Decorated doors and locks

From Denise in  Heinsberg, Germany

From Audrey in Carpentras, France

Denmark

 Copenhagen Amager Square, shopping street

 Amager Square, today part of the Strøget pedestrian zone, is often described as the most central square in central Copenhagen. It is also one of the oldest, taking its name from the Amager farmers who in the Middle Ages came into town to sell their produce at the site.

Sent by Elysaveta in Kiev, Ukraine

 North Zealand - Danish Riviera by Martin Schwartz

Martin Schwartz (born in 1974) is a contemporary Danish illustrator and graphic designer located in Copenhagen, Denmark. His series of city prints pay tribute to the variety of buildings that can be found in every city. 

Sent by Thomas in Copenhagen

The Royal Family, Denmark

 Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik,  Crown Prince Frederik and crown Princess Mary.

Dalian tram

Old trolley bell, Dalian, China

From Evan, China

Trams in Dalian have been operating continuously since 1909 making them one of the oldest tram systems still in use in Mainland China. There were once eleven routes in operation in Dalian in the Northeast China. Only two routes remain in use today. Notably, all of the staff on Dalian's tram system are female, i.e. – driver, conductor, points man — even the depot manager.

Dogs in art

  Watchdog on the veranda. Carl Larsson 1895

Hans Olde. Grand duchess Caroline of Saxony Weimar, 1903

A Kick in the Right Direction, Henry Weekes 1851-1910

The Gamekeeper's Kitchen. Edwin Armfield 1840-1875

Raimo Kanerva,  Mushroom Guard, 1979

Postcard Friendship Friday 

John and Yoko

John Lennon

Theatermuseum Hannover

The Art of John Lennon 

"The more I see, the less I know for sure.”

From Angela, Germany

John Lennon was born on October 9, 1940, in Liverpool, England. He met Paul McCartney in 1957 and invited McCartney to join his music group. They eventually formed the most successful songwriting partnership in musical history. Lennon left the Beatles in 1969  and  enjoyed a successful solo career, he also campaigned for the end of the Vietnam War and for peace between the US and Russia during the Cold War. Later released albums with his wife, Yoko Ono, among others. On December 8, 1980, he was killed by a crazed fan named Mark David Chapman.

Yoko Ono and John Lennon
"Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted"

From Lenore, Belarus

Postcards for the Weekend 42. Iconic person

Children

Cheerful Kashmiri girls clad in shawls.

Sent by Barani in Coimbatore, India

Children's books

 Josephine Wall:  Sleeping Beauty, 

Josephine Wall is a popular English fantasy artist and sculptor

Sent by Ji, Shanghai, China

Anton Lomaev, Russian illustrator : J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" J. R. R. Tolkien

Sent by Ksenia, Moscow, Russia

Cats in art

 

Max Raffler  (1902 - 1988 ) Cats

Max Raffler was a German visual artist. His work has been shown widely and published in a number of books in Germany, and he remains one of that country’s most well known naive painters.  His subjects were often images of the rural countryside, and religious pictures that were encouraged by a local priest and shown in the church. Other images include self-portraits and paintings of cats, as well as illustrations of children’s stories.

 Julius Adam (1852-1914)  Kitten Carriage, 

Cat painting was very popular during the 19th century. I think Julius liked cats and was quite talented capturing them in action. 

Martin Leman  ( 1934) " Her Mistress Voice " 

  Martin Leman has been best known for his exquisite paintings of cats. He is one of the most popular contemporary British artists. Leman has been described as 'the most sophisticated of 'naïve' British artists, but unlike many so-called naïve or primitive painters, he had a thorough artistic training.

Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen  "Le Chat Noir" ("The Black Cat")

"Le Chat Noir" ("The Black Cat") was a Parisian, bohemian night club in the late 1800s. Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen painted this poster as an advertisement for Le Chat Noir.

Menorca

Minorca or Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Majorca.

