A hidden paradise from Philippines: Lahos Island

PostcardLahos Island is found in Caramoan Peninsula, Camarines Sur, which is dubbed as the Philippine's hidden paradise. The island is distinctively beautiful because it has two beaches. The shore is hugged by superb white sand and amazing karst limestone formations.The name of the island was derived from the word “Lahos” or “Laho” which means “vanish in English because the beach usually disappears during high tide. Caramoan hosted many season of...

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A postcard from Cape Verde

Postcard“At the cross-road of the three continents that border the Atlantic, there is an obligatory stop in the middle of the ocean, the Archipelago of Cabo Verde.”Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa. The islands are of volcanic origin. Its six inhabited islands, located more to the West, are characterized by their mountainous...

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A postcard from the Canary Islands: Tenerife

PostcardThe Canary Islands is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara.Belonging to the Canary Islands, Tenerife is a unique volcanic island which is one of the largest of its kind in the world.Home to the dormant Mount El Teide volcano, this ancient island gives visitors a chance to explore the area's lunar like landscapes and experience the...

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A postcard from Madagascar: the Island of Nosy Be

PostcardMadagascar lies in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of Africa opposite Mozambique. It is the world's fourth-largest island.Formerly an independent kingdom, Madagascar became a French colony in 1896. Independence follows in 1960, under the new name of the Malagasy republic.Nosy Be is an island located off the northwest coast of Madagascar. Nosy Be is Madagascar's largest and busiest tourist resort. Nosy Be is an island paradise rich...

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A postcard from the Kingdom of Tonga

PostcardThe Kingdom of Tonga is a sovereign state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean.  A group of more than 170 islands spread over an area of the South Pacific roughly the size of Japan. Tonga is the last Polynesian monarchy. George (Siaosi) Tupou V, King of Tonga died 18 March 2012 at the age of 63. He is succeeded by his younger brother, Prince 'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata. He takes the title King George Tupou VI.George Tupou V was crowned...

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A postcard from Wales: Conwy Castle

PostcardConwy Castle is a castle in Conwy, on the north coast of Wales. It was built between 1283 and 1289  during King Edward I's second campaign in North Wales.“Conwy castle is a gritty, dark stoned fortress which has the rare ability to evoke an authentic medieval atmosphere.”StampsStirling Castle, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally. It is located in Stirling, Scotla...

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Atlantis Hotel in The Jumeirah Palm Island, Dubai

PostcardThe Palm Jumeirah is an artificial archipelago created using land reclamation. It is one of three islands called the Palm Islands (Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira) which extend into the Persian Gulf, increasing Dubai’s shoreline by a total of 520 kilometres.Atlantis, the Palm is a five star hotel resort at Palm Jumeirah.StampFalconry is the upkeep of falcons. It is a very valued tradition in the U...

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Jelenia Góra | Deer Mountain, Poland

PostcardJelenia Góra is a city in Lower Silesia, south-western Poland. Prior to the end of the Second World War the city was German and known as Hirschberg. The name of the city means "deer mountain" in Polish, and German.(source: Wikipedia)StampFrom a large set of definitives about manor houses: Dwór w Janowcu k(oło) Puław = Manor in Janowiec near Puławy (20...

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Craigdarroch Castle from Victoria B.C. Canada

PostcardCraigdarroch Castle in Victoria is an imposing Victorian mansion completed in 1890 for Robert and Joan Dunsmuir, Scottish immigrants who made their fortune from Vancouver Island coal.Robert Dunsmuir died in 1889, just months before his majestic Craigdarroch Castle was completed.Stamps(left) From a set of two stamps in honour of February's Black History Month: Irene Davis Desmond. “With her husband, they travelled the province expanding their...

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A postcard from Thonon-Les-Bains, France

PostcardThonon-les-Bains is a town in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.Thonon-les-Bains is perfectly located to offer a complete range of activities on the banks of Lake Geneva and at the foot of the Alps: Swimming, outdoor activities, shopping, visits, hydrotherapy, mountains, culture, landscapes etc. This multi-facetted destination is surrounded by beautiful nature, a lake, mountain, city and countryside....

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Cedars of Barouk | الباروك, Lebanon

PostcardBarouk 48km from Beirut is a village in the Chouf District of Lebanon“In the modern-day Lebanon the legendary cedar is still revered and remains prominent in the minds of all Lebanese. The cedar features on the national flag, the national airline, Government logos, the Lebanese currency and innumerable commercial logos. It is the feature of books, poetry, post cards, posters and art. The Cedars of Lebanon are truly an important part of the...

