quan Thanh Ward, and is one of the leading tourist attractions in Hanoi.

Legend has it that Quan Thanh Temple was established during the reign of Emperor Lý Thái Tổ (reigned 1010–1028) and was dedicated to Tran Vu, Deity of the North in Taoism, whose symbols of power are the serpent and turtle. It is one of the Four Sacred Temples that were built in four directions to protect the capital from malevolent spirits. In Hanoi, there is also a second Tran Vu Temple in Gia Lam district. Although smaller than Quan Thanh Temple, Tran Vu Temple is also dedicated to Tran Vu with a 9-tonne statue of the deity. Considered a masterpiece of Vietnamese bronze casting and sculpture, it is the second biggest bronze statue in Vietnam. Nowadays, after many geographical changes to the city layout, Quan Thanh Temple is located on the corner of Quan Thanh Street and Thanh Nien Street, facing West Lake. It is a short walk from Truc Bach Lake where pilot and future United States senator John McCain was shot down in October 1967.

Rocky Mountains

2011-03-23T07:17:00.001+08:00

Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

2011-03-22T07:06:00.003+08:00

The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) is one of the two major convention and exhibition venues in Hong Kong, along with AsiaWorld-Expo. It is located in Wan Chai North, Hong Kong Island. Built along the Victoria Harbour, it is linked by covered walkways to nearby hotels and commercial buildings. The venue was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, in association with Wong & Ouyang (HK) Ltd. Larry Oltmanns led the design, who is a former Design Partner with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP. The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre is not to be confused with the Hong Kong Exhibition Centre, which is another exhibition venue in Wan Chai North.

The original building was built on reclaimed land off Gloucester Road in 1988. The glass curtain was the world's largest at the time, overlooking the Victoria Harbour on three sides.

The second phase of the centre, located on an artificial island, was constructed from 1994 to 1997, and features a bird-like rooftop. The project took only 48 months from reclamation to completion. The main constructor of the extension was a joint venture named Hip Hing Construction Co Ltd Dragages et Travaux Publics. Originally, Phase Two was connected to Phase One with an atrium link (a sky bridge), and to Convention Road with two road bridges, but now the two phases are connected by an expanded exhibition hall. The complex's construction was financed by New World Development, with the Renaissance Harbour View Hotel, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong and Harbour View Apartments on top of it. HKCEC made a second expansion during 2006-2009. Upon completion, the HK$1.4 billion expansion added 19,400 sqm to the HKCEC, bringing the total exhibition space to nearly 83,000 sqm and total rentable function space to over 92,000 sqm.

FDC of China: Year of the Rabbit

2011-03-21T07:16:00.002+08:00

I got two FDC's during the Chinese New Year, on which there were two different cancellations. Actually, there should be more than one hundred special postmarks on this theme on the first issue day.

Dinamo Stadium, Minsk

2011-03-20T09:45:00.002+08:00

Dinamo Stadium, also called Dynama Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Minsk, Belarus. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Dynama Minsk. The stadium has a seating capacity for 41,040 people. Dynama Stadium was constructed in 1934, but was destroyed during World War II and rebuilt in 1954. The stadium was one of the venues of the football tournament at the 1980 Summer Olympics and was used as the home venue of FC BATE for the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League group stage.

This is Turkey

2011-03-19T06:00:00.001+08:00

Poznań, Poland

2011-03-18T18:33:00.001+08:00

Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be the first capital of the kingdom of Poland.

Poznań is now Poland's fifth largest city. It is the historical capital of the Wielkopolska ("Greater Poland") region, and is currently the administrative capital of the province called Greater Poland Voivodeship. Poznań is an important centre of trade, industry, and education, and hosts regular international trade fairs. It was the host city for the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December 2008, a key stage in the creation of a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. Poznań is a candidate city for European Capital of Culture in 2016.

Registered parcel from Portugal

2011-03-17T17:51:00.002+08:00

Many thanks to Luis for this parcel franked with nice stamps from Portugal!

Dresden Frauenkirche

2011-03-15T07:13:00.001+08:00

The Dresden Frauenkirche is a Lutheran church in Dresden, Germany.

Built in the 18th century, the church was destroyed in the firebombing of Dresden during World War II. It has been reconstructed as a landmark symbol of reconciliation between former warring enemies. The reconstruction of its exterior was completed in 2004, its interior in 2005 and, after 13 years of rebuilding, the church was reconsecrated on 30 October 2005 with festive services lasting through the Protestant observance of Reformation Day on 31 October. Once a month, an Anglican Evensong in English is held in the Church of Our Lady, with clergy sent from St. George's Anglican Chaplaincy in Berlin.