Ciutadella de Minorca or simply Ciutadella is a town and a municipality in the western end of Minorca..It is one of the two primary cities in the island, along with Maó. Ciutadella is a very attractive city, with a charming port, and old quarter, which is a delight to explore.

The port is both a fishing and leisure.
From me to me:)

Menorca Biosphere Reserve, UNESCO,  Spain

The main characteristic of the Menorca Biosphere Reserve is the diversity characteristic of nearly all Mediterranean island ecosystems. The most notable habitats are the gullies, caves, wetlands made up of ponds, lagoons and marshes, dune systems, coasts and islets. Some 220 species of birds, and 1000 species of plants (60 of which are endemic) have been recorded.

Balconies

 A balcony is a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade, usually above the ground floor.

Lisbon balconies from Iolanda near Porto in Portugal.

Typical Maltese balconies from Nastya 

and from Thomas

Stein am Rhein, Switzerland

The city fountain and a house with balconies and frescoes at the picturesque town hall square.

Balconies in Puerto de Mogan, Gran Canaria from me to me :)

Berlin, Germany

 TV- tower and the world clock, Alexander Platz
From Kirsten, Germany

The Berlin TV Tower is located on Alexanderplatz in Berlin. It is the fourth highest building in Europe (368.03 m). The construction of the tower started in 1965 and was completed in 1969. The building was designed by architects  Fritz Dieter and Günter Franke and engineer Werner Ahrend.

Berliinin televisiotorni sijaitsee Alexanderplatzilla Berliinissä. Se on Euroopan neljänneksi korkein rakennus (368,03 m). Tornin rakennustyöt aloitettiin vuonna 1965  ja  valmistuivat vuonna 1969. Suunnittelijoina toimivat arkkitehdit Fritz Dieter ja Günter Franke sekä insinööri Werner Ahrend.

Potsdamer Platz

From Kate, Germany

Potsdamer Platz is an important public square and traffic intersection in the centre of Berlin.  After developing within the space of little over a century from an intersection of rural thoroughfares into the most bustling traffic intersection in Europe it was totally laid to waste during World War II and then left desolate during the Cold War era when the Berlin Wall bisected its former location. Since German reunification, Potsdamer Platz has been the site of major redevelopment projects.

Potsdamer Platz on aukio Berliinin keskustassa. Ennen toista maailmansotaa Potsdamer Platz oli Berliinin sydän ja eräs koko Euroopan vilkasliikenteisimmistä aukioista. Se kuitenkin tuhoutui maailmansodan aikana lähes maan tasalle ja jäi sen jälkeen vuosikymmenien ajaksi hylätyksi jättömaaksi. Berliinin muuri jakoi aukion kahtia eikä Länsi- ja Itä-Berliinin välistä rajavyöhykettä jälleenrakennettu kylmän sodan aikana. Saksan jälleenyhdistymisen jälkeen Potsdamer Platzia ympäristöineen alettiin rakentaa uudelleen vuodesta 1994 alkaen. Se oli 1990-luvun lopulla Euroopan suurin rakennustyömaa ja alue on nyttemmin rakennettu lähes täysin uudestaan.

The New Synagoge in Oranienburg road

From Peter, Germany

The Neue Synagoge ("New Synagogue") was built 1859–1866 as the main synagogue of the Berlin Jewish community, on Oranienburger Straße. The building was designed by Eduard Knoblauch. Following Knoblauch's death in 1865, Friedrich August Stüler took responsibility for the majority of its construction as well as for its interior arrangement and design. It was inaugurated in 1866.  

The synagoga  was one of the few synagogues to survive Kristallnacht, but was badly damaged during World War II.

Neue Synagoge  on Berliinin Oranienburger Strassella sijaitseva juutalainen synagoga, jota pidetään arkkitehtonisesti ja kaupunkikuvallisesti merkittävänä. Synagoga rakennettiin vuosina 1859–1866 ja sen  suunnitteli alkujaan arkkitehti Eduard Knoblauch ja työn saattoi päätökseen Friedrich August Stüler.

