Puerto Rico

Here comes a great Puerto Rican card, showing both the flag and the Puerto Rican coat of arms...

Not so long ago, i tried to figure out why even though in its original name it says Puerto Rico...with two separate words, here in Macedonia we have blended them into one and have Порторико (transcribed it would be Portoriko) ...the same would be with Costa Rica (Костарика)....and Viet Nam (Виетнам)....even though  the latter is also accepted in English as Vietnam, and is somewhat common to see it that way...yet, the original is Việt Nam....and if everything goes as it should, i should be having a Vietnamese postcard soon :)

Anyway, as Addis says, my Puerto Rican postcard supplier, the island was originally named "San Juan Bautista" (St. John the Baptist) and the capital city was Puerto Rico (Rich Port) and later in the history the names were switched.....heh no wodner for so many years then i was mislead by Vaya con Dios and thought that Puerto Rico was a city...i apparantely had good grounds for it :P So i wasnt THAT mistaken :)))

South Carolina, USA

And, dear Gaby  managed to surprise my mailbox again....with a lovely lighthouse postcard!

South Carolina Lighthouses

For centuries lighthouses have been elected to protect ships and guide them safely away from low shoals. Each lighthouse has individual markings making it readily identifiable from a distance. Advancements in technology have replaced many of the lighthouses, however many are operational and most are open to tourists and visitors providing a historic view of times gone by.

Gaby pointed out that on the card there is a lighthouse called "Bloody Point"....heh...very peculiar...but on the other hand i like it...reminds me for whatever reason of the Twin Peaks series :D And a gloomy cloudy atmosphere, with rough seas and dark blue skies and a hissing wind......and you just dont wanna e there when the nght falls...once im done with the update, ill google and see if there is any info of why is it called like that ....i got intrigued :)

Thanks a bunch Gaby....as always!

Óbidos, Portugal

8 really lovely castle surrounded in a beautiful atmosphere...well, the fact that the atmosphere is so appropriate makes it beautiful...

One thing i wonder about Portugal is WHY oh WHY my mail sent to there takes at LEAST one month to arrive...my last thing sent there still hasnt arrived and i mailed it the 10th of November..I mean, its withing Europe! My cards outside Europe arrive much faster...there's really something wrong with the Macedonian-Portuguese postal relation (its not the other way around, coz the cards sent to me from there take the normal time to arrive...no such nonsense delays) I really dont know where does that mail oversleep for so long....but it certainly makes it really unreliable  :(

Anyway, on the card you can see Óbidos, or more precisely, A Partial easterly view of the village at dawn (as the back of the card says)

The town of Óbidos is located on a hill and is still encircled by a fortified wall. The well-preserved mediaeval look of its streets, squares, walls and its massive castle have turned the picturesque village into a preferred tourist attraction in Portugal.
The name "Óbidos" probably derives from the Latin term 'oppidum' meaning "citadel", or "fortified city".

Iquitos, Peru

My last card for today comes from that pack of cards my mum came across some time ago....and this is a card mailed in 1972 all the way from Peru...though without a stamp...there was one, its presence has left clear traces...but where is it now i have no idea...either someone took it off or it fell off by itself....but it would have been nice to see a card from Peru with a stamp from back then...

My first thought when i looked at this card was some tribe performing a ritual or getting ready to go for a hunt in the middle of the Amazon Forest (well, at least Amazon is associated with Peru, so im not very wrong :))
Well, this is what the back of the card says:
Yagu Endians, using their blowguns, Yanamono.....

and the place is called Iquitos....and this is what i had found out...

Iquitos is the largest city in the Peruvian forest, located on the Amazon River and generally considered the most populous city in the world that cannot be reached by road.

this is interesting...im trying to imagine how it would be if my own hometown was accessible only like this...

well...that would be all for today....hopefully it wont take me sooo long again until i make the next update...if possible, it will be here tomorrow....there are many postcards hungry to be shown :)

thanks to everyone for keep coming despite the lack of updates...this place wouldnt have been the same without you ;-)

Mir, Belarus

A loooovely view of a castle....in most of the cases it has proved that not just castles are magnificent as buildings, but they tend to be in some lovely surroundings too...

This is the Mir castle Complex in Belarus....it is located near Mir in the Karelichy District of Hrodna (Grodno) in the north-eastern part of the country.

The construction of this castle began at the end of the 15th century, in Gothic style. It was subsequently extended and reconstructed, first in the Renaissance and then in the Baroque style. After being abandoned for nearly a century and suffering severe damage during the Napoleonic period, the castle was restored at the end of the 19th century, with the addition of a number of other elements and the landscaping of the surrounding area as a park. Its present form is graphic testimony to an often turbulent history.
Building of the castle was completed by Duke Ilinich in early 16th century, and around 1568 the Mir Castle passed into the hands of the Lithuanian Duke Radvila, who finished building the Castle in a Renaissance architecture style.

It is also a Belorussian UNESCO whs.

Thanks a LOT Kati for the absolutely great postcard!

Las Vegas, USA

Here is a card from Charity sent to me back in 2005....a really nice card with the glimmering lights of Las Vegas...

In general, Las Vegas should associate with Casinos and gambling...well, until some time ago, that would have been my first association as well...but ever since i have started watching CSI Las Vegas, ive been hooked on it, and most probably, at the mentioning of Las Vegas, i would firstly think of the series than the gambling...

there are other CSI versions as well, like Miami and New York, but absolutley none of them had managed to come even close to Las Vegas...at least for me...the LV crew, the relations between the characters themselves gives some feeling of closeness and intimacy which i havent found in the other versions...they feel more real in some sense, more close to the common citizen, with his on real life and problems....my favourite has always been Greg from the Lab...probably coz of his sense of humour, and just his behaviour in general...esp, coz for a long time he was probably underestimated as a forensic, and he tried so hard to prove himself...many times i felt lumps in my throat while watching it coz of their lives while they werent working on a case....i realized that NONE of them are happy or content, and more or less they are all lonely in their own way...more than once i was at the verge of tears or did cry coz of things happening to them (yeah, i do sob at movies, im a softheart...)
I should definitely format my PC (its uber langsam right now), find some spare time, in the evenings maybe...make some snacks and drinks, and put my CSI Las Vegas DVD's on....cold winter days seem just so perfect for such things....if only i didnt have sooooo much work to do....+

Italy

I was totally stunned when i found this card in my mailbox...apart that its a map card, its twice the size of a normal card....so its just absolutely PERFECT!!!! I totally love this one!!! Totally totally totally!!!!

