Kebabs, Bosnia and Herzegovina

You know I love doing thematic updates from time to time, esp. if I have a number of cards on a particular subject...and im not sure why i picked food this time, but I do have a soft spot for delicious foodstuffs, even though I try to stay on the healthy eating side

first comes a dish im absolutely familiar with since it is very popular here....Kebabs with onion and this flat type of bread called 'lepinja'. Not really the healthiest of meals but absolutely delicious! Of course, if you get the right kebabs...not all of them are good. First of all, depending on the country....the ones on the card are just like the ones we have here....but for example, Ive tried kebabs in Bulgaria...and sorry, but it had nothing to do with the deliciousness of ours. And even in Skopje for example, not all places make good kebabs....the most famous place, which is simply the first association to kebabs and is even like a trade mark, is the place called Destan...the kebabs there just have this particular taste, unlike other kebab-restaurants...there are a few in the city, but the most charming and authentic is the one in the Old Bazaar....ever since ive been little, this has been the best place to eat kebabs...the usual order is a "Ten with onions" though of course, you can order less or more, as many as you like..

Since I havent tried the Bosnian kebabs, though im pretty sure they are as good as ours (after all, we have a lot of contact points, since our country has been widely influenced by the Ottoman cuisine...), ill post a few pics of the Destan's restaurant in the Old Bazaar...and if you ever come here, this is a MUST!! Im serious, a MUST!!!

The place is small and far from fancy, but it is cozy and the atmosphere goes perfectly with this type of food

and a glimpse over the plate.....makes me hungry at an instant!

courtesy of the photo: http://volanskopje.blogspot.com/

Sabina is the one who surprised me with this card, and she had made an EXCELLENT choice! The stamp she used is from 1999, commemorating the 105 years of the meteorological observatory on the Bjelašnica mountain.

Pikakala, Finland

next we have a Finnish delicacy

this is called Pikakala and is considered as a typical fish dish that includes salmon medallions garnished with dill and served with mushroom stew and potatoes.

definitely looks delicious to me, plus it is a light meal, and probably easily prepared.

there is a recipe on the backside about a trout file...but it is in Finnish unfortunately, so I am not able to share it with you...

there are two stamps on the card....the left one is from a set of 4 of those oddly shaped imperforated stamps, this one representing water, while the other one was issued this year in a set of 5 'mailboxes' stamp. Really lovely!! This is a 2nd class stamp. Here, we have no such division of 1st and 2nd class stamps....

Irish Breakfast, Ireland

Here comes something, which if you are in Ireland, is something you will supposedly get for breakfast......hmmmm???

im having my doubts about this one....for lunch or dinner maybe....but breakfast??? you really eat this for breakfast?? Odd, in the least hand! Oysters are such a tough food, even if not eaten for breakfast you may feel sick at the stomach....and in combination with dark beer (the stout), i really wonder how your day is gonna be :P

The back of the card says (something that has absolutely nothing to do with the front): The unique beauty of Ireland's landscape and its rich historic, literary and artistic associations have long made it a favourite resort for tourists. Encompassing a wealth of natural beauty within its modest dimensions, Ireland boasts a landscape which is as much diverse as it is gratifying. The scenic grandeur is set off by Ireland's position. Standing in the path of both the prevailing westerly winds of the Atlantic and the warming currents of the Gulf Stream, Ireland enjoys an equable climate which gives the country its unique fresh appearance.


Speaking of breakfasts, here is a link with a variety of those throughout the world...some are awesome, some id never eat...and some...I just dont know how people can consider as breakfast??

Breakfasts from around the world

The Irish breakfast presented here is rather different, so nowadays you can just trust no one :)

My tops: Spain, Hawaii, Portugal, Italy, Wales, France, Russia, Pakistan. Btw, Pakistan says to be using Ghee...which I would recommend as a butter substitute in your cooking.