Kristalliyönä 9.–10. marraskuuta 1938 Neue Synagoge pelastui hyökkäykseltä ja tuhopoltolta, koska Wilhelm Krützfeld -niminen poliisi asettui suojelemaan sitä sillä perusteella, että kyseessä oli suojeltu rakennus. Synagoga kuitenkin tuhoutui suurelta osin toisen maailmansodan pommituksissa vuonna 1943.  Se julistettiin 1966 sodan ja fasismin vastaiseksi muistomerkiksi. Synagogan jälleenrakennus aloitettiin vuonna 1988 DDR:n valtion tuella. Rakennus avattiin uudelleen toukokuussa 1995.

The Reichstag building -  German Parliament Building

From Sina, Germany

The  Reichstag building is a historic building in Berlin. It was opened in 1894. In 1933 it was severely damaged after it was set on fire. After World War II, the building fell into disuse. The restoration was made until after German Reunification on 3 October 1990, when it was undergoing a reconstruction led by architect Norman Foster. After its completion in 1999, it once again became the meeting place of the German Parliament: the modern Bundestag.

Valtiopäivätalo (Reichstag) on parlamenttirakennus Berliinissä, Saksassa

Valtiopäivätalo rakennettiin vuonna 1894 Saksan keisarikunnan valtiopäivien istuntopaikaksi. Rakennus vaurioitui pahoin vuoden 1933 tulipalossa ja myöhemmin toisen maailmansodan pommituksissa. Kylmän sodan aikana rakennus oli tilapäiskäytössä, mutta vuonna 1999 liittopäivät muuttivat takaisin restauroituun rakennukseen.

Souvenirs from Belarus

Belarusian Straw Dolls from Daria in Borisov

 "Little angel"  from Kate in Zhlobin

Barcelona

Basilica de La Sagrada Familia

My collection

Basilica de La Sagrada Familia

My collection

Sagrada Familia is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). Gaudí's work on the building is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1882 construction of Sagrada Família commenced under architect Francisco Paula de Villar until 1883, when Gaudí became involved when Francisco resigned as the head architect. Taking over the project, Gaudí transformed it with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted his last years to the project, and at the time of his death at age 73 in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete.

Sagrada Familia's construction progressed slowly, as it relied on private donations and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, only to resume intermittent progress in the 1950s. Construction passed the midpoint in 2010 with some of the project's greatest challenges remaining and an anticipated completion date of 2026, the centenary of Gaudí's death.

Sagrada Família on Antoni Gaudín suunnittelema roomalais-katolinen kirkko Barcelonan keskustassa Eixamplen kaupunginosassa. Kirkon nimi merkitsee "pyhää perhettä". Pyhäkön rakennustyöt aloitettiin vuonna 1882 arkkitehti Francesc P. Villarin johdolla, mutta vuotta myöhemmin Antoni Gaudí sai vastuun suunnittelusta ja uudisti täysin rakennuksen alkuperäiset piirustukset. Kirkon rakentaminen on yhä kesken, vaikka rakennustöitä on tehty jo pitkälti toista sataa vuotta. Keskeneräisessä kirkossa järjestetään kuitenkin päivittäin messuja, yleensä kirkon kryptassa. Arkkitehti suunnitteli kirkkoa 40 vuotta, jona aikana kirkko muuttui työprosessina yhä suuremmaksi ja monimutkaisemmaksi. Gaudi muutti lopulta kirkkoon asumaan ja eli siellä erakkona 16 viimeistä elinvuottaan.

Palau National, Font Macica Montjuik

Barcelona's biggest ornamental fountain, which was built in 1929 for the International Exhibition, offers a spectacular display of music, water acrobatics and lights which generate over 50 kinds of shades and hues. The Montjuïc Magic Fountain has become one of Barcelona's most popular attractions and is where the "Piromusical" is held, a true balletic spectacle of water and light.

