tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45780478731436045732024-02-08T03:12:16.534-08:00My Little Postcard CornerAnuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.comBlogger1074125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-72625496740161997792019-07-25T13:04:00.002-07:002019-07-25T13:04:38.328-07:00What do you know about ThailandOne more card for today. This one is from an Instagram swap with Lily in Finland, from her adventures in Asia. I LOVED reading about them (and looking at the photos, obviously) on Instagram. Incidentally, Instagram is my favourite social media platform, I'm not too keen on Facebook and rarely post there, and I just don't understand Twitter at all. Anyway. Lily sent me two WOW cards from her holiday. This is my favourite postcard series at the moment, I just love the watercolour illustration, they are so pretty. I'm getting tired of the Greetings from... series, not that I'm able to really get any of the new issues as the countries are all so rare. *sigh* Well, it was fun while it lasted. I'm having problems arranging swaps for cards in this series as well - pretty much everyone already has the UK. At least I manage to arrange the occasional swap, though, and have had friends help.<br />
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I was told June is really hot and humid in Thailand. Definitely not a place for me to visit at that time of the year, then! I don't cope very well with hot weather. ...and as I say that, today is the hottest day of the year so far in the UK (possibly EVER, according to the news?!). Over here it's been around +33 C I reckon, which is way too much. I do have this 'cooling towel' I bought on Amazon, but I'm a little disappointed with it. It's basically just a towel that you have to wet, and it cools you down that way. It does work, but it dries in about half an hour or so so I keep having to wet it again and again. As I pointed out on Instagram, I also don't appreciate the comments and the attitude some people have that you shouldn't complain about the heat if you also don't like cold winters either, that 'nothing is good enough'. I'm sorry but I don't cope well with extreme weather, it makes me feel physically unwell. Am I just supposed to pretend that I enjoy this if the hot weather doesn't cause problems to the majority of people?! Not everyone is the same, some people don't tolerate extreme heat or cold well.<br />
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Anyway. The above doesn't really have anything to do with this postcard, and that is what I'm supposed to be talking about here, right?! Oooops... The Lantern Festival mentioned on this card sounds really lovely. And Thai food... although I can't eat most of it at the moment because chemotherapy has totally changed my tastebuds - I can't handle spicy/hot foods *at all*, not even the tiniest amount of heat. It's SO annoying, I used to love spicy food and I've got numerous bottles of chilli sauce in the cupboard that I stocked up on earlier last year. Out of the foods mentioned on this postcard, banana pancakes might still be safe for me to eat, I'm not sure of any of the others. And I suppose you can't really leave chillies out of Thai food?! :(<br />
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Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-89362335948990721972019-07-25T12:44:00.001-07:002019-07-25T12:44:21.131-07:00Archaeological Site of Aigai (modern name Vergina), GreeceAnother postcard from Sini in Finland... This wasn't my intention when choosing the cards to post about, but then again, she does send me some of the most amazing postcards so I don't really see a problem. ;) This is from Sini's trip to Greece earlier this year. I wish I could travel even half as much as she does... I'm not even sure when I'll be able to travel abroad again... or how expensive it will be - I've heard it's either really difficult or ridiculously expensive to get travel insurance if you have cancer and are receiving chemotherapy. No fair! :(<br />
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The city of Aigai, the ancient first capital of the Kingdom of Macedonia, was discovered in the 19th century near Vergina, in northern Greece. The most important remains are the monumental palace, lavishly decorated with mosaics and painted stuccoes, and the burial ground with more than 300 tumuli, some of which date from the 11th century B.C. One of the royal tombs in the Great Tumulus is identified as that of Philip II, who conquered all the Greek cities, paving the way for his son Alexander and the expansion of the Hellenistic world.<br />
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Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-51733259300483713632019-07-25T12:37:00.002-07:002019-07-25T12:38:12.165-07:00Bled, SloveniaSlovenia seems like SUCH a beautiful country, it would be wonderful to get to visit it one day. A Finnish friend of mine, Keiju, got to visit it earlier this summer and treated me to this GLORIOUS postcard (the top one; the second one is from a swap with Europa stamps). Apparently it's always raining at Bled! Just look at these stunning views, though!<br />
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Lake Bled is a lake in the Julian Alps of the Upper Carniolan region of northwestern Slovenia, where it adjoins the town of Bled. The area is a tourist destination. The lake is 35 km from Ljubljana International Airport and 55 km from the capital city, Ljubljana.
