Triumphal Arch, Macedonia

Gloomy Sunday greetings from Macedonia...ok, let me correct that...greetings from Macedonia's capital all covered in smog! Same problem every winter...though I have a feeling that each winter it gets worse and more polluted and just...terrible!

Here is a picture of Skopje this morning, courtesy of my friend Goran Andonov...where here, in front of you, you should be seeing the Triumphal Arch...a really huge and grand object that can't be missed even from afar...but with such thick smog, you really need to be right in front of it to be aware of its existence...can you believe it that this image is taken during the day? when there should be sunshine and all????
They are comparing us to Mexico City, when it used to be known as the most polluted city on Earth...though from what I've seen there are places in China that are real competition.
Anyways, no signs of any winds or rain or snow in the near future...so we'll just continue breathing in whatever crap this air contains....

and well, this is what you actually should be seeing on the picture above...I know that for a moment you may get the feeling you are in Paris, but no, this is our own Triumphal Arch...part of that notorious Skopje 2014 project...does look cool on the postcard I must admit..but as I've said times before, I am really against the entire money-waste regarding this project.

And it is actually cool to be posting a written and stamped Macedonian card, or more particularly, from my own town!  I do not get such very often :) and this card was actually sent as a surprise by the same Goran Andonov whose picture I used above! Nice coincidence and actually I like it how the jigsaws fall into their place sometimes and give me such a complete post =D
To see more of his great work, you can visit and follow his facebook page here => Goran Andonov's Photography

the stamp Goran used is a bit overpriced for sending a card within the country, but I guess some postal workers here either do not care enough or want to rip you off or whatever...quite unfair..but then again, I don't think I'll ever receive this stamp on a letter or a card, unless I move to live abroad and people send mail to me :) The stamp was issued in 2004, as part of those "Macedonia in the EU" series...even though Macedonia is not a part of it, but we never seem to give up...I won't go into my opinions of why I do not want to be a part of EU, despite it does have some advantages...

And well, below you will find a few more Triumphal Arch cards from my collection (bought to myself)...all surrounded with clear blue skies...*sigh*..

And it is funny how most of them  try to capture Alexander's monument right through the gate...

In case you feel like having some more info on the Arch though...
It is dedicated to commemorate the 20 years of Macedonian independence and its outer surface is covered in 193 m2 of reliefs carved in marble, depicting scenes from the Macedonian history. It also contains interior rooms, one of which has a function of state-owned souvenir shop, as well as elevators and stairs providing public access to the roof, allegedly intended as space for weddings. I still haven't been on top of it but I'm sure it offers a nice view..when there is no pollution :)

Did you know that it is said that the money spent on this Arch are estimated to €4,4 million? And that the whole Skopje 2014 project is estimated to €500 million? Isn't that just way too much? Especially for a country like Macedonia, with such terrible standards, high unemployment rate and where many employees work for the minimum wage? And what frustrates me to the utmost is how the Government never reveals the actual data but keeps convincing people how all these monuments and stuff are necessary, the money are reasonably spent. the rate of unemployment has decreased...yeah, sure...

At least some nice postcards have resulted from all this =)

Boka Kotorska, Montenegro

I was so so so thrilled when a week ago or so I received some postcards from dear Sissel! I missed her in my mailbox and missed her around! So it is so heart-warming when you find such surprises in the mailbox!

And I can't believe it she's been so near me this time!! I hope that during one of her future travels, she will drop by here as well *wink wink* :)

Here she sent me a cool map card of the Boka Kotor Bay in Montenegro...driving along its coast offers you one of the most splendid views in the whole country! The bare thought of the Adriatic Sea makes me sigh...haven't been there for a while...there was this opportunity to go there for a day or two with my dad in September...Im not actually sure what his plan and intentions were, but I didn't really care...to his question: "Do you want to go by car to Budva (the most famous place in Montenegro)...." my answer was an immediate YES...didn't question the conditions or anything...unfortunately, nothing turned out from that...and right now it is just too cold to go there...so I guess Ill have to wait for another opportunity....and invade some other places in the meantime. *cough cough cough* :P

Sissel used two stamps...the left one was issued in 2009 under the name Universiade. The other one was issued in 2010, as a part of two Art stamps.

well, the map Sissel sent me reminded me I had two other maps of the Boka Kotor Bay that I bought myself when I went there in 2009...and making the comparison, the publishers have really advanced on the topic...the map above looks somewhat plain...the map below reminds me of a pack of cigarettes...Im not exactly sure why though...