The stamp is from a set of 8 animals' automat labels issued in 2010, with this one showing a Sea slug

Belgium Specialty, Belgium

well, my first association to Belgium when it comes to food is chocolate....but here we have some real food to show :)

this is what the Belgians call a national meal: beer, french fries and mussels. Uhmmm..ok, not really my type...first, coz i dont like beer...second, im not so fond of mussels...and third, I actually prefer baked or boiled potatoes to the french fries....just too much oil in it and not really nutritional values. (Sometimes I think im annoying people regarding food and what's healthy and whats not and all the labels' checking of products...). Just yesterday, I put back this cat-food on the shelf coz it simply contained too many food colourings...some considered really hazardous...

however, garlic and onion... I love adding them to my meals, esp garlic in raw form....one of the best antiseptics you could get and help your immunity during the cold winter days.

The stamp is from a set of 3 issued this year, showing the House of Erasmus. A really nice one!

Dim Sum, Hong Kong

as for my last delicacy today, I picked a Hong Kong card...with a bunch of different foodstuffs....some look sooo yummy, even though I have no idea what they are.

the Dim Sum refers to a style of Chinese food prepared as small bite-sized or individual portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates. Dim sum is also well known for the unique way it is sometimes served in some restaurants, where fully cooked and ready-to-serve dim sum dishes would be pushed around on steam carts by servers who go around the restaurant offering the dishes to customers and marking orders on a card on each customer's table.

I like that tradition of the Chinese cuisine, eating small portions of food....at the Chinese restaurants here, you are given nothing but a small portion...I guess they've adjusted it to the Macedonian standards :)

the traditional dim sum includes various types of steamed buns and rice noodle rolls which contain a range of ingredients, including beef, chicken, pork, prawns and vegetarian options. Dim sum can be cooked by steaming and frying, among other methods.

well, i think this card is really convenient if you are in China or Hong Kong....just take it with you to the restaurant, and even if you dont know a single word of Chinese, you just point to the meal you'd love to have and voila! :)

the stamp is from the set of 16 definitives issued in 2006 representing birds...this cutie is the Red-whiskered Bulbul. The card was sent from Licia, whom I havent heard from for a long while...in case she reads this, thanks so much again for the great card, and I hope she is doing ok! So....hungry anyone? :)

Belize

well, here comes another small update, on a foggy Wednesday evening....we've been having fog for days now and doesnt look nice at all...

so, "torn" between work and writing the delayed postcards, ill squeeze in some postcards here too...as I say, my keyboard is aching to write about them :)
and the first comes as an amazing surprise from my dear Sissel, who ticks off another of my missing countries with this lovely MAP card from Belize!! Dont wanna brag, but she actually sent me a few more Belize cards..:D

this one here is such a perfect addition to my map card collection!!  The back of the card says, Belize: 8,866 square miles packed with adventure!

And it is just soo green! It is said that over 60% of Belize's land surface is covered by forest while some 20% of the country's land is covered by cultivated land (agriculture) and human settlements. Its biodiversity – both marine and terrestrial – is rich, with abundant flora and fauna and the country a leader where it comes to protecting its biodiversity and natural resources.

*thumbs up* for Belize....if only more countries had followed this principe.....

and now, look at the lovely stamps here!! the top left one is a definitive issued in 2009 (it also appears in the set of 12 definitives issued in 2005) from which the other two stamps come from.

thanks so much again Sissel!! What would i do without you!

Taklamakan Desert, China

my next card is a great official I received from China....

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The card shows camels in the Taklamakan Desert, which is situated in the northwest of China, in the XinJian region.

The vastness of deserts has always amazed me....as well as the fear of 'would i be able to find my way if i ever get lost in one'. It is a public secret that i am terrible in orienteering myself..even with a map and buildings around which serve as key points..you know that saying "Why men don't listen and women can't read maps?"...well it is perfectly applicable to me, so if you let me lead you somewhere which is not my hometown, make sure, you're gonna get lost...so it's up to you to take the risk :)

now, looking at this map and the journey on it, reminds me of something i watched not so long ago, about a group of Chinese students going to school and the road they take in order to get there....you don't need to understand Chinese in order to understand the video....and after you watch it, maybe next time you complain your way to school/work is difficult, think about the kids here....and if you had ever actually had to endure something even close to this to get to where you had set off....and lest not forget, it is children we are talking about here

there are four great stamps on the card...ok, the right one is already preprinted, matching the postcard. as for the other three..the one next to it was issued in 1993 in a set of two camels' stamps. The birds are definitives from a set of 3 issued in 2002, while the last stamp was issued in 1998 and is a joint issue with Switzerland

White Pass & Yukon Route, USA

next come two awesome train cards from my beloved Alaska! Both show the White Pass and the Yukon Route, so im posting both.

