Vaitupu Lagoon, Tuvalu

Oh yeah yeah yeah!!! I got Tuvalu, I got Tuvalu! Yippie yippe yippe!!!!!!!

Well, ok, I was sort of expecting this card coz I signed up for it, so it didnt come as a HUGE shock..but still, I am so happy it made it safe and sound to me, coz you know, the jinx I am, it could have gotten lost....

For those who dont know, this card is actually a part of the Earth Day 2010 Project, organized in collaboration between postcrossing and the students from Tuvalu. And as the entire world is affected by the global warming and climate changes, so is Tuvalu.

Due to global warming and the rising of sea-level, there are predictions that in the next 50 years the entire population will have to be evacuated. The ocean can swallow Tuvalu whole, making it the first country to be wiped off the map by climate change. So in order to spread the word about how important it is to reflect and act upon climate change, this project was born. It is called "Send Tuvalu to the world" and consists on sending 422 postcards to all over the world sharing the students' thoughts about Tuvalu. They organized a painting contest to draw a special stamp to be used in all the postcards, so these are very special indeed.

And I was one of the lucky 422 people to receive this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity....ok, thats coz I was pretty fast to, and lucky to come from a country where not many people are into postcards and such....ok, in general its sad to know that many people here consider deltiology and snail mail in general and something totally old-fashioned, but I guess at times like this, it pays off :)

My card was sent by a child named Tenee, who had drawn a lovely picture on the back, with fish in the sea, the sun, the palms...wanting to show me how beautiful this country is :)

And here is that special stamp and the logo of the Earth Day 2010 project!

Just lovely! And thanks sooo much!

Grodno, Belarus

Time for some railway stuff :)

This card comes from Grodno in Belarus, showing its Railway Station.

Picture (1) shows the Old Railway Station, which was built with the beginning of the railway service St. Petersburg - Warsaw (1867). In 1986, it was destroyed in connection with the building of a new railway station (picture 2). On the wall of the building there is a memorial plaque which reminds of the attempt of Grodno gymnasia students to get to L. Narbut troop during the uprising of 1863-1864. Near the station, there is a zoo founded in 1927 by a teacher Ya. Kokhanovski (picture 3).

West Virginia, USA

And a new US map card for my collection...and so far, at least on this blog, my first West Virginia card.

The card lacks the usual facts the majority of these map cards have on the backside. So I will leave those for some other time when I get such a postcard, and now Ill just give you something else.

A common story told about West Virginia is the folktale about how it got the nickname "West, By God, Virginia". According to the legend, a West Virginia native who was being inducted into the US Army during the First World War (some versions make it as early as the Spanish-American War), was repeatedly asked by his induction officer, "What part of Virginia?" And the soldier, finally getting fed up with the confusion, said "Not Virginia! West Virginia! West, by God, Virginia!". This story, whether true or not, has entered American folklore, and it is not unusual to hear not only West Virginians themselves, but other Americans, refer to the state as "West, By God, Virginia";, or often as "West By-God", or sometimes simply as "By-God". Many West Virginians, when travelling outside the state, or when abroad, enjoy paying homage to the legend by referring to their home state in this manner.

Makes me wonder, is the phrase "Behind God's back" common in other countries too? I know it has nothing to do with the above story, but just got me thinking into it....

Skopje, 26th July 1963 - 26th July 2010

Today is one of the dates that will always be engraved in my country's history, the day still remembered by many who shudder at the thought of what they lived through 47 years ago. My family is also one of those people who do not dearly remember this event and who had to find ways of how to make their living in the months and years that followed until they could get back to a normal life...if anything could have been normal after that.

Today is the day when 47 years ago, at 5:17am, my hometown was struck by one of the most disastrous earthquakes, which took way too many people's lives and destroyed many homes, lives and memories. The 6,1 earthquake is said to have killed over 1,070 people, injured between 3,000 and 4,000 and left between 120,000 to 200,000 people homeless. Between 75 and 80 percent of the city was destroyed.

I happen to have a number of vintage reprints portraying my hometown before and after the earthquake and I thought it would be a great opportunity to post them now and share with you the kind of Skopje none of us will ever see again and the kind of Skopje which is being missed by many...even me, even though there was not even the slightest plan of me coming to this world, when reading about those times and seeing pictures, I can for surely tell that back then Skopje had a soul, it had its identity, it had its charm...now it is just another craving-to-be-modern-by-all-means city, cluttered with concrete wherever you turn to, a city without a concept and getting worse every day...and it is a public secret I dont actually like it.

