U.S.A. - Pennsylvania - State Capitol Building

Harrisburg was incorporated as a borough in 1791. Located along the Susquehanna River, Harrisburg was chosen as the state capital in 1812.

Sent by Jaime from Pennsylvania, USA.

The Pennsylvania State Capitol is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is in downtown Harrisburg. It was designed in 1902 in a Beaux-Arts style with Renaissance themes throughout. The capitol houses the chambers for the Pennsylvania General Assembly, made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the Harrisburg chambers for the Supreme and Superior Courts of Pennsylvania, as well as the offices of the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor. It is also the main building of thePennsylvania State Capitol Complex.

The seat of government for the state was originally in Philadelphia, then was relocated to Lancaster in 1799 and finally to Harrisburg in 1812. The current capitol, known as the Huston Capitol, is the third state capitol building to be built in Harrisburg. The first, the Hills Capitol, was destroyed in 1897 by a fire and the second, the Cobb Capitol, was left unfinished when funding was discontinued in 1899.

Joseph Miller Huston designed the current capitol, dedicated in 1906. After its completion, the capitol project was the subject of agraft scandal. The construction and subsequent furnishing cost three times more than the General Assembly had appropriated for the project. Huston and four others were convicted of graft in relation to costs of the total project.

The capitol is often referred to as a "palace of art" because of its many sculptures, murals and stained-glass windows, most of which use Pennsylvania themes or were made by Pennsylvanians. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Starting in 1982, the restoration of the capitol has been ongoing. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006; the boundaries were expanded to include the Capitol Complex in 2013 with the capitol a contributing property. (Source)

U.S.A. - Pennsylvania - Harrisburg

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Sent by Jaime from Pennsylvania, USA.

Harrisburg is the capital city of Pennsylvania. As of 2011, the city had a population of 49,673, making it the ninth-largest city in Pennsylvania. Harrisburg is also the county seat of Dauphin County and lies on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, 105 miles (169 km) west-northwest of Philadelphia.

The Harrisburg-Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Dauphin, Cumberland, and Perry counties, had a population of 509,074 in 2000 and grew to 549,850 in 2010. A July 1, 2007 estimate placed the population at 528,892, making it the fifth largest Metropolitan Statistical Area in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown−Bethlehem−Easton (the Lehigh Valley), and Scranton−Wilkes Barre. The Harrisburg-Carlisle-Lebanon Combined Statistical Area, including both the Harrisburg-Carlisle and Lebanon Metropolitan Statistical Areas, had an estimated population of 656,781 in 2007 and was the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the state.

Harrisburg played a notable role in American history during the Westward Migration, the American Civil War, and the Industrial Revolution. During part of the 19th century, the building of the Pennsylvania Canal and later the Pennsylvania Railroad allowed Harrisburg to become one of the most industrialized cities in the Northeastern United States. The U.S. Navy ship USS Harrisburg, which served from 1918 to 1919 at the end of World War I, was named in honor of the city.

In the mid-to-late 20th century, the city's economic fortunes fluctuated with its major industries consisting of government, heavy manufacturing including the production of steel, agriculture (the greater Harrisburg area is at the heart of the fertile Pennsylvania Dutch Country), and food services (nearby Hershey is home of the chocolate maker, located just 10 miles east of Harrisburg). In 1981, following contractions in the steel and dairy industries, Harrisburg was declared the second most distressed city in the nation. The city subsequently experienced a resurgence under its former mayor Stephen R. Reed, with nearly $3 billion in new investment realized during his lengthy tenure.(read further)

Road Trains

Roadtrains Australia

Sent by Jenny, a postcrosser from Victoria, Australia.

Bicycle (45)

Sent by Paulina, a postcrosser from Finland.

India - Rajasthan

Rajasthan

Sent by Vidya, a postcrosser from India.

U.S.A. - California - State Capitol Building (2)

STATE CAPITOL AND FOUNTAIN
- SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
Amid botanical specimens brought from all over the world, the fountain forms a scenic setting for California's State Capitol Building.

Sent by Eugene, a postcrosser from California, USA.

Cambodia - Phnom Penh

The humble cyclo, a bicycle rickshaw, is operated by some of the poorest yet hardest working drivers in Cambodia.