The White Pass & Yukon Route Railway boards passengers in Skagway near their cruise ship. This narrow gauge railroad built in 1898-1900 during the Klondike Gold Rush is one of Alaska's premier attractions.

The beautiful Sawtooh Mountain Range provides a perfect backdrop for this train.

the view is just amazing....and gets me "another train ride i must go to" on my list...there are getting just too many :)

the first card has two stamps, one with the Indianapolis, commemorating the 100 years of racing, was issued this year, while the cute dolphin stamp is from 2009.

the second card bears 3 copies of the Owney, the Postal dog stamp, issued this year, plus bearing a First Day of Issue cancellation!!

thanks so much to A.W for these lovely cards!!

Paiwan tribe, Taiwan

as for my last card today, I chose another fantastic official i received just recently, showing a woman from the Paiwan Tribe, which are an aboriginal tribe of Taiwan, and are considered to be the third largest tribal-group.

TW-378991

Im not sure when exactly I fell for cards like this, but it must have been something with the indigenous people in Asia which got me so interested in cards like this.

Unlike other tribes in Taiwan, Paiwan society is divided into classes with a hereditary aristocracy. The Paiwan are not allowed to marry outside their tribe. On the day of their "five-yearly rite," "all marriage-seeking Paiwan men try to cut down as many trees as possible and offer the firewood thus procured to the family of the girl they want to woo.

ha ha, charming indeed :)

the stamp is from a set of four flowers' stamps issued in 2009.

till next time... :)

Bender Fortress, Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic

well, of course, again 10 dates with no updates...lots of cards and messages to be sent piled up...blame it all on work this time...such a hectic week, that i just couldnt get enough sleep today....but it is good to be able to finally relax a bit and write cards and not worry if im about to break through a deadline within few hours...pheww, that's just too stressful =[

anyways, i received a LOT of awesome mail in the meantime, among which is this fantastic surprise that arrived from Bender, a city in the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, or maybe more known to people as Transnistria....oh yeah!! :D

this gem was sent by Herbert from Spain, who had travelled around Eastern Europe and the Middle East and decided to surprise me with some stuff missing in my collection! And you dont really get the chance for someone from here to send you a card, so im more than thankful to him!!

Funny though, when the card arrived i didnt really know who sent it, just made a wrong assumption and in the end even got paranoid, coz of the way my address was written (it was the correct address, but not the way i give it out to people, so I just panicked how could someone know this way of writing it!!) Thank God Herbert messaged me just after that, and the jig-saw fell in place :)

Now, a few words about what's on the card....it shows the Bender Fortress in the city of Bender. The fortress was first built during the reign of Stephen III, to defend the settlement from Tatar raids and later, following the Ottoman occupation, the initial fortifications were developed into a full fortress, and the Ottomans used it to keep the pressure on Moldavia. the issue of Transnistria is a fragile one, as all issues with unrecognized territories/nations are, so i wont be going into details. Just in short words, Transnistria (or Pridnestrovie) is an an unrecognized state which claims the territory to the east of the river Dniester, the city of Bender and its surrounding localities located on the west bank. It declared its independence in 1990, after which (and especially after the War of Transnistria in 1992, it is governed as the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. Of course, Moldova obeys to this...

since it is an unrecognized territory, it doesnt have its own stamps, but uses the Moldovan ones...however, the cancellation clearly says 'Tiraspol, which is the capital of Transnistria, and that's what matters, that the card has indeed been sent from Transnistria :D
as for the stamp, it is from a set of 2  stamps issued in 2009, called Winter celebrations.

thank you so much again for the kindness and the thought Herbert!!!

Lesnovski Manastir, Macedonia

To my horror, i realized that it's been a shamefully long time since I had posted a Macedonian card here....shame shame shame shame on me!!!

