Lara's Cards and More

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-09T21:38:00.003-05:00

For the Wordless Wednesday, I would like to add this postcard. I have a collection of them and some are very hilarious! They are also all for trade as my daughter bought 2 copies of the postcard book. She absolutely loved them!

Lisbon, Portugal

2009-09-08T23:09:00.004-05:00

Lisbon (or Lisboa in Portugese) is a capital and the largest city in Portugal. I could not believe how old this city is! The archeological findings dated back to Neolithic period are found there! From wikipedia: Since 1200 BC, a Phoenician trading post might have occupied the centre of the present city. Lisbon was under Roman rule from 205 BC, when it was already a 1000 year old town. Julius Caesar made it a municipium called Felicitas Julia, adding to the name Olissipo. Ruled by a series of Germanic tribes from the 5th century, it was captured by Moors in the 8th century. In 1147, the Crusaders under Afonso Henriques reconquered the city for the Christians and since then it has been a major political, economic and cultural center of Portugal.
This card makes me want to go travel to far away lands and unknown places!

All About Women RR

2009-09-02T21:38:00.008-05:00

I have so enjoyed participating in this special Round Robin! Although the name of the group was "Women in groups", all of the cards I received were also black and white! I never thought I would enjoy the black and white cards so much! I always love color, but I am rethinking now...

First card comes from Paris, France. "Can you hear the drums and hear the beat?" asks my sender.

Another card is from the Netherlands. The caption reads: "Eddy van der Veen, 1996/ "Stranddutje!" (which in English means "beach nap"). Nice nap!! I wonder if the gazebo was provided or they brought it themselves??

To continue the theme of elderly people, comes this card from California. I loved the caption MonkeyFlower left me: "I guess these women are having fun. The one on the left does look like she wishes that she was somewhere else".

And on with the sun and nap, this card is from Helsinki, Finland. It is a french card that is copyrighted to Robert Doisneau "The Hairdressers in the Sun, 1966". A bliss!!!

Rungus ethnic group, Malaysia

2009-09-01T11:38:00.004-05:00

Through the traditional costumes tag, came this beautiful card from Cikgu Dale. Rungus is an ingenious tribe which inhabits the Kudat Peninsula of Borneo. Here is a bit of info from VirtualMalaysia.com: "The Rungus, a sub-tribe of the Kadazan-dusun people, are the main ethnic group living in Kudat. They are renowned in Sabah as highly skilled artisans who traditionally make local plant seeds and clay. They still maintain the longhouse community system whereby a longhouse which begins as a single apartment built by the father, and when children grow and start their own families, they build similar apartment to their father’s unit, thus creating a longhouse." Very beautiful beadwork! If you would like to read more about his particular costume, please visit this site.

Happy postcrossing!

Sapa, Vietnam

2009-09-01T11:16:00.007-05:00

I am sorry for abandoning my blog for a while. My Dad's visit from Russia, my older daughter starting Middle School and a little one going to Kindergarten kept me very busy this month.

I will have to hurry and catch to all the amazing and wonderful happening in the Postcrossing World!

Here is a card I received through an Expat Tag from Jo (RussianRuby). It depicts Sapa (or Sa Pa) - a small picturesque town in Northwestern Vietnam, on the Hoang Lien Son mountain range near the Chinese border. I am especially excited about this card, because it is a home place to one of the minority people, called Hmong. There is a large population of Hmong living in Minnesota after they relocated here as a result of the Vietnam war. If you watched Clint Eastwood's "Gran Torino", these are the people in the movie. I love the tranquil look of these terraced fields and hills! But can't even imagine the walking you have to do to work them!!!

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Postcard Friendship Friday - rare countries

2009-08-07T00:05:00.007-05:00

Some of the countries are considered more rare than others among the postcrossers. Most often, the reason is the size of the country, therefore the size of the population. Recently, I had a chance to receive 2 of the cards from more rare countries. One is from Montenegro (14 postcrossers registered) and another one is from Cyprus (only 10 people registered). The card from Montenegro comes via Yelena (vergi) from Russia, who visited the country on vacation this summer.Montenegro ( Montenegrin: Црна Гора/Crna Gora) (meaning "Black Mountain" in Montenegrin) is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It is on the coast on the Adriatic Sea. Its capital and largest city is Podgorica, while Cetinje is designated as the Prijestonica (Пријестоница), meaning the former Royal Capital City. From 1918, it was a part of former Yugoslavia. The independence was declared on June 3, 2006. The population is about 670,000 people, who mostly speak Serbian language and belong to Orthodox Christian church. The town of Bečići is a resort town on the sea.

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Another rare card comes from a Finnish user, who lives in Cyprus. It was actually an official card, so I can consider myself lucky for receiving it, I guess. :)By the look of the ruins in the top picture, I was able to find out that they are located near the city of Limassol and used to a beautiful Temple of Apollo. Apollo Hylates, God of the Woodland, was the protector of the city of Kourion. The cult of Apollo was celebrated here from the eighth century B.C. to the A.D. fourth century. The second picture might be from the ancient Roman city of Salamis in the northern (Turkish) part of Cyprus. Legend has it that one of the heroes of Trojan war, Teucer, built the city and it became the capital of Cyprus as long ago as 1100 BC. The ruins that remain are from the Roman period. Salamis was a very important economic center. The Romans built a lot of buildings with beautiful colorful decorations and columns. Later, the city became base for the early Christianity, as Apostle Barnabas lived and died there. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the location of the third picture. Maybe, one day I could visit Cyprus and find out for myself? I sure hope so!

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London, England

2009-08-06T22:16:00.004-05:00

Through the geography Round Robin, comes this beautiful multiview card with famous sites of London. Wonderful card and amazing views!!!

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Alcobaça - amazing monastery

2009-08-05T23:33:00.004-05:00

Some postcards seem to be just ordinary postcards. But some hold much more - a new place, and a new story. This postcard comes from a town of Alcobaça in Portugal. The Alcobaça Monastery (Portuguese: Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Alcobaça) is a medieval monastery located in the town of Alcobaça, in central Portugal.

