Cairo, Egypt

Well well well... look who's here!
Well, some days ago I received this FB notification telling me I havent posted anything on my page in a while...felt like some kind of warning, even though the notification didnt refer to this blog in particular, but it felt like some kind of red alert... plus Bryon has been "nagging" me to do so I think it is enough signs that something had to be done, haha

Though I sort of assume that some people thought I'd be back earlier now with this lock down and staying at home and that naturally it calls for going back to your neglected hobbies... but sadly... or not so sadly, turns out that my life doesnt differ too much now compared to the normal times when we could all move freely. I really dont know what to make from it honestly, and if I should be worried or not... though I must admit that my general life style has kinda eased this whole process of staying at home, though on the other hand being forced to do so has added more to my existing anxiety.

I dont know about you, but I have shown ZERO extra productivity during this month that I've been working from home. There are all these blah blah blah articles telling you how now is the right time to get down to all your hobbies and pursue all those things you've always wanted to but never had the time and clean or redecorate your house and whatever not... I dont know who are these people who have accomplished this, but it is certainly not me... I can only say that I have some extra time to cook more (which inevitably is followed by 'eat more' as well). And some more time to read books or watch movies / tv shows. But that would be it... nothing life changing or eye opening or accomplishing...it is literally the same as when I say to myself, oh, when I have a holiday and extra days off, I will do this, I will do that... and let me tell you, NOTHING of it gets done... NOTHING! So this shouldnt come as a surprise... just a pinch of disappointment. I even attempted some online courses, but found them so boring and unmotivating, so of course, just ditched them....

So how are YOU coping with all this? What is the situation where you live?
Right now we are into curfews after 4pm on weekdays and total curfew on weekends... useless measure if you are asking me. Thank God I live in a house and have a backyard so I can do all my work there (unless it is raining and cold like these past two days).
So I think that's how I've been able to keep myself sane, esp. since everything gets so quiet once the curfew is on, it is like resetting your mind (except when your idiotic neighbours wanna chat on skype with friends for hours and they have to do it from the comforts of their backyard as well, so that the entire neighbourhood can listen to their moronic and banal converstations... seriously, they managed to ruin my weekend, both days.. two failed attempts to read in my backyard... well it is not the first time that they've shown their manners...

So, lets not forget that this is actually a postcard blog before anything else, so it would make sense to show some cards to and I'll get back to being chatty in the following posts :p

The first card for today comes from Jean Pierre, showing the Citadel in Cairo, which is a medieval Islamic-era fortification, built by Salah ad-Din (Saladin) and further developed by subsequent Egyptian rulers. It was the seat of government in Egypt and the residence of its rulers for nearly 700 years from the 13th to the 19th centuries.

At the time of its construction, it was among the most impressive and ambitious military fortification projects of its time. It is now a preserved historic site, including mosques and museums.

In 1976, it was proclaimed by UNESCO as a part of the World Heritage Site Historic Cairo (Islamic Cairo) which was "the new centre of the Islamic world, reaching its golden age in the 14th century."

(made me realize that it's been two years since I've posted a UNESCO site.. though taking into account the frequency of my posts, this actually ain't that bad...)

Two stamps on the card, both issued in 2019 - the one on the left commemorates the 46th Anniversary of the Great October Victory (commemorating the day when combined Egyptian military forces launched a surprise attack on Israel and crossed into the Sinai Peninsula and regained much of their land lost in 1967 war.)
The other stamp commemorates the 150th Anniversary of the Birth of Mahatma Gandhi, 1869-1948.

Thanks a lot to Jean Pierre for this lovely surprise in my mailbox!

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Hello guys! I hope the summer weather is treating you well. Here it is already getting scorching hot during the day and I am wondering how am I gonna get through yet another unbearably hot summer (well I always do but the struggle is real :D )

So kinda appropriately, lets start with a card from a country where it is simply hot throughout the year.

Sent by Glenn from one of his cruises in 2011, from Santo Domingo, the country's capital and one of its UNESCO whs.

