26. 07. 2012.

Old Map Of Taiwan



I love old maps, and this one arrived for one of the RRs - originally it is about 120 old, made while Taiwan was ruled by Japan. Thank you Cisne, the stamps are lovely too :)

Kirdiy - Cat Friends



What a nice relaxed way to spend an afternoon :) Only in my house there would be more cats! xD
Thank you Marina, and for the beautiful stamps too :)

UNESCO - Thracian Tomb Of Sveshtari, Bulgaria



Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes, first mentioned in the epic poem Iliad (8th cent. BC) as allies of the Trojans against the Greeks. They inhabited central and southeastern Europe, and were regarded as warlike and ferocious (or barbarian). With time they became hellenized and slavicized and their language extinct.
The Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari is one of the many equisit Thracian archaeological finds in Bulgaria - dating from the 3rd century BC, it is a reminder of the culture of the Getae, the tribe in contact with Hellenism and Hyperborean culture. The tomb's architecture is unique, showing ten caryatids (female figures) and painted murals.
I would so love to see this! There's something endlessly fascinating about ancient peoples and random findings of their culture. The matching stamp is perfect, and additional female figures on stamps to follow the theme. Everything is just lovely, thanks again Lilia :)))

25. 07. 2012.

Map Of Wales



Very cute stamp of Mrs Gamp from the recent Charles Dickens series. Thanks Anu :)))
(It would seem I cannot get enough of Wales postcards .D)

UNESCO - Douro Valley, Portugal



This is my second card of Douro Valley, but a different and still enjoyable view :) The Douro vinhateiro is the area of the river valley in northeast Portugal concentrated on production of wine, especially the world-renowned fortified wine port. I have never tried port but would really love to! (surprise surprise, heh)
Love the Portuguese stamp design. Thank you Lotty, I really like your choice of card :))

Osprey, Belarus



Osprey or Pandion Haliaetus is also known as sea hawk or fish eagle, and accordingly it is nesting near bodies of water that provide adequate food supplies. It is wide-spread, but still not in my country..! The stamp looks like its matching the image but is actually of a kestrel - still very beautiful, and its a joy to get a different stamp from Belarus (as opposed to cute but omnipresent definitives)! Thanks for that Lady Che :)

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee, Gibraltar



The Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II, celebrated in 2012, marks the 60th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne. Queen Victoria is the only other monarch to have celebrated such jubilee (in 1897). Go the Queens! To have this postcard with a matching stamp from Gibraltar gives me much joy, thank you Rachel :))

23. 07. 2012.

Gonur Tepe, Turkmenistan




Gonur Tepe is an archaeological site in Turkmenistan - it is believed to have been the capital of the Bactria-Margiana Complex or Oxus Civilisation, which was a Bronze Age civilisation in Central Asia in ca. 2300-1700 BCE. It was located in present day northern Afghanistan, eastern Turkmenistan, southern Uzbekistan and western Tajikistan, and is believed to be the 5th oldest civilisation on earth.
My 1st written & stamped postcard from Turkmenistan :))) Gorgeous stamps!! Thank you Valeriya <3

London Paralympic Games 2012



I love postcards with matching stamps - here the stamp is under queen-siege! xD
Thank you Constanze :)

UNESCO - Great Smoky Mountains, USA


Laurel Falls is a 23-high, multi-level waterfall situated within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park has been on Unesco list since 1983 and is part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are then a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. The border between Tennessee and North Carolina runs northeast to southwest through its centerline.
This lovely view was sent by TBC for the vacation RR, many thanks :)))

Beaufort Castle, Luxembourg

 



Beaufort is a commune and town in eastern Luxembourg - its castle was built through four periods, the oldest part in the early 11th century. Since 1981 its been owned by the state. This beautiful view is something dreams are made of - thank you very much Anne :) and for the Europa stamp too!

Kotovasiya - Coupling On The Beach



My Kotovasiya collection is progressing, however slowly :) Love this beachy one, with cute slippers and an i-pod! Thanks to pigvinka who tagged me :))
Oh and a bit of a curiosity - three different cancellations..!!

Keel-Billed Toucan, Costa Rica



Also known as Sulfur-Breasted Toucan or Rainbow-Billed Toucan, it is a national bird of Belize but can be found in the whole area between southern Mexico and Colombia. I've always been amazed by these unique creatures <3 Many thanks to Brigitte, who had a great time watching wildlife in the Costa Rican tropical forests, including spider & howler monkeys, dolphins and snakes :))) Special thanks for fantastic stamps!!

The Icelandic Horses



The Icelandic horse is small but long-lived and hardy, still used for traditional farm work as well as for showing and racing. Complete with a lovely stamp, thank you Svea :)

22. 07. 2012.

