30. 05. 2012.

UNESCO - Visby, Sweden



Hanseatic Town of Visby is the best-preserved fortified commercial town in northern Europe. It is situated on the island of Gotland, was an important Viking site and later in the 13th century flourished as the main centre of The Hanseatic League (economic alliance of trading cities). 
This card has a vintage feeling to it, and shows people as they would have been dressed all those centuries ago...Thank you MerJade, and for the fantastic stamps - probably the nicest I've received from Sweden so far! :)))

Vianden, Luxembourg



Vianden is a small town situated in NE Louxembourg, on the Our river near German border. Its main site is the impressive castle overlooking the valley, built in 11th-14th centuries. As of 1993 the town and castle are on Unesco's tentative list :)
Hvala Tina za još jednu prekrasnu razglednicu s tvojih putovanja! <3 baš si nas razmazila hehehh xD
The stamp is fab!

Noul Neamt Monastery, Transnistria, Moldova



Many thanks to Jaroslav for sending this great card from Tiraspol!
Noul Neamţ Monastery is the biggest religious complex in the breakaway territory of Transnistria (governed as the Pridnestrovian Moldovian Republic). PMR is a state with limited recognition, located between the Dniester River and the eastern Moldovan border to Ukraine, and with Tiraspol as its capital.
Transnistria declared its independance from Moldova in 1990, and in 1993 started printing its own stamps. However, these stamps are not recognised outside the country and are valid only for domestic service within Transnistria. I guess I'd have to travel there, stay for a while and send post to myself! xD

29. 05. 2012.

Brugge, Belgium


I already have a card showing Brugge belfry but this charming night view was just too beautiful to miss...When I see it I cannot but think of the movie In Bruges ('08), a gangster movie like no other - so much more interesting than what you usually see in the cinemas. However, the scene in the belfry may not be as charming as its setting..!
Thank you Amina for this swap :)

Kyrgyzstan Yurt


I was secretly hoping I'd get such a card from Kyrgyzstan...idyllic image of a yurt and a horse and lots of green around..! Many thanks to Sonya and Travis, whose blog you can find in my links - they've seen and yet have to visit many fairytale places throughout Asia. I love the stamp & cancellation too, such a perfect card :))

UNESCO - The Wadden Sea, Germany


A complete surprise in my mailbox - new Unesco for my collection from Apperveilchen, thanks so much! <3 I was scanning the card for any sign that it was an RR group long forgotten or something similar, I am not used to receiving so many RAS cards..!
These images really look lovely to me - wow look at the horse cart going while people bathe beside it..!

Maneki-Neko, Japan



More of Japan - well of course :) Maneki-Neko literally means 'Beckoning Cat' and is a recognisable Japanese lucky charm made of ceramics. It is usually displayed at the entrance to different businesses for good luck. The figurine usually depicts a calico Japanese Bobtail, a breed of domestic cat whose tail is unusual and resembles the one of a rabbit..! Thank you Fumie for great swaps :)

Spirited Away


I randomly participate in Oversea/Other Continent Tag so I was really thrilled to be tagged there by a Japanese user! Moreover, I was sent a card from my favourites, one of the scenes from the brilliant Ghibli Studio movie Spirited Away. Yay! Courtesy of Satoko-k, many many thanks :)))

Kotovasiya - Storm & Sunshine


I'm having a bit of a trouble naming the Kotovasiya cards heh. Its been a while since I've received one, was happy to tag in the Kotovasiya tag for this cute card...thank you Anya :)
I've noticed the change - this card is smaller than the previous ones and has square corners. Perhaps a different publisher?

Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands



This week a FANTASTIC surprise from dear Ashley - a w&s postcard from the British Virgin Islands! He has attempted to do this before, but as he didn't have time he entrusted this task to a friend - and she sent me a folded card...but this means now I have postcards AND a cover from BVI, brilliant!! heh.
How gorgeous is the stamp, and the cancellation? Happy happy happy :)))
Virgin Gorda is the 3rd largest of the BV islands, only about 8 square miles (21 km2) in size. The main town is the Spanish Town, shown on the top postcard.

