Whoopie Pie

This week is for buns, sweets, chocolate and other goodies.

Jim from Pennsylvania sent this delicious recipe and he thought that our grandchildren  would like to taste  Whoopie Pies. I handed the card to my husband who is the baker of our family, but we are still waiting :)

The whoopie pie  is a US baked good that may be considered either a cookie, pie, or cake. It is made of two round mound-shaped pieces of chocolate cake, or sometimes pumpkin or gingerbread cake, with a sweet, creamy filling or frosting sandwiched between them.

Resepti suomeksi löytyy vaikka täältä.



Lake Siljan,Dalarna, Sweden

From my sister-in-law :)

Dalarna is the most traditional region in Sweden. The area of Lake Siljan is the most traditional area of this unique region of Sweden

Siljan, in Dalarna in central Sweden, is Sweden's sixth largest lake. Siljan reaches a maximum depth of 120 m (390 ft), and its surface is situated 161 m (528 ft) above sea level. The largest town on its shore is Mora. 

The lake is located around the southwestern perimeter of the Siljan Ring (Swedish: Siljansringen), a circular geological formation which was formed 377 million years ago in the Devonian by a major meteorite impact. The original crater, now mostly eroded, is estimated to have been about 52 km (32 mi) in diameter and is the largest known impact crater in Europe (excluding Russia). 

Lago di Garda, Italy

Lake Garda is one of northern Italy's most popular tourist destinations.

These cards are from my "vacation" with 20 teen ages to Italy.

The Sirmione castle on Lake Garda

Lake Patas, Terceira, Azores

Private swap from Lurdes

Lagoa das Patas, ( Duck Lake ) a lake in Terceira island is created by severeal waterfalls. 

Such a beautiful place with hiking paths, picnic tables and benches.

Lake Sete Cidades, São Miguel, Azores

Lagoa das Sete Cidades (Lagoon of the Seven Cities) is a twin-lake situated in the crater of a massive volcano on archipelago of the Azores. It consists of two ecologically-different small-lakes connected by a narrow passage (and crossed by a bridge), located inside a dormant volcano on the western third of the island of São Miguel. 

From our vacation to beautiful and green São Miguel.

Baikal - Pearl of Siberia

Lake Baikal and Sagan-Zaba Rock

Maria lives near Lake Baikal in Angarsk city, in the middle of Russia. She sent this postcard of beautiful, wintry and icy Baikal. 

Situated in south-east Siberia, the 3.15-million-ha Lake Baikal is the oldest (25 million years) and deepest (1,700 m) lake in the world. It contains 20% of the world's total unfrozen freshwater reserve. Known as the 'Galapagos of Russia', its age and isolation have produced one of the world's richest and most unusual freshwater faunas, which is of exceptional value to evolutionary science.

Sagan-Zaba -  from the language of local aborigens it means White Rock and it was a sacred place for the ceremonies of local shamans.  This place is famous for it's unique ancient rock-drawings, best in the whole Baikal region and majestic white marble cliffs which gather around this bay

Saana, The Scandes, Kilpisjärvi, Finland

Ari sent sunny greetings from the snowy fells in Käsivarsi region.

Saana (Northern Sami: Sána) is a fell in Enontekiö, Finland. Saana's summit lies 1,029 metres (3,376 ft) above sea level and 556 m (1,824 ft) above the adjacent Kilpisjärvi lake. Geologically it is part of the Scandinavian Mountains. The peak is a popular destination for hikers. 

Mount Huangshan, Huangshan, China

Buddha Halo at Mount Huangshan

Private swap from Heng Yao, Shanghai, China

She wrotes that Mount Huang is praised as " the Most Unique Mountain" . The mountain is famous for it's pine trees, peculiarly shaped granite peaks and views of the clouds. It was listed as UNESCO World Heritage list in 1990.

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.

Bridges - Netherlands

NL-2251615 from Cindy

Amsterdam has more than one hundred kilometres of canals, about 90 islands and 1500 bridges.

This is Sloterdijkerbridge viewing east towards Prinseneiland ("Prince's Island").