Some history and a love story:

In the 12th century Alcobaça became the site for the construction of the Portugal's largest church. In the month of March in 1147, the fledgling King, Dom Afonso Henriques defeated the Moors by capturing the city of Santarem. As a suitable memory to this splendid victory he vowed to build a magnificent home for the Order of Cistercians. It took another 76 years before this task was completed. The monarchy continued to endow the Monastery of Alcobaça with further construction, and 60 years later King Dinis built the main cloister but it was only in 1252 that the Monastery was inaugurated within the church.

In the church are the tombs of King Pedro I and his murdered mistress, Inês de Castro. Forced at an early age by royal duty he had to marry Constanza, the Infanta of Castile, in 1336. She died in 1345, and created the opportunity for Dom Pedro to escape with his true love and live in the city of Coimbra. King Alfonso IV, his father, believing that the family of Inês to be a threat to his own kingdom, had her murdered. Shortly after the death of his father, Dom Pedro declared that he had married Inês in a prior secret ceremony in Braganca, promptly taking revenge on the killers in a very gruesome manner and exhumed her body. He presented the embalmed corpse at court with a crown on her head and demanded that all his courtiers kneel and individually pay homage to her decomposed hand. Their ornate tombs have been facing each other for 650 years (!) and on Judgement day, his first sight would be of his beloved Inês."

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The Hill of Crosses

2009-08-02T22:41:00.003-05:00

Some info from www.sacredsites.com:
"The Hill of Crosses, Kryzių Kalnas, located 12 kilometers north of the small industrial city of Siauliai (pronounced shoo-lay) is the Lithuanian national pilgrimage center. Standing upon a small hill are many hundreds of thousands of crosses that represent Christian devotion and a memorial to Lithuanian national identity.

The city of Siauliai was founded in 1236 and occupied by Teutonic Knights during the 14th century. The tradition of placing crosses dates from this period and probably first arose as a symbol of Lithuanian defiance of foreign invaders. Since the medieval period, the Hill of Crosses has represented the peaceful resistance of Lithuanian Catholicism to oppression. In 1795 Siauliai was incorporated into Russia but was returned to Lithuania in 1918. Many crosses were erected upon the hill after the peasant uprising of 1831-63. By 1895, there were at least 150 large crosses, in 1914 200, and by 1940 there were 400 large crosses surrounded by thousands of smaller ones.

Captured by Germany in World War II, the city suffered heavy damage when Soviet Russia retook it at the war's end. From 1944 until Lithuania's independence in 1991, Siauliai was a part of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic of the USSR. During the Soviet era, the pilgrimage to the Hill of Crosses served as a vital expression of Lithuanian nationalism. The Soviets repeatedly removed Christian crosses placed on the hill by Lithuanians. Three times, during 1961, 1973 and 1975, the hill was leveled, the crosses were burned or turned into scrap metal, and the area was covered with waste and sewage. Following each of these desecrations local inhabitants and pilgrims from all over Lithuania rapidly replaced crosses upon the sacred hill. In 1985, the Hill of Crosses was finally left in peace. The reputation of the sacred hill has since spread all over the world and every year it is visited by many thousands of pilgrims. Pope John Paul II visited the Hill of Crosses in September of 1993.

The size and variety of crosses is as amazing as their number. Beautifully carved out of wood or sculpted from metal, the crosses range from three meters tall to the countless tiny examples hanging profusely upon the larger crosses. An hour spent upon the sacred hill will reveal crosses brought by Christian pilgrims from all around the world. Rosaries, pictures of Jesus and the saints, and photographs of Lithuanian patriots also decorate the larger crosses. On windy days breezes blowing through the forest of crosses and hanging rosaries produces a uniquely beautiful music."

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All About Women

2009-08-02T14:21:00.008-05:00

I participated in a very nice exchange of postcards through "all about women"- colored women round robin.

From Alice Blue_Zamia: "America Dances: Girls fall into sync in a dance class, Washington, DC, 1942. ". Alice writes, "Washington, DC schools were racially segregated through the 50's so these girls would have attended an all black & inferior school. The schools in the city were still horrible when I was growing up in Maryland in the 70s." Thank you so much, Alice!

From Maren in Germany comes this African beauty.

From France, arrived this beautiful card with an Indian woman. "A Rajastani lady in her traditional dress."From Hong Kong, comes this beautiful painting of a Chinese beauty. Thank you, Winnie!

Royal families

2009-08-02T13:56:00.006-05:00

OTMA (cyrillic ОТМА) was an acronym sometimes used by the four daughters of Russian emperor Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna as a group nickname for themselves, built from the first letter of each girl's name in the order of their births:

Ольга - Olga Nikolaevna Romanova (15 November 1895 - 17 July 1918)
Татьяна - Tatiana Nikolaevna Romanova (10 June 1897 - 17 July 1918)
Мария - Maria Nikolaevna Romanova (26 June 1899 - 17 July 1918)
Анастасия - Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova (18 June 1901 - 17 July 1918).

In childhood the grand duchesses came up with ОТМА as a sign of sibling closeness and affection for one another, writing it in their diaries. The girls were great granddaughters of Queen Victoria and although "thoroughly Russian," grew up speaking both fluent English and Russian among themselves. Whilst the family was in captivity after the Russian Revolution of 1917 they were allowed to send few letters, so the sisters often signed this nickname on cards they had written together for loved ones and friends.According to the official website of the Swedish monarchy, the Royal Family includes the following:

The King and Queen:
HM King Carl XVI Gustav (since September 15, 1973). Born on April 30, 1946.
HM Queen Silvia (since June 19, 1976). Born on December 23, 1943.

Their children:
HRH Crown Princess Victoria, Duchess of Västergötland. Born on July 14, 1977.
HRH Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland. Born on May 13, 1979.
HRH Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland. Born on June 10, 1982.

