Gambia/The Gambia

GAMBIA
Karabane

One of the six postcards sent by Abubacarr from Gambia.

This is from Wikipedia : The Republic of The Gambia, commonly referred to as The Gambia, or Gambia /ˈɡæmbiə/, is a country in West Africa. Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west.

The country is situated around the Gambia River, the nation's namesake, which flows through the country's centre and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Its area is almost 10,500 km² with an estimated population of 1,700,000.

On 18 February 1965, Gambia gained independence from the United Kingdom and joined The Commonwealth. Banjul is Gambia's capital, but the largest conurbations are Serekunda and Brikama.

Gambia shares historical roots with many other west African nations in the slave trade, which was the key factor in the placing and keeping of a colony on the Gambia River, first by the Portuguese and later by the British. Since gaining independence in 1965, Gambia has enjoyed relative political stability, with the exception of a brief period of military rule in 1994.

An agriculturally fertile country, its economy is dominated by farming, fishing, and tourism. About a third of the population lives below the international poverty line of US$1.25 a day.

Gambia - The Shepherds

THE GAMBIA
The Shepherds.

One of the six postcards sent by Abubacarr from Gambia.

Gambia - Biggest Market in Banjul

THE GAMBIA
The biggest market in the capital of Banjul.

One of the six postcards sent by Abubacarr from Gambia.

Gambia - Arch 22

GAMBIA
Arch 22.

One of the six postcards sent by Abubacarr from Gambia.

This is from Wikipedia : Arch 22 is a commemorative arch on the road into Banjul in The Gambia. It was built in 1996 to mark the military coup d'etat which over threw the democratically elected government, and saw the rise to power on 22 July 1994 of President Yahya Jammeh and his Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council.

The arch stands on the Banjul-Serrekunda Highway near to the traffic island which intersects with Box Bar Road, Independence Drive and Marina Parade. A statue of the "unknown soldier" can be seen near the base of the arch. The soldier is carrying a baby in one hand, making the peace sign (V-sign) with the other hand, and has a rifle strapped across his back.

The Arch is depicted on the reverse of the 100 dalasi banknote.

The Arch was designed by Senegalese architect Pierre Goudiaby, who also designed Banjul's Yundum International Airport and the African Renaissance Monument in Dakar, Senegal.

At 35 metres it is one of the tallest structures in The Gambia. The building stands on eight columns and has three floors. Access to the upper floors can be made through several elevators and spiral cases.

The first floor is an intermediate level in the columns. The gallery on the second floor provides an impressive panorama of the city, with the view extending down to the sea port of Banjul and the mangrove forests of Tanbi Wetland Complex. On the top floor is a small textile museum.

Due to doubts about the stability of the construction, the arch is currently closed to traffic.

Gambia - Gambia River

Gambia River, divides Gambia into two parts; North and South.

One of the six postcards sent by Abubacarr from Gambia.

This is from Wikipedia : The Gambia River is a major river in West Africa, running 1,130 kilometres (700 mi) from the Fouta Djallon plateau in north Guinea westward through Senegal and The Gambia to the Atlantic Ocean at the city of Banjul. It is navigable for about half that length.

The river is known largely because of The Gambia, the smallest country in mainland Africa, which consists of little more than the downstream half of the river and its two banks.

From the Fouta Djallon, the river runs northwest into the Tambacounda Region of Senegal, where it flows through the Parc National du Niokolo Koba, then is joined by the Nieri Ko and Koulountou before entering The Gambia at Fatoto. At this point the river runs generally west, but in a meandering course with a number of oxbows, and about 100 km from its mouth it gradually widens, to over 10 km wide where it meets the sea.

Near the mouth of the river, near Juffure, is James Island, a place used in the slave trade which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The aquatic fauna in the Gambia River basin is closely associated with that of the Sénégal River basin, and the two are usually combined under a single ecoregion known as the Senegal-Gambia Catchments. Although the species richness is moderately high, only three species of frogs and one fish are endemic to this ecoregion.

Gambia - Kombo Beach

THE GAMBIA
Kombo Beach Hotel.

One of the six postcards sent by Abubacarr from Gambia.

