Tulip, ca 1640

Tulip, Holland ca. 1640.

Sent by Jetske, a postcrosser from Goes, Netherlands.

Portugal - Animals Motiff On Tiles

LISBOA : Azulejos do século XVII. Museu Nacional do Azulejo.
Sent by Catia, a postcrosser from Portugal.

USA - Texas - Austin (2)

AUSTIN, TEXAS
Austin is one of the most beautiful areas in Texas. The city spreads over scenic hills and is divided by the Colorado River.

Sent by Christy, a postcrosser from Texas, USA.

This is from Wikipedia : Austin (/ˈɒstɨn/ or /ˈɔːstɨn/) is the capital of the state of Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, Austin is the thirteenth most populous city in the United States of America and thefourth most populous city in the state of Texas. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in the nation from 2000 to 2006. Austin has a population of 820,611 (2011 U.S. Census). The city is the cultural and economic center of theAustin–Round Rock–San Marcos metropolitan area, which had an estimated population 1,783,519 (2011 U.S. Census), making it the 34th-largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States and the fourth-largest in Texas.

In the 1830s, pioneers began to the settle the area in central Austin along the Colorado River. After Republic of Texas Vice President Mirabeau B. Lamar visited the area during a buffalo-hunting expedition between 1837 and 1838, he proposed that the republic's capital then located in Houston, Texas, be relocated to the area situated on the north bank of the Colorado River near the present-day Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge. In 1839, the site was officially chosen as the republic's new capital (the republic's seventh and final location) and was incorporated under the name, Waterloo. Shortly thereafter, the name was changed to Austin in honor of Stephen F. Austin, the "Father of Texas" and the republic's first secretary of state.

The city grew throughout the 19th century and became a center for government and education with the construction of the Texas State Capitol and the University of Texas at Austin. After a lull in growth from the Great Depression, Austin resumed its development into a major city in the 1980s and emerged as a center for technology and business. Many Fortune 500 companies have regional offices or headquarters in Austin including Whole Foods Market, Apple, AMD, Google, IBM, Intel, Texas Instruments, and 3M. Dell's worldwide headquarters is located in nearby Round Rock, a suburb of Austin.

Residents of Austin are known as "Austinites". They include a diverse mix of government employees (e.g., university faculty; staff, law enforcement, political staffers); foreign and domestic college students; musicians; high-tech workers; blue-collar workers and businesspeople. The city is home to development centers for many technology corporations; it adopted the "Silicon Hills" nickname in the 1990s. However, the current official slogan promotes Austin as "The Live Music Capital of the World", a reference to the many musicians and live music venues within the area, and the long-running PBS TV concert series Austin City Limits. In recent years, some Austinites have also adopted the unofficial slogan "Keep Austin Weird". This interpretation of the classic, "Texas-style" sense of independence refers to: the traditional and proudly eclectic, liberal lifestyles of many Austin residents; a desire to protect small, unique, local businesses from being overrun by large corporations; and, as a reaction to the perceived rise of conservative influences within the community. In the late 1800s, Austin also became known as the City of the "Violet Crown" for the wintertime violet glow of color across the hills just after sunset. Even today, many Austin businesses use the term "violet crown" in their name. Lastly, Austin is known as a "clean air city" for the city's stringent no-smoking ordinances that apply to all public places and buildings, and all restaurants. 

Lithuania - View of Vilnius

A view of Vilnius (engraved by Frans Hogenberg, ca. 1535 - 1590) from the book Civitates Orbis Terrarum, published in Cologne in 1581, by Georg Braun (1541 - 1622).

Sent by Loreta, a postcrosser from Vilnius, Lithuania.

United Kingdom - William & Catherine : The Royal Wedding

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
Royal Wedding, 29 April 2011, at Westminster Abbey.
LONDON

Sent by Karen, a postcrosser from England.

Poland - Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski

Multiviews of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski.