Little My from Moominvalley

2009-07-27T21:45:00.004-05:00

I received two new postcards with another of Moomin Trolls. Here is a little bit of her story from wiki:

Little My (Swedish: Lilla My, Finnish: Pikku Myy) is a character in the Moomins series of books by Tove Jansson. She first appears in the fourth book, The Exploits of Moominpappa. She is a small, determined and fiercely independent Mymble. When she wants something done, she does it straight away. She is very aggressive, mischievous to a fault and totally disrespectful, but can be a good friend when she wants to. She has a brash personality. She is the Mymble's Daughter's younger sister. She is eventually adopted by the Moomin family.

The name Little My originated from the Greek letter μ (Mu); in Swedish, [my] is the phonetic pronunciation of the word "my".

The popularity of the character has led to the personal name My being borne by more than 3000 women and girls in Sweden.

Malaysia

2009-07-27T21:32:00.008-05:00

I received two postcards from Malaysia this week. One came through July Round Robin, another is a private swap. I never knew that Malaysian postcards are so nice! They are very detailed, well-made and just so beautiful! I am including the amazing stamps as well. Thank you

to my senders for such treasures!

"Trishaws are easily available within the vacinity of famous landmarks of Melaka (Malacca)."

Wat Chayamangkalaram in Penang is the Thai buddhist temple which houses the 3rd largest (33 meters) reclining buddha in the world.

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A Festival of Postcards, #3 - SIGNS

2009-07-25T14:53:00.010-05:00

For the July entry in the Festival of postcards, I have a few cards. The theme of the Festival is Signs, which is fun but a bit difficult! I have a single card featuring ONLY a sign, but I also have a few with signs on them. :) It was very hard to pick which ones to put on this blog, so I picked my most favorite cards and places that I have seen myself.

From our most recent trip to Florida, come two cards with signs. The Universal Studios' Islands of Adventures is a large amusement park, that is located in Orlando, Florida. Back reads, "Take an amazing journey through five awe-inspiring islands, each one featuring new and exciting adventures that bring your favorite stories to life. Explore Seuss Landing, The Lost Continent, Jurassic Park, Toon lagoon, and Marvel SuperHero Island, where the world's most technologically advanced rides and attractions challenge you to Live the Adventure!" This is an actual SIGN in the front of the Park. It was an exciting park to visit, especially if you have teen or preteen children. They are also opening a new Harry Potter "island" in 2010! We can't wait to go back!

Another postcard comes from my favorite EPCOT World Showcase in Disney World, Florida. I am not sure whether this sign says "The China Pavilion" or "The Temple of Heaven" (the blue building right behind the gates). It is located in the front of the China Area.Our local Science Museum of Minnesota has a lot of signs in the front of it! It is a very nice and large Museum. They have an Omnitheater and lots of permanent and traveling exhibits. Right now, you can visit "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition".

From our travels to the Bahamas, comes this little house. "The Gable House is a prime example of old Bahamian architecture."

We loved the town of Puerta Vallarta on the Pacific side of Mexico. The main street of town is located along the shore and looks like a promenade, called "El Malecon". There are a LOT of signs on that street! During the day, there is an open air market with sellers coming from different regions of Mexico. Come there at night and you will see town come to life in a different way! It seems like everybody is there, strolling, talking, eating, watching the painters, clowns, performers, and dancers. Every night, there was a different troupe entertaining the public.
This is a vintage reprint card from a small town on the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin, Stillwater. You can definitely see the SIGNS of celebration on the Main Street! On the back, it reads, "Traffic control for Stillwater's downtown Main Street does not seem to be a problem in 1913, photo looking south". I would have loved to be there for the 4th of July! And the SIGN of soon approaching Christmas in Salzburg, Austria, is the Christkindlmarkt - "The Christmas Fair". My friend, who lives in Salzburg, visits it every year and usually gets lots of nice Christmas decorations and gifts at the Fair.

Postcard Scavenger hunt #5, Night/Lights

2009-07-22T09:52:00.013-05:00

I love participating in the Postcardy's Postcard Scavenger hunt! This months hunt is for the modern cards featuring the night scenes from someone's hometown or recent travels. Since Postcardy and I share hometown (Minneapolis), I have only a few cards to add. Most of them are from Saint Paul, together with Minneapolis they are often called "Twin Cities". Also, I would like to add a couple from our travels in the US.

From our most recent trip to Orlando, Florida, we brought a lot of nice cards. :)

If you ever visit Disney World, make sure to stay for the amazing fireworks/light show at the Epcot park.

And a picture of "old" America. Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, Governor's Palace. It was home to seven royal governors and the firsst two governors of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Patrick henry and Thomas Jefferson.

Bratislava, Slovakia

2009-07-18T18:58:00.006-05:00

Another great card from a June Round Robin. When I was little, my father traveled a lot in the so-called (back then) Socialist block of countries. Then, it was Czechoslovakia, of course. I had a set of beautiful cards from there with old buildings, parks with huge trees and churches. I used to look at them and dream about going to see all those places one day. I was told that it might never happen... But look at me now, living in the States and travelling as much as possible! Nobody would have been able to imagine such a fortune back then! I think that is why lots of Russians like to travel. We were told that we wouldn't be able to... ever... Only "special", distinguished people had a chance.

Here is some info on the city: Bratislava — historically Pozsony and Pressburg — is the capital of the Slovac Republic and, with a population of about 429,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Most historical buildings are concentrated in the Old Town. Notable cathedrals and churches include the gothic St. Martin's Cathedral built in the 13th–16th centuries, which served as the coronation church of the Kingdom of Hungary between 1563 and 1830. (we can see it to the right on the card)

The square castle on the card is "Bratislava Castle, on a plateau 85 metres (279 ft) above the Danube. The castle hill site has been inhabited since the transition period between the Stone and Bronze ages and has been the acropolis of a Celtic town, part of the Roman Limes Romanus, a huge Slavic fortified settlement, and a political, military and religious centre for Great Moravia. A stone castle was not constructed until the 10th century, when the area was part of the Kingdom of Hungary. The castle was rebuilt in 1649 in the baroque style. Under Queen Maria Theresa, the castle became a prestigious royal seat. In 1811, the castle was inadvertently destroyed and lay in ruins until the 1950s, when it was rebuilt mostly in its former Theresan style."

