EUROPA Chain Postcard

2nd chain postcard success - it actually ran parallel to the 1st one, this time we were using this year's EUROPA stamp issues with the theme musical instruments. I had an unwritten postcard from Cuba that fit the theme perfectly, and here is the end result :) Croatian and Slovenian have similar colours, and Finnish and Luxembourg are equally multi-colour :)

Many thanks to Leonardo, Mervi and Anne!

 

Official - Vladivostok

Last week I have received 9 official postcards - I waited quite a long time for them to start arriving, and then I realised my address was obtained weeks after my sent cards were registered. Doesn't feel quite right..!

Still, I am happy with the cards that I have received, like this view of the cruiser ship The World anchored in the Russia's Pacific Coast port Vladivostok.

 

Green Iguana From French Guiana

Such a great surprise in my mailbox last week, iguana card from French Guiana! These fellas here have such bright colours, thanks a lot Cheryll :))

Btw if anyone is familiar with postcodes in French overseas territories...any idea what 25926A stands for? It is not the FG code but also for any other place, according to google. Puzzled!

My 1st Chain Postcard!

I have heard of chain postcards a while ago, paticipated in one chain in a round robin group - it got stuck with a person in Romania who suddenly stopped all her postcrossing activities, and I haven't thought about it since. Then I got reminded by Leonardo and we formed a European group, 1st chain was completed in a month, mine took couple of weeks longer. I am happy to have given this orange (dutch, what else!) bike a ride, and big thanks go to Leonardo, Sara and Genek for making it happen! xD

 

Pensive Donkey

What is he thinking I wonder...or just resting with no worry on his mind. In any case he looks so cute, thank you Hanna for this great addition to my collection! xD

How To Call People Who Can Do This To Postcards?

I have been somewhat lazy with updates lately...The World Cup has its share of blame, as my usual late evening blogging hours have been usurped by football games. In anticipation of the crucial game (they are all crucial I suppose!)  Croatia vs Cameroon tonight, I will just briefly post about a sad mail day that happened to me on monday...As I live and work on an isolated island my mum gathers mail and sends it to me when possible, this time it was a week's worth and I was really excited cos I haven't gotten so much mail for a long while (I had a swapping spree on FB). Then I saw THIS:

Hence the question: Who Does This??!!

Galata Bridge, 19th Century Istanbul

I haven't included a postcard from Turkey for a while...I really like this vintage view, I can only imagine the life in 19th cent. Istanbul, it must have been a far more exotic place than in this modernised era! I think of the explorations, trading, Agatha christie's novels and Indiana Jones adventures...Thank you Marina and Nenad :)

 

Map Of The Summer Palace In Beijing, China

End of last year I got the opportunity to swap for this amazing shaped map card showing one of the 45 Unesco sites in China - just one glimpse at it and you can tell its an awesome place. I mean who can doubt the combination of historical buildings, lakes and grassy fields..?! Was tricky to scan...crookedness is the word here :) many many thanks to heng yao xD

The Summer Palace covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometres, three-quarters of which is water.  Its a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces  first built in 1750 - later largely destroyed in the war of 1860 and restored on its original foundations in 1886. It is considered to be a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design.

Now a little secret is about to be revealed...i am hoping to see this place next winter. I have already mentioned the times I've fallen in love with China through postcards (esp unesco!) and the time has come to look into it and check if I can make it my next destination. China is so vast and wonderful in so many aspects, it'll be really hard to choose where to go! And I do have to choose, time and resources are limited...tough job being a jury here. Btw I have looked at all the 45 Unesco sites briefly - estimate is one could easily spend (at least) $600 on entrance fees..!