A postcard from American Samoa

Postcard

Right in the heart of the South Pacific, to the north of Tonga and 3700km south-west of Hawaii, lie the five islands and two atolls of American Samoa. An unincorporated territory of the United States, southeast of the Independent State of Samoa.

Five of the main islands are volcanic, with rugged peaks, narrow coastal plains and fringing reefs. Swain's and Rose Islands are coral atolls. About 64,000 people live in American Samoa and Pago Pago is the capital city.

It is believed that there was at least an 800 year history of contact with Fiji and Tonga, before the Samoan islands were "officially" discovered by Dutch Explorer Jacob Roggeveen in 1722. Who did little more than naming the islands and sail away.

Stamp

US stamps can be used in American Samoa.

Read More

A postcard from Greenland: the National Museum

Postcard

Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark. It is, by area, the world's largest island. With a population of 56,749 (2012 estimate) it is the least densely populated dependency or country in the world.

The Greenland National Museum was established in the mid-1960'ies as one of the first museums in Greenland. The museum has nation-wide obligations within archaeology, recent history, art, and handicrafts. The museum maintains the central files about preserved ruins, graveyards, buildings etc. and participate in nature conservation and townplanning.

Stamp

Europa 2012 stamp: visit Greenland

(Thx Rod!)

Read More

Vase Rock, Little Liouciou Island | 小琉球, Taiwan

Postcard

Little Liouciou lies off the southwestern coast of Taiwan, and is the only one of Taiwan's 14 offshore islands or island groups that is composed of coral. Vase Rock (or Flower Vase Rock) is the symbol of Little Liouciou, and the sight that most tourists come to see. It’s a pretty peculiar looking rock. Maybe shaped more like a mushroom than a vase though. Vase Rock is the result of coral sculpted by wave action.

 

Stamps

(left) Fuguejiao (Fu-kuei Cape) Light, Shimen

(right) a fruit

Read More

The Madrassah of Sher-Dor in Samarqand, Uzbekistan

Postcard

Samarqand founded in the 7th century B.C. as ancient Afrasiab is one of the most ancient cities in the world. Over the history this legendary city on the Silk Road went through growths and decays, suffered from destroying invasions of foreign rulers and again revived, becoming more beautiful. Trade routes to the west, to Persia, to the east, to China, to the south, to India, intersected here and formed intersections of the Silk Road. It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2001.

 

Sher-Dor Madrassah was built on the Registan Square, Samarqand in 1619-1636. The name is translated as “Madrassah with Lions”.

Stamps

(left) To commemorate Berdaq, an Uzbek poet from the nineteenth century

(right) Uzbek National Academic Drama Theatre

Read More

Historical city centre of Bruges | Brugge, Belgium

Postcard

Bruges, often called "Venice of the North", is one of Belgiums most popular tourism destination . Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders. The historic city centre is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO.

Bruges was one of the world’s leading cities during the 13th and 14th centuries.  At the time,  it was a center for international commerce and had a population equivalent to London’s during the same period. Unfortunately, the city’s harbor silted up in the middle of the fifteenth century and Bruges lost its ability to function as a commercial port. Soon thereafter, the city fell into decline and was eclipsed in importance by Antwerp.

 

Stamp

From a booklet of 5 self-adhesive stamps about Franco Dragone (born in 1952). He is an Italian-Belgian theatre director, known for his work with Cirque du Soleil. 

Read More

The Alhambra, Red Castle of Spain

Postcard

Granada is situated at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Andalucia. During the centuries the Moors ruled most of Spain, including Andalucia, they built numerous palaces and fortresses in the style of their original country (Morocco, hence the name Moor). But no example is more magnificent than the Alhambra citadel in Granada.

Stamp

Renewable Energies

Read More

Lebanese Folk Dancers in the Forest

Postcard

Dabke is an Arab folk dance native to the Levant countries only. It is popular in several Arab countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Northern Saudi Arabia. It is widely performed at weddings and joyous occasions. Dabke in Arabic is literally "stamping of the feet”. At weddings, the dance is sometimes performed by a professional troupe dressed in costume.

Stamp

The Jewel of Lebanon. Lebanese singer Nouhad Wadi Haddad, known as Fayrouz (1935).

Read More

A postcard from Brunei: Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque

Postcard

Being ruled by the dynasty of sultans for 600 years, Brunei abounds in religious, historical and cultural places. Mosques constitute some of the major tourist attractions in Brunei and one of the most important and the most splendid among them is Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque.