Klaipeda, Lithuania

2009-07-18T18:36:00.006-05:00

After a long hiatus, I am back home :) We went on vacation, so by the time I got home, my little Post box was pretty full! Very exciting!

I will try to post some of my absolute favorite cards within next few days. There are a lot of them now, as I participated in the large monthly Round Robins.

This card arrived from Lithuania, from a town called Klaipeda. The sender explained that it is a third largest town in this Baltic country and in the middle of the card, one can see the water gates into the Baltic Sea.

From Wikipedia: Klaipėda (German: Memel) is a city in Lithuania situated at the mouth of the Curonian Lagoon where it flows into the Baltic Sea. As Lithuania's only seaport, it has ferry terminal connections to Sweden and Germany. Somme of its older buildings have picturesque half-timbered construction, similar to that found in Germany, France, England, Denmark and southern Sweden.

Edersee, Germany

2009-06-20T00:16:00.004-05:00

From Wikipedia: The Edersee is a large reservoir created by the construction, from 1908 to 1914, of a rock and concrete dam across the Eder river, near the small town of Waldeck in northern Hesse, Germany, to generate hydropower and regulate water levels for shipping on the Weser river. It lies at the northern edge of the Kellerwald.
Another card I received through "Your Hometown" RR, another interesting place I have never heard about. Michelle was sweet to write about the history of this area: "That's the Valley where I live. It's a famous area with many tourists. The reservoir was built in 1908-1914 and destroyed in 1943 (*Operation Chastise, by special bombs dropped from British Bomber plane*). The water destroyed many villages and killed many people. But it was rebuilt and today, it's a very nice place. There are many castles in this area which are great to visit. There lived princes from 1137 until 1692. I love this area!"

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Wezep, the Netherlands

2009-06-20T00:06:00.004-05:00

Another card from a small town, this time in the Netherlands. It came by the way of June Round Robin, from Wim. He writes,"Wezep is a little village of 13,500 inhabitants. You can see two farm houses, a mansion, a church, and our very nice swimming pool." Looks like a nice place to live!

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A tranquil Setting

2009-06-19T23:59:00.003-05:00

This card arrived through "Your Hometown" Round Robin from Morris, Connecticut. Morris is a small town with population of ~2400 people. They are celebrating 150th anniversary of their town this year! Congratulations! I'm sure such a small town doesn't print many postcards. :) So, the nature view is an appropriate card. There are no views of the town on Google Maps, either.

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Hainan Island, China

2009-06-19T23:45:00.006-05:00

Here is another card from China received through China X Other Countries Round Robin. My sender, Yibua, says: "Many greetings from Hainan Island, China. My hometown is the most Southern place in China, surrounded by sea. Summer is all year around!" Unfortunately, I don't know what the significance of this house is. It looks like an appartment building, almost. :) On the card, the discription reads, The Diaojiao House at the Sunxi River Bank.
I liked the stamps:

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Hongkou Stadium, Shanghai, China

2009-06-19T23:37:00.004-05:00

A nice large card arrived from China as a part of "Your hometown" Round Robin, from Feiyi. She writes, "This is a card of Hongkou football stadium, and I just live in the building behind the stadium. Near it is a park called Luxun Park. The famous Chinese writer Lu-xun's grave lies in it. This area used to be controlled by Japanese, so a lot of Japanese style buildings can be found." Very wonderful to receive such a card and have a little story behind it! I am reading "The Shanghai Girls" by Lisa See right now, so it is amazing to see what modern Shanghai looks like! The book is amazing, too!

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Datça, Turkey

2009-06-19T19:45:00.007-05:00

"Datça pronounced Datcha, is the name of the ~80 Km long peninsula National Reserve between Aegean and the Mediterranean seas and also the administrative town center of the peninsula," says the internet. :) Of course, I have never heard of this wonderful place that looks so alluring! I would love to go yachting and exploring there...
Received this card through June Round Robin from Huruldur. Thank you for a wonderful glimse of your country. A beautiful stamp needs to be included!

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Native Animals RR #2

2009-06-18T14:31:00.006-05:00

Second half of the Native Animals Round Robin has arrived! It is 2 postcards, both are so pretty! The Chinese postcard arrived from Feiyi and is called "My happy life". "During a typical day a giant panda spends 60%of the time awake during which most of their time is spent eating bamboo," reads the discription.

Another card arrived from Russia, from strix-ru of St. Petersburg. This is a one handsome looking squirrel! LOL It looks very much like I used to imagining squirrels when growing up (we didn't have that many of them in my city). The ones here in the US are very different. They are not quite that pretty orange-brown color but rather grey. Alexandra also included the fitting stamps:

Postcard Friendship Friday - Native American Art

2009-06-18T13:50:00.010-05:00

Postcard Friendship Friday
My Postcard Friendship Friday contribution is going to be the Native American Art postcards. I bought them at the National Cowbay and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. If you ever go to Oklahoma, make sure you visit this museum! They have a very large and unique collection of art works, paintings, artifacts, etc dedicated to the Native American and Cowboy cultures. Very interesting!"THE DRUMMERS" by James Auchiah, 1906-1974, Tempera on Paper, 1931, from the collection of the museum. "KIOWA AND COMANCHE" by Monroe Tsatoke, 1904-1937, Watercolor on Paper, 1933.

I thought this card would fit my theme. :) There are many more Indian tribes that were forced to relocate to Oklahoma territory and start a new and opressed life there. There is a huge outdoor town dedicated to them in the south-eastern part of the state, called Indian City Anadarko, USA. Another interesting place to visit in Oklahoma.

