Estação Júlio Prestes, Brazil

An official card from 2013.

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This is the Júlio Prestes Station, a historic railroad station building in São Paulo in Brazil. In addition to commuter rail service, Júlio Prestes Station is also a cultural arts center, with a performance space and administrative offices for state-run arts programs.
The remodeled structure, originally built in 1938, has been on the state register of protected buildings since 8 July 1999.
 The train station is named in honor of the São Paulo governor (1927–1930) and Brazilian president-elect (1930), Júlio Prestes.
(There is also a Brazilian poet with the same name and initially I thought the station was named after him. Obviously I was wrong).

If there is a stamp you quite often see from Brazil, is the trumpet one on the left (along with a few other Brazilian stamps). Issued in 2002 in a set of 5 Instrument stamps.
The other one is from 2012, commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Federal University of Paraná

Wired Opera House, Brazil

This card arrived very recently as a surprise from Nataša, whose whereabouts are a bit difficult (lets say, impossible) to follow, but she does sometimes give us the chance to at least know on which continent she is by surprising our mailboxes :)

At first glance I never would have guessed that this is an Opera House..neither at second or third..looks really surreal in such a surrounding! It looks more like some botanical garden or so, but NOT, definitely NOT an Opera House!
It is situated in the middle of an urban green park, Parque das Pedreiras and was built in 1992 on the site of a former rock quarry. It got its name because it was built out of steel tubes. The cool architect behind this project is Domingos Bongestabs.

no stamp...spares me the trouble to be searching for it :D

hvala ti puno Nato!! :*

Lagoa da Conceição, Brazil

Another surprise card...this one from JP and his Brazil trip..

And if im not mistaken, my first card from Lagoa da Conceição...a district located next to a large lagoon of the same name near the center of Florianópolis, capital city of the state of Santa Catarina, located in the south of Brazil.
Here you can also find some of the island's best beaches...the thought of a beach makes me wanna pack my suitcase and leave..right now!
No holiday plans yet...there may not be any this year, so who knows what are the chances of me and a beach embracing this year...

and unlike me, JP always manages to find a cool stamp and a great cancellation...the stamp was issued in 2013 for the World Youth Day, showing Pope Francis visiting Brazil

Merci beacoup JP! Lovely surprise as always! :)

Iguaçu Falls, Brazil

well, just few days ago, during my room-clearance, I found a whole stack of misplaces postcards...I was aware that I had some cards missing, and I had no idea where had they gone...until I found them in a box along with cards I have already posted on the blog, and which for sure was a wrong place for this pack of cards to be...they should have been in their respective bags of received cards not yet posted (yeah, too many subdivision creates some mess around with so many bags and boxes, but that's the way Ive been functioning since the beginning).
Anyways, in this pack I found like 200 cards received in 2011, and around 50 received in 2009...and was just amazed to see what lovely cards have been hiding there of which I had completely forgotten! No wonder I end up with duplicates in the end...I mean the ironic thing is that *I* myself ask for a particular card, that in the end turns out to be a card I had already received time ago....

well, one of those cards is this one from Brazil that I received as an official card from Karina, whom I had known previously from the forums too...always fun to send/receive a card to/from someone you already know :)

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the card shows the Iguaçu Falls, which are waterfalls of the Iguaçu River on the border of Brazilian state Paraná and Argentine province Misiones.
The name "Iguaçu" comes from the Guarani or Tupi words "y", meaning "water", and "ûasú", meaning "big". There is a legend which says that a god planned to marry a beautiful woman named Naipí, who fled with her mortal lover Tarobá in a canoe. In rage, the god sliced the river, creating the waterfalls and condemning the lovers to an eternal fall.....and then they say women are cruel and jealous....
Being that the falls belong to the Iguaçu National Park which is on the UNESCO whs list, the waterfalls are also a part of that UNESCO site, along with being on the list of the New 7 Wonders of the Nature.

I love this Brazilian train stamp issued in 2011, commemorating the 300th Anniversary of the city of Mariana/State of Minas. The other stamp was issued in 2002 in a set of 10 stamps representing music instruments, with this one showing a trumpet.

Viaduto Carvalho, Brazil

my last card for today is a train card from Brazil...