From what i could have comprehended, this map shows the places in Italy where you can find honey...i dont know if it im right, but i think it shows different places and says what kind of honey is produced in that part of Italy...but i may be totally wrong....there is a text in Italian on the back, so ill write it down...and any help with it will be more than appreciated:

Il miele, i mieli
Alimento naturale per eccellenza

Dolce o amaro, liquido o cristallizzato, chiaro o scuro, con aromi e sapori diversissimi. L'Italia dispone di un patrimonio unico al mondo, per ció é d'obbligo parlare di mieli al plurale, come giá avviene per i vini e i formagii del nostro bel paese


i understand some bits and pieces of it...but i surely cant make it as a whole...

However,  Roberta....the greatest of thank-you's for choosing to send me this card....you just nailed it right on the spot!! Grazie!!!!!!!

Sofia, Bulgaria

An oldish card, dating back from 1969, given to me by my mum's late friend

This is one of the rare cards i have which have some sort of a smudged postmark on the front....i still dont get it why some cards end up like that, but for surely they just ruin the view on the card...at least on this one, it aint that noticable

Btw, this card shows the National Theatre "Ivan Vazov" in Sofia (in Bulgarian it would be -Народен театър „Иван Вазов“-) It is the oldest and most authoritative theatre in the country and one of the important landmarks of Sofia. It was founded in 1904, and named after the prominent writer Ivan Vazov. It  has a well-equipped main stage with 750 seats, a smaller 120-seat stage and an additional 70-seat one on the fourth floor.

Pärnu, Estonia (2)

Once i posted a Pärnu card and i told you that it was called the Estonia's summer capital...well, to get more of the summer feeling and to warm up a bit (at least in your thoughts) on these cold freezing days, here is another Pärnu card....so for a while, stop thinking of the wind/snow storms outside...I dont know how is it at your place but the weather here has been awful...yesterday i literary froze...you have no idea how terribly cold it was...in the morning, when i was going to work it was 6 or 7 degrees below zero...today, on the whole contrary, all day long its been over 10 degrees above zero...no wonder i feel totally numb..

I have to say that i fell in love with the Pärnu flag...its absolutely gorgeous -> click here to see it
So if anyone has a card with this flag covering it whole, you know whom to ask to send it to :)

Anyway....(Perona, German Alt-Pernau or Estonian Vana-Pärnu) was founded by the bishop of Ösel Wiek ca. 1251, suffered heavily under pressure of the concurrent town, and was finally destroyed ca. 1600. Another town (Embeke, later German Neu-Pernau or Estonian Uus-Pärnu) was founded by the Livonian Order who began building an Ordensburg nearby in 1265. The latter town was then known by the German name of Pernau,  and after many battles it became part of independent Estonia in 1918 following World War I.

Pulau Redang, Malaysia

Well, here is something else to distract your thoughts from the winter temperatures (even though in practice winter hadnt arrived yet)

This is Pulau Redang in Terengganu, in Malaysia....as the back of the card describes it, it is an underwater paradise with its aquamarine clear water and powdery white sandy beaches.

It is also commonly known just as Redang, and is one of the largest islands off the east coast of Malaysia and a popular holiday island for Malaysians. The waters around Pulau Redang also contain two historic shipwrecks. H.M.S Prince of Wales and H.M.S Repulse were sunk here at the start of World War II, setting the stage for the Japanese occupation of Malaya.

Well, i wouldnt want to be shipwrecked here, but id definitely want to at least once in my life visit a paradise island like this...anyone wanna join me? :)

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

This is one of the stash of cards my mum came across at the weekend....this one is from Sarajevo, Bosnia's capital...the funny thing is that the only Bosnian cards I have, date back from over 25 years ago..I definitely need to work on it and get some new Bosnian cards...

The only thing i can tell you about this one is that shows an old part of the city....and some mosque...except that, i cant give any additional information about this card....so if anyone else can recognize something or give me any other details, as always it will be highly appreciated...thank you in advance!

The Gorge Amphiteatre, USA

I got this one from  Charity who in July 2006, saw Pearl Jam here, two nights in a row...yay!! Maybe not my absolute favourites, but definitely one of my favourite bands....Black always gives me the shivers and makes me long for the past and for 'all that could have been'...but now thats a totally different song...by NIN...funny though, they are related in some way...at least to me....

Anyhow...The Gorge Amphiteatre (which i keep mistyping as George) was voted the Best Amphiteatre in North America by the Pollstar Magazine. The Pacific Northwest's premier enterteinment venue carved in the basalt cliffs, surrounded by mountain vistas, lush green grass and the rolling Columbia River.

This AGAIN makes me think that my whole DM concert going is still on status quo and apart from making me feel annoyed, right now im as well worried....hmmmmm

Sweden

Yesterday, while my mum was cleaning some closets, she came across some boxes which contained stuff that belonged to my late grandmother....books, pictures, booklets, prospects, posters...and POSTCARDS!!. I already have a number of postcards that belonged to my grandmother...i dont know where this box came out from, but im certainly more than glad it did, coz there were like more or less 100 postcards!! So even though they are all rather old, having in mind my grandmother passed away in 1979, so they all date before then...still, having added them in my collection makes me more than happy!! They are mainly cards from France (my grandmother was a French teacher), Russia, Greece, Ukraine (I think Ksenia would kill for these ;-))...and a few from some other places, like the one i chose to show today...i think when this is the card that got me exicted the most...a map card, which dates back from 1967!!! I just cant believe it that even back than they had these lovely colourful maps!!

If i didnt see it said "Stockholm" at the bottom of the map, i dont know if i would have figured out where this card came from, coz there is absolutely nothing that could indicate to it....i suppose it shows a part of Sweden...as Wikipedia says, Uppland is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm.
The name literally means up land, a name which is commonly encountered in especially older English literature. Its Latinised form, which is occasionally used, is Uplandia.