Russia - UNESCO

2009-06-17T23:37:00.004-05:00

This beautiful card came form Olya (ikkyo) through a private swap. It is one of the Russian World Heritage sites of nature - the Golden Mountains of Altai, Katunsky Reserve. UNESCO site says the following: "Katunsky Biosphere Reserve is located close to the borders with Kazakhstan and China. It encompasses a mosaic of 14 ecosystems, from mountain tundra to forest-steppe vegetation. Twelve plant species are included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation (1988), including fawn lily (Erythronium sibiricum), peony (Paeonia hybrida) and spleenwort (Asplenium exiguum). The snow leopard (Uncia uncia) occasionally enters the biosphere reserve."
When I was younger and lived in Russia, we always dreamed of going hiking in Altai. It supposed to have many interesting ancient sites, old burial places, very beautiful, breath-taking vistas and an ingenious people, called altaitsy. I don't know if I would ever be able to go there, but I am glad I have this postcard. :) Altai was called "Russian Shangri-La" because of the mysterious spirit and the natural beauty of the mountains and lakes.

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Russia

2009-06-16T21:28:00.007-05:00

2 New beautiful cards from Russia. One is of Novodevichiy Monastery (it means New-girls Convent - a fitting name for a women's monastery?) in Moscow. My sender, Margarita-Mardji writes: "It was founded in 1524 as ordered by Grand Prince Basil III. It was built as a fortress at the bend of the Moscow River. The architectural ansemble of the monastery comprises the fortress walls, Smolensk Cathedral, a refectory, the residential, household and church premises, dated to the end of the 17th century." Oh, the beautiful onions domes! I do miss seeing them! It looks very beautiful and fully restored. When I was there so long time ago, the monastery didn't exist, but one little chapel. There is a large cemetery grounds by this moanstery where a lot of famous and important Russians are buried. It used to be more of a museum than a church back then.

This beautiful card came from the city of Ufa, the capital of Bashkor-tostan (Башкортостан). It is an autonomic republic within Russia, located between the Volga River and the Ural Mountains. Bashkirs are people with their own language, culture and religion. Some of them are the followers of Islam, some are Orthodox Christians. My uncle lived and worked on the railroad there, and his family is still in Ufa. So, it was very nice to see this beautiful Orthodox church on the postcard. This is the Cathedral of the Birthday of God's Mother, a very Orthodox looking chapel.

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June RR - Utah and Louisiana

2009-06-16T21:04:00.006-05:00

I am continuing to receive the cards through June Round Robin. There is 31 participants from all over the world right now, so I am hoping for some very unique cards from far away places! Here are the ones I received this week. First is a night view of Salt Lake City. Beautiful! Would love to visit Utah, especially to see the Mormon Temple and to go skiing! I love going on vacations and always try to find interesting and educating places to visit. I would do a big research before going to Salt Lake City. There is a lot of history there. I did read a few books about the Mormon religion and it seems so different to me, who grew up with the religion of atheism and later, became a Christian.

Another card is from New Orleans, Louisiana. Nikinna collects fleur de lis's and send me one. :) It is a fitting symbol of her city.

Diddle #1

2009-06-16T19:18:00.002-05:00

And the last cartoon card for this week is a Diddle card. I don't know much about Diddle. :( All I know is it is a cute mouse, and there are wonderful stationery products, pens, pencils, keychains we all like around here. :) I received this card through the Diddle tag.

Moomins #3

2009-06-16T19:12:00.003-05:00

And to folow along, we received our third Moomins card. It is very sweet card that has Moomins designs on the back. The card reads: "Life works in cooperation! The friends pick some snack for each other!" And the sender (AKS) was so sweet to put on a stamp with Moomin! So cuuute! Thank you! I received it through the June RR.

Moomins ##1 and 2

2009-06-12T22:14:00.003-05:00

I am so happy that we were able to receive two cards with Moomins!! They are called "Moomie-trolls" in my country. I think all of the books are translated and I used to read them and watch cartoons. I really love them! I am surprised that Disney have not picked up on Moomins or Karlsson! They were so popular in my childhood! My daughters and I are trying to start a Moomins' collection. SO, if you have any cards for trade, we would be very happy to trade any of ours with you!

Here is smart and wise Moomi-Mama!

A F e s t i v a l o f P o s t c a r d s

2009-06-12T21:24:00.008-05:00

A F e s t i v a l o f P o s t c a r d s is "a blog carnival that celebrates vintage and modern postcards". It looks like a great online festival to participate in celebration of our hobby! This month's theme is "Main Street". Luckily, I have a postcard that relates to this theme in a nice way, so I CAN participate this month! You can look on their website for submission rules and take part of this fun event!

Here is my entry card, which I have had for about 11 years. It was a postcard that I received through one of the very first Yahoo postcard swap group that was called "Faithfully Yours". Wonder if any of those girls are still around and maybe, part of postcrossing? My card is from the Main Street of Disney World in Florida! Mickey and Minnie are riding on a float welcoming guests to the Main Street Parade.

Postcard Scavenger Hunt #4 - Handicrafts

2009-06-08T15:10:00.015-05:00

Unfortunately, I don't have many cards with handicrafts. The ones I saw online are all so beautiful, I hope I will get some eventually. :) I received this one today. It is the Chinese Bronze pieces from 3000 years ago! I hope they qualify for the handicrafts, although the card doesn't show people making them. It is also my first postcard from China. it came from Silencelee from Beijing. The stamps are also very special.

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I think these pieces are just called the artifacts or tripods (?). :) The postcard was written in Chinese, so I don't know more. Here is a bit from wikipedia on Chinese Bronze: "The Chinese bronze artifacts generally are either utilitarian, like spear points or adze heads, or ritualistic, like the numerous large sacrificial tripods. However, even some of the most utilitarian objects bear the markings of more sacred items. The Chinese inscribed all kinds of bronze items with three main motif types: demons, symbolic animals, and abstract symbols.[8] Some large bronzes also bear inscriptions that have helped historians and archaeologists piece together the history of China, especially during the Zhou period.
The bronzes of the Western Zhou period document large portions of history not found in the extant texts, and often were composed by persons of varying rank and possibly even social class."

June Round Robin

2009-06-08T14:30:00.016-05:00

With 30 participants from different countries (there is a limit of how many people can participate from a certain country!), June RR is promising to be SUPER fun! Today, I received a first card through this RR. It is from Christine in France. She lives in the countryside and sees the cows near her garden all the time. :) I would appreciate it if someone could tell me the exact translation. :) Google Translator had hard time with this phrase. I am including the beautiful stamp as well.