I think this is one of the most beautiful train cards Ive seen from Brazil and the railroad itself counts as one of the State's most beautiful attractions (this is in the state of Paraná) The card shows the Carvalho Viaduct. It received this name in honor of the President of the Province of Paraná at the time, Carlos de Carvalho and is over 100 metres high. Looks rather scary too...but that's where the adrenaline lies :)

a short video about it when the train is taking this particular turn




 well, that would be all for now...short is better than nothing :) Hope to see you soon! Im off to deal with my cold and sore throat...

Baiana, Brazil

we started with South America, so lets finish with it as well

If you are to google the word 'baiana' you may come across some confusing and some totally unrelated definitions or websites.
But I think that the right one (or that relates to the card) is that the word 'baiana' actually means 'a woman from Bahia' where the old spelling used to be 'bahiana'. It is said that people from Bahia have a distinct culture and are very influenced by their african ancestry.

well, if we are to believe what google says :)

São Marcelo's Fortress, Brazil

My last card for today is one again received back in 2008...told ya Im catching up ;-P

This card shows the São Marcelo's Fortress at night.

Under IPHAN’s protection, this fort was built with stones, in triangular shape, in the beginning of the XVII century, on the reefs in Salvador’s port entrance. Reconstructed with stones, after the Dutch invasion, in 1624, it got a circular shape and the mission of protecting the city from the foreign attacks.
If I had figured it out right, IPHAN stands for "Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional."

Seems like an interesting place, though from this perspective (plus being a night view) not much can be seen, but still, it is a nice card :)

Well, thanks for reading...and I hope you have a nice week ahead (in case you had this Monday off, like me)...and if not, I hope you are managing pretty well so far.

Until next time....
  

Garibaldi, Brazil

Sandro sent me this great surprise showing the train station in Garibaldi.

Garibaldi is a town in Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil, with a population of about 29,000 people, most of them of Italian descent. The city is famous for its wine and champagne productions. As for the name, that's related to the Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi and his Brazilian wife, Anita.

The train on the card is not used for regular transport of passengers, it is only for short touristic trips between Carlos Barbosa, Garibaldi and Bento Gonçalves (all three towns settled by Italian immigrants).
Old locomotives like this one, in Brazil are known also as Maria Fomaça, meaning Smoke Maria.

Thanks a lot Sandro for this great card!!!

Sao Paolo, Brazil

Hmmm, and another official card for today....I wonder how I manage to pick cards like this at random...

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It shows the Ponte Estaiada Octávio Frias de Oliveira bridge in São Paulo, which is a cable-stayed bridge over the Pinheiros River, opened in May 2008. The bridge is 138 metres (450 ft) tall, and connects Marginal Pinheiros to Jornalista Roberto Marinho Avenue.
The bridge deck is unusual due to its form, which is similar to an “X”, crossing at the tower.
It is the only bridge in the world that has two curved tracks supported by a single concrete mast.

And the card came from a Depeche Mode fan :D

The left two stamps come from a set of 10 issued in 2002, representing musical instruments, and here is a trumpet...while the other stamp was issued in 2004 in a set of 5 stamps representing paintings by Candido Portinari.

Thanks for following!

Torres, Brazil

A very nice card that came as a surprise from Sandro....ahh, i so much long to be at some beach right now...by the ocean, by the sea....or even by the lake...just as long as im out of here....

The card shows Ilha dos Lobos, or the Fur Sea Island, which is the smallest ecological reserve in Brazil. Every winter fur seals and sea lions come from Patagonia (Argentina) to stay at Ilha dos Lobos. It is located on the Atlantic coast of Torres.
In case you decide to come here, you should know that this place is protected by federal laws and visitors are not allowed to disembark without authorization.

Since I mentioned Patagonia...Im still in in hope that someday I will receive a postcard showing this fantastic place...I just love it!

there are two nice stamps on the card...the left one was issued in 2004 in a set of 5, representing paintings by Candido Portinari, one of the most important Brazilian painters, while the other stamp was issued in 2009, in a set of 6 stamps, representing Exuberant Brazilian birds....the one here is called Paroaria coronata

muito obrigado Sandro!! And i still sooo much admire your handwriting!

Simão Pereira, Brazil

The last card for today comes from Brazil, showing a cemetery. I dont get cards like this often, but as you know, I really love them.