I was thinking something, and probably i would need your opinion if you are reading this...I have a number of such older cards, which are given to me, ansd so far i had never labeled the year when they were written...since it somewhat seemed ridiciulous to do it coz the cards dated from even before i was born....but right now i think i maybe should do it...i really dont know....

Prague, Czech Republic (04).

I lovely Prague view which shows the Hradčany Panorama....

Do you know that the castle which you can see on the card is actually the largest castle complex in the whole world with about 570 meters in length and an average of about 130 meters wide?. Its history stretches back to the 8th century. It's the place where the president of the Czech Republic lives (heh, some lucky guy!). The St. Vitus Cathedral is located in the castle area.

Munich, Germany

Some time ago I told you that I started with German classes, and i promised that with my next German card, ill give you and update of my progress...well, here we are....

I have to say for starters that i really have the desire to learn this once and for all, so thats why regardless of how tired i have been or had things to do, so far i hadnt missed a single class....coz if i do, i know it would be really difficult to catch up with it, mainly coz im still learning the basics, and what matters when learning a language is to get a good foundation...so thats why ive been trying to be as regular as possible.
Now, my improvement...well, i have to say im really pleased with myself...i know i could do even better if i was able to dedicate some more time to it....but with whati it is, i think im doing pretty well...last Friday we did a small test and i love the outcome...especially since i was drop dead tired, and since i had no idea we would have a test, so i didnt revise anything...and my teacher's comment is as its shown on the following image :))))

Yup, i had to brag a little about it and share it with you...i dont get such comments daily :))
My greatest problem in general is learning the articles, and the plural...and that is related to other grammar parts...but i think ill manage and will learn it well eventually :)
You want me to tell you something in German? Ok :)))

Ich bin gut, aber ich arbeite viel und ich bin sehr müde...ich möchte schlafen, aber ich habe keine Zeit....ich möchte fahren aber ich habe kein Geld....mein Kater ist hübsch und ißt er Schokolade.....es ist Herbst und zu kalt....ich fühle allein...ich sammel Postkarten....das Wetter ist scheußlich....ich trinke Kaffe...ich liebe Kaffe trinken....jetzt, ich müsse arbeiten....auf wieder lesen :)

ok, dont seek for sense...I just wrote whatever came to my mind...but to be honest, i am in a phase where i LOVE making phrases/sentences in German, or trying to figure out the context of some German songs....:)))
I know grammar mistakes are inevitable, but i think that for the most part, i did it right ;-)

Montana, USA (03)

A lovely Montana view with a text saviour on the back :)

Absaroka Mountain Range

The Absaroka Mountain Range runs perpendicular to the Beartooth Mountain range. The Beartooth range is one of the tallest mountain ranges in America, while the Absaroka Mountain range is generally shorter and rockier. Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness was established March 27, 1978.

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.

Kyiv, Ukraine

Thanks to Ksenia, I can finally say that my collection of a one single Ukrainian card, has increased to 4 now :)))  And that feels really great for the sake of the versatility and enrichment!!

I was struck by the beauty of the colours of the card...im a blue-against-white addict...but apart from the blue, the green and the goldish colour just feel so perfect...i dont know if its due to the sun-ray reflection or something else, but it certainly feels lovely!

What you can see is the Kyievo-Pecherska Lavra, among the chestnuts' candles (if it wasnt written on the back, i would have never figured its chestnuts),
This Orthodox monastery (also known as the Kyiv Monastery of the caves)  was founded by Saint Anthony of the Caves in the mid-11th century near the village of Berestove in a cave that the future metropolitan of Kyiv, Ilarion, had excavated and lived in until 1051. The first monks excavated more caves and built a church above them.
Since its foundation, as the cave monastery in 1015, the Lavra has been a preeminent center of the Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Eastern Europe. It is also inscribed as a UNESCO whs.

here's one of my favoruite 'language-issues'
the word 'pechera' means 'cave' (in Macedonian, the word for a cave is 'пештера' (peshtera)). The word 'lavra' is used to describe high-ranking monasteries for (male) monks of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Therefore the name of the monastery is also translated as the Kyiv Caves Monastery.

Thanks a LOT Ksenia for the absolutely great card! :)

Japan

Here is a map card, showing Japan from somewhere above ....

Instead of talking something of Japan, ill post a video regarding it...and once you watch it, dont you dare complain you were in a crowded bus/train/subway! :)
I wonder one thing...if i had to go to work, and i was all dressed up, with my hair nicely done and all....what would i look like AFTER i get out of the subway??!! Dont even wanna think about it :)

Hampi, India

Here is another UNESCO card for today, showing the Stone Chariot in Hampi.

Hampi is a village located within the ruins of Vijayanagara empire, housing the Virupaksha Empire. As the village is at the original centre of Vijayanagara, it is sometimes confused with this ruined city. The Vijayanagara ruins are listed as the Group of Monuments at Hampi on the UNESCO whs.
The name "Hampi" is an anglicized version of the Kannada Hampe (derived from Pampa). Over the years, it has also been referred to as Vijayanagara and Virupakshapura (from Virupaksha, the patron deity of the Vijayanagara rulers).
Hampi formed one of the cores of the capital of the Vijayanagara empire from 1336 to 1565. It was destroyed by Muslim sultans. Hampi was chosen because of its strategic location, bounded by the torrential Thungabhadra river on one side and surrounded by defensible hills on the other three sides.
The site is of great importance in terms of architecture and historical significance. The demography is abundant with large stones which have been utilized to make larger than life statues of God.

Spain

I dont have a particular video to post here as it was the case above with Japan...so i guess ill just give a boring factfile post :)))

Spain is the world's 51st-largest country, bordering Portugal on the west, Gibraltar and Morroco on the south, on the northeast, along the Pyrenees it borders France and Andorra. Spain also includes the Balearic islands in the Mediterranean sea, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean and a number of uninhabited islands on the Mediterranean side of the strite of Gibraltar known as "Plazas de Soberania"...

ok....need to go back to work...duh :(   

Punkaharju, Finland

An absolutely lovely Finnish landscape!! 

Punkaharju is a narrow ridge about seven kilometres long, created from gravel deposits along the edge of the continental ice sheet, separating Lake Puruvesi and Lake Pihlajavesi. Its height varies considerably. Its most beautiful scenery can be seen from the road at the north end of the ridge, where one looks through a reddish pine forest down the plunging slopes of the ridge to the placid coves and crystal-clear waters of the surrounding lakes. It is one of Finland’s "national landscapes.