Thanks a lot again Sissel for the lovely surprises!!!!

Wieliczka, Poland

well, as you may probably know, I spent the New Year holidays in Poland, Kraków in particularly...so it is safe I guess to post this, without ruining a surprise :) though in case you get a card from Kraków with only an address label and a stamp, and everything else is blank, not even a signature,  know that it is from me...believe it or not, one like that ended up in Croatia...I just hope there are no other cards with the same destiny...really embarrassing!
My initial intention was to actually send cards from here...but fortunately i decided to send them from Kraków instead, coz here i only had like 5 min. free, and it would have been impossible to send anything, and I would have ended up sending nothing...erm...i just managed to send one to myself...ok ok, dont shoot me..sorry...but i had to enrich my UNESCO collection among else

well, ill give you my impressions about Kraków some other time...this time im gonna present you the Wieliczka Salt Mine...a place you MUST visit in case you have the chance! A really fascinating place, built in the 13th century, believe it or not and producing table salt until 2007. The depth goes beyond 300m (visitors are allowed until 110m below ground), while the total length of its tunnels is over 300km...can you imagine?
The choice of cards was rather poor, but i got two....above you can see the Kunegunda shaft bottom (depth 90.8 m.)...where there are rock sculptures showing a group of gnomes who are believed to have helped the Wieliczka miners. You have no idea how real these sculptures are portrayed..
The shaft was used to transport the produce from chambers situated on the Upper Level II to Level I. The figures depict, among others, a crusher, a carrier, a cart driver and a carpenter.
btw, you are allowed to lick the salt off the walls....though i would recommend the ceiling...out of hygienic reasons ;)

this second card shows the beautiful timber of St. John's chapel (135m underground ) which is considered to be the mine’s most beautiful wooden chapel. Unfortunately, we didnt get the chance to see it...though with what ive seen i was more than impressed.

it is funny, but inside the mine they organize weddings, parties, new year celebrations....luckily the guests can use the elevators...otherwise i can imagine a bride on high-heels and a long veil, going down the stairs made of salt :P

probably the most impressive to me was St. Kinga's Chapel...after moving through dark narrow halls, this grand area appears in front of you...you cant not be fascinated with it! Too bad I have no postcard of it to show it to you, but feel free to browse the net....

now, the special thing about this mine is that you can actually mail a postcard from down there, using a special postmark...and i just had to sneak one in, in those 5 minutes i had available...as you can see, im not very savvy at placing postmarks properly but at least it is there :)  Funny fact - i mailed the card on 2 January...there is a second cancellation above, dating from 16 January.... i dont know if they maybe empty the mailbox every fortnight or this card has gotten stuck somewhere, but those two weeks will definitely remain mysterious. Once I mailed it I actually wondered why i hadnt just taken the card with me instead risk sending it, but you know it always feels more special when a card has travelled :)

and unlike at the post office in Kraków, here they didnt sell the famous 3zl stamps (which are considered as priority stamps), but here you get the economy 2.40 zl ones...and this one was issued in 2011 as a Christmas stamp in a set of two.

Thanks a lot to me, myself and I for these cards :)

Germany

next i have some market cards from Germany

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The first card came as an official and shows a man selling potatoes. The sender says that this scene is typical in summers and autumns near highways, where people sell potatoes and apples and sometimes blueberries, strawberries and honey.
I absolutely love this card! We have such 'markets' here too, where people sell also potatoes and tomatoes, onion, watermelons etc. And i actually admire when, esp. old people, spend all day long at their improvised stands, waiting for customers...doesnt matter if it is cold or hot, rainy or sunny...they sell their goods, and often it is like their main source of income....so i do like to support these people, and if i have the chance, buy something from them instead at the local super/hyper market...these street vendors often sell  fresher and much more natural goods than compared to the store bought ones...

the stamp was issued in 2009 and portrays the Leipzig Universtiy...


now off to Nürnberg...