Barbados

BARBADOS
Bottom Bay on the south east coast.

Sent by Sanjeev from Barbados.

This is from Wikipedia : Barbados (/bɑrˈbeɪdɒs/ or /bɑrˈbeɪdoʊs/) is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is 34 kilometres (21 mi) in length and as much as 23 kilometres (14 mi) in width, amounting to 431 square kilometres (166 sq mi). It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres (62 mi) east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about 168 kilometres (104 mi) east of the islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and 400 kilometres (250 mi) north-east of Trinidad and Tobago. Barbados is outside of the principal Atlantic hurricane belt.

Barbados was initially visited by the Spanish around the late 1400s to early 1500s and first appears on a Spanish map from 1511. The Spanish explorers may have plundered the island of whatever native peoples resided therein to become slaves. Thereafter, the Portuguese in 1536 then visited, but they too left it unclaimed, with their only remnants being an introduction of wild hogs for a good supply of meat whenever the island was visited. The first English ship, the Olive Blossom, arrived in Barbados in 1625. They took possession of it in the name of 'James, King of England'. It became an English and later British colony.

Barbados has an estimated population of 284,589 people, with around 80,000 living in or around Bridgetown, the largest city and the country's capital. In 1966, Barbados became an independent state and Commonwealth realm, retaining Queen Elizabeth II as Head of State. Barbados is one of the Caribbean's leading tourist destinations and is one of the most developed islands in the region, with an HDI number of 0.788. In 2010 Barbados also ranked in the top 3 in The Americas on Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index beating out Chile in 3rd, and coming after Canada in the top spot.

Spain - Salou - Costa Darauda

Salou
COSTA DAURADA.

Sent by Abel, a postcrosser from Salou, Spain.

This is from Wikipedia : The Costa Daurada (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈkɔstə ðəwˈɾaðə], Spanish: Costa Dorada, meaning in English "Golden Coast") is an area on the coast of Catalonia, Spain, between Cunit and the mouth of the Ebro River. It is entirely included in the province of Tarragona.

Netherlands - Traditional Costume

Two Dutch Girls in Costume.

Sent by Marianne, a postcrosser from the Netherlands.

Mali - Malian Girl

v
A Malian girl named Amy, who lives in a small village near the Niger River, where she helped her mom doing laundry.

Sent by Monique from Ségou in Mali.

This is from Wikipedia : Mali, officially the Republic of Mali (French: République du Mali, French pronunciation: [maˈli]), is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with a population of 14.5 million. Its capital is Bamako. Mali consists of eight regions and its borders on the north reach deep into the middle of the Sahara, while the country's southern region, where the majority of inhabitants live, features the Niger and Sénégal rivers. The country's economic structure centers around agriculture and fishing. Some of Mali's natural resources include gold, uranium, and salt.

Present-day Mali was once part of three West African empires that controlled trans-Saharan trade: the Ghana Empire, the Mali Empire (from which Mali is named), and the Songhai Empire. In the late 19th century, during the Scramble for Africa, France seized control of Mali making it a part of French Sudan. French Sudan (then known as the Sudanese Republic) joined with Senegal in 1959, achieving independence in 1960 as the Mali Federation. Shortly thereafter, following Senegal's withdrawal from the federation, the Sudanese Republic declared itself the independent Republic of Mali. After a long period of one-party rule, a 1991 coup led to the writing of a new constitution and the establishment of Mali as a democratic, multi-party state. About half the population live below the international poverty line of US$1.25 a day.

Swaziland - King Mswati III

His Majesty King Mswati III
Kingdom of Switzerland.

Sent by Swaziland Tourism Authority. Thank you very much.

This is from Wikipedia : Mswati III (born Makhosetive Dlamini on April 19, 1968) is the King of Swaziland and head of the Swazi Royal Family. In 1986, he succeeded his father Sobhuza II as ruler of the southern African kingdom. He is generally considered to be one of the last absolute monarchs in the world, as he has the authority to appoint the country's Prime Minister, members of the cabinet, and the judiciary. However, he is bound to a certain degree by Swazi traditions and he does not have the authority to choose his heir.