Frederic Chopin, Poland

This card here shows the monument of Frédéric Chopin, in Lazienki Park in Warsaw. I really appreciate this card coz of what it portrays....i may be a total anti-talent for music and i may not really be familiar with all the composer's and their works but i definitely admire them and the classical music as well...i dont listen to it on daily basis...but i sometimes just love to put some classical music on while im working coz it just relaxes me and doenst distract me...sometimes i just want to play it while i lie down and have my eyes closed and try to relax...classical music is a high and unique form of art....often underrated....thats why i so much like this postcard....

Frédéric Chopin (1 March 1810 - 17 October 1849) was a Polish composer and pianist from the Romantic period. He is widely regarded as the greatest Polish composer, and ranks as one of music's greatest tone poets. In November 1830, at the age of 20, he went to Paris; following the suppression of the Polish November Uprising he became one of many expatriates of the Polish Great Emigration.
His extant compositions were written primarily for the piano as a solo instrument. Though they are technically demanding his style emphasizes nuance and expressive depth. Chopin invented musical forms such as the ballad and was responsible for major innovations in forms such as the: piano sonata, waltz, nocturne, etude, prelude and impromptu.

He had a frail health and died at the age of 39, of chronic pulmonary tuberculosis.

The bronze statue that you see on the card was erected in 1926, and it was designed in 1907 by Waclaw Szymanowski The statue was originally to have been erected in 1910, on the centennial of Chopin's birth, but its execution was delayed by controversy about the design, then by the outbreak of World War I.
During World War II the statue was destroyed by the Germans, on May 31, 1940. It was reconstructed after the war, in 1958. Since 1959, free piano recitals of Chopin's compositions have been performed at the statue's base on summer Sunday afternoons. The stylized willow over Chopin's seated figure echoes a pianist's hand and fingers.

And here is some of Chopin's work....recommended to be listened in a relaxed atmosphere with no distractions :)

Nocturne





Prelude in C minor




Funeral March



Prelude in E-minor

Amish People, USA

My first ever Amish-related card!!! Im soooooooooo glad about it!

My whole interest in the Amish culture started a few years ago. At work with one group of students we had to do a text about the Amish....that was (im ashamed to admit it) my first ever contact of something related to the Amish culture...but immediately caught my attention and made me really interested in it. Why? Well....i was amazed and astonished at the fact of a group of people who are against all modern technology, the simple kind of life they lead, the way they dress, no use of cars, the prohibiton of having personal jewellery, their contatc with the rest of the world...and yet, this is all happening in the USA!! That was the most stunning fact for me I guess...I mean, if it was some nation living on a small island somewhere, or some tribal people living in the mountains, deserts or so, it wouldnt have been strange at all...but to have such people living in one of the most industrialized places in the whole world, was really shocking to get to know! So ever since then ive been really interested in their culture and religion...i just find it fascinating in the today;s modern world...frankly, there is no way that i can imagine myself without a computer, phone, electricity for whatever i need it....coffee!! Do they drink coffee? or they also put their meals to a simple level?
All in all, i find it amazing...and interesting to read and get to know more about them
Alex, the sender of the card says that the Amish are the sweetest, most gentle people......doesnt surprise me.
I do admire their religion, but i dont think i would EVER be able to live like them.....this shows how much modern technology has made us dependent on it...and how much the modern world has alieanted people....and there is no turning back :(( 

South Africa (02)

Ok, i think that this card is pretty self-explanatory

It sounds more like a gang-slang to me than as an official language.

South African English has a flavour all its own, borrowing freely from Afrikaans - which is similar to Dutch and Flemish - as well as from the country's many African languages, with some words coming from colonial-era Malay and Portuguese immigrants.

Paralia, Greece

A card given to me (it says on the back "Im sorry i didnt send it as you wanted me to, but i feel more secure this way") by my dear friend Biljana back in 1999....well, i know by default, you expect me to speak something about a card or so...but the reason why im putting this card is coz today my dear Biljana gave birth to a baby daughter!!

I could've maybe put some card with a baby or so...but i just really wanted to commemorate it this way, but putting something personal I have from her...this is actually the first time that a friend ive known for so long and so well, has a baby...there are many friends or acquantances out there who have got married had babies or even managed to get divorced...but there is just a small circle of people i have which I consider real friends and who are dear to me in a special kind of way...and Biljana is among them...ive known her since kidnergarten, which i actually find it amazing!!
You know, i actually have the desire to spoil this child in a nice manner :)))  I dont know any details about the little lady yet, but i think that once i get to see this new being full of life, ill post again a card from Biljana and accompany it with a further story regarding all this.
As for now, i can just say that regardless this whole day was a real mess and makes me dread about tomorrow due to some personal issues, and leaves me a lot of suspision and tension....this news just goes beyond it all and makes me feel just so...hmm, i dont know....happy and excited and looking forward to spoil the kid...well, they dont really live far away, so i think ill have the chance for that ;-)
Be Blessed you little girl!!!

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

Turkey (04)

I would really be grateful if ANYONE could help me define this postcard....the only thing thats written on the back says: "Hurşit Şah'i maiyyetiyle gösteren minyatür"

I suppose it represents some kind of an event or tradition in Turkey...but i would really really love to actually know what it is, so if anyone from Turkey or familiar with Turkish and the Turkish culture is reading this, can you PLEASE give me some more details about whats on the postcard?
Thank you a LOT in advance!!

Zion National Park, USA

The shape of these rocks has always been of a great interest to me...

I got this card back in 1996 from my penpal Leen Frenssen who went to the US to visit her sister who was an exchange student.

This canyon overlook trail in Zion National Park leads to a spectacular view down pine creek to the west temple. Navajo sandstone, the cemented remnants of ancient dunes creates the intricately carved foreground.
(from the back of the card, of course)

Djemila, Algeria

I think ive complained more than enough about work overload, so ill just skip it...and again a big notice to whomever has sent me a postcard...due to how things have been, and still are, im somewhat stuck in getting back to all of you upon receiving your cards, so i hope you understand if i take time with it, or if you had seen your card here already and havent been informed about my receiving it..im really sorry for all this, but life really gets in the way sometimes, and at this point I have around 15 notifications left to send :((  im awful....hope you wont regret having traded with me :((

Well, after going crazy of worries due to mr. Postman avoiding me, and thinking how my cards have been lost...finally some have come...and among them was my first ever card from Algeria...yippieee!! New Country!! Number.....duh, have no idea...im totally not on track with that...but hehehee, new country!!!
And apart from being a new country, its as well a UNESCO site!