The city is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas, and was the first seat of the Spanish colonial rule in the New World. Santo Domingo is the site of the first university, cathedral, castle, monastery, and fortress in the New World.

the stamp on the left may remind you of a slice of pizza at first glance... but it isn't :) It is a City Friendship stamp from a set of two, issued in 2009. The other one, is from 1999 from a set of two New Millennium stamps.

Thank you Glenn!

León Cathedral, Nicaragua

Hello Hello! Time for another post...which should've happened earlier but you know me and my laziness sometimes....and how this heat affects me in becoming the most-unproductive human being.
Well, after so much hoping for rain and drop of temperatures, we finally had some last night...but you know what they say, be careful what you wish for, since last night's thunderstorm was like one of the scariest I have ever witnessed...not cos of its strength,  but its length...it just went on and on and on....it felt like being part of some horror movie, something so surreal, that it is hard to explain (at least here we are not used to storms of that kind with 20 dead, a number of people missing, and injured, and the amount of material damage is out of the line). Well, I just hope that the storms forecast for the upcoming days won't be as the one last night....here is just a small glimpse of the actual situation last night...

So anyways, lets get down to some cards... I'm sure you are here for that, not for my whining and complaining :)

And the first one for today comes from Sissel and her trip to Nicaragua back in 2011...

The card shows the León Cathedral, also known as the "Real and Renowned Basilica Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (ok, is there a point in giving such complex names??!), which was awarded World Heritage Site status with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The site's nomination is Nicaragua's third cultural landmark, following the ruins of León Viejo and El Güegüense .

The Cathedral's construction lasted between 1747 and 1814 and was consecrated by Pope Pius IX in 1860. Cathedral has maintained the status of being the largest cathedral in Central America and one of the best known in the Americas due to its distinct architecture and special cultural importance.

And a set of lovely butterflies' stamps, which actually have been cancelled, but that cancellation somewhat got smudged.
In the year of 2000, Nicaragua had issued a few sets of butterfly stamps and these come from one of those (the set has six in total, and I have the mini sheet in mint condition, thanks again to Sissel of course :D)

These three here show the, from left to right, Actinote thalia anteas, the Doxocopa laurentia cherubina, and the Napeopgenes tolosa mombachoensis - well, names meaningful to people like lepidopterists for example :)

Thank you Sissel for the great card and lovely stamps!!

San Marino

Here comes another *hello*! Yeah, I know this one may seem like too soon after the previous post, but this blog as you know serves as a great way to keep my mind off things and well I don't really have much else to do anyway...plus if you remember the China-talk, it would be nice to post more cards while I still can cos if that China thing does get realized in reality, I highly doubt I will have much time for posting cards...if any....

I'll start today with two cards from San Marino...I don't really have many cards from there but it seems to me that more or less most of them share the same views...at least these two...

The one above was sent by Rita from her visit there in 2012, where on the big picture you can see the Fortress of Guaita as part of the three peaks which overlook the city of San Marino.

what amazes me about these two cards today are the stamps....I don't think Ive seen so beautiful San Marino stamps on a card before.
First we have a whole set of 3 stamps issued in 1967, for the 300th Anniversary of the Death of Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (an Italian Baroque painter and draftsman).
Next to it is a fantastic, absolutely fantastic stamp from a set of 2 stamps issued in 1983 for the San Marino Grand Prix. The last stamp is from a set of four stamps issued in 1988, commemorating the 900th Anniversary of the University of Bolognia.

On this second card you can also see the Towers...well, all three of them, Guaita, Cesta and Montale.
This second card came as a surprise from Tolya from Russia

the stamps on the second card are from 1997 from an issue named 'cities', where they supposedly show how some cities have changed over the years. These two stamps show how Hong Kong has changed from 1897 to 1997.

It is funny how all of these are rather older stamps actually...