Helsinki, Finland

2011-03-14T05:33:00.001+08:00

Arab Bank, Doha

2011-03-13T00:13:00.001+08:00

FDC from Singapore: Year of the Rabbit

2011-03-12T10:45:00.000+08:00

Many thanks to Terence for this nice FDC from Singapore!

Wat Phra Keaw

2011-03-11T18:46:00.003+08:00

The Wat Phra Kaew is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple (wat) in Thailand. It is a "potent religio-political symbol and the palladium of Thai society". It is located in the historic centre of Bangkok (district Phra Nakhon), within the precincts of the Grand Palace. The main building is the central ubosoth, which houses the statue of Emerald Buddha. The legendary history of this Buddha image is traced to India, five centuries after the Lord Buddha attained Nirvana, till it was finally enshrined in Bangkok at the Wat Phra Kaew temple in 1782 during Rama I's reign (1782–1809). This marked the beginning and raise of the Chakri Dynasty of the present Kingdom of Thailand (the present head of the dynasty is King Rama IX. The Emerald Buddha, a dark green statue, is in a standing form, about 66 centimetres (26 in) tall, carved from a single jade stone (Emerald in Thai means deep green colour and not the specific stone). It is carved in the meditating posture in the style of the Lanna school of the northern Thailand. Except for the Thai King, no other person is allowed to touch the statue. The King changes the cloak around the statue three times a year, corresponding to the summer, winter, and rainy seasons, an important ritual performed to usher good fortune to the country during each season.

While legend traces this statue to India, its rich historical records dates its finding in Cambodia in the 15th century, moved to Laos in the 16th century and then to Vientiane where it remained for 215 years, and finally to Thailand in the 18th century. Considering the long history and Nagasena's (a Brahmin who became a Buddhist sage and lived about 150 BC) prophesy that the Emerald Buddha would bring "prosperity and pre-eminence to each country in which it resides", the Emerald Buddha deified in the Wat Phra Kaew is deeply revered and venerated in Thailand as the protector of the country.

A set of 40 postcards from Faroe Islands I.

2011-03-10T07:13:00.006+08:00

I bought this set of 40 postcards of Faroe Islands from Posta in Tórshavn.

Mount Kenya

2011-03-09T07:09:00.001+08:00

Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second-highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro.The highest peaks of the mountain are Batian (5,199 metres (17,057 ft)), Nelion (5,188 metres (17,021 ft)) and Point Lenana (4,985 metres (16,355 ft)). Mount Kenya is located in central Kenya, just south of the equator, around 150 kilometres (93 mi) north-northeast of the capital Nairobi. Mount Kenya is the source of the name of the Republic of Kenya.

Mount Kenya is a stratovolcano created approximately 3 million years after the opening of the East African rift. It was covered by an ice cap for thousands of years. This has resulted in very eroded slopes and numerous valleys radiating from the centre. There are currently 11 small glaciers. The forested slopes are an important source of water for much of Kenya. There are eight vegetation bands from the base to the summit. The lower slopes are covered by different types of forest. Many species are endemic to Mount Kenya such as the lobelias, the senecios and the rock hyrax. An area of 715 square kilometres (276 sq mi) around the centre of the mountain was designated a National Park and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The park receives over 15,000 visitors per year.

FDC from Latvia: Pet--Rabbit

2011-03-08T07:08:00.000+08:00

Many thanks to Juris for this nice FDC from Latvia!

Vratsa Balkan, Bulgaria

2011-03-07T07:10:00.001+08:00

A snow land: Heilongjiang

2011-03-06T12:06:00.002+08:00

Heilongjiang is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. "Heilongjiang" literally means Black Dragon River, which is the Chinese name for the Amur. The one-character abbreviation is 黑 (pinyin: Hēi). The Manchu name of the region is Sahaliyan ula (literally, "Black River"), from which the name of Sakhalin is derived. Heilongjiang borders Jilin in the south and Inner Mongolia to the west; it also borders Russia to the north and east. The Amur River marks the border between the People's Republic of China and Russia to the north. Heilongjiang contains China's northernmost point (in Mohe County along the Amur) and easternmost point (at the junction of the Amur and Ussuri Rivers).

