Postcrossing Meetup - Sofia Online Meeting 28th March 2020

Postcrossing online meeting.

Sofia, 28th March 2020.

Sent by Zenny from Sofia, Bulgaria.

Belgium - Antwerpen-Centraal Railway Station

An illustration of the grand hall of the Antwerp-Centraal Railway Station in Belgium.

Sent by Elise from Flanders, Belgium.

Antwerpen-Centraal railway station (Dutch: Station Antwerpen-Centraal; French: Gare d'Anvers-Central) is the main railway station in Antwerp, Belgium. It is one of the most important hubs in the country and is one of the four Belgian stations on the high-speed rail network. From 1873 to early 2007, it was a terminal station. The current building, designed by the architect Louis Delacenserie, was constructed between 1895 and 1905. On 23 March 2007, a tunnel with two continuous tracks was opened under part of the city and under the station. The train services are operated by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB).

Antwerp's first station was the terminus of the Brussels–Mechelen–Antwerp railway line, which opened on 3 June 1836. The original station building was made of wood and was replaced by a new and larger building on the occasion of the opening of the new international connection to the Netherlands in 1854–55 (read more).

USA - Pennsylvania - Edward W. Bok Vocational High School

The image of Edward W. Bok Technical School in Philadelphia, which was named after Edward W. Bok.

Sent by Ramya Sivakumar from Philadelphia, USA.

The Edward W. Bok Technical High School was a public high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, designed by Irwin T. Catharine and named after literary figure Edward William Bok, editor of the Ladies' Home Journal. It was completed in February 1938 by the Public Works Administration (WPA) as a vocational high school at 8th & Mifflin Streets. As part of the Philadelphia Public Schools' Multiple Property Submission, the school was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in December, 1986. Bok High School was reorganized in 2006-2007 to prepare students for jobs in modern technology. After the 2012-2013 school year, the school was closed. In 2014, the school was renovated to become a home for over 200 businesses including restaurants, art studios, daycares, and hair salons (read more).

Finland - Kymenlaakso - Verla Groundwood and Board Mill (2)

Verla Groundwood and Board Mill, a historical industrial site located in Jaala, Kouvola, Finland. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Ste, inscribed in 1996.

Sent by Leena from southern Savonia, Finland.

My other postcard of Verla Ground an Board Mill is here.

The Verla groundwood and board mill and its associated residential area is an outstanding, remarkably well-preserved example of the small-scale rural industrial settlements associated with pulp, paper and board production that flourished in northern Europe and North America in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Only a handful of such settlements survive to the present day.

Verla Groundwood and Board Mill, located in the northern part of the Kymi River Valley in southeast Finland, consists of the Mill, the associated residential area and the power plants. The mill buildings and the workers' houses mostly date from the 1890s and from the beginning of the 20th century. The property is a very well preserved example of a forest industry settlement of the late 19th century. Similar communities were established in coniferous forest zones in northern Europe and in North America, where wood as a raw material and water as a source of energy were easily at hand (read more).

Remarkable Man - Chief Joseph Dreaver

Chief Joseph Dreaver of the Mitawasis First Nation bravely served during the First and Second World Wars. Painting : Dreaver by Mike Holden.

Sent by Jes from Toronto, Canada.

Chief Joseph Dreaver was a Veteran of the First and Second World Wars. He made impressive contributions as a soldier, a Veteran and a leader in the Indigenous community.

Joseph was born on 2 June 1891 in what is now known as Mistawasis Nêhiyawak, a Cree First Nation in central Saskatchewan.

He was the grandson of Chief Mistawasis, an important leader of the Plains Cree. Chief Mistawasis signed Treaty 6 with the British Crown in 1876. Joseph’s father, George Dreaver, was also chief of his First Nation for decades.

Joseph attended the Regina Indian Industrial School in his youth, hundreds of kilometres away from his home in Mistawasis. After the First World War broke out, he volunteered to join the Canadian Expeditionary Force at Prince Albert, Saskatchewan in March 1916. Joseph’s enlistment papers tell us he was a farmer and at 24 years old stood 5 foot 9 ½ inches (177 cm) tall. He was married to Evelyn (Cardinal) Dreaver and had two young sons at that time (read more).

China - The Pamir Mountain

Pamir Mountain Range, Xinjiang region of China.

Sent by Peter Zhang from Hebei, China.