Terceira, Azorit

Lurdes lives in a beautiful town of Angra do Heroismo in Terceira island  in the archipelago of the Azores. She sent me these beautiful cards. Terceira looks a lot like São Miguel, green, hilly and magical. I have been to the island of São Miguel three times and each time I have been amazed by the beauty of its nature.  I really hope I can  sometimes visit  this fantastic Terceira island also.

Terceira is one of the larger islands of the archipelago. The largest town is Angra do Heroismo. The town is nominated by UNESCO as a  " world-town " worth to be  preserved. The town was on New Years day 1980 struck by a huge earthquake. Many of the beautiful  buildings in the center of the town were destroyed. But many many beautiful buildings are still preserved. You can still see some remaining ruins from the earthquake. There are a very large cathedral, a historic museum, and a bullfighter arena.

Oklahoma, USA

Machu Picchu, The Andes, Peru

Panoramic view over Machu Picchu

Tom lives in Ohio and he had been on trip to South America. While in Peru he got to visit amazing places including Cusco, Lima and the spectacular Machu Picchu.

Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu stands 2,430 m above sea-level, in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, in an extraordinarily beautiful setting. It was probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height; its giant walls, terraces and ramps seem as if they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments. The natural setting, on the eastern slopes of the Andes, encompasses the upper Amazon basin with its rich diversity of flora and fauna.

Wikipedia:  Machu Picchu (ketšuaksi Machu Pikchu ’vanha vuori’ tai ’vanha huippu’, tunnetaan myös nimellä inkojen kadonnut kaupunki) on muinainen, hyvin säilynyt inkakaupunki Andien harjanteella Perussa Etelä-Amerikassa. Paikka lienee inkavaltakunnan tunnetuin jäänne, koska sen sijainti ja geologiset piirteet ovat ainutlaatuiset, ja koska siitä kuultiin vanhassa maailmassa vasta vuonna 1911. Machu Picchu on UNESCOn maailmanperintökohde ja sen vahingoittumisesta runsaan matkailun takia on oltu viime aikoina huolestuneita.

Sawtooth Mountains, Rocky Mountains, Idaho, USA

Shanna sent this beautiful card showing the sunset over McGown Peak in the Sawtooth Mountains. She wrote that her town, Sandpoint was voted the most beautiful small town in America. The town is surrounded by gorgeous mountains and the incredible Lake Pend Oreille.
 And a funny fact: Idaho grows 72 billion potatoes a year!

McGown Peak, at 9,860 feet (3,010 m) above sea level is a peak in the Sawtooth Range of Idaho. 

Mt. Ranier, The Cascades, Washington, USA

From John, Covington, Washington
On clear days John sees this beautiful mountain and he hopes it doesn't erupt like it's neighbor Mount St. Helen did in 1980. He likes the mountains to be as stable as they look.

The tallest volcano in the contiguous United States, Mount Rainier is considered "episodically active" by geologist, meaning that it may erupt again in future. Each year, approximately two million people visit the national park to hike, camp, sightsee and climb.

Mount Rainier on Yhdysvaltojen Washingtonin osavaltiossa ja Mount Rainierin kansallispuistossa sijaitseva kerrostulivuori. Se kuuluu Kaskadeihin ja on kyseisen vuoriston korkein huippu, 4 392m . Mount Rainier on viimeksi purkautunut vuonna 1854, ja nykyään sen rinteitä peittää useampi suuri jäätikkö. Tulivuoren lämpö pitää sen kraatterin lähistön melko vapaana lumesta ja jäästä. Vuoren lämpö on lisäksi kovertanut jääluolia sen jäätikköihin

Wild life in Kenya

This card came from our friends while they were traveling in Kenya.

They spotted among other things  leopards,  antelopes, lions, elephants and zebras

Whales

Whales, the largest creatures on earth, can be sighted from the shores of Cape Cod. Seen here the humpback whale is characterized by its jumpy activity. The whales are attracted by the abundant schools of fish and krill found in the waters of the tip of Cape.

Patricia from Jacksonville has seen these majestetic whales on a whale watch in Cape Cod:)



This whale card was sent by Jetty. She lives in  a little village in the middle of Netherlands. 

Giant Panda

Private swap from Yachne, China

Did you know that the giant panda has an extra digit called  pseudo-thumb. This thumb-like structure acts as sixth digit and allows the giant panda to grasp  bamboo stalks with ease.