The lake is of mixed glacial and tectonic origin. It is 2,120 m long and 1,380 m wide, with a maximum depth of 29.5 m, and it has a small island. The lake lies in a picturesque environment, surrounded by mountains and forests. Medieval Bled Castle stands above the lake on the north shore and has a museum. The Zaka Valley lies at the west end of the lake. The World Rowing Championships in 1966, 1979, 1989, and 2011 were held at Lake Bled.<br />
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The lake surrounds Bled Island (Blejski otok). The island has several buildings, the main one being the pilgrimage church dedicated to the Assumption of Mary (Cerkev Marijinega vnebovzetja), built in its current form near the end of the 17th century, and decorated with remains of Gothic frescos from around 1470 in the presbyterium and rich Baroque equipment. The church has a 52 m tower and there is a Baroque stairway dating from 1655 with 99 stone steps leading up to the building. The church is frequently visited and weddings are held there regularly. Traditionally it is considered good luck for the groom to carry his bride up the steps on the day of their wedding before ringing the bell and making a wish inside the church.<br />
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^The stamp on Keiju's card. We were both wondering if this is a real stamp as the image is so blurry?!?<br />
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^...and the stamps on the second card. How beautiful are they?! Once again I'm annoyed at the Royal Mail for not issuing a Europa stamp this year. Why, WHY are they not interested in participating??
Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-67909930156590448802019-07-25T12:24:00.000-07:002019-07-25T12:44:48.360-07:00Stockholm, SwedenAnother holiday postcard here, this time from the lovely <a href="https://thewholeworldatyourhands.blogspot.com/">Ana</a>. She has been to so many awesome places! I think I've only been to Stockholm once, I would really love to go there again some time!<br />
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Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and the most populous urban area in the Nordic countries; 965,232 people live in the municipality, approximately 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropolitan area. The city stretches across fourteen islands where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea. Outside the city to the east, and along the coast, is the island chain of the Stockholm archipelago. The area has been settled since the Stone Age, in the 6th millennium BC, and was founded as a city in 1252 by Swedish statesman Birger Jarl. It is also the county seat of Stockholm County.<br />
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Stockholm is the cultural, media, political, and economic centre of Sweden. The Stockholm region alone accounts for over a third of the country's GDP, and is among the top 10 regions in Europe by GDP per capita. It is an important global city, and the main centre for corporate headquarters in the Nordic region. The city is home to some of Europe's top ranking universities, such as the Stockholm School of Economics, Karolinska Institute and Royal Institute of Technology (KTH). It hosts the annual Nobel Prize ceremonies and banquet at the Stockholm Concert Hall and Stockholm City Hall. One of the city's most prized museums, the Vasa Museum, is the most visited non-art museum in Scandinavia. The Stockholm metro, opened in 1950, is well known for the decor of its stations; it has been called the longest art gallery in the world. Sweden's national football arena is located north of the city centre, in Solna. Ericsson Globe, the national indoor arena, is in the southern part of the city. The city was the host of the 1912 Summer Olympics, and hosted the equestrian portion of the 1956 Summer Olympics otherwise held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.<br />
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Stockholm is the seat of the Swedish government and most of its agencies, including the highest courts in the judiciary, and the official residencies of the Swedish monarch and the Prime Minister. The government has its seat in the Rosenbad building, the Riksdag (Swedish parliament) is seated in the Parliament House, and the Prime Minister's residence is adjacent at Sager House. Stockholm Palace is the official residence and principal workplace of the Swedish monarch, while Drottningholm Palace, a World Heritage Site on the outskirts of Stockholm, serves as the Royal Family's private residence.<br />
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Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-11987792482590119282019-07-25T12:17:00.002-07:002019-07-25T12:17:22.188-07:00Helsinki, FinlandThis is one of the two non-holiday cards for today. Although... it's from a meet-up that Addis from Puerto Rico attended when she was on holiday in Finland, so technically this could be a holiday card as well...?! :D I received this from Sini, though, she keeps spoiling me with wonderful postcards, often from her travels.<br />