Zagreb, Croatia

2011-03-04T05:42:00.002+08:00

Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately 122 m (400 ft) above sea level. In 2008, Zagreb's population was 804,200.

Its favourable geographic position in the southwestern part of the Pannonian Basin, which extends to the Alpine, Dinaric, Adriatic and Pannonic regions, provides an excellent connection for traffic between Central Europe and the Adriatic Sea. The transport connections, concentration of industry, scientific and research institutions and industrial tradition underlie its leading economic position in Croatia. Zagreb is the seat of the central government, administrative bodies and almost all government ministries.

Cover from Malaysia

2011-03-02T07:20:00.000+08:00

Havasu Falls

2011-03-01T07:15:00.002+08:00

Havasu Falls is the second waterfall in the canyon.It is accessed from a trail on the right side (left side when heading upstream) of the main trail. The side trail leads across a small plateau and drops into the main pool. Havasu is arguably the most famous and most visited of all the falls, and is considered one of the most photographed waterfalls in the world. The falls consist of one main chute that drops over a 120-foot (37 m) vertical cliff (due to the high mineral content of the water, the falls are ever-changing and sometimes break into two separate chutes of water) into a large pool.

The falls are known for their natural pools, created by mineralization, although most of these pools were damaged and/or destroyed in the early 1990s by large floods that washed through the area. A small man-made dam was constructed to help restore the pools and to preserve what is left. There are many picnic tables on the opposite side of the creek and it is very easy to cross over by following the edges of the pools. It is possible to swim behind the falls and enter a small rock shelter behind it. It is interesting to note that the falls were called "Bridal Veil Falls" before the flood of 1910 because they fell from the entire width of the now dry travertine cliffs north and south of the present falls.

Anton Koster: Workers in the firld

2011-02-28T07:18:00.002+08:00

Home Sweet Home

2011-02-27T00:19:00.002+08:00

FDC from Vietnam: Quan ho Bac Ninh

2011-02-26T14:06:00.004+08:00

Quan ho Bac Ninh are folk songs in Northern Vietnam. The songs are performed as alternating verses between two women from one village who sing in harmony, and two men from another vollage who respond with similar melodies. It also is a form of instant exchange pf a love between men and women. Quan ho Bac Ninh is recognized as the cultural heritage intangible representation of humanity by UNESCO on 30th of September 2009.

Piedipaterno, Vallo di Nera

2011-02-25T05:09:00.002+08:00

Irish Sport - Hurling

2011-02-24T00:09:00.002+08:00

My first card from Ireland!

Hurling is an outdoor team sport of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years and is thought to be the world's fastest field team sport in terms of game play. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, number of players, and much terminology. There is a similar game for women called camogie (camógaíocht). It shares a common Gaelic root with the sport of shinty (camanachd) which is played predominantly in Scotland.

The object of the game is for players to use a wooden stick called a hurley to hit a small ball called a sliotar between the opponents' goalposts either over the crossbar for one point, or under the crossbar into a net guarded by a goalkeeper for one goal, which is equivalent to three points. The sliotar can be caught in the hand and carried for not more than four steps, struck in the air, or struck on the ground with the hurley. It can be kicked or slapped with an open hand (the hand pass) for short-range passing. A player who wants to carry the ball for more than three steps has to bounce or balance the sliotar on the end of the stick and the ball can only be handled twice while in his possession.

Side-to-side shouldering is allowed although body-checking or shoulder-charging is illegal. No protective padding is worn by players. A plastic protective helmet with faceguard is mandatory for all age groups, including senior level, as of 2010. The game has been described as "a bastion of humility", with player names absent from jerseys and a player's number decided by his position on the field. Hurling is played throughout the world, and is popular among members of the Irish diaspora in the United Kingdom, North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina. In Ireland, it is a fixture of life. It has featured regularly in both film and literature. In 2007, Forbes magazine described the media attention and population multiplication of Thurles town ahead of one of the game's annual provincial hurling finals as being "the rough equivalent of 30 million Americans watching a regional lacrosse game." In 1931, Time magazine suggested the sport of golf was "a form of hurling modified by a more cautious race". American soldiers have also expressed their love of the game's warrior ethos.

Cover from Mauritius

2011-02-23T07:15:00.001+08:00

Many thanks to David for this nice cover from Mauritius! He used a Chinese envolope!