So to fix that mistake, i picked this card that Dani sent me a few months ago, showing the Monastery of St. Gavrilo Lesnovski, located in the vicinity of the city of Probištip (in the eastern part of Macedonia)

And this is one of the place that I had the chance to visit something like two years ago, and absolutely loved it!!
Not only the monastery, but its surroundings are amazing! As you go up the road, there is this space with rocks, it even reminds you of an observatory coz of the way the rocks and stones are set. Anyways, we stopped there and I think I could have stayed there like forever....just sitting on the rock, enjoying the wind and the sun, and the endless view in front of me (the altitude is rather high, so you feel like you hold the world at your hands...really really beautiful and just so tranquil!)
The origin of the monastery is related to the life of Gavril Lesnovski, for whom a number of hagiographies exist according to which the monastery had existed when he lived, where he became a monk. The monastery is first mentioned in some writings from 1330, and reconstructed later by by the ruler Oliver 1st. Some of these things this monastery is famous for are for housing one out of three iconostases made by the famous Macedonian woodcarvers Frckovski and the Filipovski brothers. (The other two are found in the church of St Spas in Skopje and in the monastery St Jovan Bigorski in the Mavrovo National Park - I think ive sent to some of you postcards of the latter - if not and youd like one, let me know). The other thing it is famous for its manuscript-writing school and also for being considered as the centre of the Christianity in this part of the country. Apart from the monastery, if you ever come here, i strongly recommend visiting its surroundings, including the Cave church, the millstone caves and the eco-paths. Im SURE you're gonna love it!!!  Not to mention what the fresh air is gonna do to you :)

Dani used a definitive stamp from a set of 12 issued in 2010 showing cities in Macedonia, and this one shows the city of Probištip indeed...how convenient!! I have another card Dani sent me, showing the city itself, but ill show it to you some other time!

xie xie Dani!!

The Subway, USA

I once posted a card from the Zion National Park. But this one is a must-see....it is just sooo beautiful!! I dont know if it's coz of the blue-predominant colour, but i totally adore this card!!

this is what the back of the card says:
Excavated by the Virgin River eons ago, Zion Canyon is a deep cavern in the earth showcasing fantastic rock formations in concert with water in motion. The Subway is a powerful example of this theme. The Subway is so named for its tube-like, undercut slot canyons. This segment of canyon is less than a quarter-mile in length, but long approach and exit hikes are necessary for access.

Tina always sends such great cards for her RR groups!! Thank you so much Tina!

the stamp shows the famous Grand Teton...but the cancellation is just fantastic!!

Babele, Romania

last for today we move to Romania and a great card sent by Danut

the card shows the Babele (or the old women), which is a formation of rocks in the Bucegi Mountains with a particular form caused by erosion and varying hardness of rock layers.

They seem so impressive! Esp in a snow scene like this! No wonder the series of the postcard is called "Unique places in Romania", and is considered as one of the countries seven natural wonders.

the stamp is from a set of four stamps issued in 2007, from the Romanian Pottery sets, showing pots and cups. This is a pot handcrafted in Transylvania.

Thank you so much Danut!!  And to everyone for reading!

now back down to the messages-sending.....

Bulgaria

well, ive been out of the blogosphere for like over two weeks (hope you missed me :P)

reasons for the absence, several...mainly work-overload...and the bad fever i got over a week ago, and which is still lingering with me...i mean, im not feeling dead-beat as i used to, but i still dont feel well...i cant really explain it, but in general, i feel a bit crappy

well, of course, work piled up...partly my fault, i shouldnt accept assignments whenever and wherever but i always realize that too late...anyways, one of the two im currently working on is one of the most illiterate English texts ive seen...syntax? grammar? word order??? what is that? Even google translate provides better stuff! I got so annoyed with it that i just had to put it on hold, even though the deadline is Thursday plus another 80 pages (of normal English thank God) for next Wednesday...and time is running out...but i just really got fed up and...the thought of postcards brightened me up..so here i am :D

well, i had already picked today's cards time ago, so will post them today, and hopefully, wont take too long till next update...coz my postcard boxes are getting fuller and fuller....and something should be done about it...esp since 2012 is about to come, meaning new box for those postcards, and my room being one huge mess.

ok, enough chatting....