Djemila is a mountain village in Algeria near the northern coast east of Algiers where some of the best preserved Berbero-Roman ruins in North Africa are found. It was recognized as a UNESCO whs because of its unique adaptation of Roman architecture to a mountain environment. Buildings present in Djemila include a theatre, two fora, temples, basilicas, arches, streets, and houses.
These Roman ruins date back from the 3rd centruy....

Djemila in Arabic means 'beautiful'

Arctic Circle

Absolutely cool card!!! Love it!! Though i cant label it under one country...nor two...coz it takes much more than that :) 

The Arctic Circle

A border where the sun does not sink in the summer nor rise in the winter on its northern side - for at least one day a year. While quietly proceeding, the Arctic Circle fluctuates during its journey of 250 km one or two metres every day - swinging back and forth, but nevertheless reaching each end along the way at interims of 40 000 years.

The Arctic Circle lies at the 66° 33′39″ north of the Equator....as you can see, Santa's home is at 66°33′07′′ :)))

Lantau Island, Hong Kong

This is the world's largest seated outdoor bronze Buddha, 34 metres high, sitting on a lotus base, 268 steps above Po Lin Monastery...well, according to some info I came across, it HAS been the largest prior to 2007...so it means its not anymore....sometimes you just really dont know whom to trust :)

It is located on Ngong Ping, on the Lantau Island in Hong Kong. It is also known as the Tian Tan Buddha. It symbolizes the harmonious relationship between man and nature, people and religion. It is a major center of Buddhism in Hong Kong... and of course, a popular tourist attraction.

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.

Krk, Croatia

I have a number of postcards from Croatia, but this is my first one coming from Krk..

Krk is the name of a Croatian town, situated on the island of Krk.
The city is ancient and among the oldest in the Adriatic. It has been continuously inhabited since Roman times and was once part of the Byzantian Theme Dalmatia after the western empire had fallen to the barbarians. Roman ruins can be seen today in some parts of the town, for example mosaics in the houses.
The city was also once known for its unique Romance language called Vegliotic, which was spoken till the early 19th century.

Havent been here, but i would really love to one day...

Arizona, USA

I really really love the close up of these cactuses...plus the combination of colours is just lovely..

Prickly pear cacti are found in all of the deserts of the American Southwest. The fruits of most prickly pears are edible as are the branches or pads.

(thats what the back of the card says)

Amsterdam, The Netherlands (04)

This night view of Amsterdam shows the Skinny Bridge...

The famous skinny bridge across the river Amstel and opposite of the Carré Theatre is an Old Dutch design wooden bridge known as a double-swipe (balanced) bridge. Tradition relates that the bridge was named after the sisters Mager, who were supposed to live on opposite sides of the river. They are said to have had the wooden bridge built to make it easier to visit one another. However it appears more likely, that the original bridge acquired the name from being so narrow (mager means skinny in Dutch), that it was hard for two pedestrians to pass one along another.
As traffic along the river Amstel increased, a wider bridge replaced the narrow one in 1871. Skinny Bridge is far not skinny anymore, but one of the most beautiful bridges of Amsterdam. At night many lights illuminate the bridge, then it becomes a very romantic place, popular with lovers and photographers.

Mae Hong Son, Thailand

Before I get down to the actual update, a few things first....

for starters, im sorry for the lack of any new stuff here lately...or better said, for almost a week....time has been my worst enemy lately, and doesnt leave me the chance to do much other stuff....and with the very little time i may have, in general i feel so tired, and so emotionally down that i just cant get into doing things...you know, its like when you feel that the whole aura around you is just pitch dark and you cant make a simple conversation with anyone...when you just feel out of your element...i still feel like that unfortunately...it aint nice....thank God its the weekend....even though i have a pile of work to do...i just cant...i even need to clean my room, its a terrible mess....but later...first here...with my morning coffee...

Second...I know I owe a BUNCH of you an email, a message or any sort of notification for a received postcard..or simply a mail/message for whatever else it was needed...there is a great chance that i have received it during this past week, but just havent had the time to notify you, or couldnt compose a decent message to send it to you...really, when i feel like this, im way too lousy for any sort of communication in 99% of the time...so i hope you'd understand and wont be mad with me or anything if i hadnt mailed you/meesaged you or whatever i needed to do....trust me, its not on purpose nor due to recklessness...its just..well, life...thank you in advance for the understanding...and im sorry things like this have to happen in the first place...I promise, once i finish with this update, and clean the mess around a bit, ill get down to the messages...

Well, lets get down to some cards....i have to say that another reason which influenced my update here as well, is the lack of new countries...not 'new' as in 'i dont have them in my collection', but 'new' as in 'no postcards from a place i havent posted a card for a while from'...and due to my 'invented system' of posting cards, it had been a problem lately of how to combine stuff and what to post....but a system with rules is a system with rules and needs to be obeyed...:)

The first card for today comes from Thailand, and shows Mae Hong Son....you know, the atmosphere on the card represents the atmosphere inside me right now...now wonder i so much love it :)))
The card shows a morning mist in the rice field....cant you actually feel the humidity and the sound of the mist...you know...the drops on the leaves and the grass...and the chilly breeze in the air? I can totally feel all that while looking at the card!
Mae Hong Son is also known as The City of Three Mists, and is nestled in a deep valley hemmed in by high mountain ranges. It  has long been isolated from the outside world. It is the most mountainous province in Thailand and composed of a total of 13, 814 square kilometers. It is virtually covered with mist throughout the year, the name refers to the fact that this terrain is highly suitable for the training of elephants.

Definitely a place id love to visit if i have the chance...it looks so much like...well, me. :)

Sigulda, Latvia

My second ever card from Latvia! This feels like a great refreshment in my collection....this is the thing about "new" cards i mentioned above...

