El Camino de Santiago

I got this postcard the day after the accident so I would like to take the chance to wish a fast recovery to all the injured people of the train accident in Santiago de Compostela and a lot of strength to those who lost friends and family. 

Moita forza Galicia! 

The Way of St. James (Spanish: El Camino de Santiago) is one of the most important Christian pilgrimages, with Santiago de Compostela, Spain as the final destination.

The pilgrimage goes to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried. Legend has it that St. James' body was taken to Galicia by boat from Jerusalem and carried inland to where Santiago de Compostela is now located. The pilgrimage is believed by some to be one of three pilgrimages for which the sins of the pilgrim will be forgiven. There are several routes that can be taken, the most popular being the Camino Francés, which begins in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France.

To earn the compostela (certificate of accomplishment) one needs to walk a minimum of 100 km or cycle at least 200 km. While many pilgrims only do that final portion of the route, there are great rewards for starting much further away. Some Europeans walk from their homes, following one of the many routes from virtually all corners of central and western Europe. 

*Source

Gracias Natalia!

Chişinău

The national History Museum of Moldova in Chişinău along lovely stamps

Chişinău is the capital of Moldova.

It's very wealthy compared to the rest of the country, as Moldova is not a very rich country. You'll see many modern and great buildings of steel, concrete and glass. Here you can see 4 and 5 star hotels, great restaurants and cafes, coffee houses and bars. 

Chişinău is a good place for food lovers. There are plenty of good places to eat all over the city. The cheap, tasty food that is very popular with the locals is served in most places.

There are excessive number of shops, malls and trade centers in Chişinău. If you are just visiting, consider buying a special cognac selection of about 30 small bottles, with different sorts of cognac. It can make a nice gift. Moldovan wines are deservedly famous across the former Soviet Union, yet are little known in Europe.

*Source

Mântenesc Renata!

Little May

Card, Stamp and even Priority sticker all Moomin themed! 

Moomin is a comic strip created by Tove Jansson, and followed up by Lars Jansson, featuring their Moomin family of characters.

Little My (original Swedish: Lilla My and Finnish: "Pikku Myy") seen in this card, is a character in the Moomin series of books. She first appears in the fourth book: "The Exploits of Moominpappa". 

She's a mischevious tomboyish little girl, who lives in the Moomin house and has a brave, spunky personality. She likes adventure, but loves catastrophes, and often does mean things on purpose. She finds messiness and untidiness exciting and is very down to earth, when others aren’t.

Check everything about the Moomin series here

*Source

Kiitos Marjut!

The land of Wallies

I love Where's Wally and the back looks quite colorful thanks to the stamps!

Where's Wally? was created by British illustrator Martin Handford. The books have illustrations depicting a crowd in an specific location and the reader needs to find Wally a character wearing a red and white striped shirt, a hat and glasses. It's a really fun task!

Thank you Adam! 

Snail-mailers around the globe: Russia

A new month, a new interview for our series! This time we have Kiril from Russia who was really kind to volunteer for this interview, he has a great sense of humor and he has become a total postcrosser at heart in just a few months!

In what snail-mailing activities do you take part?

Postcard swapping and Random acts of smileness (This are when people volunteer to send postcards without asking for anything in return just to cheer up others).

How did you became a snail-mailer? 
I heard about Postcrossing in a Russian forum that gathers the fans of G.R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" and the TV show "Game of Thrones". 

For how long have you been doing this? 
For about six months.

Can you show me 3 of your favorite postcards and make a little explanation on why you like them? 

I received this postcard from a swap with a Russian postcrosser. I like it because it's really funny! Sometimes I call my beloved girl "my little witch", specially when she's freaking out. And when I look at this amusing picture I think about her.

I received this card on the official Postcrossing from Ukraine. It's really magical and romantic, all these fireflies and the reflection of the moon... it makes it a really peaceful and meditative picture.

This card was a surprise from a nice and warm-hearted Russian postcrosser. It's a French postcard with the image of Joan of Arc, a folk heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. I've always admired people who changed history with only their will and faith, exactly like in old legends and stories. 

How much does it cost to send a postcard in your country? 