Western Europe

2009-06-07T18:31:00.006-05:00

When I was little in the Soviet union, Western Europe was something like a fairy-tale land. Not many people could go there. And all the fascinating things they told about!!! When I landed at the airport in London at the age of 20, I could not believe that I actually came to the Western Europe! I really loved London and hope to take my girls there one of these days. :) I am just waiting for them to grow up a bit more to enjoy the trip!

This postcard is so beautiful and shows all of the famous places to visit in London.

Another postcard is from Milan, Italy. It shows the Piazza del Duomo, the Cathedral Square. Mark Twain loved Duomo and wrote in "Innocents Abroad":
"What a wonder it is! So grand, so solemn, so vast! And yet so delicate, so airy, so graceful! A very world of solid weight, and yet it seems ...a delusion of frostwork that might vanish with a breath!...
The central one of its five great doors is bordered with a bas-relief of birds and fruits and beasts and insects, which have been so ingeniously carved out of the marble that they seem like living creatures-- and the figures are so numerous and the design so complex, that one might study it a week without exhausting its interest..
.everywhere that a niche or a perch can be found about the enormous building, from summit to base, there is a marble statue, and every statue is a study in itself...
Away above, on the lofty roof, rank on rank of carved and fretted spires spring high in the air, and through their rich tracery one sees the sky beyond. ...(Up on) the roof...springing from its broad marble flagstones, were the long files of spires, looking very tall close at hand, but diminishing in the distance...We could see, now, that the statue on the top of each was the size of a large man, though they all looked like dolls from the street... They say that the Cathedral of Milan is second only to St. Peter's at Rome. I cannot understand how it can be second to anything made by human hands. "

3 cards from Germany

2009-06-06T21:06:00.017-05:00

Last week brought me 3 beautiful multiview cards from Germany. They all came via different tags or robins from postcrossing.com.

Isabel sent me "Magdeburg an der Elbe" card, written in Spanish. It was a part of the Other languages RR, where you have to request a language other than English. Of course, I asked for Spanish! I am expecting a few more cards through that RR.
The card is very beautiful with amazing sites. Unfortunately, I have no idea what they are as there is no discriptions. I assume that the statue is of Martin Luther as he preached in Magdeburg calling for Reformation. I also found out that town was founded in 805! So old! Emperor Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor, lived during most of his reign in the town and was buried in the Magdeburg cathedral after his death. Magdeburg was one of the most important town in the Medieval Europe. If you know what else is on the postcard, please, leave me a comment! I would really appreciate it!

Through Europe-USA tag, I got this Nuremberg (Nürnberg in german) card from Morgaine. It is a multiview as well but they all are labeled. The only thing I have ever heard about this town was the Nuremberg Trials. It is so interesting to see all the historical places. Schöner Brunnen (Beautiful Fountain) and the church of Our Lady in the upper center must be breathtaking! As is St Lorenz-Kirche in the bottom left. The Fountain was so old and special that the original was placed in the German National Museum.

Gina sent me this card through the Hometown RR. She was very kind and gave me a short history of Chemnitz as well. This town is located in Eastern Germany, close to Czech border and, I thought, the name of it doesn't sound very German. Wikipedia: An early Slavic tribe's settlement was located at Kamienica ("stony brook"), and the first documented use of Chemnitz was the 1143 site of a Benedictine monastery, around which a settlement grew. In medieval times, Chemnitz became a centre of textile production and trade. More than one third of the population worked in textile production. By the early 19th century Chemnitz had become an industrial centre. Now, the population is 245, ooo. From 1953 until 1990, Chemnitz was named Karl-Marx-Stadt ( I admit, I heard that name before :)

Typical Finland

2009-06-06T20:59:00.003-05:00

Nina informed me that it is a" very typical Finnish view". :) I have never been to Finland, but I have been to the areas close to Finland. I think I would imagine Finland's countryside being like this.
Received this card through the Slavic Countries Round Robin.

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Sao Paulo, Brazil

2009-06-05T12:38:00.005-05:00

Via "Us and Around the World" RR, I received this card from Sao Paulo, Brazil! Looks like an amazingly overpopulated city!!! Here is some information from Wikipedia:

São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil and South America, and is the 7th out of the largest metropolitan regions in the world. The name means Saint Paul in Portuguese. The city also lies at the center of the heavily urbanized Sao Paulo metro area, which, with an estimated 21,616,060 people in 2008 over 7,944 square kilometers (3,067.2 sq mi), is the largest metro in the nation.

Jesuit missionaries Manuel da Nobrega and Jose de Anchieta founded the village of San Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga in 1554. São Paulo officially became a city in 1711. In the 19th century, it experienced a flourishing economic prosperity, brought about chiefly through coffee exports, which were shipped abroad from the port of the neighboring city of Santos.

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Native Animals Round Robin

2009-06-04T23:37:00.007-05:00

A beautiful moose from Finland...

... and beautiful "snowy owls (located at Assiniboine Park)"
from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
(Manitoba is located just to the North of Minnesota, our direct neighbor).

St. Petersburg, Russia - Lomonosov Bridge and Trinity Cathedral

2009-06-04T23:16:00.003-05:00

A beautiful card from Alexandra. Saint Petersburg is a very beautiful city. This picture depicts an old Lomonosov Bridge across the Fontanka River. Wikipedia says that it " is the best preserved of towered movable bridges that used to be typical for St. Petersburg in the 18th century." Bridge was built in 1785-1787.

In the back you can see the Trinity Cathedral.

According to the Russian tradition, each regiment of the imperial guards had its own cathedral. The Trinity Cathedral was the regimental church of the Izmailovsky Regiment of Imperial guards, one of the oldest guards regiments in the Russian Army.

On July12, 1733, a large field tent operating as a church was consecrated here, with icons painted on a dark blue satin. However, the church functioned only in the summer, and in winter the soldiers and officers had to attend other parish churches. In 1754-1756, a wooden church was built on the site on order of Epress Elizabeth. The church had two altars, the main one of which was consecrated in the name of the Trinity. It suffered heavy damage as a result of the flood of 1824 and had to be rebuilt. Construction of the new church began in May 1828, and the new cathedral was consecrated in May 1835.