Sent by Paulina, a postcrosser from Kielce, Poland.

This is from Wikipedia : Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski Polish pronunciation: [ɔsˈtrɔvʲɛt͡s ɕfʲɛntɔˈkʂɨskʲi] ( listen) is a town in south-central Poland (historic province of Lesser Poland), with 74,211 inhabitants (2006). Main industry is metallurgy. Ostrowiec is the capital city of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski County, part of Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (since 1999), previously it belonged to Kielce Voivodeship (1975–1998).

The oldest testimonies of human habitation date back to the Stone Age (ca 4000 BC). In that time, there were nomadic tribes belonging among others to Lengyel and Globular Amphora cultures. They came here from Danube river region.

The earliest documents about Ostrowiec village, that gave beginning to the contemporary Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, come from 14th century. The city itself, at that time part of Sandomierz Voivodeship, was built from scratch in 1597 by Jakub Gawroński ofRawa coat of arms on the left bank of the Kamienna river, situated in the Vistula river basin. It received town privileges in 1613. It became a property of Janusz Ostrogski, a statesman and one of the richest magnates of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Later it belonged to many Polish aristocratic families: Tarnowski family, Czartoryski family, Lubomirski family, Radziwiłł family,Zasławski family, Sanguszko family, Wielopolski family, Dobrzański family, Łubieński family. After the 2nd WW it was confiscated and became a property of the state.

In 19th c. metallurgical industry developed. Steel plant of Ostrowiec was second big in the whole of Congress Poland in 19th/20th centuries. During Revolution of 1905 Ostrowiec was a place of massive demonstrations and industrial action.

During the 2nd World War, Ostrowiec was a lively centre of resistance activity against the Nazi German occupation. There was an underground weapon production, independent underground press, etc. The Jewish population was forced to live in a local ghetto. About 11 thousand Jews were murdered by the Nazis in 1943-1944.

Bicycles (24)

Sent by Gerlinde, a postcrosser from Germany.

Germany - Audi 920

Audi 920 (1938 - 1940)
6 Zylinder, 3.2 Liter 75 PS

Sent by Stefan, a postcrosser from Germany.

This is from Wikipedia : The Audi 920 was a car introduced in 1938 by Audi to replace the Audi Front UW 225. It's engine was a shortened version of theeight-cylinder in-line engine used by sister company Horch. The car was planned to occupy a niche in the Auto Union range between the large Horch products and the middle market cars produced by Wanderer. Audi had no stand-alone production facilities at this time and the car was produced, like it predecessor, at the Horch plant.

The 920 featured a front-mounted six-cylinder in-line engine with a displacement of 3,281 cc. A maximum output of 75 PS (55 kW; 74 hp) at 3,000 rpm was claimed along with a maximum speed of 130 km/h (81 mph). A floor-mounted lever controlled the four-speed gearbox: this delivered power to the rear wheels, which represented a technological retreat from the innovative front-wheel drive configuration of the 920’s predecessor. The box-section chassis featured semi-independent suspension at the front and a swing-axle arrangement at the rear.

Production of almost all passenger cars came to an end in Germany as European war intensified. By the time production of the last pre-war Audi came to an end in 1940 1,281 of the cars had been produced.

Finland - Porvoo

Multiviews of Porvoo.

Sent by Juho, a postcrosser from Porvoo, Finland.