Within Russia - 9.20 RUB ≈ $0.30 USD ≈  0.20 € 

Abroad - 21.40 RUB (24.10 RUB by air mail) ≈ $0.70 ($0.80) USD 

≈ 0.50 € (0.60 €)

Do you have any themed collections? If you do, why are you collecting them? 

Since I'm new to Postcrossing I don't have any for now. I just enjoy the fact of receiving a card from any distant point in the globe.

If you are into pen-paling, from which countries do you have pen-pals from? 
I don’t have pen-pals... but later who knows! 

Have you discovered any destination you'd like to travel to thanks to a postcard? 
I've always wanted to travel to the Scandinavian countries, British Isles and China, Japan and Korea. I guess it's my Euro-Asian nature!

A few fun/strange/surprising facts you'd like to share about your country? 

Well... today when I was eating pancakes with red caviar for breakfast I realized I had been sleeping all night with valenki on my feet! And my pet bear broke my favorite balalaika again! 

That was just a joke... speaking seriously I don't know exactly what to say, Russia is a big country. I've never been to the European part of it and for me Moscow is as foreign as Ciudad de Mexico ! Russia is full of surprises and strange things, you should better see it for yourself, welcome to Russia!  

In your opinion, what is it that makes sending postcards and letters through snail-mail special?
It's a fine way to make someone smile with just a piece of paper, that's really worth it. 

Spasibo Bolshoye Kiril!

St. Moritz

A beautiful snowy swiss landscape! 

St. Moritz is located in the Upper Engadin in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It is one of the best-known vacation spots in Europe. It is chic and famous for its ambiance, and is situated next to Engadine's lakescape at 1,856 meters above sea level. The bubbly "champagne atmosphere" is as legendary as the St. Moritz sun, which shines on an average 322 days a year!

There are a lot of events in St.Moritz such as operas in all seasons, the British Classic Car Meeting, the surf marathon, the city race, the gourmet festival, etc.

St. Moritz has four ski regions: Corviglia, Corvatsch, Diavolezza, and Zuoz. They offer 350 kilometers of prepared slopes and 34 cosy restaurants. Moreover, there are a number of snowsports schools. 

In St. Moritz walking/hiking is always a spectacular experience. There are over 580 km of hiking trails. Nice starting points for scenic hikes are the famous mountains Corviglia and Muottas Muragl. Visitors in a wheelchair do not fall short since there are 9 wheelchair-accessible hikes. For children, there is the 1.5 km long “Schellenursli” ( a children’s character) trail. It is suitable for pushchairs. The best about hiking in St. Moritz is that the cable cars are included if staying at a hotel for two nights or longer

*Source

Danke MoreCH!

Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex

I really love the Euro 2010 stamp, perfect to accompany a card with the stadium that hosted the final! 

The Olympic National Sports Complex (also known as Olympic Stadium) is a multi-use sports and recreation facility in Kyiv, Ukraine, located on the slopes of the city's central Cherepanov Hill, Pechersk Raion. The stadium is the premier sports venue in Ukraine and the second largest in Eastern Europe after Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium. The complex beside its stadium also features several other sports facilities and is designed to host the Olympic Games (the stadium hosted some football matches at the 1980 Summer Olympics).

On 18 April 2007, Poland and Ukraine were chosen by UEFA to co-host the finals of Euro 2012, with the Olimpiysky Stadium set to host the final. 

*Source

Dyakuyu Andrey!

Hannover Postcrossing meet-up!

I received this lovely card from the Hannover Postcrossing meet-up that was held on June 20. I really love seeing all the colorful signatures in this cards and hopefully I'll get to go to a meet-up sometime! 

Hannover is the capital of Lower Saxony in Germany. Having a huge exhibition complex built for the World EXPO in 2000 and being host to several of the biggest exhibitions in the world, Hannover calls herself the "EXPO City" or "Exhibition City". 

Hannover is not a typical European city, don't expect to see beautiful centuries-old buildings; the city was one of the hardest hit during World War II, leaving it with only a few historical landmarks. Even the Old City area is "new"; all the old houses left standing after the war (around 40) were taken from throughout the city and collected in one place. This area is surrounded by grey 1950's buildings that give a somewhat heavy atmosphere to the streets. Hannover has large green areas, with forests and big parks. The landscape is mostly flat, with the river Leine going through the city. The lake Masch is rather spectacular, considering its size as a man-made object.