The interesting fact: in 2006, the main dome of the Cathedral collapsed and one of the smaller destroyed due to a large fire. (This card was published in 2003!). Thankfully, Russian Government is restoring the old church.

The cathedral became a part of the Saint Petersburg UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990.

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Yekaterinburg, Russia

2009-06-04T22:55:00.006-05:00

I have been to Yekaterinburg a couple of times. It is located on the border of Europe and Asia, right on the Ural Mountains. It is the very beginning of Siberia. When I was little, it was called Sverdlovsk for Yakov Sverdlov, one of bolsheviks' leaders.

Yekaterinburg (Russian: Екатеринбу́рг) is a major city in the central part of Russia. Situated on the eastern side of the Ural Mountain Range, it is the main industrial and cultural center of the Ural Region. Its population is 1,293,537 which makes it Russia's fifth largest city. On the card, you can see 3 of the city's theaters.

The city was founded in 1723 by Vasily Tatischev and named after Saint Catherine, the namesake of Tsar Peter the Great's wife Empress Catherine I (Yekaterina).

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Moscow, Russia

2009-06-04T22:32:00.006-05:00

The first Russian reference to Moscow dates from 1147 when Yuri Dolgoruky called upon the prince of the Novgorod Republic to “come to me, brother, to Moscow". Nine years later, in 1156, Prince Yuri Dolgoruky of Rostov ordered the construction of a wooden wall, which had to be rebuilt multiple times, to surround the emerging city. Since then, he is considered the Moscow's founder. This postcard depicts the monument to Yuri Dolgoruky.

Kremlin from the Moscow River.
From Wikipedia: Kremlin "is a historic fortified complex at the heart of Moscow, overlooking the Moskva River (to the south), St. Basil's Cathedral and Red Square (to the east) and the Alexander Garden (to the west). It is the best known of kremlins (Russian citadels) and includes four palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall with Kremlin Towers. The complex serves as the official residence of the President of Russia." Kremlin is a UNESCO World heritage site.

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Novosibirsk, Russia

2009-06-04T21:23:00.005-05:00

From my motherland of Russia, I received a nice card from Olya/Kelpie through the "Russia and the Rest of the World" tag. I think it depicts an interesting place in the big modern city. It is a small chapel of St. Nickolas, the miracle worker, right in the middle of a busy boulevard.

Here is a little about Novosibirsk: "Novosibirsk (Russian: Новосиби́рск) is Russia's third-largest city, after Moscow and Saint Petersburg. It is also the largest city in Siberia. The city was founded in 1893 as the future site of the TransSiberian Railway bridge crossing the great Siberian river Ob' and was known as Novonikolayevsk after Saint Nicholas. It also was the name of the Tsar ruling at that time, Tsar Nickolas II. Now, the popilation is about 1.5 million. Amazingly, I found out that Minneapolis is a sister-city to Novosibirsk since 1989! Interesting...

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Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2009-06-04T21:13:00.006-05:00

3 cards arrived from Canada as "3 tourist attraction postcards in an envelope" Round Robin. They came from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Royal Ontario Museum (sounds like a science museum)

Toronto Hockey Hall of Fame

And, last but not least, the famous Niagara Falls. I have never been there but I have heard that the Canadian side of the waterfalls are much more impressive and more interesting to see than the American side. I think we will try to go there as soon as our little daughter is older and able to remember the trip.

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cartoon cards

2009-06-04T21:03:00.005-05:00

Through "request a language" tag, I received this card from Japan. It is called "Dandelions and wind". I got a nice writing in Japanese on the back which I can't really read. :) I did request Japanese, I know...

This card arrived from Finland as a Thank you for an official card I sent. I wonder if it is common to send the thank-you card?? It sounds wonderful but I am not sure I want to do that every time. I am sending the official card to someone else as well, right?

Another one came via a "Hello Kitty vs something else" tag. Of course, all those cute cartoon cards are loved by my girls, especially my 5-year old. This card arrived from Roxxy in Netherlands.

Long delay and a new card

2009-06-04T20:43:00.005-05:00

I apologize for the long delay in posting new scans. Over the last week and a half I received a lot of new cards that mostly came through the Round Robins I joined online. They all are fun cards and I am having great time researching the places they came from. Unfortunately, Blogspot and my desktop don't cooperate for some reason. I finally figured out how to post from my laptop.

SO, here goes:

A nice card from Porto, Portugal. "The city is located in the estuary of the Douro River in northern Portugal. The largest city in the region, Porto is considered the economic and cultural heart of the entire region. The city, which had an estimated population of about 220,000 (est.2008), lies at the centre of the political Metro area, with a population of slightly more than 1.7 million. One of Portugal's most internationally famous products, Port wine, is named after this city because it is produced in, and shipped from the area."
The card shows Dom Luis I bridge that was built in 1881-1886 by the Eiffel's students, and an old city center which was recently recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Minori, Italia - Amalfi Coast

2009-05-29T11:19:00.006-05:00

What I really love about the postcards, it is how much new information you can learn! I guess, I am always on the look for new places to visit and things to see. I am sure you all can relate to this. :) But it is quite wonderful to be able to "visit" so many places you have never hear about otherwise.

This is a beautiful little place in Italy. I would love to go there one of these days... I don't know if it is possible to visit every place on a postcard, but one can dream, right?

Minori is a town on the Amalfi Coast in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of south-western Italy. It was founded in the 7th century B.C. by the Etruscans and was later occupied by the Roman Patricians. In the days of the Repubblica di Amalfi it was a place where many trade ships docked and sold their good off to intermediate sellers. In the year 987 it became a diocesan town. The river Reghinna Minor flows through the center of this town. Many paper makers and millers settled along the banks of this river. It was here that the first prototypes of a dish were developed that we can’t even dream of living without these days – pasta. Back then the fresh pasta was dried in the sun in the town squares and along the “Lungomare” promenade.

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Thank you, Enzo, for a beautiful and dreamy card! My second official postcard from postcrossing.com.

