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!