Sunrise/Sunset

Sunrise at Three-Fairy Rocks San-shien-tai (Terrace of the Three Immortals)

This scenery was sent by Jean in Chiayi on 8 Jul, 2015

travel time 21 days

distance travelled 8,118 km

received on 29 Jul, 2015 

Sunset over Historic Centre of Český Krumlov and the castle

Český Krumlov is a small city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Old Český Krumlov is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was given this status along with the historic Prague castle district.

This city view was sent by Jana in Liberec on 6 Feb, 2017
travel time 7 days
distance travelled 1,388 km
received on 14 Feb, 2017

More beautiful sunrises/sunsets here: Postcards for the weekend 77: Sunrise/sunset

Aerial views

Replot bridge and Kvarken archipelago.

The Replot Bridge (Finnish: Raippaluodon silta) is a cable-stayed tuftform bridge connecting the island of Replot with the mainland in Korsholm, near Vaasa, Finland. It is 1,045 metres (3,428 ft) long and the longest bridge of Finland. 

Kvarken Archipelago in Finland, part of the High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago World Heritage Site.

 Vaasa, the suniest city in Finland :)

Vaasa is a city on the west coast of Finland. It received its charter in 1606, during the reign of Charles IX of Sweden and is named after the Royal House of Vasa. Vaasa is the regional capital of Ostrobothnia (Swedish: Österbotten, Finnish: Pohjanmaa). The city is bilingual with 69.8% of the population speaking Finnish as their first language and 24.8% speaking Swedish. The surrounding Ostrobothnia municipalities have a Swedish-speaking majority. 

Both Vaasa and Kvarken are quite near to my home village.

More aerial views here: Postcards for the weekend 69: Aerial views

Winter Scenes from Germany

Snowy trees by Lake Starnberger, Bavaria, Germany

travel time 6 days
distance travelled 1,217 km
received on 20 Jan, 2017
sent by Silvia

An diesem Augenblicke hängt die Welt. Friedrich Schiller

travel time 6 days
distance travelled 1,539 km
received on 11 Oct, 2016
sent by Lena

Christmas tree forest

travel time 7 days
distance travelled 1,632 km
received on 28 Oct, 2016
sent by Michael 

Postcards for the weekend 68. Winter Scenes

Warm and Cozy

Teddy, warm and cozy. Artist: Daria Bogdanova

travel time 71 days

distance travelled 1,196 km

received on 14 Dec, 2016

sent by Maria, Podolsk, Russia

In winter, the weather can be cold and grey, it is dark the whole day long.  When I'm feeling the chill and blues of the season, a dose of hygge helps - candle lights, a hot cup of "glögi", woolly socks and a good book.  

"Glögi", a type of mulled wine, is a favorite hot drink at Christmas time. It is usually made of red wine or red juice of some sort, mixed with spices like cardamon and cinnamon, then served with raisins and almonds.

The noun hygge includes something nice, cozy, safe and known, referring to a psychological state. Hygge is a Danish and Norwegian word which can be described as a quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being. 

With Warm Greeting - Let's Hygge!

Postcards for the weekend 62: Books/reading/authors

Beverages

travel time 47 days

distance travelled 2,987 km

 sent on 5 May, 2017 to Roman, Siberia, Russia

travel time 9 days

distance travelled 8,293 km

received on 3 Oct, 2016 from Ana, California, U.S.A

travel time 39 days

distance travelled 1,478 km

sent on 8 Mar, 2015 to Tatiana, Russia

Would you rather drink beer or wine, or maybe  an elegant cocktail?

Postcards for the weekend 61: Food & beverage

Rebecca Dautremer and Alice

 Direct swap from Nadine, France

It was a warm summer day and Alice was getting bored sitting beside her sister, who had her nose buried in a book. 

"... suddenly, a beautiful pink-eyed white rabbit ran close by her...

There was nothing very remarkable in that, nor did Alice think it so very much out of the way to hear the rabbit say to itself - Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!"

Rebecca Dautremer is my favourite french illustrator.  Stop by her website to see more her beautiful work!

Audio books are nice entertainment for the long drives. From our city it takes ten hours to go to Helsinki and back. In September we listened Alice ( Liisa ) on the way to Helsinki and Winnie the Pooh on the way back home.

Winnie the Pooh (Nalle Puh ) is our favorite.

Postcards for the weekend 59: Anything you wish

Ryijy- Rug

 Sent to Mari, Finland

Sent to Lori, U.S.A

Sent to Priyanka, U.S.A

Ryijy is a form of Finnish tapestry or cloth rug.

The name ryijy originated with the Scandinavian word rya, which means "thick cloth". The decorative ryijy rug is an art form unique to Finland. In the late 19th century, ryijy rug weaving developed as a folk art. Some of the most beautiful tapestries were woven then.