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Iraqi Kurdistan: The Jalil Al Khayat Mosque in Erbil | هه‌ولێر

PostcardMosque architecture in Kurdistan has two primary influences: Iranian and Ottoman. Ottoman architecture is the architecture of the Ottoman Empire which emerged in Bursa and Edirne in 14th and 15th centuries.The Jalil Al Khayat Mosque is the largest in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan region. StampFrom a set of four stamps, Red Crescent. “The Red Crescent is an internationally accepted symbol that stands for emergency assistance, and is...

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A Bontoc Wedding Dance from Phillipines

PostcardPhilippine folk dance has a long and diverse history. Each region in the Philippines features its own folk dances, originating from the precolonial era to the time of the Spanish occupation from the 1500s until the late 1800s. Most of these Filipino folk dances tell stories about historical happenings, ways of life, cultural influences and religious customs.Bontoc comes from the word buntuk, which means mountains and refers to the people...

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A Moldovan Monument: The Candle of Gratitude

PostcardThe monument is built on the rocks over the Nistru River. It is considered as a very special work of art for another reason. It is built in the memory of the cultural monuments in Moldova that were destroyed in the past.This national monument was the brain child of a famous Moldavian classical writer Ion Durta. This man always had a deep respect for the tradition and culture of Moldova. He wanted to pay homage to their ancestors who worked...

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Desierto de Atacama | The Blooming Atacama Desert from Chile

PostcardNov 8, 2011  “VALLENAR, Chile — The world's driest desert is covered in flowers after the wettest winter in decades. Some 200 species of flowers are bursting from the sand after five times the annual rainfall in just one month “The Atacama Desert is a plateau in South America, covering a 600-mile (1,000 km) strip of land on the Pacific coast, west of the Andes mountains. It is one of the driest deserts in the world.Stamps200 Bicentennial...

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Oyster and Pearl Fountain from Doha, Qatar

PostcardThe State of Qatar is situated on a peninsula projecting into the Arabian Gulf, bordering Saudi Arabia to the south. Prior to the discovery of oil, the Qatari economy was largely based on pearl fishing. Qatar is now one of the richest countries in the region, thanks to the exploitation of large oil and gas fields since the 1940s.The oyster and pearl fountain is located on the Corniche of Doha, the capital city of the state of Qatar.StampsFrom...

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A Postcard from Burkina Faso

PostcardBurkina Faso is a is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest. The country's capital is Ouagadougou.Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from France in 1960. Upper Volta was renamed Burkina Faso in 1984.Stamps(left) The "Pics de Sindou", a sandstone formation outside...

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A Postcard from the nature isle of the Caribbean: Dominica

PostcardDominica is a state, situated in the West Indies also called the Caribbean. Sometimes it is confused with Dominican Republic. Dominica is an island in the middle of the Caribbean chain of islands. On the North is the French island of Guadeloupe and on the South another French island - Martinique. The island was discovered by Columbus on Sunday, the 3rd of November 1493 and was named after this day (in Latin "Dominica" means "Sunday"). Before...

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Expedition Südsee: a postcard from French Polynesia

Postcard“One of the greatest thrills of expedition cruising is turning up on some of the most out-of-the-way locations. Hapag-Lloyd's Expedition Südsee is one of those rare itineraries where many of the seldom, if ever, visited locations are included.  One day out from our embarkation point, Papeete, and we're tying up at a tiny wharf at theport of Fare on Huahine, the smaller, somewhat forgotten neighbour of Bora Bora in the Society Islands...

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A Postcard from Pafos, Cyprus

PostcardPafos, a small charming harbor town, on the west of Cyprus, which has been, during certain times in antiquity, the capital of Cyprus, has a history which goes back literally thousands of years.Pafos is famous for its remains of villas, palaces, theatres, fortresses and tombs of exceptional architectural and historic value.StampEuropa stamps 2010 Cyprus: Children boo...

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Dormition Cathedral

PostcardThe main temple of Kiev-Pechersk Lavra – Assumption Cathedral (Uspensky Cathedral) is located in the centre of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.This temple, one of the most ancient in Kievan Rus, has a special place in the life of Orthodox Church and in native culture. Its creation started a new stage in the history of Old Russian architecture and icon-painting. In 1941 durng WWII, the temple was destroyed and was renewed only in 2000.StampFrom...

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