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I remember seeing a picture of this postcard on Instagram and thinking how awesome it is, wishing I would receive one as well but very much doubting the possibility. I was so pleased to be wrong! :) I just really, really like the picture. It reminds me of my childhood - I used to go to places like this wih my mum to wash carpets. I can't remember if they were run by the local council, they very well could have been and I think they still exist. I'm not sure how environmentally friendly they are, though, when all the washing liquids etc end up in the lake/sea. The picture used on this card was taken in the 1950's.<br />
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Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-43208369119204445202019-07-25T12:10:00.003-07:002019-07-25T12:10:34.174-07:00Alghero, Sardinia, ItalyOoops... It's been almost a year since I last posted here! That certainly wasn't my intention. Things have happened during this time, though, and my life has been pretty much turned upside down. In October last year I was diagnosed with bowel cancer that had also spread to my liver and lungs. Not something I would have expected as a 36-year old! I had rather an evently 6-week hospital stay, and have been having chemotherapy since. (My next session is tomorrow.) Needless to say postcards got neglected for a while after the diagnosis, but I got back to swapping and collecting postcards fairly quickly again as it's one of the things that keep me at least somewhat sane and brings me joy. I'm trying to remain positive, and postcards have definitely helped with that!<br />
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There's a theme for today's cards - apart from a couple, they were all sent by friends or other Postcrossers from their holidays. It has been really interesting to hear more about their trips, and while I'm not able to travel anywhere outside of the UK at the moment (or even too far in the UK), this still brings me into holiday mood. :)<br />
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Today's first card is from my friends Keith and Jackie. They were on holiday in Sardinia earlier this summer. I asked them if they could send me a postcard, and they did! This might be my first postcard from Sardinia as well, I'm not quite sure. Hmmm...<br />
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Alghero, also known in the local Algherese dialect as L'Alguer, is a town of about 45,000 inhabitants in the Italian insular province of Sassari in northwestern Sardinia, next to the Mediterranean Sea. Part of its population descends from Catalan conquerors from the end of the Middle Ages, when Sardinia was part of the Crown of Aragon. Hence, the Catalan language is co-official (a unique situation in Italy) and known as the Alguerès dialect. The name Alghero comes from Aleguerium, which is a mediaeval Latin word meaning "stagnation of algae" (Posidonia oceanica).<br />
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Alghero is the third university center in the island, coming after Cagliari and Sassari. It hosts the headquarters of the Università degli Studi di Sassari’s Architecture and Design department. In 2012 it was the 10th most visited city by tourists in Italy.<br />
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Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and before Cyprus). It is located west of the Italian Peninsula and to the immediate south of the French island of Corsica.<br />
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Sardinia is politically a region of Italy, whose official name is Regione Autonoma della Sardegna / Regione Autònoma de Sardigna (Autonomous Region of Sardinia), and enjoys some degree of domestic autonomy granted by a specific Statute. It is divided into four provinces and a metropolitan city, with Cagliari being the region's capital and also its largest city. Sardinia's indigenous language and the other minority languages (Sassarese, Corsican Gallurese, Algherese Catalan and Ligurian Tabarchino) spoken on the island are recognized by the regional law and enjoy "equal dignity" with Italian.<br />
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Due to the variety of its ecosystems, which include mountains, woods, plains, largely uninhabited territories, streams, rocky coasts and long sandy beaches, the island has been defined metaphorically as a micro-continent. In the modern era, many travelers and writers have extolled the beauty of its untouched landscape, which houses the vestiges of the Nuragic civilization.<br />
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I don't normally comment on stamps here, but this one is just weird! Anyone got any information on this? It reminds me of the stamps I once bought in Spain... Why does the cancellation say 'San Marino'?? Strange!
Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-3768484745923228102018-08-26T04:42:00.001-07:002018-08-26T04:42:31.927-07:00Maribor, SloveniaJust one more card for today. This one is from dear <a href="https://thewholeworldatyourhands.blogspot.com/">Ana</a> from her holidays in December last year. Maribor certainly looks lovely and cosy! I'm looking forward to sending some holiday cards in October as well. :) I also have two days holiday next month - my sister is coming to London so I'll go see her (I just need to book train or coach tickets and accommodation now...). I don't think I'll send any postcards from London though. :P I'm more looking forward to meeting my sister again as I haven't seen her for quite a while.<br />
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Maribor is the second-largest city in Slovenia and the largest city of the traditional region of Lower Styria. It is also the seat of the City Municipality of Maribor.<br />
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Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-50644034617796934482018-08-26T04:31:00.001-07:002018-08-26T04:31:58.895-07:00GuernseyI've been trying to post more recent cards (i.e. received either this year or last year) today so here is another one from this summer. This is from the 'I'm going on Vacation RR' on the Postcrossing forum, I've actually been able to get into a few groups recently. This is still one of my only written & stamped postcards from Guernsey.<br />
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The views sure look gorgeous here! Top left corner is 'Petit Port', next to it is 'Moulin Huet'. Bottom left shows 'Icart View' and the fourth picture shows 'Fermain'. I would rather like to visit Guernsey some time but I've heard it's really expensive and I'm not sure how there would be to do...<br />
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I'm so happy to receive another Europa stamp. It has been difficult to collect them again this year because once again the Royal Mail haven't bothered to issue one. ...and there are plenty of great bridges in the UK! It seems they just don't care about Europa stamps anymore. :(
Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-71312973794119130362018-08-26T04:24:00.001-07:002018-08-26T04:24:27.974-07:00Greetings from KyrgyzstanI'm starting to lose interest with this series a bit... the cards all seem so alike no and it seems like there's not much effort put into them, although that could just be me... although it does depress me that a lot of senders can't be bothered to write anything other than 'greetings from x country' on their card.<br />
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I don't even know what else to write about this card... apart from the fact that I bet there aren't 80 ACTIVE Postcrossing members in Kyrgyzstan, something that has always frustrated me about this series.<br />
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Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-39825865819553727022018-08-26T03:57:00.002-07:002018-08-26T03:57:27.710-07:00Engelsberg Ironworks, SwedenNot moving very far with this card... This is from a swap with Doris in Sweden earlier this month.<br />
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Ecomuseum Bergslagen (Swedish: Ekomuseum Bergslagen) is an open-air museum in the western part of the former mining and smelting region of Bergslagen in central Sweden. The museum opened in 1986 and is today the world's largest ecomuseum. The museum is a joint project of the municipalities Ludvika, Smedjebacken, Fagersta, Norberg, Skinnskatteberg, Surahammar and Hallstahammar. Two provincial museums in Dalarna and Västmanland County participate in the project.
Ecomuseum Bergslagen is a 750 square kilometre area reaching from Lake Mälaren in the south to Forest Finns forests in the north. It takes about three hours by car to travel from north to south and the visitors travel on their own through the landscape. About 60 sites describe how human beings have used the region's natural resources to survive over time. The history of production of iron is the theme of the museum. Bergslagen was once the most important iron area in Sweden.<br />
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You can follow the history of mining for more than 2000 years – from 400 BC until today. Ekomuseum Bergslagen shows mythical pre-historic ironwork sites with historical blast furnacees and smithy, rolling mills, and modern steel businesses along the vital transportation route, the Strömsholms Canal. But also castles, such as Strömsholm Palace, workers' homes in Ludvika and Grängesberg and Forest Finns simple settlements and cottages near Grangärde. The museum includes several mining areas, local museums, electric power stations, historical railways (Engelsberg-Norberg Railway), and a historical railway museum (Railway museum Grängesberg). One of the attractions is Lapphyttan in Norberg Municipality, may be regarded as the type site for the Medieval Blast Furnace. Its date is probably between 1150 and 1350. It produced cast iron, which was then fined to make ferritic wrought iron cake or bun-like blooms. Another attraction is <b>Engelsberg Ironworks</b> (Swedish: Engelsbergs bruk), an ironworks in Ängelsberg. It was built in 1681 and is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site since 1993.<br />
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Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-86928450559221740962018-08-26T03:48:00.002-07:002018-08-26T03:48:29.738-07:00What do you know about FinlandContinuing on with the 'summer postcard pal' theme... I've been doing it for years but it hasn't seemed so popular this year. I was only able to find one postcard pal for this summer which is a shame, although the cards from Henriikka have been real treats so I could say it's also quality over quantity.. ;) She helped send back this card from Finland - I've started collecting this series but it has been difficult to arrange swaps. ....and I think this series is so much prettier than, say, 'World Travel', and even 'Greetings from' cards now all seem to look the same... :/<br />
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I rather like the fact that Finland has more heavy metal bands per capita than any other country in the world. It has always seemed pretty obvious to me, and most local bands in my old hometown, Lappeenranta, seemed to be metal bands when I was young and I think they still are. Henriikka told me that a while back there was a competition to find the 'heavy metal capital' of Finland, and that Lemi, a small municipality next to Lappeenranta, won. Yay!<br />
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This set of food stamps was issued earlier this year. I think they are awesome, there's also rye bread, salmiakki... and this one with 'bread cheese'. It's gorgeous and one of the things I miss from Finland. ..cloudberries, also seen on this stamp, are also very tasty.
Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-81376771663317596302018-08-26T03:36:00.004-07:002018-08-26T03:36:55.735-07:00Nordkalotten, LaplandIt has cooled down SO much since I last wrote here.. The heatwave is definitely over, it's not fairly chilly and raining and I've actually had to turn our little heater on because I was so cold. I'm still glad it's not so ridiculously hot anymore as the heat was making me ill... Not that I've been feeling too well recently but that's another story.. :P<br />
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Anyway... I've been meaning to post about this card for a while, I received it last year from 'Tua' in Finland. She was one of my 'summer postcard pals' last summer and I really enjoyed receiving cards from her, they were something different as she lives quite far north in the Finnish Lapland. You can't tell it from here but this card is HUGE so you can actually read the place names and see the little pictures. :)<br />
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The Cap of the North (Nordkalotten in Norwegian and Swedish, or Pohjoiskalotti in Finnish) consists of the counties Finnmark, Nordland and Troms in Norway, Norrbotten County in Sweden, Lapland/Lappi Region in Finland and Murmansk Oblast in Russia.<br />
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This area is roughly equal to the parts of Fennoscandia (including the Kola Peninsula in Russia) lying north of the Arctic Circle. The region has a subarctic climate and is home to the majority of the Sámi people.<br />
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Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-79613306528634830272018-07-14T13:31:00.001-07:002018-07-14T13:31:15.147-07:00Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots, ArmeniaToday's last card is from the lovely Sini who keeps surprising me with lots of lovely postcards from her travels. She has visited some amazing places, it's always fascinating to read about her travels.<br />
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The cathedral and churches of Echmiatsin and the archaeological remains at Zvartnots graphically illustrate the evolution and development of the Armenian central-domed cross-hall type of church, which exerted a profound influence on architectural and artistic development in the region.<br />
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The city of Echmiatsin is located in the Armavir Marz region of Armenia. The settlement has existed since ancient times, as evidenced by Stone, Bronze, and Iron Age archaeological sites located in and near the city. The oldest written information about Echmiatsin refers to the period of the Urartian King Rusa II (685-645 BC). The settlement was mentioned in the Urartian cuneiform inscription by the name of Kuarlini. Life in this Armenian settlement has continued uninterrupted. The town has been called, successively, Artimed, during the rule of Yervandunis (as evidenced by Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi (5th century AD)), Vardgesavan, and afterwards Vagharshapat, during the age of development under the rule of King Vagharsh I Arshakuni (AD 117-140). The name Echmiatsin was used along with that of Vagharshapat after the adoption of Christianity (AD 301).<br />
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The inscribed property is divided into three separate areas: the first area includes the Mother Cathedral of Echmiatsin and St Gayane Church. The area is about 30.2 ha. 18.8 ha belongs to the Mother See of Echmiatsin (the Mother Cathedral and surrounding constructions covering 16.4 ha, the St Gayane Church and surrounding buildings covering 2.0 ha, and the cemetery of the congregation covering 0.4 ha) and 11.4 ha belongs to the community of Echmiatsin City. The second area includes St Hripsime Church and St Shoghakat Church. This area is about 25.3 ha, with 6.2 ha being the territory of St Hripsimeh Church, belonging to the Mother See. The remaining 19.2 ha belongs to the community of Echmiatsin City.<br />
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The third area consists of the archaeological site of Zvartnots, with the ruins of the temple, Catholicos Palace and other constructions, and occupies about 18.8 ha.<br />
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The religious buildings of Echmiatsin and the archaeological remains at Zvartnots bear witness to the implantation of Christianity in Armenia and to the evolution of a unique Armenian ecclesiastical architecture, which exerted a profound influence on architectural and artistic development in the region. They graphically illustrate the evolution and flowering of the Armenian central-domed cross-hall type of church.<br />
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Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-65476059349917484822018-07-14T13:21:00.002-07:002018-07-14T13:21:33.365-07:00Palojoki, Lapland, Finland...and now for something I have been dreaming of recently.. even more so than being on a tropical beach :P I think it has been more since I moved to England that I have learned to appreciate the beauty and the tranquility of the Finnish nature. There's something here that makes me very "homesick". ...and yet England is my home now...<br />
