Santorini, Greece

This evening and for the next two weeks I'll be here :)

 

 

I wish you all warm, sunny and cheerful days!

Gol Gumbaz, Bijapur, Karnataka, India

This card is from Nagi who lives in southern India near the coast of Arabian sea in a place called Udupi.

Col Gumbaz, situated in Bijapur district of Karnataka, is the largest dome in India. Gol Gumbaz has a diameter of 124 feet and is the second largest dome in the world, next only to St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The dome was built by Muhammad Adil Shah in the year 1656. It has a floor area of 1700 m2 and a height of 51 m. The walls of the structure are 3 m. thick. 

The dome contains tombs of Muhammad Adil Shah, his two wives, his mistress, his daughter and grandson. Gol Gumbaz is an architectural wonder as it stands unsupported by pillars. The most remarkable feature of Gol Gumbaz is its acoustical system. Even the faintest whisper around the dome echoes several times.

Beaches

Sandcastles along the White Beach on Boracay Island, Philippines

This card is from Vicky and she writes that these sandcastles are created by the people of the island and that Boracay Islandis one of the world's top destination for relaxation  and getaway, with warm blue waters, powder-fine white sand and a palm fringed 4-kilometer beach. 

An other beach is from Anny -  Hengchun  Peninsula, Taiwan 

Hengchun Township is an urban township located on the southern tip of the Hengchun Peninsula of Pingtung County, Taiwan. It is the southernmost township in Taiwan. The city of Hengchun is the entry way to Kenting National Park, the southernmost National Park in the country. With pristine beaches and a vibrant tourist industry, the Hengchun area often attracts more travelers than local residents.

Kimonos from Japan

I received this beautiful folded Kimono origami from Kevin who lives in Saga city in southern Japan. He noticed from my profile that I like all kinds of handicraft. His wife likes handicraft too and spends often hours doing these kind of cards.

So I had to try also.... 

 I really need more practice :)

Indonesia

Borobudur - the world's largest Buddhist Stupa 

From Hsin-Yu Shih, Taiwan

A stupa ( literally meaning "heap") is a mound-like or semi-hemispherical structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the ashes of Buddhist monks, used by Buddhists as a place of meditation.

Borobudur, or Barabudur, is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist Temple in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument consists of six square platforms topped by three circular platforms and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside a perforated stupa. It is the world’s largest Buddhist temple, as well as one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world and  widely considered to be one of the world’s seven wonders.

Borobudur was designated as a World Heritage site since 1991 and is Indonesia’s single most visited tourist attraction excluding the island of Bali in the count. 

India - The Monument of Love

I received this card of Taj Mahal from Sriranjani. She lives in Hubli, India. 

The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage.

The Mapuche and Arpillera Chilena

Handmade card showing  Mapuche girl wearing a poncho with  Gemil symbol from Mapuche flag. Gemil is a staggered cross or star, similar to the cross Inca or chacana and represents the art of manufacturing, science and knowledge.

The Mapuche are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, including parts of present-day Patagonia. The collective term refers to a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who shared a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage as Mapudungun speakers. Their influence once extended from the Aconcagua River to the Chiloé Archipelago and spread later eastward to the Argentine pampa. Today the collective group makes up 80% of the indigenous peoples in Chile, and about 9% of the total Chilean population. They are particularly concentrated in Araucanía. Many have migrated to the Santiago area for economic opportunities.



Chr

 Arpillera chilena

Handmade cards from Nadie, Santiago de Chile

More about arpilleras in my previous post of Chile here. 

Che

 Paz y Amor  

Che from Paula 

Hasta la Victoria siempre

Happy May Day..

with Inge Löök's funny grannies!

Cuba

Vintage travel poster from Maximilian.

It is time to celebrate the spring!

Muchas gracias mi amigo!

And now I'm listening to The Buena Vista Social Club :)

Bazil

São Paulo City Hall

From Tatiana

São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city proper in the southern hemisphere, in the Americas, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among the ten largest metropolitan areas in the world. São Paulo is the capital of the state of São Paulo, Brazil's most populous state. It exerts strong regional influence in commerce, finance, arts and entertainment and a strong international influence. The name of the city honors Saint Paul of Tarsus.