Christmas time in Russia

2011-02-22T07:26:00.001+08:00

Kenya·Wildlife

2011-02-21T07:22:00.001+08:00

Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum

2011-02-20T06:09:00.002+08:00

The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum is the tomb of the Hongwu Emperor, the founder of the Ming Dynasty. It lies at the southern foot of Purple Mountain, located east of the historical center of Nanjing, China. Legend says that in order to prevent robbery of the tomb, 13 identical processions of funeral troops started from 13 city gates to obscure the real burying site. The construction of the mausoleum began during the Hongwu Emperor's life in 1381 and ended in 1405, during the reign of his son the Yongle Emperor, with a huge expenditure of resources involving 100,000 laborers. The original wall of the mausoleum was more than 22.5 kilometers long. The mausoleum was built under heavy guard of 5,000 military troops.

The sacred way started from Sifangcheng (Rectangular city) which was a pavilion where a splendid carved stone stele in the memory of the Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang was erected. The stele, known as the "Shengong Shengde Stele" (神功圣德碑), has an inscription in honor of the Hongwu Emperor written by his fourth son, the Yongle Emperor. Standing on top of a giant stone tortoise (5.15 m long, 2.54 m wide and 2.8 m tall) and crowned by intertwining hornless dragons, the well-preserved stele stands 8.78 m tall (including the toroise) and is one of the best-known examples of its genre. The roof of the Sifangcheng pavilion no longer exists, however.

In the middle of the 1800-meter-long winding sacred way, 6 kinds and 12 pairs of animals guard the tomb. Beyond them is a pair of decorative columns called huabiao in Chinese. Four pairs of ministers and generals of stone have been standing there for centuries to accompany His Majesty beneath. On an inscribed stone tablet outside of the gate of the mausoleum, an official notification of the local government in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) is ordered to protect the tomb. Inside the gate, there is a pavilion in which 5 steles stand. The one in the middle, also mounted on a stone tortoise, is inscribed with 4 Chinese characters, "治隆唐宋", which were written by the Qing Dynasty's Kangxi Emperor on his third inspection tour of the South in 1699. The text is interpreted as alluding to the greatness of the Ming Dynasty founder Zhu Yuanzhang, matching (or surpassing) that of the founders of the Tang and Song Dynasties of old.

Behind the pavilion, there used to be other annexes; however most of them have collapsed into relics from which the original splendor can still be traced. The emperor and his queen were buried in a clay vault, 400 meters in diameter. On a stone wall surrounding the vault, 7 Chinese characters were inscribed, identifying the mausoleum of Emperor Ming Taizu (respected title of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang). The mountain to the south of the tomb, known as Meihua Shan ("Plum Flower Mountain"), is the mausoleum of Sun Quan, King of the Kingdom of Wu in the Three Kingdoms period (220-265). The existence of this tomb is the reason why the Sacred Way is not straight. The mausoleum complex suffered significant damage during the mid-19th century Taiping War, but was mostly restored during the Tongzhi era thereafter. In 2003, along with the Ming Dynasty Tombs north of Beijing, the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum of Nanjing was inscribed by UNESCO as part of the World Heritage Sites "Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties".

Cover from Belgium

2011-02-19T19:54:00.000+08:00

Many thanks to Manuel for this beautiful cover from Belgium!

Sylt

2011-02-17T08:09:00.002+08:00

Sylt is an island in northern Germany, part of Nordfriesland district, Schleswig-Holstein and well known for the distinctive shape of its shoreline. It belongs to the North Frisian Islands and is the largest island in North Frisia. The northernmost island of Germany, it is known for its tourist resorts, notably Westerland, Kampen and Wenningstedt-Braderup, as well as for its 40 km long sandy beach. It is frequently covered by the media in connection with its exposed situation in the North Sea and its ongoing loss of land during storm tides. Since 1927, Sylt has been connected to the mainland by the Hindenburgdamm causeway.

Les Sables-d'Olonne

2011-02-15T07:19:00.002+08:00

Les Sables-d'Olonne (French meaning: "the sands of Olonne") is a seaside town in western France, by the Atlantic Ocean. It is a commune and a sub-prefecture of the Vendée department.

The history of Sables-d'Olonne has been linked with the sea ever since its foundation in 1218 from Havre (harbor) d'Olonne by Savary Ier de Mauléon, the lord of Mauléon, Sénéchal of Poitou and prince of Talmont.