Sent by Elma from Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Phnom Penh (/pəˈnɔːm ˈpɛn/ or /ˈnɒm ˈpɛn/; Khmer pronunciation: [pnum pɨɲ]) is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since French colonization of Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security, politics, cultural heritage, and diplomacy of Cambodia.

Once known as the "Pearl of Asia," it was considered one of the loveliest French-built cities in Indochina in the 1920s. Phnom Penh, along with Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, are significant global and domestic tourist destinations for Cambodia. Founded in 1434, the city is noted for its beautiful and historical architecture and attractions. There are a number of surviving French colonial buildings scattered along the grand boulevards.

Situated on the banks of the Tonlé Sap, Mekong and Bassac rivers, the Phnom Penh metropolitan area is home to about 2.2 million of Cambodia's population of over 14.8 million, up from about 1.9 million in 2008. The city is the wealthiest and most populous city in Cambodia and is the country's political hub. (read further)

U.S.A. - Georgia - Mapcard

Map of Georgia.

Sent by Kristenita from Atlanta, USA.

Georgia (/ˈdʒɔrdʒə/ jor-juh) is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. Named after King George II of Great Britain, Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788. It declared its secession from the Union on January 19, 1861, and was one of the original seven Confederate states. It was the last state to be restored to the Union, on July 15, 1870. Georgia is the 24th most extensive and the 8th most populous of the 50 United States. From 2007 to 2008, 14 of Georgia's counties ranked among the nation's 100 fastest-growing, second only to Texas. Georgia is known as the Peach State and the Empire State of the South. Atlanta is the state's capital and its most populous city.

Georgia is bordered on the south by Florida; on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and South Carolina; on the west by Alabama; and on the north by Tennessee and North Carolina. The northern part of the state is in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a mountain range in the Appalachian Mountain system. The central Piedmont extends from the foothills to the fall line, where the rivers cascade down in elevation to the continental coastal plain of the southern part of the state. The highest point in Georgia is Brasstown Bald, 4,784 feet (1,458 m); the lowest point is the Atlantic Ocean. Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi River in land area, although it is the fourth largest (after Michigan, Florida, and Wisconsin) in total area, including expanses of water that are part of state territory. (read further)

Malaysia - Perak Darul Ridzuan - Pangkor Island (2)

Teluk Ketapang Beach
Pangkor Island, Malaysia.

I mailed this postcard from Post Office of Pangkor Island on 27th June during my business trip on that island.

Malaysia - Perak Darul Ridzuan - Pangkor Island (1)

Some beautiful beaches of Pulau Pangkor.
1. Emerald Bay on the west of the Pangkor Laut Island.
2. An isolated streatch of beach on the south-western coast of Pangkor Laut Island.
3. Telok Belanga on the west coast of Pangkor Island.
4. Deep sea trawlers are a familiar sight in Pangkor.

I mailed this postcard from Post Office of Pangkor Island on 27 June during my business trip on that island.

Pulau Pangkor is an island off the coast of Perak in north-west peninsular Malaysia, reached by ferry either from the old jetty or from Marina Island jetty both located in Lumut (a small coastal town that links to Ipoh through Sitiawan). It has a land area of only 8 square kilometers, and a population of approximately 25,000 islanders. It is heavily promoted as a low-key tourist destination by the Malaysian government, but fishing and fish products remain major industries. (read further)

Malaysia - Kedah Darul Aman

Traditional architecture in Malaysia varies from state to state. Pictured is a village headman's exquisitely crafted home from the northern state of Kedah.

I mailed this postcard on 28 June from my parents' hometown in Serdang, Kedah Darul Aman.

Kedah (also known by its honorific, Darul Aman, or "Abode of Peace") is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice. Langkawi is an archipelago of islands, most of which are uninhabited. Kedah was called Kadaram (Tamil:காடாரம்) by Tamil people and Syburi (Thai: ไทรบุรี; RTGS: Sai Buri) by the Siamese when it was under their influence.

Kedah borders the state of Perlis and shares an international boundary with the Songkhla and Yala provinces of Thailand to the north. It also borders the state of Perak to the south and Penang to the southwest.