I bought a BUNCH of cards when I visited the city back in 2009...and a number of them show the Christmas Market...

we had a really bad timing, coz the week we went there was when they were setting up the place, and it was supposed to open the week after....really a pity, coz from the cards, im SURE I would have enjoyed it and that the atmosphere was AMAZING!

we only had the chance to see a few stands selling some Christmas goods, with vendors dressed in some Christmas-alike clothes....but of course, it is not even near to what the actual market would offer...where there would probably be some nice cinnamon cookies...I LOVE cinnamon cookies...they are so tasty, and they do feel perfect for cold winter days, with or without tea...

The market is in the middle of the city, on the Nürnberg Market Square, and it opens its 'doors' at 5.30 p.m. on the Friday before the first Advent Sunday. Usually, the market has more than 2 million visitors

there are about 180 wooden stalls, festooned with red-and-white cloth, which have given the Christmas Market its name of "Little Town from Wood and Cloth".

well, in general all the cards here are more or less the same, just maybe showing the market from different angles, and the cards' colours are somewhat different :)

Belgrade, Serbia

Ive been wanting to post a Belgrade card for a while now, but I was waiting until all, or at least the majority of cards I sent from there, arrived. So that I dont sort of spoil the surprise :)

Well, Im still missing 10 people to cross out from the list...but hopefully they have made it to their end too.
I didnt want to say anything ahead, coz I didnt know if my plan to send cards will succeed...but well, for the first time, out of all my visits to this city, I managed to surprise some mailboxes....with a huge thanks to Ana, my namesake and partner in crime, and merciless drill sergeant :D :D :D (for those who know what im talking about)
You know I went to visit the book-fair, but of course, I cant spend all day there (I think that with the overall conditions, it is humanely impossible). So in the afternoon I met Ana, and we occupied this table in this cafe, straggled our cards, and stamps and papers with addresses, with people looking oddly at us and the waiter having no idea where to put the cakes, so he just handed them in into our hands....a fantastic hilarious afternoon, and too much cake...but what was most worth it is that I got to send out cards! At last!
Another great satisfaction was that after I dont know how long, I had the chance to use an actual mailbox in front of the PO, to mail out the cards instead of handing them at the postal desk. In Macedonia, these mailboxes are not really functional, and i dont feel secure at all with them...but here, in Serbia, or at least Belgrade, this option works! I wont tell you how many cards we sent, but they didnt fit at once through the opening of the mailbox :D
And of course, took my favourite ride back home...well, not exactly on this train, but this is the main train station, where my train takes off...I got this card from my previous trip to Belgrade, not long before the book fair...all my trips to Belgrade are arranged at the very last minute and last less than 24 hours, but are more than worth it and I love them...even though I end up travelling 1000km back and forth in one day.
The card is from a reprint series of cards called Editions Francophiles 2000. Couldnt be more perfect for me :)
Looking forward to my next Belgrade trip...though I dont think it would be soon...it is freezing cold right now!

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

Fraknfurt, Germany

А card I picked up at the airport on my way back home....

I couldnt really see much of Frankfurt itself except for the airport....but I think for the time being, it was more than enough. Thats NOT an airport...thats an entire city....I was absolutely enthralled by it....it takes several minutes by bus to actually get from the plane itself to the terminal building....with traffic lights and pedestrians....and a whole labyrinth of streets....no wonder it is the biggest one in Europe...
The building itself on the inside is also enormous....like a huge shopping centre...you just actually need to know ahead whats all in there so that you can know what to focus on and in case you have enough time, whether you should pass the customs and get stuck at the gates or maybe take a look around the stores BEFORE the customs....well, I was one of those who didnt explore much around coz I actually thought that I could find the shop I needed afterwards as well, but I turned out to be wrong.
Here is the one I was looking for

http://www.frankfurt-airport.com/cms/default/dok/360/360784.virgin.html

and honestly I have absolutely no idea where exactly this is :)

well, what I liked about this airport is that you have coffee for free...and there is a plethora of choice! I took 3 different ones...not because i so much had a need for coffee, but just because I had to try them...