Sigulda is a small town, 50km from Riga, and is famous for its nature. One of the examples is The Gutmanis Cave which can be seen on the card. It is the deepest cave in the Baltic Countries, with 19m depth, 12m width and 10m height.
The cave is connected with the old Latvian story of Maija, the Rose of Turaida. 
According to legend she was an orphan girl discovered after a battle and raised by the staff atTuraida Castle. She fell in love with the gardener and they used to meet in the cave. A Polish soldier fell in love with her, but she turned him down. The soldier then tricked her to the cave using a forged letter and there he planned on raping her. In exchange for letting her go she offered him a "magical scarf" that supposedly was impossible to cut through. She offered to demonstrate it and put it around her neck. The soldier cut through it with his sword killing her. According to documents in Sigulda's archives the soldier was later caught, tried and hanged for his crime.

California, USA (06)

I already have Californian maps (you've seen them) but this one is different....funny how some places have NO maps like this, while others have several different ones.

The area known as Alta California was colonized by the Spanish Empire beginning in the late 18th century. It and the rest of Mexico became an independent republic in 1821. In 1846 California broke away from Mexico, and after the Mexican-American war Mexico ceded California to the United States. California became the 31st state admitted to the United States on September 9, 1850.
This feels like the US have been collecting states one by one, growing in total area and eventually becoming what they are today...

Slovakia

Here is a multiview from Slovakia, showing numerous different castles...

I only have had 2 Slovakian cards before receiving this one...now i have 9 :) (this one came along with 6 other beautiful Slovakian cards...you'll get to see them one at a time..)

More than 300 castles – many only evocative ruins dot the landscape throughout Slovakia. These fortified places that often sheltered entire towns from rapacious invaders are poignant reminders of the perils of times past.
It’s not surprising, then, that there are so many castles in Slovakia, which stands at the crossroads of cultures, religions and conquerors
There are two words for castle in Slovak: "hrad", which connotes defensive, fortified structures, and "zamok’, signifying palaces, chateaux or manor houses, built in more peaceful times by nobles and royals as luxurious homes or hunting lodges in place of the cold, drafty castles of yore
This is interesting, coz the Macedonian word for 'a castle' is also 'zamok'...its always fun to see how words in one language have the same meaning in another one...well, having in mind these are both Slavic languages, it aint a surprise..but still :)

Ypres, Belgium

Ha! Got back from work earlier, so ill sneak in here a bit and make an update...well, I still have pending work that i need to do from home, but at least i got back an hour earlier, so that gives me the 'excuse' to postpone the translations for later...and enjoy myself here for a while :)

Here is a really lovely card from Belgium sent from Thomas. I really love this night view, but moreover, ive always liked this kind of playing with images and show their reflection in a water.....i like it how such things can trick the eye and get if confused of the actual image....
Well, apart from the fact that the image is beautiful, i was more touched by the part of history that this place actually portrays. Here is what the back of the card says:

The Menin Gate/Menenpoort, Ypres, Belgium

Designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield, and unveiled by Lord Plumer in 1927, the Menin Gate commemorates 54,338 men of the British Commonwealth except New Zealanders, who died in the Ypres salient in the Great War, up to Augst 16, 1917 and have no known grave. After that date, those with no known grave are commemorated on the Tyne Cot memorial. All Canadian and Australian soldiers with no known graves in the salient are commemorated on the Menin Gate. The Last Post has been played here every night at 8pm by members of the Ypres Volunteer Fire Brigade since 1928.

Its really moving...and can you imagine this tradition since 1928...happening EVERY single night at 8pm....feels like its something immortal...commemorating the mortal and reminding us all we are mortal as well.


Thanks a lot for the great card Thomas!

Montana, USA (02)

Its so perfect when cards have description on backs.....

Dawn On The Front Range means surrealistic colour on the sheer and nearly unbroken wall of granite which forms the Continental Divide. In the process, the Front Range marks the juncture of the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains in north central Montana. It thus also serves as a distinct, if unofficial boundary between eastern and western Montana.

Philippines (07)

With all the Philippines' maps I have, feels like im having the Philippines at the palm of my hand :)

This time I present you the island of Mindanao...and here is what you can see on the pictures:

- Tiboli Tribe, Southern Cotabato
- Tingao Falls in Iligan
- Philippine Eagle, Malagos
- Camiguin Island
- Guyam, small paradise island neaeby Siargao
- Colourful Muslim Vintas, Zamboanga

just look at those crystal blue waters....each map of the Philippines contains at least one such lovely image....no wonder they call it paradise...

Orkney, Scotland

You know, at first glance, this one and the Montana card above, would seem as if its the same place, Montana at sunset this one during the day...

Orkney is an archipelago in northern Scotland situated 16km north of the coast of Caithness. comprises over 70 islands; around 20 are inhabited.

You know...i know its a shame, but just now I realized that this is a UNESCO site!!! Thats what happens when i dont google once i receive the card but once im about to post it...and should i mention sometimes it takes months before  I actually manage to post a card?!! Due to my 'technique and rules' of posting.

So, what we have here is actually the Ring of Brogar, which is a part of the Neolithic Orkney, that was inscribed as a UNESCO whs in 1999.
The Ring of Brogar is a Neolithic henge and a stone circle. The ring of stones stands on a small ishtmus between the Loch of Stenness and Harray. he centre of the circle has never been excavated by archaeologists and scientifically dated; the monument's age remains uncertain. However, it is generally thought to have been erected between 2500 BC and 2000 BC, and was, therefore, the last of the great Neolithic monuments built on the Ness.
The circle is 104 metres in diameter, and the third largest in the British Isles. he henge originally comprised 60 stones, of which only 27 remained standing at the end of the 20th century. The stones are set within a circular ditch up to 3 metres deep and 9 metres wide that was carved out of the solid bedrock by the ancient residents.