Mswati III is known for his taste for luxury and his practice of polygamy (although at least two wives are appointed by the state), and has been criticized abroad for pursuing his personal interests at the expense of his country, one of the poorest in the world. In 2001 he attempted to curb the AIDS epidemic by invoking an ancient chastity rite, the umchwasho, that banned women under the age of 18 from sex. Within Swaziland, Mswati is a respected and largely popular figure. However, his policies and opulent lifestyle have also triggered domestic protests and international criticism.

He is one of many sons of king Sobhuza II (who had 70 wives, 210 children and at the time of his death left over 1000 grandchildren) and the only child of Ntombi Tfwala, also known as Inkhosikati LaTfwala, one of the king's younger wives. He was born at the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital, four months before Swaziland attained independence from Britain. When he and his mother were discharged from the hospital they went to live at one of king Sobhuza's residences of Etjeni near Masundwini Palace. His birth name was Makhosetive (King of Nations).

As a young prince, Makhosetive attended Masundwini Primary School and Lozitha Palace School. He sat for the Swaziland Primary Certificate examination in December 1982 at Phondo Royal Residence and got a First Class with merit in Mathematics and English. He developed a great interest in the royal guard, becoming the first young cadet to join the Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Force (USDF).

When king Sobhuza II died in 1982, the Great Council of State (the Liqoqo) selected the 14-year-old prince Makhosetive to be the next king. For the next four years two wives of the late king Sobhuza II, Queen Dzeliwe Shongwe (1982–1983) and Queen Ntombi Tfwala (1983–1986), served as regent while he continued his education in England, attending Sherborne School, before he was called back to take over.

Albania - Tirana

ALBANIA
View from Tirana.

Sent by Sonnie from Tirana, Albania. This is our first stamped postcard from Albania. Very very happy.

This is from Wikipedia : Tirana (Albanian: Tiranë, Tirana or Tirona) is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over 600,000. The city is home to many universities and is the center of the political, economical, and cultural life of the country.

The Municipality of Tirana is located at (41.33°N, 19.82°E) in Tirana District, Tirana County on the river Ishëm, about 32 kilometers (20 mi) inland. Tirana's average altitude is 110 meters (360 ft) above sea level and its highest point measures 1,828 m (5,997.38 ft) at Mali me Gropa. The city is mostly surrounded by hills, with Dajti Mountain on the East and a slight valley opening on the North-West overlooking the Adriatic Sea in the distance. The Tiranë river also runs through the city, whereas the Lanë river is a brook. The city borders the surrounding municipalities of Paskuqan, Dajt, Farkë, Vaqarr, Kashar, and Kamëz. It also contains a total of four artificial lakes: the Tirana Artificial Lake around which was built the Big Park, the Kodër-Kamëz Lake, Farka Lake, and Tufina Lake. Tirana is on the same parallel as Naples, Madrid and Istanbul, and on the same meridian as Budapest and Kraków.

Taiwan - Map of Taiwan

A map of Taiwan.

Sent by Naomi, a postcrosser from Taiwan.

United Kingdom - England - Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City (1)

Greetings from Liverpool.

Sent by Lyn, a postcrosser from Merseyside, England.

The city and port of Liverpool are exceptional testimony to the development of maritime mercantile culture in the 18th and 19th centuries, and played an important role in the growth of the British Empire. Liverpool is an outstanding example of a world mercantile port city, which represents the early development of global trading and cultural connections throughout the British Empire. The city was also a major centre generating innovative technologies and methods in dock construction and port management in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Six areas in the historic centre and docklands of Liverpool bear witness to the development of one of the world's major trading centres in the 18th and 19th centuries, based on its harbour. The first ocean steamship left from Liverpool in 1840; from that date onwards the town became a fundamental link connecting Europe to America. It also became the major port for the mass movement of people: it was a centre for the slave trade until its abolition in 1807, and for emigration from northern Europe to America. Thousands of people from all over Europe gathered here to migrate to the New World.

Liverpool was a pioneer in the development of modern dock technology, transport systems and port management. The listed sites feature a great number of significant commercial, civic and public buildings, including St George's Plateau.