One of the greatest reasons why I love this card is coz its train related....unfortunately, my desire to take a ride on a high-speed train wasnt fulfilled....partly coz of the lack of opportunity, partly coz of the insane ticket prices....very very budget-unfriendly :)

but on the overall, I miss Germany soooo much, and so many things related to it, esp. the people from our group...they really are the best!

Kotor, Montenegro

One of the way too many cards I bought this past summer....too bad that with the huge cards, you cant actually grasp their actual size through here...

The old city of Kotor is one extremely beautiful city (all old cities seem to be)..... I had the chance to visit it and climb up the old fortress until the very top, where the victorious flag stands. It was a great day, esp. since I didnt really plan it ahead...but I really loved it. The several things you MUST have in case you decide to go up to the top, are: a camera, comfortable non-slippery trainers, water and to be in a good physical condition....otherwise you'll run out of breath on the first corner :)

And its really enjoyable up there....calm and peaceful and you can just enjoy the view in front of you..the city of Kotor, the Boka-Kotor bay...the Adriatic Sea.....ahhhhhhhhhh...

I just wanna thank to Anastasia for making me company on that day, and for actually convincing me to go....made the trip feel really great (along with the postcard hunt afterwards.....I always laugh when I remember the post office we went to and the cute guys who worked there :P)

Durmitor, Montenegro

One of the numerous cards i bought to myself during my stay in Montenegro this year.

And i really like this edition of huge cards they have...not only coz they are huge...but they have beautiful images as well!
This card shows the Lake Škrčko below the Bobotov Peak (2,523 m), the highest peak on Mt. Durmitor.
And Durmitor is also one of the two UNESCO whs in Montenegro, so now i finally have Montenegro complete...boy...this sounded as if Montenegro had 20 UNESCO whs and now, after loads of hard work, i had finally been able to collect them all.
Unfortunately, this is one of the places in Montenegro i didnt manage to visit even though i wanted to...but there were no excursions organized for there in particular, so unless you arrange it on your own, you dont have much of a choice of how to get there...so maybe next time ill be more lucky and have the chance to go there...it definitely is a beautiful place and more than worth seeing.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

A card i bought this summer, on my one-day trip to Dubrovnik...last time i went there was when i was really little, so honestly i barely remember anything..so it was more than worth it to pay this visit....

As with most excursions, you get to see the historic places only, as in this case, we went to the Old City only....you dont have the time to wander through the rest of the city...but well, better something than nothing.
I must say that Dubrovnik is absolutely beautiful and has some charisma....compared to other touristic places ive visited, here the entire place just radiates with beauty...coming from all those beautiful people around...by this i mean people who capture you with their simplicity in their looks and behaviour, yet they are full of some modest dignity....smiling joyful faces all around...
the downside...its insanely expensive...postcards included.....so i couldnt really grab much...but i still bought a few for myself and maybe some to trade or give away...we'll see.
Another thing that will remain in my memories....the absolutely delicious ice cream which among other flavours, had a Mojito one as well...superb! Just that one scoop was 1 Euro worth...here i can get like 3 or 4 scoops for the same money, but truth is, its not the same ice-cream, and the scoops there were REALLY huge....personally, i ate 7.....first i bought 3, and then after i finished my sightseeing, i bought 4 more while waiting for the bus...i still dont know how my throat had survived :)
In Dubrovnik as with the most excursions, we were with a guide...but i left the group soon afterwards, since i felt as if i was waisting my time with him...some guides just have this thing to take you to places which are not of a greatest interest, and when you tell them you want to visit the City Walls (which are like a must-see when you visit Dubrovnik) he tells you that its tiring and you wont have time and blah blah blah....so of course, i left the group, got my ticket and went to the city walls...the only thing i regret is that i hadnt charged my camera batteries before i left, since after a while, they were empty, and i just couldnt take many pictures...still, im grateful for the ones i managed to make...ill show you some now, and ill leave some for another update....
I also bought myself two lovely mugs in Dubrovnik...and i almost bought a Depeche Mode T-shirt, which wasnt that expensive, but i thought to myself that i should be a bit more careful with my finances :)
Maybe Dubrovnik didnt bring so many memories, but certain parts of Croatia on the way did...like the resorts we went to each summer when i was little...i recognized this hotel we stayed at, but it was abandoned...yet the building was still there...summarized....i loved the trip and i loved Dubrovnik and would love to go back there...

the pictures...have to tell you that i LOVE my new camera...i just still need to explore loads of its options...but  I love it!!! Sony just doesnt let you down...