 Originally woven for use as coverlets and bedding, they were mainly in natural colors, white, gray, and black. Some tones of yellow, red, green, and blue were introduced with vegetable dyes. Later, aniline dyes added another dimension of color and design.

The use of color and pattern is especially unique to the Finnish ryijy. Dating back to the 18th century, a ryijy was often used as a prayer rug during wedding ceremonies; the tapestry was then hung for display in the couple's home.

Different regions had designs specific to the event and colors specific to the local plants for dyes. Designs were often geometric shapes and florals, or figures of humans, animals, or birds. A very typical motif was the Tree of Life signifying family heritage.

Postcards for the weekend 50: Patterns & prints

Places of Worship

The Kizhi Pogost wooden churches,  The Church of the Transfiguration and the Church of the Intercession and an pyramidal wooden bell tower. UNESCO WHS.

From Ekaterina, Moscow, Russia

The pogost of Kizhi is located on one of the many islands in Lake Onega, in Karelia, Russia. Two 18th-century wooden churches, and an octagonal clock tower, also in wood and built in 1862, can be seen there. These unusual constructions, in which carpenters created a bold visionary architecture, perpetuate an ancient model of parish space and are in harmony with the surrounding landscape.

Kiži on puukirkoistaan tunnettu Äänisen saari Karjalan tasavallassa Venäjällä. Runsaan viiden kilometrin pituinen ja alle 800 metriä leveä saari on Unescon maailmanperintökohde. Kiži on Karjalan tasavallan merkittävimpiä matkailukohteita ja suosittu koko Venäjän laajuisesti. Kižiin on nopea yhteys kantosiipialuksella Petroskoista, jonne on matkaa noin 70 kilometriä. Kortissa Kristuksen kirkastuksen kirkko, kellotapuli ja Jumalansynnyttäjän suojeluksen kirkko.

Postcard for the Weekend 

City views, day time

Manaus, Brazil

Teatro Amazonas / Amazonas Opera House

Manaus is the city in the North Region of Brazil. It is situated near the confluence of the Negro and Solimões rivers. With a population of more than 2 million, it is the most populous city of both the Brazilian state of Amazonas and the Amazon rainforest.

From Denise, Brazil

Colorful colonial houses in Pelourinho, Historic Center of Salvador, Brazil.

The Historic Center of Salvador as a whole was listed as a national heritage site by the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage in 1984. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.

From Alberto, Brazil

Postcards for the weekend 43. 

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

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

Maps

Germany map comes from Jens in Duisburg. He writes about the Ruhr region:  in Ruhr area people have a saying: "Glück Auf!" Originally it was good luck wishes for miners to find ore. The greeting also expressed the desire that miners would return safely from the mine after their shift.

Today it is still a common form of greeting in the Ore Mountains region of eastern Germany.

 Postcard for the weekend 40. Country map

The whole world
This beautiful world map is a direct swap from Ralf in Düsseldorf, Germany.  With this card he wishes "Fair Winds and Following Seas" It is  sailors way to wish easy and safe sailing, it also means good wishes for the new year.

Chania Streets

Walking on the streets and alleys of the old town of Chania you can admire the buildings decorated with colorful flowers and plants or relax on a cosy cafe. Many of these buildings are homes, others house shops, stores, bars, cafes and restaurants. Several, mostly Venetian mansions, have been converted into hotels, while other buildings have been converted into museums and venues that host cultural exhibitions. 

And of course Grandmas :) 

  My favorite city! 

Postcards for the weekend 39: Traditional street scene

Festivals

 Song and dance festival, Tallinn, Estonia

Taking place every five years and involving thousands of choir singers and dancers dressed in colourful national garments, the roots of this lively outdoor festival stretch back as far as 1869, the dawn of Estonian national movement and the first song celebration took place in Tartu.  From 1928 onwards the home of the much-loved festival has been the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds in the midst of the scenic pine grove on the coast of Tallinn. Dance celebration is a more recent tradition dating back to 1934 and today the two traditions are seen as inseparable by the modern audiences.

Postcards for the weekend

Traditional costumes

Traditional Finnish costume representing the region of South Ostrobothnia in Finland - The Härmä national dress  by Virpi Pekkala

Traditional woman's summer costume by  Martta Wendelin. 

National costume from Kauhajoki town in South Ostrobothnia by Katri Lahtinen

In Finland every region has its own specific design of national costume. In these stamps you'll see some examples.

Postcards for the weekend 37: Traditional costumes

Sunsets

The beautiful and historically significant Helsinki Cathedral is an Evangelic Lutheran church, and for many it is the symbol of Helsinki. The church was designed by architect Carl Ludwig Engel in the 19th century as part of the Empire-style-downtown Helsinki area. The cathedral was completed in 1852.

Häme Castle in Hämeenlinna is one of Finland's medieval royal castles. It is believed to have been built at the end of the 13th century.

Kristiinankaupunki / Kristinestad  was named by the Queen Kristina of Sweden.