Ciutat Vella

From Luis, Spain

Ciutat Vella is Barcelona's first district, district number 1, emerged from a walled precinct that surrounded the ancient city. This is what is known as Ciutat Vella, the old town, a fascinating network of streets and squares where you can trace Barcelona's history.

Ciutat Vella on yksi Barcelonan kaupungin kymmenestä hallintoalueesta. Se käsittää käytännössä koko Barcelonan vanhan kaupungin, jossa on jäljellä useita keskiaikaisia rakennuksia.

Belgium

 Mons, Belgium

Collegiate Church of St. Waudru, The 15th-century town hall in Grand Place, Street view

From Maria, Belgium

Mons is a Belgian city and municipality, and the capital of the province of Hainaut.

Mons has some unique attractions also in the nearby vicinity which are well worth visiting.

Mons on kaupunki ranskankielisessä Valloniassa. Se sijaitsee 55 kilometriä lounaaseen Brysselistä. Mons on keskellä hiilialuetta ja kaupungista tuli hiilikaivosten takia tärkeä raskaan teollisuuden keskus 1800-luvulta alkaen. Tekstiiliteollisuus nousi jo 1800-luvulla merkittäväksi teollisuuden haaraksi. Mons joutui raskaiden pommitusten kohteeksi toisessa maailmansodasta. Nykyisin kaivostoiminta on lopetettu ja kaupunki on tärkeä yliopisto- ja kauppakeskus.

Winter in Hohen Venn / High Fens, Belgium

From Monique, Belgium

The High Fens, which were declared a nature reserve in 1957, are an upland area, a plateau region in the province of Liège, in the east of Belgium and adjoining parts of Germany, between the Ardennes and the Eifel highlands. 

Flag

Flag of the Dutch East India Company

From Eva, Netherlands

The Dutch East Indies Company, was originally established as a chartered company in 1602, when the Dutch government granted it a 21-year monopoly on the Dutch spice trade.  The company possessed quasi-governmental powers, including the ability to wage war, imprison and execute convicts, negotiate treaties, strike its own coins, and establish colonies.

Hollannin Itä-Intian kauppakomppania oli vuonna 1602 perustettu maailman toinen monikansallinen yritys (Englannin Itä-Intian kauppakomppania perustettiin vain kaksi vuotta aikaisemmin). Sillä sillä oli lähes valtiolliset oikeudet, kuten oikeus julistaa sota, solmia sopimuksia, vangita ja teloittaa epäiltyjä, painaa rahaa ja perustaa siirtomaita.

 Postcards for the Weekend 41. Flags

Agios Nikolaos

Different to all other towns in Crete, Agios Nikolaos manages to mix - upon the three hills which support its girth - an arty, leisurely, sleepy and yet also bustling place. Built partly atop ancient remains of bygone residents' homes. Also known as Agios Nik or Ag Nik.

The name Agios Nikolaos means Saint Nicholas.  Agios Nikolaos or Ayios Nikolaos
 is a common place name in Greece and Cyprus, since Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors and of all of Greece.

My short (about one hour) visit to Agios Nik.

Animals

Lion cubs from Lisa in New York, U.S.A.

August 31, 2010 the National Zoo welcomed a litter of  four  lion cubs. The first litter of  Zoo’s 5-year-old lion Shera and the first surviving litter for four-year- old Luke. 

Hedgehog from Katie in New York, U.S.A.

Gamochonia ( Octopus) Ernst Haeckel, Kunstformen der Natur (1904) from Randi in Indiana, U.S.A.

Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel (1834 – 1919[) was a German biologist, naturalist, philosopher, physician, professor, marine biologist, and artist who discovered, described and named thousands of new species. The published artwork of Haeckel includes over 100 detailed, multi-colour illustrations of animals and sea creatures  (Kunstformen der Natur, "Art Forms of Nature")