Dambulla Rock Temple, Sri Lanka

well, as promised, here comes a new update shortly after the previous one....actually I planned to do it over the weekend, but for some reason Photbucket was having some issues (so in case you dropped by and all you could see were blank images, blame it on Photobucket, not me...)

on a side note, my assumptions regarding the most disappointing interview I have ever had, proved to be true and one really needs to have connections for everything....today I got that dreaded call of "I am sorry but we have chosen someone else..."  Oh well...

anyways, I will start today's update with a card dear Sissel sent me 4 years ago from her trip to Sri Lanka - I don't know if I had mentioned this previously, but I have kinda decided to start focusing more on the older cards cos otherwise, I will like never get to post them.....I will show some of the new ones received as well, however, the ratio would probably be more in favour to the older ones...

Sissel sent me this amazing Dambulla Rock Temple, a UNESCO whs in the central part of the country.
It is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka with rock towers 160 m over the surrounding plains.There are more than 80 documented caves in the surrounding area and the major attractions are spread over five caves, which contain statues and paintings related to Gautama Buddha and his life. There are a total of 153 Buddha statues, three statues of Sri Lankan kings and four statues of gods and goddesses. The latter include Vishnu and the Ganesha. The murals cover an area of 2,100 square metres. Depictions on the walls of the caves include the temptation by the demon Mara, and Buddha's first sermon.

Prehistoric Sri Lankans would have lived in these cave complexes before the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka as there are burial sites with human skeletons about 2700 years old in this area, at Ibbankatuwa near the Dambulla cave complexes.

two stamps from the 2007 Constellations' issue of 12 stamps - here are the Aquarius and the Libra.

Tusen takk Sissel!!!!

Washington Coast, USA

Will close today's update with the Washington Coast...

received this card from Bryon recently, showing Ruby Beach which is the northernmost of the southern beaches in the coastal section of Olympic National Park.
And from the first glance it reminded me of a card I received time ago...see below

Bryon used three great stamps here..two from this year already...the Lunar New Year stamp and the other one shows Richard Allen, as part of the Black Heritage series. The South Dakota stamp was issued in 1989, commemorating the South Dakota statehood.

As I mentioned above, the first glance at Bryon's card reminded me of this one and I was like convinced they were showing the same place until I read that Bryon's card shows Ruby Beach...and that's when I got confused :) See, this card shows the Rialto Beach, which is also in the Olympic National Park...so it seems that there are rocks of this kind all along the Pacific Coast :)

the back of the card here says: "The wilderness beach from La Push, Washington to Cape Flattery is controlled by rules of the Pacific Ocean. There are no sheltered Lagoons. One must climb headlands cross numerous streams, enter cocoons of fog and watch for storm waves that could trap you against sheer cliffs. This beach can be an experience of solitude never seen before".

I received this one from Mary back in 2010 (hides in shame) for the Mini RR at the forum....that unfortunately doesn't exist anymore from what I know =/

Mary used three extra-cute stamps - the Peanuts one was issued in 2001 showing Snoopy. The Sylvester and Tweety stamp was issued in 1998, while Bugs Bunny is from 1997. Sylvester has always been one of my favourite Looney Tunes characters, along with Sylvester Jr. - Sylvester Jr. is just way too adorable!! :)))

thanks a whole lot to Bryon and Mary for the great cards and amazing stamps here!!

Wishing a great cozy Sunday to all...it is a rainy gloomy one here...the Icelandic people would say it is Gluggaveður, or window-weather - the one that is best appreciated indoors :)

 Stay well!

Geiranger, Norway

Ok, here we go now..why I wanted to commemorate this day...or probably it should have been yesterday, but yesterday I didn't really have enough time for this, plus that Facebook 'share your memories' thing, has noted it down as today...so today it is...
And what's so important about it?
Well, it is one year ago that I started learning Norwegian! Yep, you read that right! Ana is learning Norwegian (or Ana lærer norsk)
I know some of you have no idea about it, even though it's been a whole year, but I blame it on my lack of updates here and therefore, keeping you in the dark about it