“With its intricately ornamented minarets and shimmering golden domes  clearly visible along the main route into town from the airport, the Kiarong Mosque (as it is locally known) towers over a landscaped terrain dotted with fountains.”


Stamp

Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien

Born 15 July 1946. Crowned as the 29th Sultan on 1st August 1968.

Read More

Fürstentum Liechtenstein | Principality of Liechtenstein

Postcard

Liechtenstein is a small landlocked country, bordered by Austria and Switzerland. It is known as a principality as it is a constitutional monarchy headed by a prince.

Vaduz Castle is the palace and official residence of the Prince of Liechtenstein. The castle gave its name to the town of Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein, which it overlooks from an adjacent hilltop.

Prince Hans-Adam II (14 February 1945) and Princess Marie (14 April 1940) are the reigning couple.

Stamp

From a set of stamps about garden flowers: the pink-colored peony. It was once brought over to the Alps by the Benedictine monks as a herbal remedy and is therefore also known as a Benedictine rose.

Read More

A postcard from Albania | Shqipëria

Postcard

Thethi is a village surrounded by Thethi National Park, up on Albanian Alps, in Northeastern Albania, in Shkodra District.

Om the postcard we see a fortified tower house, used as refuge for men involved in a blood feud that are vulnerable to attack. A blood feud is a feud with a cycle of retaliatory violence, with the relatives of someone who has been killed or otherwise wronged or dishonored seeking vengeance by killing or otherwise physically punishing the culprits or their relatives.

More about tower houses: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lock-in_tower

Stamp

 Thx Stefan!

Read More

Mexican painter Frida Kahlo

"I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality."

Frida Kahlo

Postcard

“Frida Kahlo de Rivera (July 6, 1907 – July 13, 1954; Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderón) was a Mexican painter, born in Coyoacán.  Perhaps best known for her self-portraits, Kahlo's work is remembered for its "pain and passion", and its intense, vibrant colors. Her work has been celebrated in Mexico as emblematic of national and indigenous tradition, and by feminists for its uncompromising depiction of the female experience and form.”

Source: www.fridakahlo.com

Stamp

The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family.

Read More

Liyu Lake, Taiwan

Postcard

“The area of Hualien and Taitung is blessed with majestic mountains and fine waters that provide very pleasant scenery.”

Liyu Lake is located at the foot of Liyu Mountain, in Shoufeng Township's Chinan Village. It is the largest inland lake in Hualien County.

Stamp

Read More

A postcard from Huehuetenango, Guatemala

Postcard

Huehuetenango is a city and a municipality in the highlands of western Guatemala. It is also the capital of the department of Huehuetenango. Santa Cruz Barillas is a municipality in the department of Huehuetenango. It is situated at 1450m above sea level. This waterfall is located near Yulaxac, a village in the jungles of Barillas.

Stamp

From a set of two stamps about The Volcano and Lake of Ipala.

Read More

THe Castle of the Moors, Sintra, Portugal

Postcard

The Castle of the Moors is a hilltop medieval castle located in the municipality of Sintra. The castle was constructed during the 8th to 9th century, during the period of Arab occupation of the Iberian peninsula, as the central place in an territory that was imminently agricultural, and which was necessary to protect its population.

The Moorish Castle stands in a 1475 feet (450 meters) perimeter and its walls consist of a double waist, internal and external. At the top there are battlements, strengthened by five towers.

Stamp

From a set of 5 stamps about Urban Transport in the 1970's and 1980's.

Read More

The Church of St. Pareskevi, Pafos, Cyprus

Postcard

The church of St. Paraskevi, built in the form of a basilica with five cupolas placed in the shape of a cross, is one of the most important churches in Cyprus. The church of St. Paraskevi was built in the 9th century A.D. and is preserved almost intact in its initial form apart from the western wall which was demolished in the 19th century in order to build an extension. Its uniqueness lies in the frescos, some of which date back to the 9th century A.D. and are of the oldest in the whole of Cyprus.

Stamp

From a set of 8 stamps, Cyprus through the Ages - Pygmy hippopotamus

Thx Steve!

Read More

A village in the Ourika Valley, Morocco

Postcard

“When the heat in Marrakesh becomes unbearable, many Moroccans and tourists run to the cool and green Ourika Valley. Located in the High Atlas Mountains, only 45 minutes away from Marrakesh, the valley stretches along a vast area from Souk Tnin Ourika to the Berber village of Setti Fatma. The valley is known for its pine and cedar forests. Don’t be surprised if you see some resident friendly Barbary apes on your way.”