Just So

I've decided just to write a little bit...I have been scan-less for a week, and now I have a lot of catching up to do! Not an unusual state hmm. There is a wonderful pile on my desk waiting for its destiny :) while another pile is slowly forming back home on my other desk. As mum told me on the phone there are a few excellent surprises - so many cards make me happy lately!! <3
Its sunny and windy here - a strange twist in the air that makes me feel all battered and tired...and its not even 'jugo' :) At work the application on the PC doesn't work (for days now!) and I have to issue receipts the old fashion way - I suppose it helps training the little grey cells, as Poirot would say...! Uhm but I seriously dislike when someone enters the reception at the exact time the dinner is served, and I am huuuungry!!
Ok enough of complaining, I am sure it'll all be alright. Its all rock'n'roll ;) xD
Time for new postcards!

27. 05. 2012.

Traditional Food From Kazakhstan


I am increasingly interested in traditional foods - so this card was perfect for me when arranging a private swap with Natalie/mohito (thank you!) for the special 11-11 postmark. I do wonder though about THAT many ones on the postmark..!
Besparmak (meaning 'five fingers', cos people eat it with their hands;)), Kazy (made of horse meat) and Bayursaks (fried dough) look perfect for sampling, yum!

Torres Del Paine National Park, Chile


Parque Nacional Torres Del Paine is situated in southern Chilean Patagonia, 312 km north of Punta Arenas. The landscape of the park is dominated by the Paine massif, rising dramatically over the Patagonian steppe. Pictured is a view from Pehoe Lake. Torres del Paine was designated a World Biosphere Reserve by Unesco and is on its tentative list :)
As I like to learn about flora and fauna of different countries...The area is home to a plant with stunning flowers called Calceolaria Uniflora, and endangered Chilean Huemul - the South Andean Deer <3

The stamp is simply gorgeous! The grey lines are actually shiny silver, and is from the series for 'preserving the polar regions and glaciers' from 2009. Then there is a curious round green sticker and two different postmarks. In all, I was very happy to find this in my mailbox - thank you Dani!

24. 05. 2012.

Indigenous Woman Of Amis Tribe, Taiwan


Amis are one of the fourteen officially recognised Taiwanese aboriginal tribes., and also the largest one. Interestingly, an Ami chant was used in the popular song Return To Innocence by the musical project Enigma. I wanted to write that the woman is with a cigar, but I cannot be sure that I'm right! I'd love to know more about this photo.
As usual, great card & stamp from Kim :)

UNESCO - Angkor, Cambodia


My 1st and only postcard from Cambodia is that of the temple ruins of Angkor, once the seat of the Khmer Empire (9-15th century). There are over thousand temples in the complex, but the grandest and the most significant one is pictured Angkor Wat, also the largest Hindu temple in the world.
Such an amazing place - I really hope to see it myself this winter. I might as well mention this way that I am looking for a travelling buddy! xD Big thanks for this great card to Cheerful :) It was only a while after that I realised the first stamp shows the other cambodian Unesco site Preah Vihear, wonderful!

EDIT: 3 years later and after a recent trip to Angkor I can see I was wrong to write this is Angkor Wat! This is Pre Rup, built as the state temple of Khmer king Rajendravarman and dedicated in 961 :)

23. 05. 2012.