Old Skopje, a picture dating from 1926, showing among else, the Stone Bridge and the Railway Station (that's the bottom right picture). If you take a better look on the top right picture, you will see something which reminds of a person's spirit, and that is actually the apparition of Mother Teresa.

A Panoramic view onto the centre of Skopje with the two banks of the river Vardar. If you cross the Stone Bridge, you will find yourself in the Old Bazaar.

Skopje before and after the earthquake...you can pretty much see the devastating power the earthquake had.

The Army House and the Railway Station, before and after the earthquake.

The Krango Palace, built in 1926, demolished in the 1963 earthquake.

Panoramic view of Skopje central area before the earthquake with St. Konstantin and Elena Orthodox church built in 1926.

The Clock Tower, built in the middle of the XVI century.

The National Theatre, built between 1921-1927, demolished in the 1963 Earthquake. Nowadays missed by many and incomparable to any of the existing Macedonian Theatres.

The Building of the Railway Station before the earthquake.

The preserved part of the Railway Station building, with the famous clock, which you could see it illuminated on some of the above photos. This clock stopped at exactly 5:17 am, when the earthquake struck, and has remained like that ever since, to serve as a reminiscent of this day and is considered as a symbol of the earthquake.
Today, here in this building, is the Museum of the City of Skopje.

edit: here is a video I found in the meantime, reporting about the earthquake

Luxembourg

A lovely Luxembourg map card I received as a surprise from Tina!!

Looking at the card, I actually get an idea of how big Luxembourg is..well, I just always have this idea that Luxembourg equals to places like Monaco or San Marino, but it is indeed much much bigger..2,586 km2 to be more precise.
And here you have a nice division of the Luxembourg cantons, 12 in total, and these cantons are further divided into 116 communes..btw, above the cantons are the 3 districts...well, thats a whole lot of divisions for a small country like this...

and here comes the stamp, which shows that this card was mailed from Luxembourg directly :)
It was issued in 2009, representing Classical Architecture.

Hvala ti TIna!!!

Rethymno, Greece

A lovely card that came as a surprise from dear Earney!

It shows a lovely view of the old Venetian port in the city of Rethymno, which is situated on the island of Crete. And if you hadnt noticed, there is a lighthouse on it too, just a bit farther in the background, so it may take a while to spot it....at least I didnt see it at first :)
Ahh, holidays...sea...sun....on one hand posting cards like this makes me realize how much I yearn to be on the beach...on the other hand, I really dont feel like posting winter scenes or so, just for the sake of not to post holiday-related cards...Im gonna live, either way :)

And here is the eternal problem of mailing cards from Greece to me...the hatred of Postal Workers takes its toll and makes my cards look like this in the end, the name of Macedonia all doodled over, with a red pen...well, to whomever did this, it was a pretty lousy job to achieve what you wanted, since the name of Macedonia is still perfectly visible...the only thing you managed to do was destroy my card, for nothing.

"Σας ευχαριστώ"!!!!

As for the stamp, it is from a set of 10 stamps from 2008, showing Greek Islands, and this is the island of Kos.

Thank you very much Earney!

Desenzano del Garda, Italy

My last card of today shows a lovely view of Desenzano, located on the Lake Garda in Italy.

This is the largest lake in Italy, located in the Northern part of the country, about halfway between Venice and Milan.
Being easily accessible from the north via the Brenner Pass, the lake is a major tourist destination, including a number of exclusive hotels and resorts along its shore. Being close to Milan, Lake Garda has had an influence on the world of fashion .

a well known Italian definitive stamp from 2004, featuring women.

Ayacucho, Peru

Seems like I have unconsciously gone into the habit of updating once a week..and I dont even notice that an entire week had passed...scary how time flies and I dont even feel I had done anything useful or productive during then!

Ok, lets cut down the chit-chat and do something useful now at least....
Got this card just recently, showing Local Handcrafts...since my request was, 'no Machu Picchu' please :) I have nothing against Machu Picchu, I actually love that place, but I already have few cards of it, and I really want to see something different coming from Peru, and this card just seems like a great choice!
The first picture shows 'retablos', which are very typical for Ayacucho - they are like little houses, the doors at the front open and there is  scene (usually a nativity) inside.
As for Ayacucho, it is the capital city of the Huamanga Province in Peru and it is famous for its 33 churches where one stands for each year of Jesus's life

the stamp is from a set of 4 issued in 2007, representing Architecture of the Vice King's Era....this is the Church of St. Augustin

Switzerland

A FANTASTIC Maxi Card I got from Sara!