My fascination with graves and cemeteries is hard to explain and to many it sounds morbid probably, but to me it is something which represents a link between two worlds, a link to the unknown and mystical and unexplained....
The card shows the Rocinha da Negra cemetery in the city of Simão Pereira. The cemetery is the last vestige of the allotment of Paraibuna, commonly called the Black Rocinha. It is located in Cabu Country Club.
(google translate was used there :))

three nice stamps....the big bird one is from 2009, from a set of 6 stamps, representing Exuberant Brazilian birds. This is Porphyrospiza caerulescens. The stamp next to it is from 2002, from a set of 10 stamps representing music instruments. And the last and probably most familiar definitive stamp from Brazil, representing jobs, with this one issued in 2005.

Pantanal, Brazil

Not the kind of surrounding Id like to be trapped in...

I know that some people would keep this as a pet....but personally I cant imagine even touching such a creature...I have already posted about Pantanal, so you can read more about it there, instead of me repeating myself with the same data.
Today ill show you one cartoon about an alligator....one of those cartoons I watched when I was little...and which nowadays just bring nostalgic feelings to me of some better times...
Now THIS is a cute alligator..he he :)  The Walli Gator...with the unforgettable Macedonian synchronization....I miss these voices....

Salvador, Brazil

Well, lets end today with one Brazilian card.....

In my last update i talked about Chania and told you that the houses and the image of them in general reminds me of some Chilean and Brazilian cards....well, this is one of the Brazilian places i had in mind....mainly due to the colour of the buildings probably...they just both seem to have those tones of blue and red and orange...and reflect against the same light and same sky...
This is actually Pelourinho which is the historical central part of Salvador, and in translation, Pelourinho means "pillory"...it is renowned for its Portuguese colonial architecture with historical monuments dating from the 17th through the 19th centuries and has been declared a UNESCO whs in 1985....

hmm...well, i really need to go and finish packing and all the other preparations...i dont have that much time left actually.
Stay well, and see you soon! :)

Sao Paulo, Brazil

Something different from most of my Brazilian cards

This is the Flags Monument in the Ibirapuera Park. The “Bandeira Monument” as it is also called, is located in front of Ibirapuera Park, and was created by Victor Brecheret, a famous architect, to remember the members of the expedition called Bandeira (Flag). This monument is considered one of the most famous symbols in São Paulo standing 40 feet (12 meters) high and 165 feet (50 meters) across.

you'll pardon me if the information/talks today seem scarce or a bit off track....but im just feeling really tired...and sleepy...yet there are still things i need to get done..yet, i wanted to post some cards before another long tough week starts

But thanks for reading...and ill see you next weekend...

Brasilia, Brasil

For a long time i lived with the ignorance that the capital of Brasil is Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo. But surprise surprise, its Brasilia. And even after all this time, i still cant get used to it :)
I mean, first of all, Brasilia sounds much more like a country name, than a city one.
Second, i dont know if its the same with the rest of the world, but the majority of things Brazil related i get to hear, are about Rio or Sao Paulo, and its incomparable to the amount of things i get to hear about Brasilia. So, no wonder i still find it hard to comprehend that Brasilia has the honour to be the city's capital.

Hmm, ive seen this bridge on other postcards, from a different angle, and i have to say that it didnt look as appealing to me as on this card. I dont know if its coz of the aerial view, but it just seems so fascinating to me! I LOVE it!!
This is the Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge, also known as the President JK Bridge, named after a former Brazilian president,Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira, who in the late 1950s decided to build Brasília as the new capital of the country.
It consists of three 60m (200ft) tall asymmetrical steel arches that crisscross diagonally. With a length of 1,200 m (0.75 miles), it was completed in 2002 at a cost of US$56.8 million. The bridge has a pedestrian walkway and is accessible to bicyclists and skaters.

Heey, did you hear that?! Accessible to cyclists!! Mmmm, would love to go by bike over it, back and forth...

The main span structure has four supporting pillars submerged under Lake Paranoá, and the deck weight is supported by three 200-foot tall asymmetrical steel arches that crisscross diagonally. The decks are suspended by steel cables alternating at each side of the deck, interlacing in some kind of twisted plane (parabolic like).
From what i could read, the bridge has also received numerous awards, regarding architecture.Well, deserved i must say...its really amazing and just unique!

This stamp was issued in 2008, with its Primary Theme of Economy and Industry, portraying the 200th Anniversary of the Arrival of the Portuguese Royal Family in Brazil - Ministry of Finance

Railway, Brazil

My first ever railway-related received postcard! And a great one!