The view of Liverpool's waterfront was once very different from that of today. Where the world-famous riverside now stands was the tidal reach of the Mersey, merging with the Pool from which the town drew its name. The River Mersey is a tidal basin that flows into the Irish Sea and this geographical relationship was the foundation of its emergent overseas trade starting in the days of King John, who granted Liverpool its charter in 1207. The Pool was the safest mooring place for boats, and the borough council petitioned parliament to introduce legislation to build the first commercial wet dock in the world in 1715.

This development of the sea trade led inevitably to the expansion of associated trades such as sail-makers, blacksmiths, riggers and basket-makers. The growth of Liverpool continued dramatically in the 19th century: the population grew from 78,000 in 1801 to 685,000 by 1901. The borough council petitioned for Liverpool to be given city status, which it achieved in 1888, and by the early 20th century it was proclaimed the 'Second City of the Empire'.

After the First World War, Liverpool experienced economic downturn, yet the city council continued to make improvements with the construction of the East Lancashire Road and the Mersey Queensway Tunnel, which in its time was the longest underwater tunnel in the world. Liverpool was bombed more heavily in the Second World War than any other provincial city in Europe and was almost completely devastated. During the war 1,000 convoys entered Liverpool and the city was the headquarters of the battle of the Atlantic from 1941.

Post-war rebuilding took place and by the 1950s Liverpool was once again the second most important port in the empire in terms of the value of its imports and exports and the most important in terms of its passenger figures. In the late 20th century, after a prolonged period of unemployment and decline, the revival of the fortunes of the city lay in the redevelopment of its dock system. The Albert and Wapping Docks were restored as visitor attractions and a retail centre, and the installation of new dock gates at Canning facilitated the Tall Ships and Mersey River Festival in the 1980s and 1990s. It should not be forgotten also that Liverpool was the heart of a musical revolution during the 1960s. (Source)

Japan - E3type

E3type or E3 Series Shinkansen (high speed train).

Sent by Taroh, a postcrosser from Japan.

This is from Wikipedia : The E3 series (E3系?) is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train type built for Komachi services which commenced on 3 June 1997, coinciding with opening of the new Akita Shinkansen 'mini-shinkansen' line, a regular 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow-gauge line between Morioka and Akita upgraded to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) Standard gauge. Later versions of the E3 series were also introduced for use on Yamagata Shinkansen Tsubasa services. Both 'mini-shinkansen' lines join the Tōhoku Shinkansen, providing services south to Tokyo.

Like the 400 Series Shinkansen, these trains are built to a smaller loading gauge than mainline Shinkansen trains—the width and length of each car is reduced to fit on the narrower clearances of the 'mini-shinkansen'.

Czech Republic - Dobříš

Multiviews of Dobříš.

Sent by Jana, a postcrosser from Prague, Czech Republic.

This is from Wikipedia : Dobříš (Czech pronunciation: [ˈdobr̝iːʃ]; German: Doberschisch) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic with about 8,600 inhabitants the second largest town in Příbram District, located 40 km (25 mi) south of Prague. It is part of the Prague metropolitan area.

The settlement on the Golden Path trade route was first mentioned when in 1252 King Wenceslaus I of Bohemia signed a treaty with the Cistercian abbey of Plasy. Temporarily held by the noble House of Rosenberg, King John the Blind had a hunting lodge erected at Dobříš, which received town privileges by his grandson King Wenceslaus IV. It was devastated during the Hussite Wars in 1421.

After the Kingdom of Bohemia had passed to the Habsburg Monarchy, Dobříš was given further city rights by King Ferdinand I in 1543, confirmed by his son and successor Emperor Maximilian II in 1569. Dobříš Castle was acquired by the German House of Mansfeld in 1630, who had it rebuilt in a Rococo style from 1745 onwards. It was inherited by the Austrian Colloredo-Mansfeld dynasty in 1780.

In the nineteenth century the town became associated with the manufacturing of gloves. This industry was first developed by Salamon Abeles. After the World War II, a glove factory (Rukavičkářské závody) was still operating here. In the city centre and near the main road to Prague, there are Bobcat-factories.

Near Dobříš, in Stará Huť, there is a pond where Muskrat were first released in continental Europe.