This is from Wikipedia : Porvoo (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈporʋoː]; Swedish: Borgå [ˈbɔrɡo]) is a city and a municipality situated on the southern coast of Finlandapproximately 50 kilometres (30 mi) east of Helsinki. Porvoo is one of the six medieval towns in Finland, first mentioned as a city in texts from 14th century. Porvoo is the seat of the Swedish speaking Diocese of Borgå of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.
Porvoo was first mentioned in documents in the early 14th century, and Porvoo was given city rights around 1380, even though according to some sources the city was founded in 1346. The old city of Porvoo was formally disestablished and the new city of Porvoo founded in 1997 when the city of Porvoo and the Rural municipality of Porvoo were consolidated. When Sweden lost the city of Viborg to Russia in 1721, the episcopal seat was moved to Porvoo. At this time, Porvoo was the second largest city in Finland. After the conquest of Finland by Russian armies in 1808 Sweden had to cede Finland to Russia in 1809 (the Treaty of Fredrikshamn). The Diet of Porvoo in 1809 was a landmark in the History of Finland. The Tsar Alexander I confirmed the newFinnish constitution (which was essentially the Swedish constitution from 1772), and made Finland an autonomous Grand Duchy.

The Porvoo Common Statement is a report issued at the conclusion of theological conversations by official representatives of four Anglican Churches and eight Nordic and Baltic Lutheran Churches in 1989–1992. It established the Porvoo Communion, so named after the Porvoo Cathedral where the Eucharist was celebrated on the final Sunday of the conversations leading to the Statement

The town received its name from a Swedish earth fortress near the river Porvoonjoki which flows through the town. The name Porvoois the Fennicised version of the Swedish name (Borgå) and its parts of borg meaning "castle" and å "river".

USA - Connecticut - Bishop's Orchards Farm Market

BISHOP'S ORCHARDS FARM MARKET
Since 1871, five generations of Bishops have been serving the shoreline area with fresh farm products. Located in historic Guilford, one-half mile off I-95, our farm market has grown from a roadside stand of the 1910's to a simple yet bustling market, handling a full line of quality fruits and vegetables, baked goods, dairy products, honey, maple syrup and preserves. Open year round, we feature one or more of our own crops available every one of the 12 months.

Sent by Patricia, a postcrosser from Connecticut, USA.

This is from Wikipedia : Bishop's Orchards is an agricultural operation in Guilford, Connecticut, that serves as a farm, retail market, tourist attraction and winery.

Bishop's Orchards began operating as a family farm in 1871. Over the years, Bishop's Orchards expanded to a 313-acre (1.27 km²) farm, with the Bishop family members maintaining control of all duties ranging from corporate decision-making to retail operations to crop maintenance. In 2007, the Bishop family members created a 10-year stock purchase and loan program to ensure a continuation of family ownership.

Bishop's Orchards has attracted tourism via its retail market and seasonal apple- and pumpkin-picking programs; visits by local school groups are also coordinated.

The Bishop's Orchards Winery sells fruit wines made from the apples, peaches, pears and raspberries grown at the farm. It is on the Eastern Connecticut Wine Trail.

The Shoreline Wine Festival has been held annually at Bishop's Orchards since August 2006. The festival features wineries from the Connecticut Wine Trail as well as any Connecticut producers.

USA - Washington - Mapcard (2)

WASHINGTON
A colorful state full of wildlife and recreational opportunities.

Sent by Jean, a postcrosser from Washington, USA.

USA - California - University of California

The University of California at Berkeley
This beautiful campus, nestled in the Berkeley Hills, is famous throughout the world.

Sent by BlueBat, a postcrosser from California, USA.

This is from Wikipedia : The University of California, Berkeley (also referred to as UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California, or simply Cal) is a public research university located in Berkeley, California, United States. The university occupies 1,232 acres (499 ha) on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay with the central campus resting on 178 acres (72 ha). Berkeley offers approximately 350 undergraduate andgraduate degree programs in a wide range of disciplines. Established in 1868 as the result of merger of the private College of California and the public Agricultural, Mining, and Mechanical Arts College in Oakland, Berkeley is the oldest of the ten major campuses affiliated with the University of California (UC). Berkeley has been charged with providing both "classical" and "practical" education for the state's people and is generally considered to be the flagship institution in the University of California system. Berkeley co-manages three United States Department of Energy National Laboratories, including the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy.

