From the edge of the Qadisha Valley: city of Hasroun, Lebanon

PostcardThe name Hasroun is of Phoenician origin and means the fortress. A small quite village lodged at the edge of the Qadisha Valley, overlooking the southern branch of this valley. Hasroun is notable for its well preserved Ottoman-era stone houses with red-tile roofs. From Hasroun a path descends to the ancient church of Mar Michael and the monastery of Deir Mar Yaqoub, then continues down into the Qadisha Valley. Sta...

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The Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab)

PostcardEven though several regions of Lebanon shelter cedars forests, 'the Cedars' refers to the Arz-el-Rab massif, in north Lebanon. A few minutes away from the town of Bcharreh lays the multi-millennial cedars forest.Sta...

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Rock apes from Gibraltar

PostcardGibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. Today its economy is based largely on tourism, financial services, and shipping.The Barbary Macaque population in Gibraltar is the only one in the whole of the European continent, and, unlike that of North Africa, it is thriving. At present there are some 300 animals in five troupes occupying the area of the...

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Mount Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

PostcardMount Kinabalu is a prominent mountain on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. With 4095m it is the tallest mountain in South-East Asia.  It is located in the East Malaysian state of Sabah and is protected as Kinabalu National Park, a World Heritage Site.Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located at the centre of the Maritime Southeast Asia. This island is divided between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Indonesians...

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Church of Santo Tomas de Villanueva, Philippines

PostcardThe church of Santo Tomàs de Villanueva in Miag-ao is among the best examples in the Philippines of the “fortress baroque” style. Built of local yellow-orange sandstone, the large fortress-church was completed in 1797. The church withstood typhoons and earthquakes, but it burned twice: first was during the revolution against Spain in 1898 and the second was during the Philippine-American War a few years later.           ...

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Church of St Nicholas in Kakopetria, Cyprus

PostcardIn the central part of Cyprus, in the mountains of the Troodos range, some of the most important monuments of the history of Byzantine painting have survived. These are the painted churches which have to this day preserved brilliant examples of various trends of Byzantine and post-Byzantine monumental art, from the 11th to the 19th century. The church of Ayios Nikolaos tis Stegis is situated in a central area of the Troodos mountain range,...

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A postcard from Ireland: The Skellig Islands

PostcardThe Skellig Islands, Skellig Michael and Small Skellig, are two small, steep, and rocky islands lying about 13 km west of Bolus Head on the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. Skellig Michael is known throughout the world of archaeology as the site of a well-preserved monastic outpost of the Early Christian period that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Stamps(right) A matching stamp. from a set of two Europa stamps (201...

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A postcard from Kyrgyzstan: the Barskoon Waterfall

PostcardKyrgyzstan is a nation located in Central Asia. Landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east. Its capital and largest city is Bishkek.Located approximately 20km south of the village of Barskoon more on the southern shore of Kyrgyzstan's Lake Issyk Kul is the Barskoon Waterfall. You will find two monuments to Yuri Gagarin here. Legend...

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Batsheba Beach Barbados

Postcard“This is the rugged east coast of Barbados, where visitors come to breath the air, soak in the invigorating Bathsheba Pools and feel alive.It is breathtakingly beautiful; wide white sand beaches stretch along a dramatic coastline of striking rock formations against which the Atlantic rollers break in cascades of foam. What at first glance are huge boulders washed up on the beach, are actually rock formations broken away from ancient coral...

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A postcard from Eritrea: Great Regards from Asmara | أسمرة

PostcardAsmara is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 600,000 people. Eritrea's capital is situated on the eastern edge of Eritrea's highland plateau.Asmara enjoys a great climate, clean and picturesque streets, attractive palm trees, and a reputation as one of the safest, calm and alluring capital cities in Africa. The name is derived from Arbaete Asmara which literally means, in the Tigrinya language,...

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Colombia: 25 Feria Internacional Del Libro De Bogota

PostcardThe 25th edition of Bogota's International Book Fair (FILBO) brings book lovers, distributors and publishers to Colombia's capital. On the postcard we read in Spanish:“No está en mi naturaleza ocultar nada. No puedo cerrar mis labios cuando he abierto mi Corazón.”It’s a quote from Charles Dickens, in English it reads:“To conceal anything from those to whom I am attached, is not in my nature. I can never close my lips where I have opened my...

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Longpan Park Taiwan

PostcardTaiwan's southernmost county, Pingtung covers a long and narrow territory with a border defined by mountains to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the east, the Taiwan Strait to the west, and the Bashi Channel to the south. Pingtung is home to Kenting National Park, Taiwan’s first National Park. Longpan Scenic Area is located on the Hengchun Peninsula in Pingtung County. Situated on the east coast of Kenting National Park, Longpan Park is a...

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A postcard from Guam: Rock formations at Tanguisson Beach

PostcardGuam is located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is the southernmost and largest island in the Mariana island chain and is also the largest island in Micronesia. The indigenous people of Guam are the Chamorros.“The island of Guam, Guahan in native Chamorro, is a truely cosmopolitan community that reflects the cultures of its original Chamorro inhabitants as early as 2,000 B.C., influenced by countless European, American, Asian, Micronesian,...

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A postcard from Ashgabat | اشک آباد, Turkmenistan

PostcardTurkmenistan is bordered by the Caspian Sea to the west, Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the east, and Iran and Afghanistan to the south.Ashgabat is the capital and largest city of Turkmenistan.StampFrom a large set of fauna stamps (2009), the leopard cheetah.THx Sonya and Trav...

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San Marino

PostcardSan Marino is surrounded by Italy. It is situated in the Apennines, a little inland from the Adriatic Sea near Rimini. San Marino is the oldest surviving sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world. The highest point in the country, the summit of Mount Titano, is situated at 749 m above sea level. San Marino is the third smallest country in Europe, with only Vatican City and Monaco being smaller.Sta...

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Ivan the Great Belltower, Moscow

 PostcardOn the eastern side of Cathedral Square stands the magnificent Ivan the Great Belltower, which, at a height of 81 metres, was the tallest building in all Russia for almost 400 years.It was built in 1508 for the Russian Orthodox cathedrals in Cathedral Square, namely the Assumption, Archangel and Annunciation cathedrals, which do not have their own belfries.This church was build by Grand Duke Ivan Kalita, and was one of the first to...

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