Ok...i really think i should run away in shame now...for not knowing what I actually owe....as if it was the first time this happens actually

*blushes and runs away in shame*

Autódromo de Interlagos, Brazil

Well, finally it happened...Brazil...Interlagos...the last race of the season...I hate things which denote some kind of an end, coz in general, endings make me feel sad...unless of course some kind of an agony is terminated...i dont like the ending of the F1 season, coz it means 5 months without races, withoug speed, without cars on track...
I dont know if im gonna manage to make a decent post regarding this last race of the season...i feel emotionally disturbed about it all, and its really hard to write under such conditions...i didnt expect this whole thing to affect me as it did, but it did...the outcome, and the circumstances under which it happend, have taken their toll...and im not here to write journalistic reviews, so this whole thing is 100% subjective...with all my feelings and views stripped to the bone...

the whole race today was of great importance coz it would have given the new champion...Massa or Hamilton....Hamilton was in favour of 7 points, but it was the same last year as well, when he was 7 points ahead of Raikkonen, and eventually Kimi was the champion coz of a mistake Hamilton made during the race...I truly hoped something similar will happen here as well...well, Kimi wasnt even close to fight for the championship, but I truly hoped that Massa will....i have somehow grown fond of thim this past year, and im glad when he wins or scores good points...of course, its out of the question that i prefer Massa to win than Kimi...but id rather Massa wins than Hamilton...actually, I rather anyone wins, than Hamilton...ive never felt such an antagonism for a driver...not even for Schumacher, not even Alonso (my attitude towards Alonso had drastically changed since he went to McLaren...I guess thats why I actually hate Hamilton so much...maybe 'hate' is a strong word, but i really feel some very bad negative emotions when it comes to him, and to make it clear, im NOT a racist...not one bit...its his personality in general which drives me nuts...and his lack of fair play...and ill never forgive him how he hit Raikkonen in Montreal at the pit-stop exit...lets get real, it was on purpose!)
Anyway...when i turned the TV on, i was shocked to see how it was pouring...they had even postponed the start of the race for 10 minutes coz of the heavy rain...and this got me worried coz it had been seen in practice that Ferrari dont really manage well in rainy conditions....but after the start, the rain soon stopped so there was no place for fear regarding that....Massa started first...Kimi third...Hamilton fifth....not much of a drama there except that Coulthard and Piquet had a collision in the very first few metres....the race itself didint bring much of an action or overtaking or stuff...so there is no need to go into details of that...until 5 laps before the end...when it started to rain again...and when there was a pit-stop rush in order to change tyres...and when afterwards while Hamilton was 5th he was overtaken by Vettel...and Hamilton was 6th...and do you know what that meant??? that meant NO TITLE for Hamilton...by being 6th he would have the same points as Massa, but he would have lacked a win....and that meant the title would have gone to Massa....now HERE was the real drama...i cant explain how thrilled and excited i got...i couldnt believe it that was happening...I absolutely ADORE Vettel for what he did...and until the very end i was 100% convinced that Massa had the title...as everyone else was....until the screen said that Hamilton was at the 5th position...thats where everyone got confused and didnt know what was going on...how come out of nowhere that Hamilton is 5th and we didnt see any overtaking, any car to retire, any incidents...HOW THE HELL Hamilton ended up 5th??? From the replay, turns out that Glock who was 4th, slowed down and let both Vettel and Hamilton go past....on purpose or no, I dont know...but it is obvious that he is slowing down...stupid Glock...i really really feel bitter at him....I dont care if i should or shouldnt, i simply do and thats it! It was shocking to see Massa's family cheering up and then being told that their whole excitement is in vain...can you imagine THEIR pain in all this? Massa couldnt stop the tears...it really is painful to lose the championship in such a way by JUST one point...it wouldnt have hurt this much if i wasnt convinced as everyone else that Massa won the championship, just to see afterwards on the screen that it aint so...you should have watched the ceremony after the race (apart from Massa winning, Alonso was second and Kimi third)...it more felt like attending a funeral, than a winners' ceremony...it was a dreadful atmosphere...Massa just couldnt celebrate such a win, and you could tell from Alonso's face that he is utterly bitter and disappointed that Hamilton won the championship...if there is someone who openly spoke against Hamilton saying he would do whatever he could in order Hamilton not to win, that was Alonso.. you could see no joy on his face...not even afterwards on the press conference...even though he finished second, which is a great achievement for him....sad, really really sad...
if there is maybe one good thing about all this is that in the general status Raikkonen moved to the third position...if that can be called any kind of consolation...

so...5 months without a race now...maybe it will be enough for all the dust to settle down and start things from scratch next year....and since Kimi and Massa are both staying in Ferrari, i truly hope Ferrari will do a better job next year and wont make such clumsy mistakes as it did this one...i truly hope it will be either Kimi or Massa or Alonso to win the title...or even Kubica..why not..he is a good driver...I may be an absolut Kimi supporter, but if he cant win it, i wouldnt mind if someone of the above mentioned does...even Vettel, he showed a lot of great potential...let anyone win, just not Hamilton...just PLEAAASEE not Hamilton...
Im truly truly sorry Felipe...you have all my geniune condolences and my geniune support...I know it wont change a single thing in the whole outcome, but know that people out there do feel with you....you honestly, DID desrve to win the title...

I know I should write a word or two about the track itself as well....
Interlagos is in the city of São Paulo and is the home to the Brazilian F1 Grand Prix at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace. It is named after José Carlos Pace, a Brazilian driver who had died prior to its naming, though it is still widely known by its former name Interlagos.
The circuit is one of the few non-oval racing circuits to go in an anti-clockwise direction. The present design of the track dates back from 1990, when the original circuit was shortened from 7,829 m to only 4,397 m (so that it could fit the new FIA restrictions on track length). Another reason why many drivers consider Interlagos interesting is that it was not built on flat terrain, but follows the ups and downs of hilly ground, which makes it harder to drive and demands more power from the car's engines.
Interlagos has one of the longest pit-lanes ever used in Formula One, starting just before the start-finish straight and rejoining the main course after Curva do Sol. Entering the pits was originally not a trivial task, as the high speed and the left turning may force the car rightwards, out of the pits.

I actually like the curvy outcome of the pit...feels really interesting and unusual..

well...that would be it....in the end I really want to thank Sandro for sending me this card...if it wasnt for him, today;s post wouldnt have been possible to happen...thank you Sandro, a real real lot!

I hope that for next year I may receive some other F1 circuits as well...I wouldnt mind if its the same circuits on different cards..it would be nice to be able to write about this, accompanied by a card...without a card, it would be pointless...