View of the Old City...we stopped for a few minutes in order to be able to take some pics since the photographing point was just perfect...

The typical narrow streets in Dubrovnik...they are just lovely...but from a touristic point of view...wouldnt want to reside there in any sense...it would feel as if you are living in a museum...people constantly passing by your door or window, lurking into your backyard...just no privacy....

My first 3 scoops of delicious ice-cream...Mojito...biscuits...coconut...

The Old City Fortress...

ahhh, memories memories....

Struga, Macedonia

Well, i think its been a long time since i had shared with you a Macedonian card....so while anticipating for the summer holidays and beaches and water to swim in, here is something to have a look at...

Struga is a town situated at the Ohrid Lake, and is in fact, some 20km away from Ohrid, but Ohrid is the one who dominates in popularity and so. The last time i went to Struga was actually the year when i finished primary school, so do the math...15 years....
I think that Struga is much calmer than the busy crowded and MUCH MORE expensive Ohrid. But the problem with Struga that many people have is the fact that many Albanians live there, and there is this eternal tussle going on regarding that issue, so many people just avoid Struga coz of that...unfortunately, throughout the year, there have been incidents between the Macedonians and Albanians living there, to the extent that the pupils protested and didnt go to school...since there were fights among them and they just demanded different schedules as they wouldnt have a chance to be at school in the same shift.
I know people who have apartments/houses there and who spend their entire summer in Struga, and they have no problems with anything, but i guess that the majority of people has developed some sort of antagonism to this...
One of the reasons why I respect Struga, is that its the host of the Struga Poetry Evenings, and is considered to be the world's largest poetry gathering. Each year, they award the Golden Wreath to one of the poets, and so far, people like Pablo Neruda, Allen Ginsberg, Miroslav Krleža, Artur Lundkvist, Desanka Maksimović, Seamus Heany etc etc etc, have been awarded this wreath.
They are usually held in summer, in late August, so if you happen to be in Macedonia, this event is highly recommended for attendance....it is also supported by UNESCO.

Toscana, Italy

One of my personally bought cards from my trip to Italy...I just dont know why the white lines around the letters for Toscana look soo annoying...as if they are simply screaming!

This past week has been really scarce on postcards...well, ive been somewhat left behind in sending cards lately as well, i focused more on some other kind of mail, so i think there lies the main reason...but i hope the following one will be more fruitful...i need mail, a LOT!
Its rather late, but i have a lot of stuff pending...i need to clean around a bit...i need to prepare stuff for work for the following week...i need to finish a book...i need to write some letters...
Oh, and today is 8th of March....international women's day...im not fond of holidays which are planned to be commemorated on one day only, coz they feel forced and all...but i do want to wish all women out there, Happy Women's Day...and to my mum ill buy something when she least expects it instead on a day like today when she is supposed to get something...plus i think, the day itself has lost a lot of its significance and the way its celebrated from the time when i was little for example...feels stranger and colder and simply alienated...just like the whole world around me....yeah, i need to get out of this mood, PRONTO! :)
See you during following week my dear postcard collectors!

Ohrid, Macedonia

Here is something for UNESCO collectors....homemade! :)))

This is the Samuel's Fortress in Ohrid...well, its not exactly in the centre of the town, but you would need to lose some calories till you climb there, but its worth it! (ehh, its soo nice when you can write an opinion about something due to personal experience and not based on what you've read or the impression you;ve received about it).

During King Samuel's reign (976-1014 A.D.) Ohrid was the capital of the first state of the Macedonian Slavs. Samuel’s Fortress in Ohrid dates back to the 3rd century and initially had three entrance gates, of which only one, the Upper Gate, has been preserved to this day. Before and after Samuel’s reign, the fortress had been demolished and rebuilt several times.
The highest part of Ohrid, which is 100 meters above the lake level, is surrounded by 10-16m high walls, built of stone, lime, and sand from the lake, and two defense towers.
After the arrival of colonizers from Asia, led by their commander Mino, the town started spreading outside the walls, on the surrounding plain.