The Pamir Mountains are a range of mountains between Central Asia and South Asia. They are located at a junction with other notable mountains, namely the Tian Shan, the Karakoram, the Kunlun, the Hindu Kush, and the Himalayas. They are among the world's highest mountains.

Much of the range lies in the Gorno-Badakhshan region of Tajikistan. Spanning the border parts of four countries, to the south, they border the Hindu Kush mountains along Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor in Badakhshan Province, Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan regions of Pakistan. To the north, they join the Tian Shan mountains along the Alay Valley of Kyrgyzstan. To the east, they extend to the range that includes China's Kongur Tagh, in the "Eastern Pamirs", separated by the Yarkand valley from the Kunlun Mountains.

Since the Victorian era, they have been known as the "Roof of the World", presumably a translation from Persian (read more).

France - Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur - Marseille

Several famous locations in Marseille.

Sent by Greg from Marseille, France.

Marseille (Provençal Occitan: Marselha) is a city in southern France, the prefecture of the department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the Provence region, it is located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, near the mouth of the Rhône river. Marseille is the second-most populous city proper in France, after Paris, with 886,040 inhabitants in 2023 over a municipal territory of 241 km² (93 sq mi). Together with its suburbs and exurbs, the Marseille metropolitan area, which extends over 3,972 km² (1,534 sq mi), had a population of 1,900,957 at the January 2022 census. The cities of Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, and 90 suburban municipalities have formed since 2016 the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis, an indirectly elected metropolitan authority now in charge of wider metropolitan issues, with a population of 1,922,626 at the January 2022 census.

Founded c. 600 BC by Greek settlers from Phocaea, Marseille is the oldest city in France, as well as one of Europe's oldest continuously inhabited settlements. It was known to the ancient Greeks as Massalia and to Romans as Massilia. Marseille has been a trading port since ancient times. In particular, it experienced a considerable commercial boom during the colonial period and especially during the 19th century, becoming a prosperous industrial and trading city. Nowadays the Old Port still lies at the heart of the city, where the manufacture of Marseille soap began some six centuries ago. Overlooking the port is the Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde or "Bonne-mère" for the people of Marseille, a Romano-Byzantine church and the symbol of the city. Inherited from this past, the Grand Port Maritime de Marseille (GPMM) and the maritime economy are major poles of regional and national activity and Marseille remains the first French port, the second Mediterranean port and the fifth European port. Since its origins, Marseille's openness to the Mediterranean Sea has made it a cosmopolitan city marked by cultural and economic exchanges with Southern Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. In Europe, the city has the third largest Jewish community after London and Paris (read more).

Remarkable Man - Harold Sakata

Harold Sakata as Oddjob in Goldfinger (1964).

Sent by Fabienne from Brussels, Belgium.

Toshiyuki Sakata (坂田 敏行, Sakata Toshiyuki; July 1, 1920 – July 29, 1982), known as Harold Sakata, was an American Olympic weightlifter, professional wrestler, and film actor. He won a silver medal at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London in weightlifting, and later became a popular professional wrestler under the ring name Tosh Togo, wrestling primarily for various National Wrestling Alliance territories as a tag team with Great Togo.

Sakata also wrestled in Japan for the Japanese Wrestling Association between 1955 and 1957, and was an early mentor and sometimes-tag-partner to Rikidōzan. On the basis of his wrestling work, he was cast in the James Bond film Goldfinger (1964) as the villain Oddjob, a role he would be closely associated with for the rest of his life (read more).

Remarkable Man - Bill Pickett

Bill Pickett (1870 - 1932)

American cowboy and rodeo performer.

Sent by Jason from Austin in Texas, USA.

Willie M. Pickett (December 5, 1870 – April 2, 1932) was an African American cowboy, rodeo performer, and actor. In 1972, he was the first African American man inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame. In 1989, Pickett was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.

Pickett was born in the Jenks Branch community of Williamson County, Texas, in 1870. (Jenks Branch, also known as the Miller Community, is in western Williamson County, five miles southeast of Liberty Hill, and near the Travis County line. He was the second of 13 children born to Thomas Jefferson Pickett, a former enslaved man, and Mary "Janie" Gilbert. Pickett had four brothers and eight sisters. The family's ancestry was African-American and Cherokee. By 1888, the family had moved to Taylor, Texas.

In 1890, Pickett married Maggie Turner, the formerly enslaved daughter of a white southern plantation owner. The couple had nine children (read more).