This is one of the newest Norwegian cards I have received (thanks to Trond) and I believe it is like a beautiful choice to commemorate my small achievement.
And it all happened somewhat unexpectedly...I stumbled across a post on Facebook (no matter how much I dislike it, it has proven useful at times), about this school advertising courses in Swedish. I immediately got interested since I've been wanting to learn some new language that on one hand is not really popular and that on the other, attracts me in some way (and Scandinavia itself attracts me a LOT). So I was checking for like more information about the course and all, and next thing I see, they offer a course in Norwegian...I think that my heart simply stopped at that moment...I got so thrilled and exhilarated that I simply froze...I just had no proper way of expressing my utter delight at that moment...a course in Norwegian...how awesome and fantastic is that! It was like a dream (or at least part of the dream), coming true.
Of course I called immediately to sign up and all..and even though I was a bit skeptical about my working schedule and how it would all fit in together, the first semester went great...I had to skip like two classes in total and was really regular in homeworks and studying and all...and it was a nice group...it was like 8 of us at the beginning...5 left at the end, and half were attending the course cos they need a certificate cos they would like to apply for a job in Norway, and the rest of us (the weirdos) were there just cos we would like to learn the language, no particular aims but that...

Now the second semester was not so easy...mainly cos of my frequent absence from classes due to work...and it had its consequences...one thing about learning a language is being really dedicated to it...if you believe that you can attend classes twice a week and that's all you would need to be fluent, boy you are wrong (I always rambled this to my former students who believed i could do magic and they would learn perfect English just by showing up at class)...and then I didnt get to practice what I preached...heh...what can I do..
Still, I did pass the exam, but I don't really feel it was that much deserved...and then I like planned to spend my break between semesters now studying, but of course, what you plan and what reality is, are often two different things :)

Anyways, I am not giving up... I usually start something and never finish it, but I'm NOT gonna add Norwegian to that list...even though maybe there won't be enough students next semester and I won't be able to continue like attending an official course, but I will get my work done on my own...it is different now when I have the basis and continuing from there, than starting on my own from scratch.

If you are curious about my opinion about the language...well, it is not a difficult one..at least the grammar is of like medium difficulty, and i understand a great deal of written Norwegian (even though I still lack a lot of vocabulary in order to make some really complex sentences).
But if written Norwegian is easy...don't get me started about the spoken one! Spoken Norwegian is like something outside this planet :D I love, really love the sound of it...but being able to understand when they speak is like mission impossible...I may catch a word over here and a word over there...but the concept? oh boy, no :D
I dont know....maybe I should just move to Norway and learn it in the natural surroundings...anyone in Norway who would like to adopt me for a few months? =)))))))

I think I'll watch some Norwegian movies later tonight to kinda celebrate this...there is one awesome Norwegian movie I watched not so long ago, called Headhunters...I really recommend it!

and well, lets not forget the stamp - issued in 2014 in a set of 3, portraying the Oslo Viking Ship Museum

Porto, Portugal

Next comes a lovely view of Porto, thanks to dear Alvin

The beautiful colourful buildings are in the old/historic part of the town, which makes this card also a UNESCO whs! Btw, I've noticed many people know the exact number of UNESCO whs sites they have in their collection...as for me, even though I am not like an active UNESCO collector, but I do collect them - I have not even the slightest idea how many I have and which ones I already have...usually I realize that along with my posts...)
Fun facts:
- One of Portugal's internationally famous exports, port wine, is named for Porto, since the metropolitan area, and in particular the caves of Vila Nova de Gaia, were responsible for the packaging, transport and export of the fortified wine. (the first time I encountered the name of this wine years ago, while I was working as a teacher, I was completely lost at it, and at how I should properly pronounce it and what it is exactly and so on.....probably I still sound funny at my attempts of pronouncing it properly...)
- In 2014, Porto was elected The Best European Destination by the Best European Destinations Agency. (and I still haven't visited it...)

the stamp is from a set of 3 "Extreme Sports" stamps issued in 2015, with this one showing Rafting....hmmm, I didn't know Rafting was considered an extreme sport....

Thanks a lot again to Alvin for the splendid card!