Montenegro

I didnt actually intend to do an update today...apart from the fact i spend way too much time at the pc due to work, i have way too much work to do as well...but I was told that the deadline which was like supposed to be tomorrow, first postponed for Tuesday, and then for Thursday...and i felt some sort of relief, coz im way too much behind with the work, and now Thursday seems somewhat i can manage...though if i keep going with this pace I doubt, esp. since while I have to work on one document, i get others in the meantime as well...plus the lessons i have to prepare for next week and all...and i really have no idea how im gonna manage it all...but at least the pressure i feel had eased a bit...of course, it doesnt mean i can just go and idle now, but at least it doesnt feel so helpless now...and i fell somewhat disappointed with some people and i just need some remedy and clearance of thoughts...and this is my refugee...

Anyway...even though this card is about Montenegro...my post has nothing to do with Montenegro..but more with the dog on the picture...now, i know some of you will know what im gonna rant about...and feel free to skip this longish post...but i just feel inspired and find it appropriate for this card...

So...whats the deal...few days ago, out of nowehere a small puppy appeared in my garden (not one bit as the one on the card, but this is like the only card I have which features a dog :)). Anyway...the puppy was the most adorable fluffy thing i had seen..small and white...well, it was soo dirty and sticky that you couldnt call it white..but it was defintiely way too adorable...i regret not having taking a single picture of it...and it was way too lively coz it wouldnt stop running and jumping and going around...way too playful...and way too hungry coz it ate whatever i had given him...the sweetest thing was when i noticed that it accomodated himself (or herself, i dont know actually...but ill go for himself) in my mum's pot flowers...and was pretending to sleep, but when i would come around, it would raise its head, start waving its tail and jump to me...if it wasnt so dirty, i would have squeezed the hell out of him of hugging...we played with small balls as well, and he would run after them, bring them back to me, or hide them again behind my mum's pot flowers...i really dont know why he so much wanted to be around those pot flowers...some feeling of safety i guess...anyway...eventually i had to leave for work and was wondering if it would be there when i come back...well, it was...in my neighbours garden actually, he found a whole in the fence to be able to move here and there, but when i called him he came to me, again all jumping, yupping, running...waving its tail....a real real sweetheart....a few hours later, he went to sleep and he even found himself a hidden place for it...i really dont know how he managed but he was managing with everything perfectly, even though he was here for the first time...an incredibly incredibly smart puppy!!  Well...the following morning i woke up really early...partially coz i had work to do, partially coz of him...but to me greatest disappointment, he was gone...and hadnt come back until now....if it wasnt for my mum and dad to see him as well, I swear i would have thought it was all a hallucination...I still hope it would come back...and frankly, im gonna do whatever it takes this time not to let him go...i know my cat wont be happy, even though the puppy wanted to play with him and was teasing him and all...but i think that with time, they will settle down together...I just hope it would come back one day soon...he made me fall for him at an instant..and then just left...its really not fair...i wonder if it would have been better if he never showed up in my life at all...I wonder why things or people you care for the most just dont stay....life...

btw, this card was sent to me by my mum and dad back in 2001 from their holiday in Budva...a funny thing my mum had written on the card is: "Today its pouring, but its great for walking". I dont get it...if its pouring, how can it be great for walking?? it not a drizzle or a light rain....its pouring...or as the British would say..its raining cats and dogs....ha...now this is an irony :)

Békéscsaba, Hungary

By most logical conclusion, i got this card from one of my former penpals...problem is, i dont know from whom exactly....I have had one or two pen-pals from Hungary...but i have no idea who sent me this card...and i know its from one of them, coz on the back, he or she had drawn a small map, saying where his/her village is compared to Békéscsaba...

Békéscsaba is a city and urban county in Southeast Hungary.

A large number of archaeological finds, unearthed where present-day Békéscsaba lies, all attest to the fact that the place was already inhabited in the late Bronze Age. The proximity of rivers must have been a key consideration for early settlers, as they were a source of food, offered protection and served as a means of transport for prehistoric man. So what is today’s Békéscsaba has been inhabited from time immemorial and was the scene of successive waves of migrations.

In the 4th century the Great Plain was conquered by the Huns. After the death of Attila, king of the Huns, the Gepids, an East Germanic Gothic tribe took over as occupiers of the land. In 565 they were in turn defeated by the Avars, who conquered, among others, the entire Great Plain.
The Avars were themselves defeated and subsequently driven out from Transdanubia by the Franks. For a while Avar khagans continued to rule the Great Plain, then in 804 Bulgarian tribes subdued the areas east of the River Danube. Historians seem to be divided over the issue of the peoples inhabiting the area at that time. Some assert that the Great Plain was inhabited by the Slavs; others do not rule out a large Avar population either, claiming that they were still inhabiting the area around the time of the Magyar conquest.

Today, making the most of its potential, Békéscsaba is one of the most dynamically developing cities in Békés County. Due to its status, compared to other places in the county, Békéscsaba offers the best of everything in terms of industry, education, culture and services

Penglai Fairyland, China

This is an official from China, which travelled to me for exactly 98 days....i think that its sender was rather delighted when i had registered it...at least, i know i would be :)

CN-17666

This is the  Penglai Fairyland, which is one of the four famous collections of ancient temples in China.
Penglai is one of the three supernatural mountains inhabited by immortals. The other two are Yingzhou and Fangzhang, which were frequently visited for wonder herbs by emperors since Qin and Han dynasties. The famous legend of Eight Immortals crossing the sea finds its origin here. It is said that the eight immortals got drunk at Penglai Pavilion and crossed the sea by different tricks of their own without ships or boats. Their performance hovering over the waves against wind left a popular saying that “like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each one showing his or her special feats; each tries to outwit the other.” 

interesting...I like mythology so it was really nice to get to learn about this...

Kernavė, Lithuania

A new UNESCO site, coming from Lithuania....really beautiful i must say!

Kernavė is a tourist and archeological village in Southeast Lithuania. A Lithuanian state cultural reserve was established in Kernavė in 2003.
The card is showing the Pajauta valley and the fortress mounds. 

The area of Kernavė was sparingly inhabited at the end of the Paleolithic era with the number of settlements significantly increasing in the Mesolithic and Neolithic eras.
In later years, the remains of city were covered with an aluvian earth layer, that formed wet peat. It preserved most of the relics intact, and it is a treasure trove for archaeologists leading some to call Kernavė the Troy of Lithuania.