Hurray! Hurray!

2009-05-29T11:04:00.006-05:00

I received not one, not two, but FOUR! official postcards in the last week! I was surprised how fast they got here and they all are wonderful. For the proper labeling, I will go one at a time.

This one is from Detter of Bitterfeld, Germany. He writes, "It is a smaller city and well known for chemical industry. " From Wikipedia: Bitterfeld-Wolfen is a town in the district Anhalt-Bitterfeld, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated in south-eastern Saxony-Anhalt, west of the river Mulde, in an area that is dominated by heavy industry and lignite mining.Bitterfeld has approximately 15,000 inhabitants (2006). It was first mentioned in 1224. Part of the Electorate of Saxony, it came to the Prussian Province of Saxony in 1815.

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Національна опера України імені Тараса Шевченка

2009-05-24T15:22:00.007-05:00

The Shevchenko National Opera of Ukraine in Kyiv

Thanks to the same Round Robin, I received this beautiful card from Helen O. It shows the amazing old building of the Opera House in Kiev. Helen also wrote that there is a twin-brother of this Opera House in another Ukrainian City of Odessa. I have been to Kiev once a long time ago, but I do remember the beauty of this city!

"Our theatre is one of the most beautiful Neo-Renaissance constructions in Kiev. It belongs to the architectural styles of many epochs and centuries - from the golden-domed temples of Kiev Rus' up to the refined rhythm of modern buildings of the beginning of the 20th century." From their web page, I learned that this building was built on the verge of the 20th century in place of the old one which caught on fire. They opened it up in ~1898 as the national largest stage. Even though during the Soviet times, the plans were made to simplify it to fit the Soviet style, thankfully it was never done. What a beautiful place to listen to classical music!!

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Another card from Germany

2009-05-24T15:05:00.005-05:00

A very nice multiview card from Berlin, Germany, from Julia via a Round Robin. She says that Berliner Dom, the beautiful church in the middle, is her favorite.

"Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is the country's largest city. It is the second most populous city and the eighth most populous urban area in the European Union. Located in northeastern Germany, it is the center of the Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitan area, comprising 5 million people from over 190 nations."

a new card from Germany

2009-05-20T17:31:00.004-05:00

And here is a card from Germany. I decided to put it separately, so I could label my post. :) It came from a small town of Bad Gandersheim in the North of Germany from Isabel.

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2 new cards from the US

2009-05-20T17:15:00.006-05:00

Last couple of days brought me three new cards. I just love the Round Robins!!! They all came through the "US and Around the World" robin. My first 4 out of 5 official cards have arrived to Finland, so I am anxiously waiting for my firlst official cards. Should I mail more right away or wait for the first ones to arrive?? Big question to pound, LOL...
This one is from the state of Washing-ton. I visited Seattle, WA last fall and saw Mount Reinier from a distance. It would be fun to go look at it closer! "At 14,411 MOUNT RAINIER is the highest volcano in the 48 contiguous states and is the tallest mountain in Wasginton State. Some os the most spectacular meadows of alpine flowers and towering forests are here and are found in few other places. On a clear day Rainier dominates the horizon for hundreds of miles."

Next is the card from New Orleans, Louisiana. Very pretty, back says "Rain on Royal Street". New Orleans is on my list of cities to visit in the future. I hope it gets rebuilt all the way after Katrina.

Postcard Scavenger Hunt #3 – Fish

2009-05-18T19:41:00.010-05:00

I love scavenger hunts! So I rejoiced when I saw the POSTCARD

Scavenger Hunt!!! This month's theme is fish. Unfortunately, I have just a couple that I can find right away. :)

First is from our trip to the Bahamas. I just love the note on it: "The Bahamas, with its miles of clear ocean is one of the best diving destinations in the world, try it!"

Another card is from our trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It is a part of very pretty artistic cut-out card set with Mexican animal designs. I think this one would work for a fish! Like a rather large game fish, maybe?

2 NEW postcards

2009-05-16T17:49:00.014-05:00

Hurray! Hurray!

I received 2 new postcards today through the "Us and Around the World" Round Robin. They are my first cards and I am SO excited!!! Also, I am happy to receive these post-cards, because they are from the area where we used to live and where I met my husband!

I lived in Oklahoma for over 7 years and my husband's family is still there. So, we visit often and love the state. Thank you, Shelby!

Another card is from Texas! It is a Southern neighbor to Oklahoma. I have been to Dallas many a times, especially while travelling abroad. This is a nice map card from Deana, thank you!!!

Minnesota map postcards

2009-05-13T18:19:00.020-05:00

To start, I would like to share some cards from my current home state of Minnesota. I know lots of people like and collect the map cards. Here are some examples of the map cards that I found.

Minnesota is one of the Great Plains states, which is located in the very north of the United States, on the border with Canada.

The origin of the name Minne-
sota is based on a Dakota Indian word meaning "sky-tinted water."

Hence, the nickname of the state - "Land of 10,000 Lakes". Not only Minnesota is located on the Great Lakes, there are SO MANY little lakes, ponds, marshes and rivers here!

Sometimes, it is also called, '' The North Star state". The State Motto is "L'Etoile du Nord" (The Star of the North)

Capital of Minnesota is Saint Paul. Together with Minneapolis, two cities are often called "The Twin Cities".

Flower is Pink and White Showy Lady's Slipper,
insect is Monarch Butterfly,
state fish is Walleye (Stizostedion v. vitreum),
and bird is Common Loon (they are everywhere! We have a couple coming to our pond every year!)

Amazingly enough, the state animal is not listed! However, there is a gopher on one of my cards :)

JibJab on Moms

2009-05-10T20:33:00.002-05:00

Click here for a very CUTE Mother's Day little video-joke!!!

JibJab on Moms

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My blog is created

2009-05-10T16:42:00.000-05:00

Very excited about organizing my cards and creating this blog. I am hoping to keep track of my newest cards and collections as well as getting to learn about new people and places. I also hope to help my daughters learn about geography and card collecting. If you are looking for cards from the United States and Russia, please, let me know!