Curonian Spit, Lithuania

I posted about the Lithuanian part of the Curonian Spit once...but that was long long ago, so here is a small reminder...plus the cards are really beautiful, it is a shame to leave them at the bottom of some box or drawer.

LT-341010

First one is an official received in 2013, showing the Great Dune. Nida is located on the Curonian Spit between the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea, and is the westernmost point of Lithuania and the Baltic states 

the stamp is from a set of two Lithuanian Red Book stamps issued in 2013, showing birds. On this one you can see the Tawny Pipit.

I received this second card also in 2013 as part of the Choose a Country RR. This reminds me that I haven't taken part in a RR in ages and it seems it's gonna stay that way for a while =/ Mainly cos of financial reasons, plus my general procrastinating habit, so I believe it aint fair to be engaging in activities that I cannot respond to properly.
Anyways...the card shows the Grabštas cape, that's also part of the Curonian Spit.

the stamp is from a set of two issued in 2009, portraying the Preserve the Polar Regions and Glaciers subject.

Berat, Albania

well, lets put one more card for today...from the neighbouring Albania

Funny thing I learned about the name of this town is that it was derived from the older Bel(i)grad (or Belgrade, if it feels more familiar to you, which means "white city" in the South Slavic languages), under which name it was known in Greek, Latin and Slavic documents during the High and Late Middle Age.

The old town of Berat has been inscribed on the UNESCO whs list (along with the Albanian town of Gjirokastra), since they bear outstanding testimony to the diversity of urban societies in the Balkans, and to longstanding ways of life which have today almost vanished.

the stamp is from a set of two issued in 2013, commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the International Red Cross

one weird thing, if I may call it so, is the airmail label...I mean, why???! :D

well, one more thing to add...Dritan, the guy who sent me the card, seems to appreciate the Macedonian music, from what can be seen on the card as well..he likes Toše...and he also likes Leb i Sol...another great Macedonian band that I recommend you give it a try...

well, so much of cards and stamps and recommendations for now...wishing you a great week ahead and see you around :)

Kingston, Norfolk Island

Sunday morning...hmm, well ok, it is almost noon actually...but with this chilly cloudy weather it still feels like morning...not that I mind though...I love it this way...as long as it doesn't rain when I have errands to do outside the house...

well despite having some work to do, I just dont feel like it at ALL...i mean AT ALL!! But I dont feel like just wasting time either...so there always comes a back up solution...plus, it's been a while since I did an update...so here we are =)

Before I actually get down to it, if anyone's interested in my postman-saga...he did come the Monday before the last one...so that makes it like almost two weeks ago...early in the morning...both me and my mum 'greeted' him...in far from a 'heartwarming welcoming' manner..words-attack...blah blah blah from both of us...while he just stood there with this innocent and apologetic kind of attitude...that after like a minute of our 'lecturing rant' we both started feeling sorry for him and actually kinda regretted we started arguing in the first place...yep, that's the kind of man he is....which of course, doesnt free him of his guilt...but he makes you start thinking like 'ok, at least he does come from time to time and brings the mail, let's not make a big drama out of this'...yep, I hate myself for that, but I just couldnt help it...and of course, he hasnt come ever since, but at this point, I just cant really bother about it...the only thing i wonder is if it's just me having this problem, or the rest of the neighbours as well...and I dont think i'll find out cos the parametres of the experiment aren't really comparable here...he doesn't have to bring piles of postcards and letters to others...