Hannover's public services are excellent, due to major reconstruction for the World EXPO 2000. The shopping area under the train station was renovated in 2005-2006 in preparation for the World Cup.

The city also offers a wide range of museums and festivals (specially in the summer) including a rubber duck race.

*Source

Vielen dank Chris and everyone who signed it!

Les Fromages de Chèvre

Another great card along really lovely stamps! This was one of the first Nouvelles Images I received actually and features goat cheese. 

We can see:

*Brique et Figues

*Boutons de culotte

*Chabichou

*Brique au romarin

*Selles-sur-cher frais

*Chèvre à la ciboulette 

*Chèvre aux raisins 

*Crottins de Chavignol frais

*Fontainebleau 

*Mothais

*Boutons d'Oc

*Crottins de Chavignol secs

*Pavé

*Chèvre aux olives 

*Picodons

*Rave de Provence 

*Pélardons 

*Figuettes 

*Taupinière 

*Taupinette 

*Banon 

*Chèvre aux cinq baies 

*Selles-sur-cher sec

*Sainte-maure de Touraine 

*Rocamadours 

*Faisselle 

*Pouligny Saint-Pierre 

*Valençay demi-frais

*Valençay sec 

Dank Wesley! 

Istanbul

My one and only card from Turkey that happens to be amazing!

Some ancient cities are the sum of their monuments, but Istanbul factors a lot more into the equation. Chief among its manifold attractions are the locals, who have an infectious love of life and generosity of spirit. This vibrant, inclusive and expanding community is full of people who work and party hard, treasure family and friendships, and have no problem melding tradition and modernity in their everyday lives. 

The Byzantines adorned their churches and palaces with mosaics and frescoes, miraculously many of these are still here to admire. Their successors, the Ottomans, were quick to launch an ambitious building program after their emphatic arrival. The magnificently decorated imperial mosques that followed are architectural triumphs that together form one of the world's great skylines. And in recent years, local banks and business dynasties have reprised the Ottomans' grand ambitions and endowed an impressive array of galleries, museums and festivals for all to enjoy.

The city's world-famous hamams (Turkish baths) offer a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in history, architecture, warm water and soap suds, all at the same time. 

Its cuisine is as diverse as its heritage, and delicious to boot. Most visitors prefer to sample the succulent kebaps, flavoursome mezes and freshly caught fish that are the city's signature dishes, washing them down with rakı, beer or a glass or two of locally produced wine.

*Source

Teşekkür ederim Munat!

Le Pain

Another for the collection! This one comes with the names in french and english. It was part of my little spread talking about Nouvelles Images you can see here

We can see:

*Cornetti 

*"Tabatière" 

*Pain auvergnat (Auvergne loaf)

*Pain blanc au pavot (Poppy seed loaf)

*Pain de seigle noir (Black rye)

*Pain 7 céréales (7 grain loaf)

*Ficelle viennoise (Vienna stick)

*Baguette épi ("Ear of corn" baguette)

*Bagel américain au pavot (Poppy seed bagel)

*Bagel nature (Plain bagel)

*Bagel américain aux oignons (Onion bagel)

*Mauricette

*Pain polka (Sandwich loaf)

*Multicroque (Crusty loaf)

*Petits pains (Rolls)

*Au pavot (Poppy seeds)

*Aux noix (Walnut)

*Aux céréales (Whole grain) 

*Petit pain de campagne (Small farmhouse)

*Couronne 

*Pain complet au pavot (Whole wheat loaf, poppy seeds) 

*Pain de campagne rond (Round farmhouse)

*Baguette de campagne 

*Baguette

*Boule paysanne (Farmhouse)

*Pain de seigle (Rye bread)

*Pain azyme (Unleavened bread)

*Brioche nattée (Braided brioche)

*Pain de campagne ("Campagne")

Merci Ulla!

Bled

Lovely Slovenian landscapes along a bee stamp that is a bit creepy! 