I got this card along with a few other Brazilian cards from Karina...when i saw she had train cards, i knew i had to have one...honestly, i more wanted to get it coz of my dad, then me...i love trains, but i know my dad is fascinated by them even more and understands things about them WAAYY to more than i do...i mean, a few times he had asked the engine driver if he could stay in his cabin for a while so that he can observe the ride from there...and he had been allowed! Maybe one day i will have the same chance as well...
My dad also used to watch a German channel called Bahn.tv...and its pretty self-explanatory, it dealt with railways and trains, mainly from Germany, but also trains and rides worldwide were presented...often there were shows where they would follow an entire ride, from beginning to end, filmed at the drivers' cabin...it was beautiful to see all that....i dont know, maybe i had already told you this, so im just repeating myself now...its just a pity that the channel aint available anymore...well, at least my dad cant follow the broadcast anymore...


And since all the cards came in an envelope, i cant feature individual stamps for each card, so ill just show them all now...and i have to say WOW...a bunch of great Brazilian stamps..the envelope looks just great coz its so lovely and colourful! I really wonder...why did it take me so long to decide to show stamps as well...they are just sooo great!!

Karina, muy obrigado!!

Vargem Grande do Sul, Brazil

I wonder exactly how many places in the world have the statue of Jesus Christ....I know that everyone has the right to have their own, but you know, when there is something original, and then its replicas start appearing, it feels as if there is no originality anymore and authencity is lost....

this statue here comes from Vargem Grande do Sul, in Brazil. which from what i could understand, is a municipality of Sao Paulo...but dont take me for granted, since as usual, all sites about Brazil are in Portuguese and thats not my strong side.

So, any additional info about this one...is MORE than appreciated :)
Obrigado!

Salvador, Brazil

The beginning of this week is just sooo different than how last week ended...until yesterday the weather was just nice and sunny and warm....well, we had some sun today, but it was cold and windy...and they say it may snow again during this week...its so changeable that i really cant keep track of it anymore...and i have to say, i really miss the spring...i used to love the cold weather, but the cold weather here has become somewhat annoying...if i just have to put them on scale, the winter and the summer in Macedonia, i really dont know which one will prevail....both are A-W-F-U-L!

And this card just brings that nice summer atmosphere, to warm up my bones :)
What i especially love about this card, are the colours...they feel so illuminated and make such a beautiful atmosphere! And it definitely feels warm...plus if you take a good look you will actually notice a lighthouse in the background...its exactly between two of the palm trees....
on the back of the card it says: Coqueiral do Cristo com o Farol da Barra ao fundo.....whatever that means...
In general, i can figure out the Portuguese on the back of the cards....on this one im all 'duh?'
Still...I love this postcard! :)

Salvador, Brazil

Here is another one of my weaknesses....a lighthouse....an absolutely beautiful card with a lighthouse...

This is the Barra's Lighthouse by night...there is a funny thing related to this swap...when i was looking thru the cards, some of them said 'noite'....i dont know by which logic, i thought it meant 'not available'...and i was like, oh pity, its so beautiful...eventually turned out that 'noite' meant 'night'....i definitely shouldnt brag with my skills in Portuguese :P

The Lighthouse in Barra is a nice building at one of the ends of the bay of Bahia. Inside the lighthouse there is a museum. In front of the lighthouse, locals do Capoeira demonstrations. You can take pictures of them, as long as you give a tip. If your tip is not big enough they may react violently. Be warned.

well, you are warned....all that it takes that you pack your bags and go to Brazil....dont forget to send me a postcard ;)

Salvador, Brazil

I really like this view and the warm feeling of the card...which is really good for these cold and freezing autumn days!

This is Salvador, with a view of the old St. Maria Fortress, built in the first half of the XVII century. Salvador is the capital of the northeastern state of Bahia, and is one of the most touristic cities in Brazil, for its Portuguese architecture remaining fro mthe colonial age.

I dont know where from the photo is taken, but it reminds me as of a balcony from some sea-side house, with big windows covered by those wooden blinds, and when you wake up in the morning, you just open the blinds and come into the balcony, and have this lovely view...and you just enjoy the morning coffee in the perfect morning sun.....mmmmmmmmmm