Spain - A Human Tower (Castell)

La Placa Sant Jaume of Barcelona - Human Tower.

Sent by Luis, a postcrosser from Barcelona, Spain.

This is from UNESCO : Castells are human towers built by members of amateur groups, usually as part of annual festivities in Catalonian towns and cities. The traditional setting is the square in front of the town hall balcony. The human towers are formed by castellers standing on the shoulders of one another in a succession of stages (between six and ten). Each level of the tronc, the name given to the second level upwards, generally comprises two to five heavier built men supporting younger, lighter-weight boys or girls. The pom de dalt – the three uppermost levels of the tower – comprises young children. Anyone is welcome to form the pinya, the throng that supports the base of the tower. Each group can be identified by its costume, particularly the colour of the shirts, while the cummerbund serves to protect the back and is gripped by castellers as they climb up the tower. Before, during and after the performance, musicians play a variety of traditional melodies on a wind instrument known as a gralla, setting the rhythm to which the tower is built. The knowledge required for raising castells is traditionally passed down from generation to generation within a group, and can only be learned by practice.

Martta Wendelin (16)

Martta Wendelin.

Sent by Juho, a postcrosser from Finland.

Finland - Joensuu (1)

Views of Joensuu.

Sent by Helena, a postcrosser from Joensuu, Finland.

This is from Wikipedia : Joensuu (lit. "mouth of the river") is a city and municipality in North Karelia in eastern Finland. It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of North Karelia region. It was founded in 1848. The population of Joensuu is 73,373 (January 31, 2011).

Joensuu is a lively student city with over 15,000 students enrolled at the University of Eastern Finland and a further 4,000 at the North Karelia Technical School.

The largest employers are the municipal City of Joensuu, North Karelian Hospital District Federation of Municipalities, Abloy and Punamusta.

The European Forest Institute, the University and many other institutes and export enterprises such as Abloy and John Deere Forestry give Joensuu an international flavour.

The city of Joensuu, which was founded by the Czar Nicholas I of Russia in 1848, is the regional centre and the capital of North Karelia. During the 19th century Joensuu was a city of manufacture and commerce. When in 1860 the city received dispensation rights to initiate commerce, former restrictions against industry were removed and the local sawmills began to prosper and expand. Water traffic was improved by the building of the Saimaa Canal. Consequently, a lively commerce between the regions of North Karelia, St.Petersburg and Central Europe was enabled. At the end of the 19th century Joensuu was one of the largest harbour cities in Finland.

Throughout the centuries Karelian traders have plied the Pielisjoki River. The river has always been the lively heart of the city. Canals – completed by 1870 – increased the river traffic. Thousands of steamboats, barges and logging boats sailed along the river during the golden age of river traffic. The Pielisjoki River has also been an important log raft route, providing wood for the sawmills and for the entire lumber industry.

During the last few decades, the formerly modest agrarian town has developed into a vital center of the province. Success in regional annexations, the establishment of the province of Karelia and investments in education have been the most decisive actions in this development.

Municipality of Pielisensuu was consolidated with Joensuu in 1954. At the beginning of 2005, the municipalities of Kiihtelysvaara and Tuupovaara were consolidated with Joensuu. At the beginning of 2009 the municipalities of Eno and Pyhäselkä were consolidated with Joensuu. After the most resent consolidations, there are approximately 72,000 inhabitants in the Joensuu municipal area.

The University of Joensuu has, in twenty-five years, expanded to eight faculties. The University of Joensuu is one of the mainstays for the vitality of the city and so for all North Karelia. Diversified international cooperation in science, industry and commerce benefits the whole region.

The proximity of the eastern border has been an important factor in the history of the city. The Republic of Karelia is once again a significant area for cooperation with nearby regions in Russia. Export companies in Joensuu continue the pre-revolutionary traditions in foreign trade.

Joensuu offers varied cultural activities. A series of events – Ilosaarirock festival, Joensuu Music Winter, Festival of Visual Culture Viscult, Gospel festivals – and the unspoilt environment increase the attractiveness of the city.