Upper Carniola (Slovene: Gorenjska) is a traditional region of Slovenia, the northern mountainous part of the larger Carniola region.

Bled is an Alpine town alongside glacial Lake Bled in northwestern Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Bled. 
Bled is known for the glacial Lake Bled, which makes it a major tourist attraction. Perched on a rock overlooking the lake is the iconic Bled Castle. The town is also known in Slovenia for its vanilla and cream pastry.

Due to its mild climate, Bled has been visited by aristocratic guests from all across the world. Today it is an important convention centre and tourist resort, offering a wide range of sports activities (golf, fishing, and horseback-riding). It is a starting point for mountain treks and hikes, especially within nearby Triglav National Park.

A small island in the middle of the lake is home to Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage Church; visitors frequently ring its bell for good luck. Human traces from prehistory have been found on the island. Before the church was built, there was a temple consecrated to Živa, the Slavic goddess of love and fertility. One can get to the island on a traditional flat-bottomed wooden boat. The island on Lake Bled has 99 steps. A local tradition at weddings is for the husband to carry his new bride up these steps, during which the bride must remain silent.

*Source

                                   Ďakujem Tina!

Utrecht

This card is quite special because it was my first official card from Postcrossing! 

Utrecht is a central Dutch city with a long history. With 316.448 inhabitants it’s the fourth largest city in The Netherlands. The agglomeration of Utrecht has 640.000 inhabitants. The history of the city goes back to 47 AD when the Roman emperor Claudius ordered his general Corbulo to build a defensive line along the river Rhine which was the northern most border of the empire. One of the strongholds (or Castella) along the river was built at a crossing in the river and was called Traiectum (which means crossingplace). In the local language this became Trecht, Uut-Trecht (lower-Trecht) and later Utrecht. On the place where once the castellum stood now stands the Domchurch built in the 13th century.

Utrecht is known as a student city with a large population of single young people. This results in a booming nightlife with many places to have a quick meal, some drinks or a dance.

The defining building of Utrecht is the 13th century Domchurch, part of a larger cathedral which was partially destroyed by a severe storm while under construction. The main tower is the highest building in the city by municipal mandate.

*Source

Dank Maarteen! 

Toronto

Another lovely card from Toronto along really lovely stamps!

Toronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. The city is the anchor of the Golden Horseshoe region, which wraps around Lake Ontario from Toronto to Niagara Falls and totals over 8.5 million residents, approximately a quarter of Canada's entire population. Toronto is the fourth largest city and fifth largest urban agglomeration in North America.

Spawned out of post-glacial alluvial deposits and bluffs, the area was populated at different times by Iroquois and later Wyandot (Huron) people. In the 19th century, it grew to become the cultural and economic focus of Canada. Owing largely to the country's liberal immigration policies starting in the 1960s, and the region's strong economy, Toronto has, in recent decades, been transformed into one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse cities in the world. More than 80 ethnic communities are represented, and over half of the city's residents were born outside Canada.

As a result of this cultural mosaic, Toronto is home to many ethnic festivals throughout the year.

*Source

Thank you Marie!

Krk

Krk is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea, located near Rijeka in the Bay of Kvarner and part of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar county.

It has for many years been thought the largest Adriatic island, with an area of 405.78 km², although recent measurements now give the neighbouring island of Cres an equal surface area. Krk is also the most populous island, with numerous towns and villages totalling 19,286 (2011).

Krk is located rather near the mainland and has been connected to it via a 1,430 m two-arch concrete bridge (which you can see on this card) since 1980, one of the longest concrete bridges in the world.

Krk is a popular tourist destination, because of the situation and proximity to Slovenia, southern Germany, Austria, and northern Italy. 

*Source

Hvala Antonella!

Greece

Greece is a country in Southern Europe, on the southernmost tip of the Balkan peninsula, with extensive coastlines and islands in the Aegean, Ionian, and Mediterranean Seas. It shares borders in the north with Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Turkey. It has an ancient culture that has had a significant influence on the arts, language, philosophy, politics, and sports of western society, including the genres of comedy and drama, western alphabets, Platonic ideals and the Socratic method, democracies and republics, and the Olympics. Furthermore it's a geographically appealing place to visit, with a mountainous mainland and idyllic island beaches.