Collection of the most beautiful landscapes of Rio de Janeiro

From our friends on their vacation to Brazil

Rio de Janeirois the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America. There are approximately 6.3 million people living within the city proper, making it the 6th largest in the Americas and 26th in the world. Part of the city has been designated as a World Heritage Site, named "Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea", identified by UNESCO on 1 July 2012 in the category Cultural Landscape.



Tango Agentino / Tango Finlandese

Dancing tango in the city, Buenos Aires, Argentina
From Paula - Paz y Amor :)
The history of tango began in Buenos Aires, Argentina in the late 19th century. The dance started in the lower-class districts of Buenos Aires taking place in the periphery of the city, bars, cafes and courtyards. Then tango took the next step into more established Dancing Houses and later inside middle and high class Argentinian homes.

And at the same time in Finland Tango in Snow




Namibia

Himbas are known as one of the most primitive tribes left in the world. Himbas use red clay they  find from ochre stone to rub on them to protect them from sun.

From Armi on her vacation to Africa.

South Africa

  

The people of Xhosa Tribe of South Africa have very rich cultural heritage and have played an important part in development of South Africa, especially when the most famous member of Zhosa, Nelson Mandela, became South Africa's first president elected in a democratic election in 1994.

From Armi on her vacation to Africa.

 Postcard Friendship Friday  



Morocco

 

The Menara in Marrakech from Leila

 

The Menara gardens are gardens located to the west of Marrakech, Morocco, at the gates of the Atlas mountains. They were built in the 12th century (c. 1130) by the Almohad ruler Abd al-Mu'min. It was established as an orchard of palm, olive and fruit trees

The Menara Gardens are one of the most photographed places in Morocco. It is also a popular place among locals for picnics.

 

 

Or perhaps you would like to go to Agadir, Morocco's most popular beach resort, where the sun shines more than 300 days a year. Just lying on the beach and reading this, at least my friend liked it.

 

Algeria

Northern part of Algeria, private swap from Samir.

Algeria
Capital: Algiers
 Population :  34.46 million (2009)
Surface: 2 381 741 km ², 7.0 x area of Finland
 (90% of Algeria is considered desert)
Government: presidential republic

Language: Arabic, French, Berber dialects

Religion: Sunni Muslim

Currency: Algerian dinar 

Industry: Petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining

Agriculture: Wheat, barley, oats, grapes; sheep

Exports: Petroleum, natural gas, petroleum products

 

Algeria, in northwest Africa on the Mediterranean coast, is the second largest country in Africa after Sudan. The Sahara covers more than four-fifths of its territory, where the inhabitants are concentrated in oases surrounded by desert. More than 90 percent of Algerians live along the Mediterranean coastlands on only 12 percent of the country's land. The Atlas Mountains cross Algeria east to west along the Mediterranean coast, with the north-facing slopes receiving good winter rainfall; the southern slopes, southern ranges, and interior plateaus get little rain. 

And now it's time for Khaled :) 

C'Est La Vie 

Pussy willows and Easter Bunnies

Children are picking pussy willows for Easter decorations in Martta Wendelin's cards.

The flowering shoots of pussy willow are used in Finland for decoration on Easter, as a replacement for palm branches, which do not grow that far north.

Easter bunny brings children eggs and candys the night before Easter.

Martta Wendelin ( 1893-1986 )

Olavi Vikainen  (1915–2005)

Happy Easter from cheerful Grannies

Inge Löök's ladies are always happy, smiling and mischievous in a hilarious way- the best way to live.

Iloista Pääsiäistä Koiramäeltä - Happy Easter from Doghill Farm

Illustration Mauri Kunnas

An ancient Easter dish still commonly eaten in Finland is the cold malt porridge mämmi. It was perfect food to be eaten on Good Friday, when lighting a fire and cooking was forbidden. Nowadays mämmi is mainly eaten as dessert.

More about mämmi here.