Joensuu is sometimes referred to as the Forest Capital of Europe, mainly due to the fact that the European Forest Institute is based there. Other forestry research and educational facilities are also based in Joensuu.

Netherlands - Johannes Vermeer

Johannes Vermeer's Masterpieces : The Milkmaid (c. 1658), Street in Delft (c. 1657-8) and Girl With a Pearl Earring (c. 1665).

Sent by Bertie, a postcrosser from the Netherlands.

This is from Wikipedia : Johannes, Jan or Johan Vermeer (Dutch pronunciation: [joˈhɑnəs jɑn ʋərˈmeːr]; baptized in Delft on 31 October 1632 as Joannis, and buried in the same city under the name Jan on 15 December 1675) was a Dutch painter who specialized in exquisite, domestic interior scenes of middle class life. Vermeer was a moderately successful provincial genre painter in his lifetime. He seems never to have been particularly wealthy, leaving his wife and children in debt at his death, perhaps because he produced relatively few paintings.

Vermeer worked slowly and with great care, using bright colours and sometimes expensive pigments, with a preference for cornflower blue and yellow. He is particularly renowned for his masterly treatment and use of light in his work.

Vermeer painted mostly domestic interior scenes. As Koning points out: "Almost all his paintings are apparently set in two smallish rooms in his house in Delft; they show the same furniture and decorations in various arrangements and they often portray the same people, mostly women".

Recognized during his lifetime in Delft and The Hague, his modest celebrity gave way to obscurity after his death; he was barely mentioned in Arnold Houbraken's major source book on 17th century Dutch painting (Grand Theatre of Dutch Painters and Women Artists), and was thus omitted from subsequent surveys of Dutch art for nearly two centuries. In the 19th century Vermeer was rediscovered by Gustav Friedrich Waagen and Théophile Thoré-Bürger, who published an essay attributing sixty-six pictures to him, although only thirty-four paintings are universally attributed to him today. Since that time Vermeer's reputation has grown, and he is now acknowledged as one of the greatest painters of the Dutch Golden Age.

South Korea - The Royal Court Clothes

The royal court clothes.

Sent from Seoul by Kim of Taiwan.

This is from Wikipedia : Hanbok (South Korea) or Chosŏn-ot (North Korea) is the traditional Korean dress. It is often characterized by vibrant colors and simple lines without pockets. Although the term literally means "Korean clothing", hanbok today often refers specifically to hanbok of Joseon Dynasty and is worn as semi-formal or formal wear during traditional festivals and celebrations. Modern hanbok does not exactly follow the actual style as worn in Joseon dynasty since it went through some major changes during the 20th century for practical reasons.

Throughout history, Korea had a dual clothing tradition, in which rulers and aristocrats adopted different kinds of mixed foreign-influenced indigenous styles, while the commoners continued to use a distinct style of indigenous clothing that today is known as Hanbok.

Finland - Seinäjoki

Views of Seinäjoki.

Sent by Sari, a postcrosser from Seinäjoki, Finland.

This is from Wikipedia : Seinäjoki is a city located in Southern Ostrobothnia, Finland. Seinäjoki originated around the Östermyra bruk iron and gunpowder factories founded in 1798. Seinäjoki became a municipality in 1868, market town in 1931 and town in 1960. In the beginning of 2009, the neighbouring municipalities of Nurmo and Ylistaro were consolidated with Seinäjoki.

The Town library, Lakeuden Risti church and central administrative buildings are designed by Alvar Aalto.

The asteroid 1521 Seinäjoki bears the town's name.

Seinäjoki was historically called Östermyra in Swedish. Today this name is very seldom used even among the Swedish speakers.

Seinäjoki Airport is located in the neighbouring municipality of Ilmajoki, 11 kilometres (10 mi) south of Seinäjoki city centre.

The settlement spread in the area of the present Seinäjoki during the first half of the 16th century. During the 1550s there is said to have been three houses in Seinäjoki, Marttila, Jouppi and Uppa houses. House of Jouppila, which separated from the house of Jouppi, was established during the same century. All of the houses were located on the shore of the river.