He brought bunch of mail...that surely didn't just appear overnight, but he's been keeping it God knows where, since there was nothing at the PO either...gahh, he is really driving me insane you know..and it is just frustrating that there is obviously nothing I can do about it but just sit and wait...

well, what spares him the big trouble is that he brought a brand new country for my collection...written and stamped! Norfolk Island!! Oh yeah baby :D :D :D

Thanks a whole lot to Azzi for having hosted yet another cool group and for still not getting tired of me intruding those groups =) but yeah, I get greedy at opportunities like this...and I think most of the collectors would anyways =)
And frankly, I didnt really believe I would get the chance to receive a card from here...but I guess karma does like me sometimes...I thank her for that...and I promise I will return with a lot of good deeds as well.
Anyways....the card shows an aerial view over Kingston, NI's capital. To make a small clarification...Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia and is part of the Commonwealth of Australia but enjoys a large degree of self-governance (and has its own stamps too :D). Together with two neighbouring islands, it forms one of Australia's external territories

I've learned that Kingston is actually in the centre of the Kingston and Arthurs Vale Historic Area, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List as one of the group of eleven Australian Convict Sites.. Why the name convict sites you may ask? Because it constitutes an outstanding and large-scale example of the forced migration of convicts, who were condemned to transportation to distant colonies of the British Empire.

and last, but not least...it is a LOVELY LOVELY view card!!

and GORGEOUS GORGEOUS stamps as well!! From a set of 6 Coastline stamps issued in 2013.
On the left stamp is Anson Bay, while on the right one is Bumboras.

Thanks soo soo so much again Azzi!

Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka

A nice cosy Sunday evening...and after the storm, it feels even more relaxing...and it just feels perfect to end the day with a post here...cos seriously, I really have a lot of catching up to do...so Ill just skip the chit chat too :)

First is a card I received from dear Sissel almost two years ago...when Sri Lanka was one of the cool places she got to visit...and of course sent me a bunch of surprises! ❤

And it is also a UNESCO whs! It's not so easy to get UNESCO cards from such exotic/rare countries, so this one feels even more special to me!

here you can see Polonnaruwa, that is considered to be the second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms. It was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated the Chola invaders in 1070 to reunite the country once more under a local leader
In particular, this card gives us a view of the Polonnaruwa Vatadage, which is believed to have been built during the reign of Parakramabahu I to hold the tooth relic of the Buddha, or during the reign of Nissanka Malla to hold the alms bowl used by the Buddha. It is the best preserved example of a vatadage in the country, and has been described as the "ultimate development" of this type of architecture.

For those wondering, vatadage is simply a word referring to a type of Buddhist structure found in Sri Lanka, also known as dage, thupagara, and cetiyagara. Although it may have had some Indian influence, it is a structure that is more or less unique to ancient Sri Lankan architecture

I've seen these small stamps before, but just now I realized that they are zodiac related - issued in 2007 in a set of 16, representing different constellations, and here you can see the Cancer, the Gemini, the Libra and the Scorpio...the big stamp was issued in 2012, presenting a Sri Lankan insurance building

thanks again and again dear Sissel!

Graz, Austria

Next come three cards from the beautiful Graz - all arrived last year as result of a swap with Anita.

I've been to Vienna and Salzburg...and Graz is on the list of Austrian places that I'd really really love to visit one day...Im quite sure it will win me with its charm, just like Vienna and Salzburg have!

It is the second largest city in Austria (after Vienna), with a population of just 303,000 people - so ideal for me!
Look at those lovely buildings and cool tramps at the city square!

The stamp on the first card was issued in 2013 in a set of 3 painting stamps representing the Ski World Championships in Schladming



What I also love about this town is all the greenery it has...unlike here, where they keep and keep cutting down trees in order to erect new buildings.

Graz, with its six universities, has a long tradition as a student city. In 1999, it was added to the UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage Sites, and also Graz was sole Cultural Capital of Europe for 2003 and got the title of a City of Culinary Delights in 2008.
I am not sure what those Culinary Delights are, but I sure would love to try them out!

a fantastic stamp on this card! Issued in 2012 to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Karl Ritter von Ghega, (1802-1860), who was the designer of the Semmering Railway from Gloggnitz to Mürzzuschlag. The stamp also commemorates the 160 years of the Kalte Rinne viaduct (that is part of the Semmering Railway)


the last card from Graz was in my favourites for a long while...i just love this night view, and its colours and the skies and everything!!

I dont know when this shot has been taken, but it looks kinda deserted though...still, wouldnt mind spending a few hours here, chilling out and relaxing...

here we have another stamp from the Ski World Championships set..