Berkeley faculty, alumni, and researchers have won 70 Nobel Prizes, 9 Wolf Prizes, 7 Fields Medals, 15 Turing Awards, 45MacArthur Fellowships, 20 Academy Awards, and 11 Pulitzer Prizes. To date, UC Berkeley and its researchers are associated with 6 chemical elements of the periodic table (Californium, Seaborgium, Berkelium, Einsteinium, Fermium, Lawrencium) andBerkeley Lab has discovered 16 chemical elements in total – more than any other university in the world. Berkeley is a founding member of the Association of American Universities and continues to have very high research activity with $652.4 million in research and development expenditures in 2009. Berkeley physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer was the scientific director of the Manhattan Project that developed the first atomic bomb in the world, which he personally headquartered at Los Alamos, New Mexico, duringWorld War II.

Berkeley student-athletes have won over 100 Olympic medals. Known as the California Golden Bears (often abbreviated as "Cal Bears" or just "Cal"), the athletic teams are members of both the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federationin the NCAA. Cal athletes have won national titles in many sports, including football, men's and women's swimming, men's basketball, baseball, men's gymnastics, softball, water polo, rugby, and crew. The official colors of the university and its athletic teams are Yale Blue and California Gold.

USA - North Carolina - Waxhaw

WAXHAW, NORTH CAROLINA
Originally called the "Waxhaw Settlement", the area is named for its first inhabitants, the Waxhaw Indians. Near the birthplace of Andrew Jackson is the pictured Andrew Jackson memorial Museum of the Old Waxhaws.


Sent by Avery, a postcrosser from North Carolina, USA.


This is from Wikipedia : Waxhaw is a town located in Union County, North Carolina. The population was 2,627 at the 2000 Census.

Waxhaw is located at 34°55′42″N 80°44′41″W (3$4.928201, -80.744835).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²), all of it land. Waxhaw is located north of Lancaster, South Carolina and lies about 12 miles south of Charlotte.

Waxhaw is located in a historic region called the Waxhaws, named after the indigenous Native American tribe that lived in the territory in historic times. It is in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, which is wooded with rolling hills. This region is where goldwas first discovered in the United States. The Howie Gold Mine is not far from the city limits.

Waxhaw takes its name from the Waxhaws, named after the historic American Native American tribe that inhabited the region. The community was settled by European-Americans in the mid-18th century, of mostly German and Scots-Irish origin. They became subsistence farmers and were known for being independent. Andrew Jackson, seventh President of the United States, was born nearby in 1767. There is some disagreement as to which of the Carolinas was his birthplace, due to the proximity of the border.

The arrival of the railroad in 1901, with access to the markets of Atlanta, helped the town reach prosperity. The tracks were laid directly through the center of town, showing the importance of the railroad. They remain on the street, now bordered by a green, grassy strip dividing the rows of stores on each side.

Beginning in the late 19th century, the community was developed with cotton mills for manufacturing textiles. The railroad helped increase access for its products. Cotton manufacturing was important to the region through the 1940s. Postwar changes in the economy, with shifts of the textile industry to jobs to other areas and out of the country, required the community to adapt to new conditions.

Waxhaw has evolved as an antique and fine dining center. Its Small Town Main Street committee is working on an integrated approach to developing and marketing the historic center of town. The Town currently has dozens of specialty shops and dining ranging from mom & pop restaurants to fine dining bistros. The Waxhaw Historic District is on theNational Register of Historic Places. It includes retail businesses as well as architecturally significant houses near the center of town.

Residents and town government are working on additional improvement plans. The Town Park is located in the downtown area, as is a Skate Park for youths and skateboarding. New housing has been built along NC 75 to the east and west of town, as well as NC 16 (Providence Road) to the north.

Near Waxhaw is Cane Creek Park, a 1,050-acre (4.2 km²) park, featuring scenic areas and recreation activities. The facility, on Harkey Road south of Waxhaw, was a cooperative venture between Union County, the Union Conservation District and the Soil Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.