Seinäjoki belonged to the church parish of Ilmajoki like Kurikka, Kauhajoki, Jalasjärvi and Alavus. However, in the 18th century the roads from Seinäjoki to the Church of Ilmajoki were usually in poor condition. Therefore, the inhabitants of Seinäjoki and neighbouring Nurmo built together a new chapel in 1725 which in 1765 led to the formation of the chapel town of Nurmo. Seinäjoki, which after the Greater Wrath was called Alaseinäjoki, became a part of the chapel town. The chapel parish of Peräseinäjoki was founded in 1798, and the village of Alaseinäjoki was started to be called Seinäjoki again. The very same year, Östermyra steel mill was founded on the shore of Seinäjoki-river.

In the 1850s the actions to separate Seinäjoki from the church parish of Nurmo began. Ilmajoki wanted to connect Seinäjoki back to its own parish. In spite of the hard opposition of the inhabitants of Nurmo, the Senate of Finland accepted the petition from the inhabitants of Seinäjoki in 1863, to form an own chapel congregation. Seinäjoki got an independent local government in 1868. In 1900 Seinäjoki became an independent municipality.

Seinäjoki has grown around few important railroad crossings. Tampere – Vaasa railway which goes through Seinäjoki was inaugurated in 1883. The track, with the Kokkola track that has been opened for rail service in 1885, alongside the Kristiinankaupunki track which had been completed in 1913 raised Seinäjoki as an important railway crossing section in Finland. In the early 1970s the direct railway opened from Tampere to Seinäjoki and the services of Seinäjoki improved further.

After the Winter War and Continuation War some refugees from Jaakkima and Lumivaara were resettled to Seinäjoki.

Canada - Alberta - Calgary Stampede (2)

Chuckwagons may have been invented to provide food and supplies for cowboys out on the range, but here at the Calgary Stampede they serve a different and more exciting purpose. The chucks and their crews barrel around the track in a nail-biting competition, making chuckwagon racing the signature event at the stampede.

Sent by Merideth, a postcrosser from Alberta, Canada.

USA - Nebraska - Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park

BUFFALO BILL RANCH STATE HISTORICAL PARK
NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA
In 1886 Cody contracted Patrick Walsh to build two-story, nine room house at a cost of $3,900. In 1909 the Cody's remodeled the house, adding nine rooms, electric lights, indoor plumbing and a furnace. Cody entertained friends from all across America at his ranch house.

Sent by Cherie, a WiP partner from USA.

This is from Wikipedia : Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park, also known as Scout's Rest Ranch, is a living history park located west of North Platte, Nebraska.

The property includes a home owned by Buffalo Bill, as well as many other historical exhibits. The park can be found along U.S. Route 30 two miles west of North Platte.

It includes a Second Empire architecture building built in 1886. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

During flooding on the Platte River in the summer of 2011 it was closed, the exhibits moved and berms were built around the buildings. The flooding came close to the compound but was not as severe as expected.

Portugal - Madeira - Porto Santo Island

Multiviews of Porto Santo Island.

Sent by Seninho from Porto Santo Island.

This is from Wikipedia : Porto Santo Island (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpoɾtu ˈsɐ̃tu]) is a Portuguese island 43 kilometres (27 mi) northeast of Madeira Island in the North Atlantic Ocean; it is the northernmost and easternmost island of the archipelago of Madeira, located in the Atlantic Ocean west of Europe and Africa.

Porto Santo was officially discovered and recognized by the crown of Portugal in 1418, after captains in the service of the Infante D. Henrique came across the island and its sheltered anchorage. João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira had been ordered (by King John I) to discover new territory west of Africa, and had been sent off-course by a storm. The island's name Porto Santo (English: Holy Harbour) was derived from the sailors' stories of their discovery of a sheltered bay during the tempest, which was seen as divine deliverance.

Bartolomeu Perestrelo, a third member of the team that later explored the islands of the Madeira, became the first Captain-donatorio of Porto Santo, by royal award in November 1445.

During the first centuries of settlement, life on Porto Santo was harsh, owing to the scarcity of potable water and constant attacks by Barbary Coast pirates and French privateers.

The famous explorer Christopher Columbus married Bartolomeu Perestrelo's daughter, and for a while lived on Porto Santo.