There is a legend about tzar Samuel which ive known since i was little.
In the many battles fought back then, Samuel's army was defeated by the Byzantines and all the 14000 men in the army had been completely blinded...each 100th soldier had been left with one eye only in order to be able to guide the others back home. When Samuel saw his people blinded, they say he died of a shock and broken heart.

Matka, Macedonia

For quite some time ive been having an idea for several thematic updates, and finally, one of them gets to see the light of day today...Today's update can be called ex-Yugoslavia, since im about to present postcards which relate to each of its former republics...your opinions and suggestions are more than welcome, esp if you have any ideas for any sort of thematic update, you are more than welcome to share it with me...as long as it can involve at least 4 cards, its ok....and if a certain subject can lets say involve 10 different kind of cards, i dont need to have all ten of them in order to make a post....so, you are more than welcome to contribute...i have another idea pending in my head and it will come up shortly as well :)

Ill begin with my own country...well, regarding the location, i was supposed to start with either Macedonia or Slovenia and move forwards, but of course, if i have to choose between these two, the patriotic feelings are gonna prevail :)

Macedonia gained independence from Yugoslavia on 8th September, 1991....im one of those people who long for the good old days of Yugoslavia...things just seemed so much better back then and the world seemed so easier to reach....right now i feel like in a cage, imprisoned on my own territory
Ever since the separation from Yugoslavia we had been facing this enormous and according to me, a problem with no solution, that is, the dispute with Greece....Greece wont let go, we wont either (at least i hope  we wont), so its a dead-end street

anyway, getting political here wont really solve anything, so lets not waste space with that :)

here on the card you can see a place called Matka, which is in the nearest vicinity of Skopje (17km away) and which is a place where people go on a picnic or to relax, esp during weekends or when the weather is nice....unfortunately i havent been there in a loooong looong time...i dont even recall when was the last time i went there, which is a pity coz its really beautiful...

Matka represents both a canyon and an artifical lake.

There are also a number of monasteries there, like St Andrea, St. Matka, St. Nikola......St. Andrew's Monastery is located on Lake Matka. This monastery was built 1389 and is filled with frescos of a great artistic importance. Near Andrew's is the St. Nikola Shishovski Monastery, situated on top of the cliff above Lake Matka, thus giving the visitor a spectacular view of the lake and its surroundings. While there is no information when this monastery was built, it is first mentioned in the 17th century. Unfortunately, the monastery was abandoned during the 18th century, only to be resettled the following century.
Close to both Andrew's and St. Nikola's is Matka Monastery from the 14th century. The monastery is located on the left side of river Treska, about 12 km from Skopje. The frescos of this monastery date from the 15th century, but they don't match those of Andrew's.

EDIT***  I forgot to mention something which i thought was worth mentioning but eventually it slipped my head.
Matka in Macedonian actually means "a womb"...I guess the canyon resembles a womb. But the funny thing is that "matka" in Finnish means "a trip"....what a funny thing languages are :)

Budapest, Hungary (16)

I really wanted to go out of the country/town for New Years....call it running away but i just dont like celebrating it here...its more of an annoyance than something pleasurable, and every year its just the same (or worse) and i just dont fit into that vast category of people who just look forward to it, in order to eat, get drunk, eat, get drunk, eat, get drunk...party till early hours and in general, waste a huge some of money on one night only...thats just not my cup of tea...i may be sounding as an old granny, but i really prefer quiet, calmer things..last year i had a "celebration" like that at home and frankly, i felt great about it....we'll see what happens this year

Anyway, my friends' choice eventually fell on Budapest...and even though at first i was really excited to go somewhere, very soon i grew out of it...first, coz it takes a long travel...second, im saving for a new lap-top so blowing money on this aint really in my favour...third, even though Budapest is beautiful, its just cold to go there at this time of the year, and i dont really like to go there and either freeze or stay in the hotel room coz the conditions outside arent that good...so i think that it would have been a mistake if i went...and from all the enthusiasm at the beginning, only two friends are going...so its nothing to feel sorry for

Ohrid, Macedonia

And in the end, something home made...