The giant panda is native to the mountainous temperate forests of southwest China. Due to farming and deforestation, the giant panda has been driven out of the lowland areas where it once lived. The most damaging result of development has been that it has divided the panda’s habitat into little islands of forest. Today, many pandas are isolated in these small sections of forest, because they will cross into areas where humans live.
China created protected areas and breeding centers for protecting the giant panda. The country has 37 official panda protecting areas.

Fox

Ezo red foxes live in the great north field, fighting against the cold and severe nature in northern Japan.

From Nobue, Tokyo, Japan

Wild Animals Week - South Africa

From our friends on their vacation in South Africa.



"A rare glimpse into the fascinating world of bushveld, the lure of viewing the rich heritage of wildlife, brings many visitors to South Africa."

Happy Women's Day...

with these cards from my unicef collection.

 

Holiday, Belgium
Artist Franz Gailliard

Offering, Brazil
Artist by Angelo Shepis

 Oda and Per, Norway
Artist Christian Krogh

Tante, Barbados
Artis Omowale Stewart

Mama Negra, Argentiina
Artist Susan Romero

Bridges - Czech Republic

Make a wish on the Charles Bridge

  Charles Bridge Charles Bridge (Karlův most) is the most famous bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague.  Charles Bridge (Karlův most) is a 14th century stone bridge linking the two sides of Prague. This magnificent structure, one of the city's finest attractions, is the main pedestrian route connecting the Old Town with the  Lesser Town / Prague Castle.
From Stanislav, Prague

Praha by Night

From Pavla, Kolin

17 briges crosses Vltava river.

From Jana, Prague

The Písek Stone Bridge (Kamenný most v Písku in Czech) is the oldest bridge on the area of Czech Republic and one of two oldest bridges in Central Europe, located in south Bohemian city of Písek. It was probably built in the 3rd quarter of the 13th century. 

From Katerina,  near Prague

Germany

I received this 3D card from Eike. She lives in the beautiful and old city of Magdeburg.

Two views in one card, great :)

München -Munich/ Das Octoberfest from Nelly

Oktoberfest is the world's largest fair held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It is a 16-day festival running from late September to the first weekend in October with more than 6 million people from around the world attending the event every year. To the locals, it is often simply called Wiesn, after the colloquial name of the fairgrounds (Theresienwiese) themselves. The Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since 1810. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations, modeled after the original Munich event.

Quite many and  hopefully happy mailboxes !

Danke Yvonne und Alles Gute für dich!

Olly lives near Nürnberg and I'm sure he bought gingerbread, Nüremberg bratwurst and glühwein while wandering around the Hauptmarkt square and admiring beautiful Christmas articles such as Christmas tree angels, cribs, Christmas tree ornaments, candles, toys as well as many arts and craft products.

New Zealand

Moeraki Boulders in Otago 

Steeped in Maori history, the Morerki Boulders are as large as 3 metres across and weigh up to several tonnes each. They are located 33km south of Oamaru, Oatago.

Rising sheer from the deep waters of the fiord known as Milford Sound, Mitre Peaksis one of the many spectacular features of the world-famous beauty spot.

Larnach Castle, Dunedid, Otago

Larnach Castle is an imposing mansion on the ridge of the Otago Peninsula within the limits of the city of Dunedin, New Zealand, close to the small settlement of Pukehiki. It is one of a few houses of this scale in New Zealand. The house and its grounds are regularly open to the public.

Mount Cook with wild lupins in flower.

Aoraki / Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand, reaching 3,724 metres (12,218 ft) It lies in the Southern Alps, the mountain range which runs the length of the South Island.

The famous Wellington Cable Car operates from the central shopping district of Lamton Quay up to Victoria University and Botanicat Gardens. At the top is a cafe, museum and exellent vantage points to view the City and harbour.

 Gone fishing. 

The Maruia river, a popular trout fishing area flows down the walley known as Cannibal George Nelson.

This beautuful ChristChurch Cathedral was destroyed in  the Feb. 2011 earthquake. The cathedral had been damaged previously by earthquakes in 1881, 1888, 1901, 1922 and 2010.

All these beautiful cards are from Raelyn :)