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This card is from one of my 'summer card pals', Tua, from last year. I really like that project and have been participating on the Finnish Postcrossing forum on it for years. It doesn't seem too active this year, I'm a little disappointment I must say. It was so much fun last year and I received so many gorgeous postcards such as this from Lapland. The sender of this card lives in a village near this river. It looks so calm and tranquil. It would probably be nice to swim in the river at the moment, too, if you were there now as Lapland has been having a heatwave for a while now as well. Not something you get every year! :o<br />
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The stamp is from a set of awesome sauna stamps issued last year. I have a bit of a thing for the sauna and collect postcards relating to it. I have a fairly reasonable <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ichabodhides/sets/72157622922056802/">collection</a> by now as well. <b>NOTE: the link is not work safe and some of the pictures contain nudity.</b>
Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-21424129016226439942018-07-14T13:09:00.002-07:002018-07-14T13:10:45.313-07:00Greetings from CyprusI have picked some predominantly blue cards for today. ...to try and feel a bit cooler myself?? :P This postcard is from a swap with Sandra, she helped in designing this card as well which I think is pretty awesome. <br />
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The picture here shows the birthplace of Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation. She is identified with the planet Venus, which is named after the Roman goddess Venus, with whom Aphrodite was extensively syncretized. Aphrodite's major symbols include myrtles, roses, doves, sparrows, and swans.<br />
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Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-29552159279064744822018-07-14T13:01:00.002-07:002018-07-14T13:01:25.314-07:00MaldivesWe have been having a heatwave here in England for... umm.. I can't even remember how long for now, it must be at least three weeks or that what it feels like. I know I shouldn't complain because normally I'm too cold, but it's getting rather uncomfortable when I can't sleep properly at night (even with a fan on in my bedroom and the window open) and I'm constantly tired. If you close your eyes you can almost imagine being in a tropical paradise :p I wouldn't say no to a calm beach like this!<br />
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This postcard is from a friend, his mum had a stack of postcards from different places that he found when she passed away... This is one of them. I don't know whether she actually ever visited the Maldives, probably. She was such an amazing woman, I miss her.<br />
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The Maldives remained largely unknown to tourists until the early 1970s. Only 185 islands are home to its 300,000 inhabitants. The other islands are used entirely for economic purposes, of which tourism and agriculture are the most dominant. Tourism accounts for 28% of the GDP and more than 60% of the Maldives' foreign exchange receipts. Over 90% of government tax revenue comes from import duties and tourism-related taxes.<br />
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<br />Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-27259462393645934412018-07-12T06:10:00.003-07:002018-07-12T06:10:38.481-07:00Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn, AustriaOne more for today... another swap from last year and also a Unesco card with a Europa stamp and gorgeous special cancellations. :) Thank you so much, Marco!<br />
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From the 18th century to 1918, Schönbrunn was the residence of the Habsburg emperors. It was designed by the architects Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and Nicolaus Pacassi and is full of outstanding examples of decorative art. Together with its gardens, the site of the world’s first zoo in 1752, it is a remarkable Baroque ensemble and a perfect example of <i>Gesamtkunstwerk</i>.<br />
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Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-2352876427428931792018-07-12T06:05:00.001-07:002018-07-12T06:05:25.652-07:00Guimarães, PortugalJust a couple of other random cards for today... This one is from a swap from last year. I was actually able to collect some Europa stamps then as the Royal Mail decided to issue one as well and I was able to offer a Europa stamp for swap. This year, once again, the Royal Mail haven't bothered :(<br />
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The exceptionally well preserved Historic Centre of Guimarães, located in the northern Portugal district of Braga, is often referred to as the cradle of the Portuguese nationality. The history of Guimarães is closely associated with the creation of the national identity and language of Portugal. The city was the feudal territory of the Portuguese Dukes who declared the independence of Portugal in the mid-12th century.<br />
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Founded in the 4th century, Guimarães became the first capital of Portugal in the 12th century. Its historic centre is an extremely well preserved and an authentic example of the evolution of a medieval settlement into a modern town, its rich building typology exemplifying the specific development of Portuguese architecture from the 15th to the 19th centuries through the consistent use of traditional building materials and techniques. This variety of different building types documents the responses to the evolving needs of the community. A particular type of construction developed here in the Middle Ages was used widely in the then Portuguese colonies. It featured a ground floor in granite with a half-timbered structure above, a technology that was transmitted to Portuguese colonies in Africa and the New World, becoming their characteristic feature.<br />