Stamp

Solidarity Week 2011

Read More

Joncunu dancers from Belize

Postcard

Belize is a country located on the north eastern coast of Central America and it is the only country in the area where English is the official language. Belize is bordered to the north by Mexico, south and west by Guatemala, and to the east by the Caribbean Sea.

Joncunu or John Canoe, is a dance that originated in times of slavery and is performed around Christmas time. The participants will dress up in white masks and venture from house to house in order to receive food and drinks from that household. Some say the dance is meant to mimic white slave owners and their behaviour.

In Belize the Joncunu is part of the Creole and Garifuna cultures. The Creoles are direct descendants of British slaves.

Stamp

Read More

Postcards from Bujumbura, Burundi

Hotel Club de Vacances

Postcard

The Republic of Burundi is a small landlocked country in east central Africa, bordering Rwanda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Burundi has a tropical highland climate and is a hilly and mountainous country with a plateau in its eastern part and some plains along the shore of Lake Tanganyika.

Burundi was a kingdom until the late 19th century when it became a German colony. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the control was handed to Belgium and Burundi, together with Rwanda, became a part of the Belgian colonial empire and was known as Ruanda-Urundi. Upon gaining its independence in 1962, the country legally changed its name to Burundi.

Bujumbura is the capital and largest city and main port of Burundi.

Hotel Source du Nil

Stamps

(left) from a set of 5 about flaura and fauna(2008): ‘Fleurs d’Erythrine’

(right)  from a set of 8 stamps about birds of prey (2011): the Western Osprey

Read More

A Postcard from Zanzibar: The Old Dispensary

Postcard

Zanzibar, an Indian Ocean archipelago located off the eastern coastline of Tanzania, contains three large islands and a number of smaller ones.

Zanzibar Town (or city) is a popular destination for tourists, and its old quarter is a United Nation's "World Heritage Site”. 

The Old Dispensary is a historical building in Stone Town. Stone Town is the old part of Zanzibar City.

A dispensary is an office in a school, hospital or other organization that dispenses medications and medical supplies. In a traditional dispensary set-up a pharmacist dispenses medication as per prescription or order form.

Stamp

To commemorate 50 years of independence (since 1961) Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, 1st president of Tanzania.

Read More

A whale cruises off Kaikoura coastline, New Zealand

Postcard

The seaside settlement of Kaikoura, situated midway between Christchurch and Picton on the rugged east coast of New Zealand's South Island, is overlooked by majestic mountains, which are snow-capped for many months of the year.

It is a special part of New Zealand, imbued with powerful natural energy. A place where tectonic plates collide, towering peaks fall to the sea and ocean currents converge. Such rare combinations lure an abundance of marine life, the most famous being the Sperm Whale.

Stamp

Read More

Cyprus. Paphos. The Lighthouse & Roman Theatre

Postcard

Located in Paphos Archaeological Park, Odeon is an amphitheatre-like structure, which was unearthed during excavations.

This archaeological monument built in the 2nd century is made entirely out of well-hewn limestone and has approximately 1,200 seats for spectators. Odeon is not only a tourist attraction today; it also hosts many musical and theatrical performances.

Paphos lighthouse is a golden point of the city as it can be seen from any corner of Paphos. It is situated in close proximity of Odeon.

Stamp

A matching stamp: Pafos Lighthouse.

Read More

Juneau, Alaska

Postcard

Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. Juneau has been the capital of Alaska since 1906. It is named after gold prospector Joe Juneau.

Before Juneau was Juneau, it was Rockwell. Before that, it was Harrisburg. And even before that, it was a settlement for several tribes of native Indians.

Stamps

 

It wasn't until a man named Joseph Juneau and his buddy, Richard Harris, teamed up with a Tlingit native that this plot of land got its big break: gold. The first rush of 40 miners brought a mix of trading posts, saloons, and missionaries to the area. Soon, Juneau became a bonafide town, the first to be settled after Alaska's purchase from Russia in 1867.

more about Juneau

Thx Rod!

Read More

Murumtsevo Manor, Russian Federation

Postcard

Abandoned castle estate of Count Hrapovitsky, village Muromtsev, Vladimir Region.

more info and pictures

Stamps

Read More