Greece is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, ranking in the world's top 20 countries. Visitors are drawn to the country's beaches and reliable sunny summer weather, its nightlife, historical sites and natural beauty. Over 90% of visitors who come to Greece come from other European countries, although in recent years there have been growing numbers of tourists from other world regions. 

Greek cuisine is a blend of indigenous traditions and foreign influences. Neighboring Italy and Turkey have left a major impact on Greek cuisine, and there are shared dishes with both of these nations. The traditional Greek diet is very Mediterranean, espousing vegetables, herbs, and grains native to the Mediterranean biome. Being a highly maritime nation, the Greeks incorporate plenty of seafood into their diet. The country is also a major producer and consumer of lamb; beef, pork, and especially chicken are also popular. Olive oil is a staple in Greek cooking, and lemon and tomatoes are common ingredients. Bread and wine are always served at the dinner table.

*Source

Ευχαριστώ (efharisto) Kočko!

Bonjour de Paris

This mouse Eiffel tower is super cute! 

I just can't help thinking of the Disney movie "Ratatouille" :P so for the occasion let's use my favorite song from the movie that happens to have a total french vibe: "Le festin"

Merci Ulla!

Halle an der Saale

I love the musical stamp and the clever shot of the postcard! 

Halle an der Saale is a city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Halle is a very important economy and education-center in east Germany. The University of Halle-Wittenberg is the biggest university in Saxony-Anhalt and one of the oldest Universities in Germany.

The city is situated in the southern part of Saxony-Anhalt, along the river Saale which drains the surrounding plains and the greater part of the neighbouring Free State of Thuringia located just to its south, and the Thuringian basin, northwards from the Thuringian Forest. Leipzig, one of the other major cities of eastern Germany, is only 35 km away.

Halle's early history is connected with harvesting of salt. The name Halle reflects early Celtic settlement given that 'halen' is the Brythonic (Welsh/Breton) word for salt. The name of the river Saale also contains the Germanic root for salt, and salt-harvesting has taken place in Halle at least since the Bronze Age (2300-600 BC).

Sandra mentions in the card that Halle's nickname is "City of five towers" and you can appreciate it on the card actually, four of the towers are from the main church and the other is the "Red Tower" located right next to the church. 

*Source

Danke Sandra!

Prague

This postcard is one of the first cards in my collection and it came from my lovely friend Ivet.

Prague is the capital city and largest city of the Czech Republic. It is one of the largest cities of Central Europe and has served as the capital of the historic region of Bohemia for centuries.

This magical city of bridges, cathedrals, gold-tipped towers and church domes, has been mirrored in the surface of the swan-filled Vltava River for more than ten centuries. Almost undamaged by WWII, Prague's medieval centre remains a wonderful mixture of cobbled lanes, walled courtyards, cathedrals and countless church spires all in the shadow of her majestic 9th century castle that looks eastward as the sun sets behind her. Prague is also a modern and vibrant city full of energy, music, cultural art, fine dining and special events catering to the independent traveller's thirst for adventure.

It is regarded by many as one of Europe's most charming and beautiful cities, Prague has become the most popular travel destination in Central Europe along with Bratislava and Krakow. Millions of tourists visit the city every year.

*Source

Dekuju  kočko!

Helsinki Olympic Stadium

The Helsinki Olympic Stadium located in the Töölö district about 2 kilometres from the center of the Finnish capital Helsinki, is the largest stadium in the country, nowadays mainly used for hosting sports events and big concerts. The stadium is best known for being the center of activities in the 1952 Summer Olympics. It was built however to host the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were moved from Tokyo to Helsinki before being cancelled due to World War II. The stadium was also the venue for the first World Athletics Championships in 1983 as well as for the 2005 World Championships in Athletics. It hosted both the 1971 European Athletics Championships and the European Athletics Championships in 1994. It is also the home stadium of the Finland national football team.

The tower of the stadium, a distinct landmark with a height of 72.71 meters taken from gold-medal winning result of Matti Järvinen in javelin throw of 1932 Summer Olympics, it's open for visitors and offers impressive views over Helsinki. It is possible to see into the adjacent Sonera Stadium.

