Oranjestad, capital of Aruba

Postcard
Colorful Caribbean! Oranjestad (Orange Town in Dutch language) is the capital and largest city of Aruba. L.G. Smith Boulevard in the center of Oranjestad is lined with many enjoyable restaurants, shops, cafés ans casinos.

Stamps
Alto Vista Chapel is a small Catholic chapel also known as "Pilgrims Church".

Read More

The Abbey of Saint Gall | Switzerland

Postcard
The Abbey of Saint Gall is a Roman Catholic religious complex in the city of St. Gallen in Switzerland.

Its library is one of the richest and oldest in the world and contains precious manuscripts such as the earliest-known architectural plan drawn on parchment.

Read More

Nur-Astana Mosque | Kazakhstan

Postcard

The Nur-Astana Mosque is a mosque located in the Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. It is third largest mosque in Central Asia. It has a capacity of 5,000 worshippers. 

Read More

Antananarivo, capital of Madagascar

Postcard

With a population of about 1,4 million, Antananarivo is the largest city of Madagascar.

The postcard gives you a view of the city by night, including Lake Anosy. 

Read More

Hanseatic city Elblag | Poland

Postcard

Elbląg is a city in northern Poland. The tower on the postcards is Market Gate, the landmark of the city. The gate is the only existing part of the original city wall dating back to early 14th century.

Elblag was a member of the Hanseatic League. 

Read More

Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia

Postcard

Ulaanbaatar is the capital and, with 1.3 million inhabitants, the largest city of Mongolia. The city is home to 40% of the country’s population. No bigger contrast possible between the city dwellers and the (semi) nomadic life of the other 60%.  

Stamp

Yurts have existed for thousands of years in Central Asia, in virtually the same form as they exist today. They are ideal dwellings for the nomadic cultures of the Central Asian steppe. 

Read More

Luanda, the Capital of Angola

Postcard
Luanda is the capital and largest city in Angola with about 6 million inhabitants. The city is the world's most expensive city for expatriates because of the high cost of rent, imported goods and security.

Stamp

This is actually a prepaid postcard. Maianga is one of the six municipalities of the administrative division of the province of Luanda.

Read More

Hanseatic city of Kołobrzeg (Kolberg) | Poland

Postcard

Kołobrzeg is a city in north-western Poland with about 47,000 inhabitants. Kołobrzeg, meaning “near the sea” is located on the Parsęta River on the south coast of the Baltic Sea. The city’s old German name was Kolberg. 

The city joined the Hanseatic League in 1361. The Hanseatic League was a commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and their market towns.

Read More

Two largest cities of Vietnam: Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

Postcard

The upper three pictures showing Hanoi, the lower three Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon).

Hanoi, meaning ‘between two rivers’ is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. The city is situated in northern Vietnam on the western bank of the Red River.

Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city of Vietnam. Once started as a small fishing village. Today a bustling metropolis with 8 million inhabitants.

Stamp

Worship of Hung Kings in Phu Tho province (intangible cultural heritage).

The worship of Hung Kings originates from Hung Kings dynasty in the belief that all Vietnamese people have the same origin “Dragon’s children and Fairy’s grand-children”. 

Read More

Catedral de Maringá - Brazil

Postcard

Catedral de Maringá is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in the city of Maringá, Brazil. With 124 m in height it is the tallest church in South America. 

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

Read More

Salvador da Bahia | Brazil

Postcard

Salvador is the third most populous Brazilian city, after São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

The historic centre of Salvador, locally known as "Pelourinho", is famous for its Portuguese colonial architecture with historical monuments dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.

Stamps

(right) One of two stamps issued 2014 to celebrated diplomatic relationships with Philippines. Here you see the other bird stamp.

Read More

Sydney Opera House

Postcard

The Sydney Opera House a masterpiece of 20th century architecture, one of the most distinctive buildings in the world. Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, it took from 1957 to 1973 to complete it.

 

The Sydney Opera House is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007.

Stamp

Year of the snake stamp 2013.

Read More

Australia week: opal mining in Coober Pedy

Postcard

Coober Pedy is an opal mining town in South Australia. Opal was first found in Coober Pedy on 1 February 1915. Since then, Coober Pedy has been supplying the world with the majority of gem quality opal.

The town is located in an extremely inhospitable environment. Half the population lives in underground dugouts to escape high temperatures in summer. Only in Coober Pedy will you find underground hotels, restaurants, bars and an underground church.