USA - Texas - Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge (formerly known as Congress Avenue Bridge)

AUSTIN, TEXAS.

The Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge (formerly known simply as the Congress Avenue Bridge) crosses over Lady Bird Lake.

Sent by Charity from Austin in Texas, USA.

The Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge (formerly known simply as the Congress Avenue Bridge) crosses over Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas. Before construction of the Longhorn Dam was completed in 1960, the bridge crossed the Colorado River from which Lady Bird Lake is impounded. The bridge was known as the Congress Avenue Bridge from the construction of the first span across the Colorado River at that location in the late 19th century until November 16, 2006, when the Austin City Council renamed the current bridge in honor of Ann W. Richards, the 45th Governor of Texas and a long-term resident of Austin. The bridge is a concrete arch bridge with three southbound and three northbound vehicle lanes and sidewalks on both sides of the bridge.

The bridge currently serves as a habitat for the world's largest urban bat colony. This particular colony is a maternity colony, which means it provides a roosting place for pregnant female bats during the spring season. The females then raise their pups in this location from mid-summer to fall. Male bats are not present under the bridge until after the pups are born (read more).

Japan - Tochigi Prefecture - Mount Nasu (Chausu-dake)

Nasu Highlands - view from the summit of Mt. Chausu.

Summit of Mount Nasu (Chausu-dake) is truly magnificent, offering a grand panorama of Nikko and Aizu is possible. From here, you can go to Takao Onsen, or to Sandogoya or Itamuro Onsen.

Sent by Lulu from Japan.

Mount Nasu (那須岳, Nasu-dake) is a group of complex volcanoes located in the northeast part of Nikkō National Park, Japan. The tallest peak is Sanbonyari Peak at a height of 1,916.9 m (6,289 ft). Mount Nasu is one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains.

It is estimated that Mount Nasu started erupting 600 thousand years ago. The eruption started from the north end of the mountain range, at Kashi-Asahi Peak. Only Chausu Peak is active today (read more).

India - Uttar Pradesh - Itmad-ud-Daula

Itmad-ud-Daula is the mausoleum that was commissioned by Nur Jahan, the wife of Jahangir, for her father Mirza Ghiyas Beg.

Sent by Deepak from Delhi, India.

Tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah (I'timād-ud-Daulah Maqbara) is a Mughal mausoleum in the city of Agra in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Often described as a "jewel box", sometimes called the Bachcha Taj or the Baby Taj, the tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah is regarded as a model for the Taj Mahal.

Along with the main building, the structure consists of numerous outbuildings and gardens. The tomb, built between 1622 and 1628, represents a transition between the first phase of monumental Mughal architecture — primarily built from red sandstone with marble decorations, as in Humayun's Tomb in Delhi and Akbar's tomb in Sikandra — to its second phase, based on white marble and pietra dura inlay, most elegantly realized in the Taj Mahal.

The mausoleum was commissioned by Nur Jahan, the wife of Jahangir, for her father, Mirzā Ghiyās Beg, a Persian amir in exile^] who had been given the title of I'timād-ud-Daulah (pillar of the state). Mirzā Ghiyās Beg was also the grandfather of Mumtāz Mahāl (originally named Arjumand Banu Begum, daughter of Asaf Khan), the wife of the emperor Shah Jahan. Shah Jahan commissioned the Taj Mahal as a tomb for Mumtāz Mahāl (read more).

USA - Kentucky - Bluegrass State

Kentucky Bluegrass State map, flag and state symbols.

Sent by Sally from Alvaton in Kentucky, USA.

Kentucky's nickname is The Bluegrass State, based on the fact that bluegrass is found in many of the lawns and pastures throughout the state (particularly in the northern part of Kentucky - including the metropolitan areas of Lexington and Louisville).

"Bluegrass" is the common name for grass of the genus Poa, which is a favored lawn and pasture grass in the eastern United States from Tennessee northward. Bluegrass is actually green - but in the spring bluegrass produces bluish-purple buds that give a rich blue cast to the grass when seen in large fields. Early pioneers found bluegrass growing on Kentucky's rich limestone soil and traders began asking for the seed of the "blue grass from Kentucky." (read more)

Australia - Australian Bicentenary (1788 - 1988)

A collectible, hand-carved emu egg shell, celebrating the Australian Cicentenary (1788-1988). The firstfeatures Australian coat of arms, including the kangaroo and emu. Emu egg carving is a traditional Australian art form known as Kalti Paarti. The second shows a carved depiction of a sailing ship with stars, likely representing the First Fleet.