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The Historic Centre of Guimarães is distinguished in particular for the integrity of its historically authentic building stock. Examples from the period from 950 to 1498 include the two anchors around which Guimarães initially developed, the castle in the north and the monastic complex in the south. The period from 1498 to 1693 is characterized by noble houses and the development of civic facilities, city squares, etc. While there have been some changes during the modern era, the historic centre of Guimarães has maintained its medieval urban layout. The continuity in traditional technology and the maintenance and gradual change have contributed to an exceptionally harmonious townscape.<br />
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Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-45102037282843174662018-07-12T05:59:00.002-07:002018-07-12T05:59:47.917-07:00What do you know about the USALong time no see... I hadn't realised it's been over a year since my last update. Ooops... I don't think I'll ever catch up with this, as even if I have the time, most of the time I'm not in the mood for doing this.<br />
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Anyway... I've started collecting a new postcard series. I wasn't going to, but I think these water colours are really pretty and the cards are really nice. I'm posting this one now mainly because I'll be going to the USA myself later this year. :) I'll be going to Orlando, Florida for 10 days in October and very much looking forward to it, although I'm also a little nervous as I've never been outside of Europe before. It should be interesting, though. I'm not too keen on Disney but I definitely want to visit the Universal Studios - and travel on the Hogwarts Express ;)<br />
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This card is from a swap with Julia earlier this year. She added a little bit of information on the back of the card as well, about the Four Corners Monument. It is the only place in the US where four states intersect: Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado. You can stand on that spot and truly be in four states at one time.<br />
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Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-50612345813472409152017-05-08T13:01:00.003-07:002017-05-08T13:01:50.003-07:00Trinidad, CubaThis card only arrived last week and was a complete surprise. Sini from Finland was on holiday in Cuba recently and decided to send me a card, thank you a million again! It has been really interesting to hear about your holiday!<br />
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Trinidad is a town in the province of Sancti Spíritus, central Cuba. Together with the nearby Valle de los Ingenios, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988.<br />
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Trinidad was founded on December 23, 1514 by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar under the name Villa de la Santísima Trinidad.<br />
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Hernán Cortés recruited men for his expedition from Juan de Grijalva's home in Trinidads, and Sancti Spíritus, at the start of his 1518 expedition. This included Pedro de Alvarado and his five brothers. After ten days, Cortes sailed, the alcayde Francisco Verdugo failing to prevent Cortes from leaving, despite orders from Diego Velázquez.<br />
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Francisco Iznaga, a Basque landowner in the southern portion of Cuba during the first 30 years of the colonization of Cuba, was elected Mayor of Bayamo in 1540. Iznaga was the originator of a powerful lineage which finally settled in Trinidad where the Torre Iznaga (Iznaga Tower) is. His descendants fought for the independence of Cuba and for annexation to the U.S., from 1820 to 1900.<br />
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Trinidad is one of the best-preserved cities in the Caribbean from the time when the sugar trade was the main industry in the region.<br />
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Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-9320141451911681032017-05-08T12:54:00.000-07:002017-05-08T12:54:12.185-07:00Greetings from LatviaWhat does it say about this series that they aren't always even checked properly before going for printing, like here - one of the 'famous Latvians' is listed twice?! Unless I'm very much mistaken, a corrected issue was published later.. I've pretty much given up on trying to get the new issues as well because they all seem to be such hard-to-get countries and I'm not willing to pay ridiculous amounts for mint stamps/extra cards etc. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. ....and I should still be getting the new special edition Finland card as I managed to arrange a swap for it. :)<br />
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This one is from a swap from two years ago.<br />
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I tried to find more information about this apparently very famous Arvīds Blūmentāls but Wikipedia doesn't have any information about them in English. ...and I'm too lazy to comment on anything else. :P<br />