* In 1472, Louis XI divided Les Sables d'Olonne from the town of Olonne.
* In the 17th century, the port of Les Sables d'Olonne was the largest cod-fishng port in France, with 14,000 inhabitants
* During the French Revolution, the city supported the Republic, unlike the surrounding Vendée. Thus it was often besieged, but unsuccessfully, thanks to its port.
* The first bathing establishments were started in 1825, intitiating the local tourism industry.
* On 29 December 1866, the railroad reached Les Sables, on the line from La Roche-sur-Yon, Bressuire, Saumur, and Tours. Express service from Paris would arrive in 1971.
* During the night of 27 August 1944, the occupying German army evacuated, destroying the port and mining the harbor.

Manitoba, Canada

2011-02-14T07:16:00.001+08:00

Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of 649,950 square kilometres (250,900 sq mi). The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other major industries are transportation, manufacturing, mining, forestry, energy, and tourism. The largest ethnic group in Manitoba is English Canadian, but there is a significant Franco-Manitoban minority and a growing aboriginal population.

Manitoba's capital and largest city, Winnipeg, is Canada's eighth-largest Census Metropolitan Area, and home to 60% of the population of the province. Winnipeg is the seat of government, home to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the highest court in the jurisdiction, the Manitoba Court of Appeal. Four of the province's five universities, all four of its professional sports teams, and most of its cultural activities (including Festival du Voyageur and Folklorama) are located in Winnipeg. The city has train and bus stations and a busy international airport; a Canadian Forces base operates from the airport and is the regional headquarters of the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

The name Manitoba (meaning "strait of the spirit" or "lake of the prairies") is believed to be derived from the Cree, Ojibwe or Assiniboine language. Fur traders first arrived during the late 17th century. Manitoba became a province of Canada in 1870 after the Red River Rebellion. A general strike took place in Winnipeg in 1919, and the province was hit hard by the Great Depression. This led to the creation of what would become the New Democratic Party of Manitoba, one of the province's major political parties.

FDC from Latvia: Christmas

2011-02-13T06:35:00.001+08:00

Many thanks to Juris for this nice FDC from Latvia!

Tengmalm's Owl(Pearl Owl)

2011-02-12T07:18:00.002+08:00

Tengmalm's Owl, Aegolius funereus, is a small owl. It is known as the Boreal Owl in North America. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, Strigidae, which contains most species of owl. The other grouping is the barn owls, Tytonidae. This bird is named after the Swedish naturalist Peter Gustaf Tengmalm.

The Tengmalm's Owl is 22–27 centimetres (8.7–11 in) long with a 50–62 centimetres (20–24 in) wingspan. It is brown above, with white flecking on the shoulders. Below it is whitish streaked rust color. The head is large, with yellow eyes and a white facial disc, and a "surprised" appearance. The beak is yellow light colored rather than a dark beak like its relative, the Northern Saw-whet Owl. The flight is strong and direct. Young birds are chocolate brown. The bird's call is similar in sound to the "winnowing" of the North American Wilson's Snipe. This species is not normally migratory, but in some autumns significant numbers move further south. It is rarely any great distance south of its breeding range, although this is partly due to the problems of detecting this nocturnal owl outside the breeding season when it is not calling.

Christmas Card

2011-02-11T07:16:00.002+08:00

FDC from India: Joint Issue with Mexico

2011-02-10T07:24:00.001+08:00

Discovery Bay of Lantau Island

2011-02-09T07:21:00.002+08:00

Discovery Bay (DB) is a mixed, primarily residential, development comprising a residential development and private and public recreational facilities in Hong Kong. It is situated on the north-eastern coast of Lantau Island in the New Territories. The development spans an area of 650 hectares, and includes two bays, the Tai Pak Bay (大白灣) and Yi Pak Bay (二白灣).

DB currently (April 2009) consists of 13 residential development phases with properties ranging from garden houses to high-rise towers of up to 24 storeys. The development also features a 400-metre-long privately owned beach (accessible to the public but no lifeguards present), four private membership clubs including a golf club and a marina club and a public park (Siena Central Park). The absence of public recreational facilities is a bone of discontent with the residents especially in view of the fact that the developer has an outstanding obligation to provide 300,000 square metres of such facilities as part of the original plan. Though DB is considered in Hong Kong to be a low-density development due to the amount of open spaces (as measured by the plot to development ratio of 0.12), DB is however the second most populous district (after the New Town of Tung Chung) on the sparsely populated Lantau Island. Unlike many other developments in Hong Kong, pets are allowed in DB, whereas other developments generally ban them.

Mail box of Shanghai II

2011-02-08T12:03:00.002+08:00

I found this interesting mail box in Anting, West Shanghai.