Sent by Wanda from Urana in New South Wales, Australia.

The bicentenary of Australia was celebrated in 1988. It marked 200 years since the arrival of the First Fleet of British convict ships at Sydney in 1788.

The bicentennial year marked Captain Arthur Phillip's arrival with the 11 ships of the First Fleet in Sydney Harbour in 1788, and the founding of the city of Sydney and the colony of New South Wales. 1988 is considered the official bicentenary year of the founding of Australia (read more).

Bicycle (81)

A custom-built-four-person bicycle created by Art Rothschild in Chicago around 1948. He bravely took the top position on the bicycle in this photo. He reportedly broke three ribs learning to ride it.

Sent by Ray from Victoria in British Columbia, Canada.

India - Madhya Pradesh - Bandhavgarh National Park

Tiger cubs, Bandhavgarh National Park.

Sent by Anay from Maharashtra, India.

Bandhavgarh National Park is a national park of India, located in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh. It spreads over an area of 105 km² (41 sq mi) and was declared a national park in 1968. It became Tiger Reserve in 1993 with a core area of 716 km² (276 sq mi).

Bandhavgarh was part of the princely state of Rewa, and it was a hunting destination for kings. It is known for the abundance of forest and wild animals, especially tigers.

Bandhavgarh National Park is located in the Umaria district of the state of Madhya Pradesh. Bandhavgarh National Park and Panpatha Wildlife Sanctuary form the core area of Bandhavgarh tiger reserve, which spreads over a total area of 716 km² (276 sq mi). The total area of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve is 1,536 km² (593 sq mi) including 716 km² (276 sq mi) core and 820 km² (320 sq mi) buffer area.

The three main zones of the national park are Tala, Magdhi and Khitauli. The park derives its name from the Bandhavgarh Fort, which is said to have been given by Lord Rama to his brother Lakshmana to keep a watch on Lanka (Bandhav = Brother, Garh = Fort) (read more).

Japan - Fukuoka Prefecture - Sakurai Futamigaura

Sakurai Futamigaura Sunset, Itoshima (Fukuoka).

Sent by Kana from Fukuoka, Japan.

Futamigaura is a famous sight located in the north of Itoshima city, within Genkai Quasi-National Park. 

Whereas Futamigaura in Ise, Mie Prefecture is known as “the Sunrise Futamiura,” the beauty of the sun setting into the Genkai Sea gave rise to the nickname of this place as “the Sunset Futamigaura.”

Out past the white torii gate is “Meotoiwa” (Couples Rock), a double-peaked islet that appears to stands together like a man and wife. Lying some 150 meters off the coast, the two parts of the islet are bound together by a shimenawa rope. The islet is a sacred site of the Sakurai Shrine, which was founded by Tadayuki Kuroda, the second lord of the Fukuoka domain, and revered by generations of Kuroda clan, hence its other name, Sakurai-Futamigaura.

With a number of fashionable cafes and restaurants nearby, this is an area that attracts a lot of sightseers.
Around the summer solstice, the setting of the sun down the middle of Couples Rock is an extraordinary sight. Blue hour after sunset and before sunrise when the sky turns a deep shade of blue is magic too.

Photographers and others flock to this gorgeous spot.

Futamigaura makes “Top 100 Beaches of Japan” and “Top 100 Sunsets of Japan” lists and is not to be missed on any tour of Fukuoka Prefecture (read more).

Switzerland - Engelberg Titlis

Swiss alpine town of Engelberg and the neigboring Mount Titlis.

Sent by Regula who lives near Lake Zurich, Switzerland.

Engelberg (lit.: mountain of angel(s)) is a village resort and a municipality in the canton of Obwalden in Switzerland. Alongside the central village of Engelberg, the municipality encompasses additional settlements, including Grafenort, Oberberg and Schwand.

The municipality of Engelberg is an exclave, entirely encircled by the neighboring cantons of Bern, Nidwalden and Uri.

Engelberg is a mountain resort in Central Switzerland. In the Middle Ages, the area garnered recognition for its Benedictine monastery, known as Engelberg Abbey. As time progressed, particularly from the 19th century onwards, Engelberg became a well-known mountain resort. The city of Lucerne serves as the nearest major urban center.

While the official language of Engelberg is German, the predominant spoken language is the local variation of the Alemannic Swiss German dialect (read more).