The state's capital is Alor Setar and the royal seat is in Anak Bukit. Other major towns include Sungai Petani, and Kulim on the mainland, and Kuah on Langkawi. (read further)

Brownies

Sent by Diana, a postcrosser from Ukraine.

Bicycle (44)

Sent by Hanneke, a postcrosser from the Netherlands.

Germany - Berlin (4)

BERLIN

Sent by Leila, a postcrosser from Berlin, Germany.

Guatemala - Tikal National Park (2)

GUATEMALA
Tikal, Templo II

Sent by Astrid from Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.

Australia - Victoria - Melbourne Aquarium

left : Common Seadragon Phyllopteryx taeniolatus
right : Leafy Seadragon Phycodurus eques

Sent by Elizabeth, a postcrosser from Australia.

Melbourne Aquarium is a Southern Ocean and Antarctic aquarium in central Melbourne, Australia. It is located on the banks of the Yarra River beside and under the Flinders Street Viaduct and the King Street Bridge.

Built between February 1998 and December 1999, the building was designed by Peddle Thorp architects to resemble a ship moored to the river, and opened in January 2000. The depth of the building however was designed not to be imposing at street level, and extends 7 metres (23 ft) below the surface. At its centre is a world first 2,200,000-litre (580,000 US gal) 'oceanarium in the round' where the spectators become the spectacle to the marine life swimming around them.

Soon after opening, the building had a legionnaires disease outbreak that resulted in 2 deaths and another 60 people being affected. Those affected had visited the aquarium between 11 and 27 April 2000. A damages action was brought in May 2000, ending in February 2004.

The Melbourne Aquarium recently underwent a significant expansion, also designed by Peddle Thorp, and now extends from the Yarra River to Flinders Street. A new entrance was built on the corner of Flinders and King Streets. The expansion features exhibits with king penguins and gentoo penguins, as well as many other Antarctic fish, a first for Australia. The exhibits also feature real ice and snow to simulate Antarctic conditions, and take visitors on an expedition to Antarctica. The penguins were sourced from Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World in New Zealand. (Source)

Canada - British Columbia - Mapcard

BEAUTIFUL BRITISH COLUMBIA
Canada
BC, with its varied landscape, is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Mighty rivers and ocean shoreline, fishing lakes, and sandy beacghes, wildflowers and old-growth forests, comprise the 952,263 square kilometres of "Beautiful" British Columbia.

Sent by Tam, a postcrosser from Kitimat,Canada.

Bicycle (43)

Sent by Jurgita, a postcrosser from Vilnius, Lithuania.

U.S.A. - Alabama - Mapcard

ALABAMA
The Cotton State

Sent by Lee from Montgomer, Alabama, USA.

Russia - Republic of Tatarstan - National Museum

The National Museum of The Republic of Tatarstan.

Sent by Lena, a postcrosser from Russia.

The National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan (NM RT) is the largest museum in Tatarstan. It was founded as a Kazan Town Scientific and Industrial Museum in 1894 and opened on April 5, 1895. The basis of the museum is a private collection of 40 thousandth items of Andrei Fedorovich Likhachev (1832-90), a well-known regional archaeologist, numismatist, collector also the exhibits of scientific and industrial exhibition in 1890. Well-known scientists of Kazan University stood at the roots of the establishment of the museum and of the museum's collections formation, such as: A.A. Stuckenberg, N.P. Zagoskin, P.I. Krotov, N.F. Vysotsky, N.F. Catania and others. The museum occupies the former building of Gostinniy dvor (guest house), a monument of architecture and history of Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan. (read further)

Spain - Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe

GUADALUPE
Facade of The Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe.

Sent by Marzar from Mérida, Spain.

The Monastery of Guadalupe, an ensemble of religious architecture spanning four centuries, symbolizes two significant events in world history that both occurred in the same year, 1492: the final expulsion of the Muslim power from the Iberian Peninsula and the discovery of America by Columbus. Its famous image of the Virgin also became the pre-eminent symbol of the Christianization of the New World.