I am not exactly sure which railway line is shown here, but however, it was Manfred Luckmann who had kindly provided this lithography to be used for the Maxi Card. As for the stamp on it, it was issued this year in a set of two railway stamps. Cancelled with a special cancellation in Bern, on 6th May 2010.
In case you understand German, here is the link provided on the back, where you can get lots of additional information, enjoy the pictures and whatever not...of course, that is in the case you love trains :)

www.schmalspurbahn.ch

Here are the two stamps which helped this Maxi Card arrive to me.
The one on the left was issued in 2008 in a set of 4 Cereals' stamps, this one representing Wheat, while the other one is from a set of 4 special stamps issued this year regarding the Centenary of Aviation in Switzerland. This particular stamp represents Geo Chavez who was a Franco-Peruvian aviator. At a young age, he achieved fame for his aeronautical feats. He died in 1910 while attempting the first air crossing of the Alps.

Poland

Emilia sent me this great card from Poland, which is like 3 in 1, since apart from being a map, it is also a flag and shows the Coats of Arms.

The card represents the 16 voivodeships of Poland.... is a type of administrative division dating to medieval Poland, Romania, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia and Serbia (Vojvodina), ruled by a voivode. The voivode (literally, "leader of warriors", equivalent to Dux Exercituum or Herzog) was originally the military commander next to the ruler. Well, living in Macedonia, this word is rather familiar to me due to the Vojvodina region in Serbia, but I have never really known what it actually stood for.
Until 1997, Poland had 49 voivodeships.

In case you are from Poland or know Polish or anything, here are two websites I came across not that long ago. Both are dedicated to Polish girls who are ill from leukemia and who need financial or moral support from others. In case you can or want to help, then just click here:
Lenka
Paulina

I dont know these two girls, but I just felt that the least I could do for them is spread the word around.

the well known Polish stamp from 2001 representing Farms.

Cork, Ireland

Well, until not so long ago I used to classify Ireland in the 'rare countries'...but now, one way or another, I got a number of postcards from there, so I could use them more often here :)

The card shows the Blarney Castle, which is situated 7 km from Cork City. The Castle is famous for its Stone, which has the traditional power of conferring eloquence on all who kiss it. The word "Blarney" has found its way into the English Language and has been described as pleasant talk, intended to deceive without offending. The famous Stone is set in the wall below the battlements, and to kiss it, one has to lean backwards (grasping the iron railing) from the parapet walk.

Yeah, nothing good comes easy ;)

Have a great day and see you soon hopefully!

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Well, I seem to be really out of shape lately when it comes to updating...either im busy with something or just in such a crappy mood that I dont feel like doing anything...and that unfortunately includes postcard-related stuff..
But you know, usually when Im just silent like that, I bring you a nice treat for starters...and this time I decided to share with you this fantastic map card from the Galapagos Islands which came to me as a surprise :)

It may not be originally coming from Ecuador, but it is more than a fantastic card to own and have it in my map-card collection :)
The back of the card says: "They are wild animals and treat them with respect AND BE CAREFUL".
It refers to all those animals you can find presented on the card...I will skip the listing in order to avoid making mistakes in the naming.
When I was little, I was collecting this animals' album, Životinsko carstvo (by the Croatian Kraš), or in English it would be called The Animal's Kingdom, where I was introduced to many of the world's animals, and I recall that one of the animals I was extremely fascinated with was the Galapagos tortoise...coz compared to the tortoises I knew, these ones were just huuuuugeee....and looked scary to a little child...I often wondered if they could eat me :)
Here is how one looks like...not something I would like to meet face to face :)
The tortoise is also portrayed on the card...if you take a look you will spot it on the right side, among Santa Fe, Santa Cruz and Seymor Norte Baltra. If Im not mistaken, it has an iguana on its back, or some sort of another creature from the lizard family.

Thanks a million to Sissel for this fantastic card!

Canada

Another surprise card, this time coming from Glenn.