The town’s name is an anglicized version of Aboriginal words "kupa piti", meaning something like "white man in a hole".  Thx Steve!

Read More

The Balearic islands: Ibiza

Postcard

Ibiza island is one of Spain’s Balearic islands, located in the western Mediterranean Sea. The other three main islands are Majorca, Minorca and Formentera. 

With 50,000 inhabitants, Ibiza Town is the largest city on the island, widely known and visited for its exciting nightlife.

The old town, called the Dalt Vila (literally meaning "Upper Town") is located on a little mountain by the sea. The Upper Town is Ibiza’s oldest area and is a Unesco World Heritage site since 1999.

Stamp

A stamp in remembrance of Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucia (1947 – 2014).

Read More

Podgorica, capital of Montenegro

Postcard

Podgorica is the capital and, with a population of about 160,000, largest city of Montenegro. The 140 metres long Millennium bridge spans the Morača River.

Stamp

A stamp to commemorate the ‘Joy of Europe 2013’ children festival that was held in Belgrade. 

Thank you very much Chris!

Read More

Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp

Postcard

The Cathedral of Our Lady is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Antwerp, Belgium. The cathedral is on the list of World Heritage Sites. It is one of the ‘Belfries of Belgium and France’.

The Belfries of Belgium and France are 56 bell-towers, built between the 11th and 20th centuries. They are mostly found in town centers, and connected to the local town hall or church. At their time, the Belfries represented the growing importance of cities. 

Stamp

The Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium (IRM) celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2013. For this occasion Belgian post issued four thermo sensitive stamps depicting the four seasons of the year.

The foliage of the trees on the stamps is green if you puts a finger on the stamp and heat it up, the green layer disappears showing the tree in one of the four seasons. This stamp depicts summer. 

Read More

FANAR, Qatar Islamic Cultural Center in Doha

Postcard
“FANAR was chosen as our name because of our high-profile mission; to act as a guiding light to whole of mankind, and to help all non-Arabs to have a better understanding of Islam and culture of Qatar.

FANAR is governmental organization that presents culture to all world through a variety of activities such as exhibitions, tours of the centre, visits to the mosque and Arabic language Courses.

FANAR is a Qatari milestone, known for its Islamically inspired architectural designs and amazing ornaments with a beautiful outlook of the city Doha. From the rich Qatari heritage of sailing at large, the lighthouse was a tangible way of returning to land safely. FANAR now uses this exact metaphor to act as a beacon of light to humanity, hoping to present culture to feed and nurture the soul.”

http://www.fanar.gov.qa/

Read More

Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque in Beirut, Lebanon

Postcard

The Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque is a Sunni mosque located in Independence Square (or Martyrs' Square) in downtown Beirut, Lebanon. About one third of the Lebanese population are Sunni Muslims.

In fact, Lebanon, being a country in the Middle East, has a very religiously diverse society. You will find Shia and Sunni Muslims. Christians off all kinds: Greek Orthodox, Maronites, Armenian Orthodox, Armenian Catholic, Roman Catholic, Copts, Syriac Orthodox and many others. And not forget the Druze.  

Stamp

Lebanese singer and actress Sabah (1927)

Read More

مسجد الحسن الثاني ‎Mosque Hassan II Casablanca

Postcard

The Hassan II Mosque is a mosque in Casablanca, Morocco. It is the largest mosque in the country and the 7th largest in the world.

King Hassan II stated (on his birthday in 1980) his desire for the city to "be endowed with a large, fine building of which it can be proud until the end of time."

Thirteen years later, he inaugurated the Hassan II Mosque. Built on a rocky outcrop of reclaimed land -- in response to Hassan II's translation of the Koranic verse that proclaims God's throne was built upon water -- the mosque is a truly marvelous piece of architecture. 

King Hassan II was King of Morocco from 1961 until his death in 1999.

 

Stamp

Mohammed VI (21 August 1963) is the present King of Morocco.

Read More

A postcard from the West Indies: Curacao

Postcard

“Un-drenched beaches, Clear Turquoise Ocean, and Unbelievable weather are just some of the few trademarks that make Curacao a true paradise to live in.”

Willemstad is the capital city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea. The historic centre of the city consists of two quarters: Punda and Otrobanda. The original name of Punda was “ de punt”  in Dutch. Otrobanda, which was founded in 1707, is the newer section of the city and is considered to be the cultural center of Willemstad. Its name originated from the Papiamentu otro banda, which means "the other side."

Stamp

A blue and yellow Cherubfish with two stars of the Curacao flag.

Read More