The Monastery, the principal of the Order of St Jerome, played a very influential role in the history of Spain, being associated by the crown with important events, notably by the Catholic Kings (Los Reyes Católicos ) with the conquest of Granada and the discovery of America in 1492. The Monastery was, and remains a centre of pilgrimage. It was a cultural centre of the highest order: its hospitals and its medical school were renowned, as was its scriptorium and its library, containing a very rich collection of documents. Many famous artists were attracted to Guadalupe, including Juan de Sevilla, Francisco de Zurbarán, Vicente Carducho, and Luca Giordano. The harmony between the buildings and the works of art that it contains confers an outstanding value upon the ensemble. The site is one of great beauty, overlooking a valley surrounded by high mountains, notably the Villuercas, and containing abundant vegetation.

At at the end of the13th century a Cáceres shepherd discovered close to the River Guadalupe a statue of the Virgin Mary that had been buried by Christians from Seville around 714 when fleeing before the Moorish invaders. The shepherd built a chapel to house the statue. A few years later it became a church, enlarged in 1337 by command of Alfonso XI, who visited it on several occasions. This king invoked the protection of Our Lady of Guadalupe for the battle of Salado in 1340 and, following his victory, declared the church a royal sanctuary, founding a secular priory there. For 447 years under the Hieronimite Order the monastery was the most important in Spain and one of the most famous in Christendom. In 1835 the order passed responsibility to the Archdiocese of Toledo, which handed it over to the Franciscan order in 1908.

The ensemble of the monastery of Guadalupe comprises the following main buildings:

• the main Gothic Church or Templo Major has a notable facade with its doors ornamented and finely wrought bronze plaques. The interior has three naves with fine ornamented vaulting, tombs and altars;
• the Sacristy, built between 1638 and 1647, and exuberantly decorated, is best known for the series of paintings by Zurbarán on its walls;
• the Chapel of Santa Catalina, constructed in the 15th century, links the Sacristy with the Reliquaries Chapel. It has an octagonal cupola lit by a lantern and contains outstanding 17th century tombs;
• the Reliquaries Chapel is an octagonal-plan edifice built at the end of the16th century. The lower part houses many elaborate reliquaries and other works of art in its arcaded alcoves;
• the Camarín de la Virgen is a small octagonal building of 1687-96, situated behind the presbytery of the basilica, in highly decorated Baroque style. In the upper storey, the 'Chamber of the Virgen' proper, the vaults a decorated in plaster and stucco and the walls covered with paintings, among them nine by Luca Giordano. It houses the famous statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe, on a magnificently ornamented throne;
• the Mudejar cloister, built between 1389 and 1405, is situated to the north of the main church and is constructed in brick, in the Mudejar tradition, and painted in white and red. The small chapel in the centre dates from 1405, and there is an impressive portal of 1520-24 in Plateresque style;
• the Gothic cloister dates from 1531-33 and has galleries on three sides; there are three tiers of arches. As it belongs to the hospice of the monastery it does not contain any important works of art;
• the New Church: one of the descendants of Columbus, with a special affection for the monastery, promoted the construction of this building in 1730-35, in modified Baroque style with three naves. (Source)

Italy - Rome - St. Angelo's Castle

ROME
St. Angelo's Castle

Sent by Agostino, a postcrosser from Civitavecchia, Italy.

The Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as Castel Sant'Angelo (English: Castle of the Holy Angel), is a towering cylindrical building in Parco Adriano, Rome, Italy. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The building was later used by the popes as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum. The Castel was once the tallest building in Rome. (read further)

U.S.A. - Alaska - Kobuk Valley National Park

ALASKA
Base of a white spruce in midnight sun, Little Kobuk Sand Dunes, Kobuk Valley National Park.

Sent by Bernadette, a postcrosser from New Jersey, USA.

Kobuk Valley National Park is in northwestern Alaska 25 miles (40 km) north of the Arctic Circle. It was designated a United States National Park in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. It is noted for the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes and caribou migration routes. The park offers backcountry camping, hiking, backpacking, and dog sledding. There are no designated trails or roads in the park, which at 1,750,716 acres (2,735.49 sq mi; 7,084.90 km²), is approximately the size of the state of Delaware. The park is entirely above the Arctic Circle.
No roads lead to the park. It is reachable by foot, dogsled, snowmobile, and chartered air taxis from Nome and Kotzebue year-round. The park is one of the least visited in the National Park System. (read further)