Vielen Dank Anita!!

Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, Nigeria

Hello all! One more July post! Yayy!! I am sitting in my garden tonight, cos finally at this hour I can catch some breath...it's been a terribly hot day...and I seem to be less and less tolerant to heat and am having a hard time dealing with it, with it leaving me completely dysfunctional...I dont know if it comes with age or what but I used to be able to bear such temperatures much better... Speaking of age...heh, yesterday I leveled up...yep, Happy Birthday to me :D For a change, I didn't spend this birthday somewhere outside the town/country as I usually do..it just didnt work out this time...but I cant complain..it was a nice day I must admit, even though it felt odd cos I somehow have gotten used to 'running away' on that day...plus the choco-waffle in the evening was yumm yumm yummie...I just cant believe it I am 34 already...no wonder I cannot tolerate heat anymore...and alcohol :P

Anyways, enough ranting, lets check out some nice postcards for today, with the first one coming from Nigeria...it's been a while since I've posted a Nigerian card, so here we go..

Even though sent in September, this card arrived in January....after a journey of 4 months more or less...strange are the postal routes, aren't they?
The dense forest of the Osun Sacred Grove, on the outskirts of the city of Osogbo, is one of the last remnants of primary high forest in southern Nigeria. Regarded as the abode of the goddess of fertility Osun, one of the pantheon of Yoruba gods, the landscape of the grove and its meandering river is dotted with sanctuaries and shrines, sculptures and art works in honour of Osun and other deities. The sacred grove, which is now seen as a symbol of identity for all Yoruba people, is probably the last in Yoruba culture. It testifies to the once widespread practice of establishing sacred groves outside all settlements..

and another important thing, it is on the UNESCO whs list!! :)

the stamp is from a set of 10 hologram definitive issued in 2010

Gelati Monastery, Georgia

so here comes another cold Monday. Are you one of those wondering what the hell has happened to the spring? I certainly am! This has looked like anything but spring so far (and a total contrast of this period last year when it felt like summer, now it feels like winter). But the weather forecast says that things are gonna get better this week, so we'll see. I do not mind so much that it's cold, but Im really tired of the constant rain EVERY SINGLE DAY! One cant even get to the post office...yeah, excuses excuses..

anyways, I picked some nice (I hope) cards and places for today...and first of course comes a card from a country that has been neglected for a long while despite me having received cards from there.
And that's Georgia - the country, not the US state - neglected since 2009 - even though sometimes I feel as if I had started this blog just recently, it indeed has turned 6 years old while I was on a 'justified' leave...yep, thank you thank you! I also turned 6 on the official postcrossing site! hmm, that's a number of anniversaries indeed that went unnoticed here...should really try better next year and commemorate it somehow for the readers...but ok I was talking about Georgia actually...

Last year I received a Georgian card for Andy's Vacation RR...and that's when of course it dawned on me that, hey, but I have some Georgian cards from years ago! And indeed I have. And indeed one was also of the Gelati monastery, but a different view...but oh well..

this monastery complex is situated in western Georgia and contains the Church of the Virgin founded by the King of Georgia David the Builder in 1106, and the 13th-century churches of St George and St Nicholas.
Well, David is also buried here and Near his grave are the gates of Ganja, which were taken as trophies by king Demetrius I in 1138.
In 1994, Gelati Monastery was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The site was included in the 2008 World Monuments Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites by the World Monuments Fund to draw attention to deterioration caused by prolonged neglect.

And I thought it was just here that they neglected the cultural heritage

and here is a nice stamp showing golden earrings from the IV-V century BC. The stamp is from a set of 4 Cultural Heritage stamps issued in 2012.

and this is the other Gelati card I have...and those yellow spring flowers and lovely blue skies makes you think that we are talking about two totally different places here...what a change the surroundings can do!

now, what Im not sure is how I got this card...I do think it is as a result from a swap with Khatuna but I can not actually be 100% sure about it - and this is why I do not like blank cards anymore...written and stamped ones just rule! However for some reason I had it in my 2010 folder, I guess i had already scanned it back then so I could at least tell when I had received it...