You know I love the Aurora Borealis, and I have a number of postcards with them so far, but this is my first one that actually doesnt come from Europe, but from Canada...and it is really nice to take a glimpse how the northern lights look there...though to be honest, if you just show me the pictures and remove the names from the cards, I wont be able to tell the difference :)

Here is a video which in particular shows the phenomenon as seen in Canada

And something from the Year of the tiger issue, 2010. Great stamp, with an imprinted seal as well, which unfortunately cant be noticed through the scanned image. Btw, this is actually supposed to be a mini sheet, but it is torn on the left side, so a part of it is unfortunately missing =[

as always, thank you Glenn for remembering me and sending me such a beautiful card :)

Tokyo, Japan

Well I dont collect plane cards, but it was very funny to receive this one.

If you take a better look, you will see that this plane belongs to the ANA airlines :D I know it sounds self-centered, but it was really cool to receive a card where an airline bears my name. You can see it on the tail of the plane :)
The card in particular shows Haneda Tokyo International Airport, which is one of the two primary airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area. By passenger throughput, Haneda is said to be the second busiest airport in Asia and the fifth busiest airport in the world.

the stamp is from a set of two birds stamps issued in 1997.

Thanks a lot to Relie for this nice surprise :)

Herceg Novi, Montenegro

Ok, this last card would be more like whining and complaining....

Well, I am just recalling my last year's holiday in Montenegro and how it was so fantastic...and this year I am going nowhere....and that make me feel devastated. In general, I have never had a problem if I need to spend the summer in Skopje, but this year for some reason, it is all so different...this year I am just craving to go somewhere, to get out of here, to have a rest from it all, to be in the sun, by the water....but unfortunately this year it cant happen...and it has never felt so unbearable....I cant really explain the reasons, but thats how it is...I wont even be too picky about where to go, as long as I am to go somewhere....

the stamp is from a set of 4 issued in 2006, representing the 2006 FIFA World Cup held in Germany.
Thanks to Rajko for sending me this card, which I actually won in his lottery :)

thats all for today folks...see  you again, sooner or later...

Wimbledon 2010

Note: This is gonna be a longish, as the title says, Wimbledon related post...boring to many of you, I know...more of the Nadal rambling, which I know you are fed up with...but now that the Tournament has ended, and having the most appropriate card in my hands, this post cries to be written....the regular updates will come back from tomorrow on.
Well, I received this card back in February, and saying I was delighted doesnt really describe my reaction when I found it in the mailbox...those who have directly or indirectly been following me during tennis tournaments all year round, could get at least an idea how I felt :) Of course, I was so over-excited, I wanted to post it right away, but then this little voice inside me said: No no no Ana, not now...Wimbledon will happen in a few months, so it will be smarter if you save the card till then and use it to commemorate the event...good that I do listen to it sometimes.

I was in big doubts about when should I post the card...before Wimbledon starts...during...after...eventually decided to go for 'after' and make a summary of all the events and happenings and the outcome....and oh what a perfect outcome we had :D Rafael Nadal, lifting the trophy....Rafael Nadal walking out with 2000 ATP points and firming even more his 1st position...Rafael Nadal shutting the evil mouths of many...but Ill get to the last issue later
This year's Wimbledon has produced loads of surprises and memorable moments, and can you believe it, it didnt rain even once!
The most memorable event would definitely be the epic match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut...the match which lasted for 11 hours and 5 minutes....stretching out over 3 days...where on the second day they played for around 8 hours straight...so crazy and so unbelievable, record breaker in many aspects...It was sometime during the 6th hour of that second day when I tuned it...and in total disbelief watched what was happening on Court 18...a match of the very first round...yeah, exactly...in general, a match on Court 18 surely wouldnt catch my attention...but this one did...a match of a kind you dont even see in the final battles...with two men barely standing on their feet, Isner especially...they were winning their serves, but couldnt possibly run after balls...and thats how it went, one game after another, both clinching to their serves...everyone wondering if this was ever gonna end...honestly, it was so crazy and unique, i wasnt sure if I wanted it to end...you dont really get to witness something like this every day...well, it eventually did end...the third day, where Mahut eventually couldnt hold his serve, and it was understandable that Isner was gonna use the opportunity and put an end to this drama/nightmare or however you wanna call it...uhmm...pity...not coz it ended, but coz I actually wanted Mahut to win...he was so more down to earth and so kinder, he is so less known...it seemed as if he would appreciate this win much more than Isner...but there you go
At the end of it all, a ceremony was held, where prizes were given to both of them...am not sure what exactly, and I know that Mahut got a consolation prize, trip to the Maldives..honestly, I dont think that when losing a match like this, there could be a consolation...it is not the kind of a normal match you lose...it is THE match...the one everyone would talk about tomorrow, next month, next year, after 50 years...the match whose 5th set lasted longer than the previous longest match...even Mohamed Lahyani was given a prize for being the chair umpire throughout the entire match...speaking of him, I cant recall I saw him afterwards...but he definitely is my favourite chair umpire..I so much wished he would be in charge of some of the Nadal matches, esp. after those French guys turned out to be sort of biased and unfair and bringing some really unjustified judgments...well, later about it

Another thing which would make this Wimbledon remembered is coz her Majesty, the Queen decided to turn up, at the match of Murray against Nieminen...good for Andy, he won...I wonder, if the Queen showed up at Murray's match against Nadal, would that have helped him somehow or no...