Since March 2007, a Eurasian Eagle-Owl has been spotted living in and around the stadium. On June 6, 2007, during a Euro 2008 qualifying match, the owl delayed play by ten minutes after perching on a goalpost. The owl was later christened Bubi and was named as Helsinki's Resident of the Year.

*Source

Kiitos Sini!

Titanic

I'm absolutely in love with this card,  for some reason when I was a kid I became obsessed with the story of the Titanic and I love everything related to it. Wency visited the Titanic Museum in Belfast (which has a lot of cool titanic attractions) and sent me this awesome card.  

I think everyone knows the story of the Titanic so instead of history I'll just leave some fun facts:

*The Titanic sank because the sea conditions were too good. 

Most ships lost at sea were the victims of huge waves caused by hurricanes or large storms.  But it was a lack of waves that contributed to the Titanic hitting the iceberg at 11:40 pm on April 14, 1912, and sinking on the 15th, a hundred years ago.  There was no wind, and thus there were no waves.  It was a flat calm.  It was also a dark moonless night, which made it difficult to see an iceberg in the distance.

*The Titanic will completely disappear within 20 years. 

A newly discovered species of aquatic rust-eating bacteria is slowly consuming the 50 000 tons of iron that makes up the sunken liner. Experts believe that the invasive group of micro-organism will eventually swallow the ship like the ocean did those many years ago. The Titanic has already lasted 100 years but it has been predicted that in 15-20 years it will be nothing but a rust-stain on the bottom of the Atlantic.

*The Second Officer of the Titanic admitted years later the ship's binoculars were in a lock box that no one had a key to! 

Charles was the second officer and the most senior officer to survive the sinking of the Titanic.  Captain Smith gave Henry Wilde of the Olympic, the position of chief officer. That decision demoted William McMaster Murdoch to first officer and Lightoller became second officer. 

So, the late change in staff left the original second officer, David Blair, out of the trip altogether. It was a problem, because Blair was the one with the key to the ship’s binocular case. The crew ended up having no access to the binoculars for the entire trip.

                                                          

*A man on the Titanic “fortified” himself with alcohol before being going into the freezing water for several hours, and surviving. 
Charles John Joughin was the chief baker aboard the Titanic when it set sail in 1912. When the ship hit the infamous iceberg Charles was off duty sleeping. According to his testimony he immediately got up and began launching lifeboats.  Charles was certain that he would die so he decided to ingest “a drop of liqueur,” which was a half full tumbler.  While in the water he claims he kept paddling and treading water for two continuous hours and, thanks to the alcohol, hardly felt the cold.

*In Titanic (the movie), the scene showing an elderly couple embracing while the ship sunk was based on a real couple. 

They were the owners of Macy's. Their names were Isidor and Ida Straus and their story is quite touching. After becoming extremely wealthy, Isidor married Ida, and by all accounts the two were inseparable. When apart they would write letters every single day and tried to always stay in each other’s company. The couple made it to a lifeboat, but Ida refused to board proclaiming, "I will not be separated from my husband. As we have lived, so will we die, together."  The couple then proceeded to the back of the panicking crowd and were last seen sitting together in chairs on the deck of ship, calmly holding hands until a massive wave washed them into the sea.

*The only Japanese passenger on the Titanic survived. For this, he lived the rest of his life in shame Masabumi Hosono was the only Japanese person aboard the Titanic. He was a civil servant working for the Japanese Ministry of Transport. A steward woke him up after the Titanic had already hit the iceberg, one of the last boats had room for two more people.  When he arrived in the US, he made his way to San Francisco, where he was dubbed the "Lucky Japanese Boy." At first magazines in Tokyo were running his story and taking his pictures. Soon, however, he found himself the target of public condemnation. The man temporarily lost his job and was condemned as a coward by the press. School textbooks described him as dishonorable and immoral. This is because people in Japan thought he was betraying the Samurai spirit of self-sacrifice.

[Source]

And if like me you can't have enough about Titanic here you have some treats:

*100 Unsinkable facts about the Titanic 

*Everything about the Titanic Belfast Experience

*A sneak peek of the Titanic Belfast Experience:

Thank you so much Wency!