Alcobaça, Portugal

And life goes on...with a bunch of more great cards to show!

I received this one for the vacation RR this Saturday as well...showing the Alcobaça Monastery...in Alcobaça, of course, in central Portugal.
The church and monastery were the first Gothic buildings in Portugal, and, together with the Monastery of Santa Cruz in Coimbra, it was one of the most important of the mediaeval monasteries in Portugal. Due to its artistic and historical importance, it was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1989.
It is considered as one of the most magnificent gothic monuments in the country. In the church are the tombs of Pedro I of Portugal and his murdered mistress Inês de Castro. Over the centuries this monastery played an important role in shaping Portuguese culture.

the stamp is from a set of 3 Education stamps issued in 2013. It is supposed to represent School Mail.


And I have this other card showing a part of the Alcobaça Monastery, that I received back in 2009...it was sent blank inside an envelope with a bunch of other cards...when I still didn't care too much if I received one written and stamped or a dozen in an envelope...now it is strictly written and stamped..I more care about quality than quantity..I dont need to just pile up cards which do not have the traces and feeling of having travelled...I think you know what I mean ;-)

Humble Administrator's Garden, China

well, one more card for today, this one coming from China...and this place has a very funny name I must say =D

The Humble Administrator's Garden is one of the four best known gardens in China. It falls into eastern, central and western parts, with a dwelling quarter in front of it, a typical layout in the private gardens in Suzhou. In 1997, the Classical Gardens in Suzhou were inscribed on the List of World Heritage.
It is the largest garden in Suzhou and is considered by some to be the finest garden in the entire southern China.
For another Suzhou Garden, click here

and two really nice stamps! The left one was issued in 2012, as a part of 3 Merchant Trade stamps (this one in particular bears the title "Achievements (Headquarters, Hong Kong)", while the other one is from 2011, issued in a set of 4 stamps about the Universiade Shenzhen 2011.

So, that would be all for today...thank you for reading..feel free to comment...and a huge thank you and big hug to all who have been so supportive over the past few weeks...I really really appreciate it!
Wishing you all a lovely week ahead!

Riga, Latvia

I've posted about Riga before (on three occasions)..but seems that I have acquired a number of Riga cards in the meantime as well...and they are all so fantastic, that I just have to make a Riga post...again...

This first card arrived few months ago, resulting from a swap with Patrik...boy, I cant possibly explain how I felt when this one arrived and I saw the view and its colours! I think it is this card that made me dig into my boxes for the older Riga cards and make a Riga update...if this card doesn't make you want to visit Riga, I dont know what will! Lovely lovely lovely panorama of Riga!! Like on an early morning when the city is waking up and getting ready for the day.

It is one of those Latvian stamps from the "Coat of Arms" series...this one issued back in 1994 in a set of 4 stamps.

Another panorama of Riga...this one being more like after a nice autumn rain when the sun is struggling to breakthrough the clouds at the end of the day...

This one was sent by Oleg, almost 3 years ago...who also used the Coats of the Arms =)
The first and the last one were issued in 2010...the first one shows the Coat of Arms of Preiļi, while the last one shows the Coats of Arms of Viesīte
The middle stamp was issued in 2007, showing the Coat of Arms of the Latvian town Auce

this card gives us a closer look on the Riga castle at the banks of the Daugava river, which today it is the official residence of the President of Latvia as well as home to several museums

another Coat of Arms' stamp =) this one issued in 2005, showing us the Coat of Arms of Daugavpils. The other stamp is a Christmas one from a set of two issued in 2012

the last card here shows one of the several bridges connecting the two parts of Riga, and if im not mistaken, this one should be the Vanšu Bridge, which is a cable-stayed bridge

hey! No Coats of Arms here!!!! Ha! and I so much love this Astronomy stamp!! (Some of you should know why =) It is from the EUROPA 2009 issue, when the theme was Astronomy. Lovely!!!