Then come the early calls for danger...from no one else but Federer who faced being kicked out by Falla at the very very first round...Federer playing 5 sets at Wimbledon's earliest stages was incomprehensible to many (to me as well to be honest) but it was the reality...not that I didnt enjoy it :)

I knew I shouldnt laugh at it, coz eventually Nadal found himself into 5 setters as well against Haase and Petzchner, but I have to say I liked both guys and how they played so they are like one of my Wimbledon findings..both matches with some controversy...once Nadal is given an official warning due to the fact he received coaching from uncle Tony...then, Nadal seeks for medical treatment...eventually he is called a liar...as if he set it up on purpose in order to get some time..funny how when other players never were called liars for such a thing, esp. Soderling, whom I got to dislike even more after this. Not to mention how Soderling asked for a medical time out right when Rafa was about to serve for a set...no one was available, but instead Pascal telling them to continue with the game, they had to wait..which was totally unfair and against the rules...but I never heard anyone speaking of Soderling as a liar or a deceitful player which is what he actually was...and please keep the French umpires away in the future

Some small summary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fq8EuOlkIQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0c-CCRsk54
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiQAQoGFWZc
http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/match_reports/2010-06-24/201006241277372113616.html
http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/articles/2010-06-26/201006261277585066729.html
http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/articles/2010-06-26/201006261277584555733.html

you be the judge what was justified and what not

Another thing that must be noted for this year's Wimbledon was Federer being kicked out...in the QUARTER-FINALS! Wow! I could have just gone out and celebrate! The so much called God of Wimbledon was out! Berdych had the honour to do so! Yup, I disliked Roger before, but like Soderling, now he even made a firmer position on my dislike list...he may be a great player but is such a sore and terrible loser...just now I realized how self-centered he is...and how cynical....one of the reasons why I love Nadal is coz he is the total opposite...but Federer got the nerve to say, after he lost, that he sees Del Potro as the favourite, just unfortunately he is not playing, and that Nadal and Djokovic have been playing awfully! Oh please, for the love of God, can you hear what you are saying?! You, who have not won a title for months, got the nerve to say Nadal and Novak are playing a lousy game?? Not even once given the credit to them nor to Berdych who played amazingly?? All of a sudden Roger has pains and his back is killing him and oh boy we should feel sorry for him and thats why he lost, otherwise he would have beaten everyone in straight sets 6:0 each...yada yada yada...it was the same in 2008 when he lost to Nadal in the finals...oh well, the light was pretty bad and I couldnt see...yeah yeah...Nadal was playing in the same light and he got to beat you...why dont you just for once admit that someone played better than you and you played an awful game..Nadal always says it...sometimes I hate it how modest Nadal is and how much he appreciates and publicly praises Federer, coz Federer obviously doesnt deserve it....anyways, Fed, I hope you and Mirka are having a blast of a holiday since you so cynically stated you wont be watching the finals..yeah, it is painful I know...
Thumbs up for Berdych though and for the game quality he had produced, which was still not enough to beat Nadal...I just dont know why was Novak so absent-minded when Berdych and he played

And even though Im not much into women's tennis, I must point out one name here, Tsvetlana Pironkova...a young Bulgarian who shocked many..82nd on the WTA, but reached the semis and on top of that, kicked out Venus...I dont like the Williams sisters, and I was so pleased to see one of them being outplayed by someone who is rather unknown to the tennis world

And I musnt forget one very important moment...the journalists at wimbledon.org....I havent seen so many biased, unprofessional and cynical reports at one place...totally underestimating the great plays of Nadal, while lifting his opponents in the sky...they all made it as if Nadal deserved to win nothing, as if he won due to being lucky, as if he only struggled to win, even going to extents and criticize his English..as if thats the cruical matter when playing tennis...but when they were to describe Murray, oh boy, Andy produced such an outstanding, tremendous game! The cherry on top was the last article about Zvonareva...
The initial title was something like, Zvonareva's dream turns into a nightmare, but they got to change it eventually
http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/articles/2010-07-03/201007031278171346992.html