First ill start today with two great Bulgarian map cards.

BG-10008

the first one arrived as an official (yay, my first official from Bulgaria) and the map card represents Bulgarian national costumes. I had enlarged the card for you to see better, coz the national costumes have numbers assigned according to the region, so in case you are interested, this is how they go:

1. Sofia region
2. North-Western region
3. The Middle Danube Plain
4. North-eastern Region
5. Thracian Lowland
6. South-eastern Region
7. Eastern Region
8. South-western region
9. Rodopi District

Cant pick a favourite....but number 7 really cracks me up coz of all that variety of colours and patterns :)))

the second map card is fantastic in shape, and is rather big too...this one represents the Bulgarian cities with some more significant sites of the regions. Yana, the sender, even wrote to me in Macedonian and told me that I will never get lost now in Bulgaria, coz i have a map...really sweet :)

 Well, i havent been to Bulgaria for years...last time i did was at the Uni when with two other colleagues we went to Sofia..ha ha, that was one trip of a kind...but we would have had less reasons to laugh at nowadays if it wasnt for that trip.
Unlike many Macedonians, ive never spent my summer holidays in Bulgaria...for the Macedonians it is convenient since it is not far, and is cheap....but personally ive never been attracted to it...and not to get misunderstood...i have nothing against it, just that for me, the Adriatic Sea is irreplaceable, as well as the smell of pines along the Croatian coast....ok, the Mediterranean Sea in Valencia was fantastic too, but Adriatic remains number one for me (until I maybe get the chance to taste the ocean...)

and Yana picked great stamps too!! The train stamp is from a set of two stamps issued in 2008, commemorating the 120 years of Orient Express. The other is from a set of four butterflies' stamps issued in 2004.

The Hill of Crosses, Lithuania

an amazing card sent to me by dear Inga

At first glance, it may not seem unusual, but if you take a better look, it gives you shivers!

This is the Hill of the Cross near the town of Šiauliai, where people freely erect crosses when they wish to thank God for some favours or to ask something from him.

Apart from crosses, here you can find giant crucifixes, statues and thousands of tiny effigies and rosaries.
The exact number of crosses is unknown, but the estimates say there were around 100,000 in 2006.

Wow!

Pilisvörösvár, Hungary

next card was sent by Peter , showing his hometown of Pilisvörösvár.

Pilisvörösvár is a small city in the Pest County, and here you can see several sites in the city, but unfortunately, i dont know what they are, nor i can give you more info about the place in general....google is really mean sometimes =[

but there are plenty of amazing stamps on the back! the stamp on the very right is from a set of four stamps issued in 2006 commemorating the Centenary of the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts. The one next to it is from a set of 4 definitives issued in 2001, representing chairs (Hungary seems to have a lot of chairs on the definitives). The big stamp next to it is from a set of 7, representing Dutch paintings, with this one showing Antonis van Dyck. The last stamp is from a set of 3 Poets' stamps issued in 1955, with this one representing Mihály Csokonai Vitéz. wow, such a variety of stamps!! I wish I could buy such old stamps here too!! though, on the other hand, Macedonia has been issuing its own stamps for like 20 years, so it is not like i can go back in time that much. thanks a lot Peter!!

Red Barn, USA

the last card for today shows a nice tranquil snowy view....speaking of which, the weather forecasts say it is going to snow on Friday...uhmm, i dont know if I should be looking forward to it or what...

US-1258126

the card arrived from Eddie, whom I had previously met in some of the forum sections...it is always cool to receive or send a card to people you already sort of know :)

anyways, this card shows the Red Barn, and as Eddie says, these are like a part of the landscape in Connecticut and all of New England. Once you see something like this, you know you are at home.

How cool!! Which makes me wonder, what is it so special to tell me *I* am at home

Eddie used 3 nice stamps. First is the adorable Owney the postal dog stamp issued this year from the FOREVER series. Next to it is another stamp from this year, from a set of four scientists' stamps. This one shows Melvin Calvin, a chemist. And of course, one of the trade marks of the US cards, the clock stamp :)


btw, postcards feel like a therapy indeed....just in case you didnt know ;-)

till next time....