Kentucky Mint Julep





A wonderful surprise, two bourbon cards from Kentucky! Or rather the recipe for Churchill Down's signature drink Mint Julep, which consists of bourbon, water, sugar, mint leaves and crushed ice. Sounds like a perfect drink for these humid summer nights! I'll have to find some mint leaves somewhere ;) Thank you plenty Bryon!! And for the gorgeous animal stamps too :)

21. 07. 2012.

California Sand Condos


It actually takes some seconds to realise this structure is made of sand - amazing isn't it?! I mean, people are walking its paths..! The list of things to see in the US just grows bigger and bigger...
Thank you Abran :)

Enniskillen Castle, Northern Ireland



Little remains of the original Enniskillen Castle but its 17th century turreted gateway...today it houses two museums and is a popular tourist spot. I mean, who can resist castles..?! And its virtually behind the sender's corner - thank you for this lovely card Desiree :))
(it took me a while to realise someone stapled the card on bottom right corner...weird!)

NI Multiples - La Passion Du Chocolat



A very yummy drool-inducing chocolatey postcard, again from dear Sara :)))

16. 07. 2012.

Map Of Trinidad



Trinidad is the bigger of the two island consisting the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad And Tobago. Country's pet-name is Rainbow Island because of its diverse cultural influences, and is only 11 kilometres away from the south american mainland i.e. Venezuela.
Many many thanks to Nalini :))

15. 07. 2012.

Silvered Leaf Langur, Malaysia



Silvered Leaf Langur or Silvery Lutung is an Old World monkey native to Malaysia. Baby langurs are incredibly cute with their bright orange fur! Since collecting animal postcards I am learning to like monkeys - such interesting creatures, I hope to meet some in the wild soon :) Thank you Erica for this swap!

14. 07. 2012.

Paddy Old Irish Whiskey


Paddy Whiskey is Ireland's third best selling whiskey, first produced in 1779 in Cork. It is distilled three times and matured in oak casks for up to seven years. Its high malt content ensures the smoothness that I'd surely love to try! Amazing shaped card that travelled straight from its country of origin, beautiful Ireland. Thank you so much Desiree!!

04. 07. 2012.

Map Card Of Spain



Thank you Letizia for new addition to my modest mapcard collection :)
Which reminds me - congrats to Spain on winning the Euro 2012!

Kentucky Bourbon Cellar


Ahh I am in love with this scene...as weird as it may sound, if you gave me one choice of a travelling destination in the US, I would choose Kentucky :)
95% of the world's bourbon is distilled and aged in Kentucky - though ironically the world's top-seller is Jack Daniels; but because JD insists on just being a sour mash Tennessee whiskey perhaps it is not counted in this statistics. Any other whiskey made by the same standards only outside the US is not allowed the bourbon name. Because its such a fiiiine product I will shut my eyes to this display of megalomania heh.

A new-found American friend is living just a few miles from the Kentucky border, and he told me yday he witnessed an opening of 40-y-o I.W.Harper, which is supposed to be one of the finest. I was and still am so envious! And he thought it tasted like **** hahhh :)
Thank you Craig for finding this awesome card..!

01. 07. 2012.

Charlie Chaplin Goes To War



I think this Charlie Chaplin portrait is from his 1918 silent movie Shoulder Arms. It was his biggest success up to that point, but of course was exceeded in the years to come by all those classics that the world knows.
I have for the 1st time participated in one of the special Facebook swap groups by Heather, and was really happy to find this movie card in my mailbox :) Thanks a lot Natacha!

Japan - Bunraku, Japanese Puppet Theatre



Bunraku or Ningyō jōruri is a form of traditional japanese puppet theatre - a play is accompanied by Jōruri music, a narrative form of singing to the music played on a traditional three-stringed instrument Shamisen.
I am positive it would be an amazing experience to witness such a performance, something to keep in mind :) Thanks so much nannie for introducing it to me via postcard! xD
Addition: As suspected, I found it on the Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage list :))

UNESCO, Curonian Spit, Lithuania


LT-214853

Curonian Spit, or Kuršių Nerija in Lithuanian, is an Unesco site shared by Lithuania and Russia because its southern portion lies within Kaliningrad Oblast. It is a long (98 km) curved sand-dune spit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea coast, and is home to the highest drifting sand dunes in Europe.
Such a thoughtful postcard, Unesco and with lovely Europa stamp :) I have been hesitant to participate further in the official Postcrossing because many users send random cards (but conveniently ask for special ones :/ ) This  one shows there is still hope for the official side of Postcrossing xD