Frohe Ostern from Switzerland

Pupuhyppelyä - Bunny Jumps from Sabrina, Zurich

Frohe Ostern from Germany

From Jule, Rostock

From Nelly, Schwarzenfeld

From Petra, Munick

From Thorsten, Essen

Landscapes in China

 Mount Huangshan

Huangshan, known as 'the loveliest mountain of China', was acclaimed through art and literature during a good part of Chinese history (e.g. the Shanshui 'mountain and water' style of the mid-16th century). Today it holds the same fascination for visitors, poets, painters and photographers who come on pilgrimage to the site, which is renowned for its magnificent scenery made up of many granite peaks and rocks emerging out of a sea of clouds.

Libo

Amazing landscape in Libo, South China Karst also known as the Libo Maolan Karst Forest, one of the most beautiful forests in China.  It is not only a unique scenic resource, but it also has a great scientific value for its geology and rich biodiversity.

Private swaps from Dong Hang



Traditions and traditional houses, China

 NanXun Ancient Town

From Du Jia Chen

From Dylia, Beijing

Nanxun Ancient Town once was the richest among the six ancient towns in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang area. and it is very special for its unique combination of western and Chinese cultures. The Changhusheng (Changxing-Huzhou-Shanghai) Channel, the so called "Oriental Rhine" runs through the town. Nanxun Ancient Town also known as the ‘the land of fish and rice’ and ‘silk market’, is a charming tourist destination.

From Linjo Lee.
 The card is showing Dragon Boat Festival in ancient China. The festival is celebrated  is a lunar holiday, occurring on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month acording to the Chinese calendar.  It is a significant holiday celebrated in China, and the one with the longest history. The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated by boat races in the shape of dragons. Competing teams row their boats forward to a drumbeat racing to reach the finish end first.

Great Wall of China

Simatai Section of the Great Wall

Private swap from Dong Han

Simatai Great Wall, 120 km northeast of Beijing, is 5.4 km long with 35 watchtowers. Hanging precariously onto the YanShan Mountains, Simatai Great Wall is known for its steepness, ruggedness and outstanding beauty.

Sacred mountains - China

Meli Snow Mountains, Deqin County, Yunnan Province, China

 Yong Pan xi from Xiang Tan city sent this beautiful  card  showing the sunset in Meili Snow Mountain ( Meili Xue Shan ) which is located in the World Heritage area of Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas in  south-west China.

Meili Snow Mountain is one of the most sacred mountains of Tibetan Buddhism. 'Kang Karpo Peak' means the God of Snow Mountain in Tibetan, and is a holy land for worshiping. Pilgrims from Tibet, Qinghai Province, Sichuan Province,and Gansu Province come here at the beginning of each winter to worship. Thousands of devout pilgrims worship together and encircle the holy mountain, adding even more mystery to it.

more here

Lushan National Park

"Mount Lushan, in Jiangxi, is one of the spiritual centres of Chinese civilization. Buddhist and Taoist temples, along with landmarks of Confucianism, where the most eminent masters taught, blend effortlessly into a strikingly beautiful landscape which has inspired countless artists who developed the aesthetic approach to nature found in Chinese culture. "

more here

China by Xu Yong

Cards from the series Albums by Xu Yong

Childhood in Loess Plateau, China,

School in cave of Yellow Earth, with teacher and pupils.

Private swap from Nadia

Scenery of Water Regions

 Lunch time

Private swap from  Zhua.

Scenery of Water Regions, China,
Environment friendly  trasportation
Private swap from Heng Yao

She writes that bicycle is still very important  vehicle for people in China . She still remembers when she was sitting on her fathers bike on the way to her school. But after the development in economy many people can afford to buy a car, especially in big cities like  Shanghai and Beijing.

Springtime works

 

I wish you all a sunny, funny and active weekend with this young farmer by Martta Wendelin.

Belarusian Easter goodies

This Easter card I received from Nastya who lives in Minsk.

She was waiting for her quests with colorful Easter eggs traditional Babka cake :)

In Belarus a special cake is prepared to celebrate Easter called Babka and it is  served with a cheese mixture and that is called Paskha. Babka or Kulic is a tall cylindrical sweet yeast cake.  It is flavored with rum soaked raisins and candied fruit.  Sometimes Saffron is added to make the cake more yellow.

Kulitsan ja baban ohjeet löytyvät esim. täältä ja täältä.

Cupcakes

Stefan sent greetings from Germany with these colorful cupcakes.
Nice surprise on a rainy day:)
I handed also this card to my dear Baker, just as a hint...