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Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-85982388502507944102017-05-08T12:45:00.002-07:002017-05-08T12:45:41.652-07:00Manawatu Gorge, New ZealandAnother way overdue post... I don't think I'll be back to updating this blog regularly anymore, I have tried and failed too many times, but I'll try to do it occasionally. I have just been too busy and/or other things have taken priority. I got reminded about updating a few days ago when I had a nice email from Jacob, asking for a swap. It certainly cheered me up, although I'm a little confused that apparently someone still reads this blog :O ...so I thought I'd update briefly again and picked a couple of random cards from my pile of cards that I've been wanting to write about. The first one is from a Postcrossing forum RR from last year.<br />
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The Manawatu Gorge (in Māori Te Apiti, meaning "The Narrow Passage") runs for 6-9 km between the Ruahine and Tararua Ranges in the south part of the North Island of New Zealand, linking the Manawatu and Hawke's Bay regions. It lies to the northeast of Palmerston North. Its western end is near the small town of Ashhurst, its eastern end is close to the town of Woodville.<br />
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The Manawatu Gorge is significant because, unlike most gorges, the Manawatu River is a water gap, that is it runs directly through the surrounding ranges from one side to the other. This was caused by the ranges moving upwards at the same time as the gorge was eroded by the river, instead of the more usual erosion of an already existing range.<br />
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The Manawatu River is the only river in New Zealand that starts its journey on one side of the main divide and finishes it on the other side.<br />
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A single track rail connection was established on the northern side of the gorge; it was completed in 1891 and is now part of the Palmerston North – Gisborne Line. The rail connection is mainly used by goods trains; there are currently no scheduled passenger rail services through the gorge. Occasional railway excursions, typically with steam trains, also make use of the scenic Manawatu Gorge Railway line with its two tunnels and several small bridges.<br />
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Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-46943169321935111852016-09-10T12:01:00.001-07:002016-09-10T12:03:06.059-07:00That Luang, Vientiane, LaosApologies for the lack of posts here, I know I have been completely useless at updating this blog. This summer hasn't been too good, however. I don't want to go into more detail here, let's just say that I haven't exactly been in the mood for posting here. I've been pretty rubbish with sending postcards as well for the past few months, and as a result, haven't had many back. ...which is why I was so surprised to find this postcard from Jobbo in my mailbox earlier this week. I wasn't expecting anything like this at all! Thank you a million, Jobbo, you really cheered me up!<br />
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Vientiane is the capital and largest city of Laos, on the banks of the Mekong River near the border with Thailand. Vientiane became the capital in 1563 due to fears of a Burmese invasion. Vientiane was the administrative capital during French rule and, due to economic growth in recent times, is now the economic centre of Laos. The estimated population of the city is 760,000 (2015).<br />
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Pha That Luang is a gold-covered large Buddhist stupa in the centre of Vientiane, Laos. Since its initial establishment, suggested to be in the 3rd century, the stupa has undergone several reconstructions as recently as the 1930s due to foreign invasions of the area. It is generally regarded as the most important national monument in Laos and a national symbol. Vientiane's most important Theravada Buddhist festival, "Bun That Luang", is held here for three days during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (November).<br />
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Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-11608198109481217722016-05-16T13:15:00.003-07:002016-05-16T13:15:51.929-07:00Year of the Monkey, VietnamToday's last card is from the same RR as the Australian library I just posted about. This is such a cheerful card!<br />
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Vietnamese stamps always seem to be so pretty and colourful, they are some of my favourites when it comes to stamps. The Vietnamese Lunar Year stamps always have such a nice design, too!<br />
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Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4578047873143604573.post-15030783968069287042016-05-16T13:10:00.000-07:002016-05-16T13:12:55.956-07:00National Library of Australia, Canberra, AustraliaThis card arrived through a Round Robin on the Postcrossing forum (the theme of this particular group was Year of the Monkey stamps). I love libraries so it's always nice to see them on postcards, too.<br />
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The National Library of Australia is the largest reference library of Australia, responsible under the terms of the National Library Act for "maintaining and developing a national collection of library material, including a comprehensive collection of library material relating to Australia and the Australian people." In 2012–2013, the National Library collection comprised 6,496,772 items, and an additional 15,506 metres of manuscript material.<br />
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Anuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.com0