What i hate about this country is the overall disinterest in postcards production and the overall lack of stamps in the post offices since nobody uses them...once i was told that if it wasnt for me, the post offices wouldnt have what to do...and due to that issue i cant always get stamps or they are of the limited kind...but whats worse, i cant get the cards i want, and most of them get out of stock, permanently...and there is a number of cards from here i really love but i dont have a copy of since i had no idea i had to save a copy coz they would run out of stock...well, the card you see here, last time i checked was out of stock...actually i took the last one..and since (for now) its the last one, i decided to keep it for myself...mainly coz i love the view on this one, and it would be a real pity that i dont have it in my collection.
Well what you can see here is a view of the St. Naum Monastery in Ohrid...which is located in the immediate vicinity of the Albanian border. Ive been at this place, and i have to say its really lovely...if you ever get the chance to visit Ohrid, visiting St. Naum is a must...its a bit away from the town itself, around 30km...but its worth it.

As with most Byzantine churches, St. Naum was chosen primarily for its location – on a high, rocky outcropping over the lake, above deep forests and the life-giving springs of the Crn Drim. The monastic complex and church of St. Naum were built originally at the turn of the tenth century by the monk of the same name; Macedonians believe you can hear the saint’s heartbeat by pressing an ear to his stone coffin inside the church.

The monastery has been renewed and enlarged several times over the centuries. While most of its iconostases and frescoes date from the 16th and 17th centuries, earlier etchings in the Byzantine Greek vernacular also remain. But numerous orthographical mistakes indicate that they were written by Slavic-speaking local monks. Other inscriptions in the church make up some of the oldest epigraphic evidence of Slavic literacy.

The icons of St. Naum are among the best achievements of religious painting in the Balkans. They date from the first half of the 18th century. The wood-carved iconostasis itself was made in 1711 by an unknown artisan.

A final unusual element of St. Naum is located not on the inside of the church but on the outside: the preponderance of multi-colored peacocks strutting around and luxuriating in the grass.

Monte Carlo, Monaco

This card shows "Les Jardins du Casino et la Place"

Well, thats what it says...I know that "Les Jardins" would be something like "The Gardens"...Casino, is, well, Casino...and "la Place" is just a name I guess....so its something like The Gardens of the Casino :)

The Monte Carlo Casino is one of the most famous tourist attractions of Monaco. The casino complex is a gambling facility which also includes the Grand Théâtre de Monte Carlo, an opera and ballet house, and the headquarters of the Ballets de Monte Carlo. It is situated in the Monte Carlo quarter although the citizens of Monaco are forbidden to enter the gaming rooms. It hosts the annual European Poker Tour Grand Final, the most prestigious poker tournament in Europe.

Alf

Ok...lets get childish and go back in time when i was one....

I bought this card when i was really little....I have no idea where i had bought it but i know for sure it wasnt here....the text is in Slovenian...so I might have bought it there, though i cant recall going there...the most probable option is that i may have bought it in Croatia, but i cant guarantee...anywya, if anyone has Alf postcards, can you please, pretty please send them to me?? I would love to have them!!

I dont know if you had watched the Alf series, but when i was little, it was one of my favourites...i recently downloaded them and watch them again, even though the humour and all may feel outdated and the whole thing boring compared to all the modern fancy series that are shown nowadays, but personally i still love Alf, and could watch it over and over again....when i was little I actuall wished I had an Alf as a pet, someone who would keep me company and someone i could talk to whenever i felt like it... I guess thats due to the lack of any siblings, so I wanted to replace them with a creature like Alf (or even E.T :))
I cant post whole seasons here, but here are some of the Alf-moments that I wanted to share....Alf just has the facial/body expressions which crack me up and make the humour from back then, still funny to me...


Intro:



one of my favourite episodes with the asparagus :))





La Cucharacha






some best-of moments:



and in order not clog up the page and its loading, this will be enough in order to introduce you Alf, in case you hadnt known him already...and if you happen to have an Alf-postcard, you know where to send it :)