I was appalled when I read it..instead of giving her the praise she deserved for reaching the finals, i get to read this...I think that the management at wimbledon.org should take a look into the matter and who is working for them...and this is not just my subjective opinion...this is an opinion by many who found the articles throughout the tournament, absolutely biased and even cynical...many of the comments were even deleted eventually...mine were never published...could only presume why, and you could only guess what my messages contained...but I hope that next year and at the upcoming tournaments, I wont have to read crap and gibberish like this...this is one of the reason why I could never work as a sports commentator...I would never be able to be subjective and I would always cheer for someone...but at least I have the decency to admit it...

Ok, to finally close this....Wimbledon came and went...leaving many new great and not so great memories, but for sure, on the overall, it was an exciting one!
Thank you Nadal for bringing another day of joy and for shutting the mouths to the many evil guys and gals who underestimated you and who so much wanted to see you lose...you are my number one, and will always remains so!

PS. Dont you think he is adorable when arguing with Pascal? :P
PPS. Big hug to Zarah and Beatriz, my two dear Partners-in-Crime when it comes to Nadal :)
PPS. I warned you it was gonna be a longish post...so no complaints will be admitted ;-)

Greenland

:D :D :D
Ok, ok...it is NOT sent from Greenland directly, so I cant brag too much about it, but however, it is my first ever card from Greenland, and on top of that, I actually got two at once :P

I just have no idea at which part in Greenland this exactly is, and I doubt anyone could figure it out, unless maybe Erwin Reinthaler who has taken this photo...I AM curious for the details.
Anyways, Greenland, or Kalaallit Nunaat, means "Land of the Kalaallit people"...to me however, it always feels that this is some clipping of Green+Land, which is not THAT illogical since in the southern part, Greenland is green in summer, even though thats hard to imagine with so much ice all over the island.
The name &nbspGreenland comes from Scandinavian settlers. In the Icelandic sagas, it is said that Norwegian-born Erik the Red was exiled from Iceland for murder. He, along with his extended family and thralls, set out in ships to find the land that was rumoured to be to the northwest. After settling there, he named the land Grœnland ("Greenland") in the hope that the pleasant name would attract settlers.

As for the some basic facts and figures, Greenland is the world's largest island that is not a continent, and is the least densely populated country in the world. It is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic ocean and in geographical and ethnic terms it is connected to North America actually, not Europe...


Visiting Greenland is one of my wishes...yup, sending postcards is actually on the top of my list if I get there...but I guess I will need to take some additional few days in order to manage to write all those cards...I know the hunger and anticipation for getting one would be enormous...and who knows, who will be on my list ;)

Antelope Canyon, USA

A very interesting formation....

Antelope Canyon is located just outside of Page, Arizona. It is a magical place where light and sandstone come together creating some of the world's most memorable photography. Antelope is a slot canyon and is approximately 5 miles long.

Well, not recommended for people suffering from claustrophobia I guess....

Bohinj, Slovenia

I dont know why all the cards showing Bohinj have to be sooo breathtaking!

You can make a quick comparison with my two other Bohinj cards, here and here.
And this card itself is also so outstanding coz of its panoramic view....ahh, fantastisch!
It is said that compared to Bled, Bohinj is not so crowded with tourists and the atmosphere here is very peaceful and tranquil....just perfect for someone like me who hates crowds.

and some very lovely stamps as well....both issued in 2009. The blue one is a greeting stamp, called "Kiss", while the yellow one is from an issue of 4 Fauna stamps and this one shows a Stag Beetle.

Spices, Nouvelles Images

Just recently I realized that I have never posted a Nouvelles card here, even though I totally love them! Well, the multiples to be more precise...and I think that the majority of people who love the NI, go for the multiples....

This is one of my favourites, showing spices....this is just like the most perfect arrangement you could find at the green market....though ive never seen anything even close to this.
Im not 100% sure of all the exact spices you can see here, but if im not mistaken, there definitely are cinnamon and vanilla...mmmmmmmmm....what I really enjoy with such powederish/nuts products, is when you dig inside the bowl with your hands and just feel them all around your fingers...for some reason, feels ecstatic to me, that moment of moving your fingers deep inside the contents....uhhh, lovely!