New Palace, Potsdam, Germany


If you ever by a strange chance need a reason to go to Berlin, look no further. Sanssouci Palace and Royal Park look so stunning on the photos, i can imagine a day wouldn't be enough to absorb its grandness and beauty. The New Palace on this postcard, built under Frederic the Great in the 18th century, is considered to be the last great Prussian baroque palace. I will only mention there are 322 windows adorning this palace!
Great addition to my Unesco collection, thank you Anke :)
Oh and I must admit that I dislike the German cancellations having no city names...but there are often pretty postmarks to make up for it :)

Rent A Donkey In Turkey


I wonder what are these donkeys looking for in the river, golden nuggets? :) Anyway they are as cute as they can be, thank you Nihan for another great swap! :)

Donkeys - Walking The Streets In Algarve



Another great private swap for a donkey card this winter :) I really like the everyday scenes with donkeys, and Portugal offers a fine number of such vistas, yay. I love a different airmail sticker on the back, I am starting to appreciate them ( I dont know why it took me this long..!) Big thank you to Ana/Ninocas! xD

Riding A Donkey In 19th Century China



This card was sent to me from Finland for a private swap - I love the vintage look with colour accents! A reprint of a photography from 1887, printed in China. I was thrilled to discover this one, thank you Sini/Saint!

14. 05. 2012.

Sunset At Cayman Islands


Beautiful Cayman Islands from Pat, thank you so much :) The stamps are looovely!
The Cayman Islands are a British Overseas Territory located in the western Caribbean Sea - the territory is a major world offshore financial centre (which is familiar from Hollywood movies..!). The islands continued were governed as part of the Colony of Jamaica until 1962, when they became a separate Crown colony while Jamaica became an independent Commonwealth realm.

Donkeys - Happy-Go-Lucky Fleece Fellow


I was so overwhelmed with cuteness when I saw this donkey in my mailbox! I'd sooo love to have one on my shelf to make me smile each time I look at him :) I am actually not sure what is the material its made of...although I've seen many toys like this in Germany (filz?). A biiig thank you to Kazumi of Japan for sending this card for the Japan RR - and the Mickey stamp is not to be ignored either..! <3

Benaulim Beach / Sadhu, India




I expected two cards for this swap and got three! And I love all three of them equally :) I will show the famous Taj mahal in another post...but here are a few different aspects of India and its culture: Benaulim Beach is one of the many gorgeous beaches in South Goa district (envious!); in Hinduism Sādhu is an ascetic wandering monk whose goal is to achieve moksha - liberation. Here they give their blessings with open hands :)
I was so happy with this swap, and to hear that you had such a good time in India - thank you Olga! :))

Map / San Juan, Puerto Rico


Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the US, and San Juan is its capital. The latter was founded by Spanish colonists in 1521 and is the second oldest European-established city in the Americas (after Santo Domingo).
When I hear of Puerto Rico I inevitably start singing the song by Vaya Con Dios :) And one of my favourite actors Benicio del Toro is Puerto Rican xD The view of San Juan port is just stunning! Thank you Anita :)

Silk Lanterns, Vietnam


One of the most beautiful traditional handicrafts of Vietnam are the silk lanterns, especially if made in the old harbour town of Hoi An, situated on the south central coast (The South China Sea). Beautiful colours, I can imagine how magical it must be to walk the alleys lit by these!
Many thanks to Jo for this gorgeous card and great stamps :))

Donkey At Aït Benhaddou, Morocco


A card of a Moroccan donkey way before I visited the country myself. Though the stamp is the same :) As it turns out it is also an Unesco card, but donkeys still are a primary collection. Ash was seven years quicker to get there!

A Girl With A Fox, Ukraine


I absolutely LOVE this drawing <3 I couldnt find any info on it, I think it may be an unknown artist or someone's handwork, but the quality is good and - did I say already that I absolutely love it? xD
Thank you olenenka :))

The Magic Swan-Geese Story, Russia


I was happy to 'catch' this illustration in one of the offer tags, so detailed and colourful! It shows a scene from one of the Russian most beloved children's fairy tales The Magic Swan-Geese, which tells a story of a young girl whose brother got snatched and was held by the notorious slavic bad 'guy'.Baba Yaga. Needless to say she found and released him :) That would be the scene depicted here - i can understand some of the text on the back that mentions 'snatching her brother and running away' xD cute little mouse!
Thank you zaky :)