Ö is for Österreich

Ö is the last letter of Finnish alphabets and it was a little difficult to find any word or  and card starting with Ö, so I  choosed German for the language this time.

Kaiserin Elisabeth von Österreich - Elisabeth, Empress of Austria

Elisabeth of Austria was the wife of Franz Joseph I, and therefore both Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary. She also held the titles of Queen of Bohemia and Croatia, among others. From an early age, she was called Sisi by family and friends. Wikipedia

Sissi,  filmed in 1955

This is one of  my movie star postcards from the 60s.

 Karlheinz Böhm as Franz Joseph I and Romy Schneider as Sissi

 Sissi was the first of a popular series of films showcasing Romy Schneider as the

young Empress Elizabeth.

The young Bavarian princess Elisabeth, who all call Sissi, goes with her mother and older sister Néné to Austria where Néné will be wed to an emperor named Franz Joseph, yet unexpectedly Franz runs into Sissi while out fishing and they fall in love.......

Back to the real world...

Wien, die Hauptstadt von Österreich

From our daughter 12. 8. 2002 

Main attractions of the beautiful city Vienna.

The Hundertwasser House, built in 1985, is an unusual public apartment block, designed by Austrian artist Friedrich Hundertwasser. Within the block there are 50 apartments each different from each other. The apartment block is multicoloured; has irregular windows; onion dome cupolas; uneven ceramic line; floors uneven; terraces with over 200 trees and bushes

This is the end of A to Ö April

Thank's for following and cheerful May Day to everyone

Ä is for Äiti - Mother

The main peculiarities in the Finnish alphabet are the two extra vowel letters ä and ö.

A with two dots above sounds like A in HAT.



For Mother

 For Mother and Grandmother

Our Best Wishes on Mother's Day

 Picture of May from Martha Wendelin's calendar

At the end of the 1920's, Mothers Day was set to the second Sunday of May in Finland, and in 1947 became an official flag raising day. In Finland mothers traditionally receive flowers and home-made cards from their children, and usually breakfast, home made cake and coffee are served in bed.

Å is for Åbo ( Turku )

 The City of Turku was founded in 1229. 

 Finland's first university was founded in Turku in 1640, even though the number of inhabitants in the city was not very large at that time. The staple town charter (the right to conduct foreign trade) guaranteed, however, that trading was brisk.

In 1827, a large section of Turku was dramatically destroyed in a fire. The burnt city needed an altogether new town plan, which was drawn up by C. L. Engel the following year

Luostarinmäki the Handicrafts Museum.

The area of the museum was the only old residential area left in 1940, when the museum was opened. The location was the largest area to completely survive the Great Fire of Turku. Contemporary handicraft items are presented. The museum received the Golden Apple international tourism award as the only site in Scandinavia in 1984.

The Turku Market Hall, completed in 1896.

The Market Hall, which extends the length of an entire block,

was designed by architect Gustaf Nyström.



Restaurant Samppalinna – a part of the vibrant Turku history since 1832 –

is a spectacular wooden villa with terraces located on the banks of the River Aura.

Turku ( Åbo ) was my home town from 1970 to 1976.

Z is for Zoo

Snow leopard kittens (Uncia  uncia ) in Ähtäri Zoo, Finland.

Ähtäri Zoo is located in the middle of Finland, some 160 km from Tampere, and is the first natural wildlife park of its kind in Finland. Set in 60 hectares, the aim of Ähtäri has been to provide a spacious and natural environment for the animals, and it has a varied terrain and flora which has provided an excellent opportunity for the implementation of the basic principles of EAZA, the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, on how best to care for animals in care.

Przewalski's Horse ( Equus przewalskii )

Korkeasaari Zoo in Helsinki is located on an island in the harbour, and is home to some 150 animal species and almost 1000 plant species, and includes many endangered species that are raised here. The zoo is laid out in zones, enabling visitors to pass from the tropical climates of Africa, Asia, and the Amazonian rain forests, into the deserts of Africa and the jungles of Indonesia. In the Arctic environment such animals as the snowy owl, musk ox, and the European forest reindeer are all at home in the Finnish winter. In the Cat Valley you'll find Amur tigers, lynxes, and leopards that are used to similar wintery conditions in their homelands.



Y is for Yesterday

 I recieved  these cards from my pen pal in 1965. I was so proud, nobody else had such special Beatles photos as me.  You can peek into my room  and take a time travel to the 60s if you go here and listen to this.

 Yesterday was recorded in 1965 in album Help!

But it was 50 years ago on March 22 1963 
when The Beatles' released Please Please Me,

 their first studio album.

More postcards in Beth's Postcard Friendship Friday

X is for XOXO ( hugs and kisses )

Casa di Giulietta Verona



Juliet’s house (Casa di Giulietta) is one of the main attractions of Verona with the most famous balcony in the world. Every day crowds of people make their way through the narrow archway into the courtyard to admire and photograph the famous balcony. Couples of all ages swear eternal fidelity here in memory of Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet”.

Juliet's Balcony.

Juliet's Wall of Love

Many people write their names and the names of their beloved ones on the walls of the entrance, known as Juliet's wall. Many believe that writing on that place will make their love everlasting. After a restoration and cleaning of the building, it was intended that further writing should be on replaceable panels or white sheets placed outside the wall. Writing love-struck graffiti on the walls of the courtyard and the tunnel that leads into it will be banned, apart from on specially-provided, removable panels. Anyone caught breaking the new rules, which will be enforced by local police, will risk a fine of up to 500 euros!

Verona  21. 5. 2003

W is for Wildlife

 Many wildlife species inhabit Ohio. Some such as the squirrel, fox, chipmunk and raccooncan be found throghout the state in rural as well as urban enviroments. Black bear is once again present in Ohio after years of absence.

All types of birds are abundant throughout Ohio - song birds, waterfowl, game birds and birds of prey. The beautiful red cardinal is the official state bird. The Bald Eagle, symbol of American Freedom, has steadily increased in population in the state during last decade.