Luxembourg - Grand Ducal Palace

1. Soldat gardant l'entrée du Palais
2. Palais Grand-Ducal
3. Palais

Sent by Jean-Marc from Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.

The Grand Ducal Palace (Luxembourgish: Groussherzogleche Palais, French: Palais grand-ducal, German: Großherzogliches Palais) is a palace in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg. It is the official residence of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and where he performs most of his duties as head of state of the Grand Duchy. (read further)

France - Auvergne - 15 Cantal

Auvergne, Cantal.

Sent by Isabelle from Cantal, France. 

Cantal (French pronunciation: ​[kɑ̃.tal]; Occitan: Cantal, Cantau, Chantal, Chantau) is a department in south-central France. It is named after the Cantal mountain range, a group of extinct, eroded volcanic peaks, which covers much of the department. Residents are known as Cantaliens or Cantalous (Occitan language).

Cantal is part of the current region of Auvergne. It borders the departments of Puy-de-Dôme, Haute-Loire, Aveyron, Lot, Lozère, and Corrèze. Its principal towns are Aurillac, Saint-Flour, and Mauriac. The highest point in Cantal is Le Plomb du Cantal at 1858 metres. (read further)

Pitcairn Islands

Pitcairn Islands
* Bounty Bay
* Down Rope
* Ms. T

Sent by Pitcairn Islands Philately (PIP). This is our second arrangement with PIP. We'll be doing another order with them in early June. If you can offer us something that we cannot resist, please contact us, and a postcard sent postmarked from Pitcairn Islands is yours.

Russia - Kamchatka Krai

Heliolaters

Sent by Olesya from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia.

Republic of the Congo - Brazaville - Mémorial Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza

Thanks to Tian Zi Yi of China for arranging it to be sent from Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo.

Pietro Paolo Savorgnan di Brazzà, then known as Pierre Paul François Camille Savorgnan de Brazza (26 January 1852 - 14 September 1905), was an Italian explorer, born in the Papal States and later naturalized as a Frenchman. With the backing of the Société de Géographie de Paris, he opened up for France entry along the right bank of the Congo that eventually led to French colonies in Central Africa. His easy manner and great physical charm, as well as his pacific approach among Africans, were his trademarks. Under French colonial rule, the capital of the Republic of the Congo was named Brazzaville after him and the name was retained by the post-colonial rulers. (read further)

Armenia - Yerevan

ARMENIA
Yerevan and Ararat Mountain (5165 m).

Sent by Arsen from Yerevan, Armenia.

Yerevan (Armenian: Երևան [jɛɾɛˈvɑn]) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country. It has been the capital since 1918, the thirteenth in the history of Armenia.

The history of Yerevan dates back to the 8th century BC, with the founding of the fortress of Erebuni in 782 BC by king Argishti I at the western extreme of the Ararat plain. Erebuni was "designed as a great administrative and religious centre, a fully royal capital." After World War I, Yerevan became the capital of the First Republic of Armenia as thousands of survivors of the Armenian Genocide settled in the area. The city expanded rapidly during the 20th century as Armenia became part of the Soviet Union. In a few decades, Yerevan was transformed from a provincial town within the Russian Empire, to Armenia's principal cultural, artistic, and industrial center, as well as becoming the seat of national government. (read further)

France - Auvergne - 3 Allier - Montluçon

Montluçon (Allier)

Cité Médiévale

L'Hôtel de Ville

L'Église Saint-Paul

Sent by Céline from Montluçon, France.

Montluçon (French: [mɔ̃.ly.sɔ̃] ; Occitan: Montluçon) is a commune in central France on the Cher river. It is the largest commune in the Allier department, although the department's préfecture is located in the smaller town of Moulins. Its inhabitants are known as Montluçonnais. The town is in the traditional province of Bourbonnais and was part of the mediaeval duchy of Bourbon. (read further)

Myanmar - Yangon - Karaweik Hall

An unforgettable scenery of Karaweik Hall, Yangon, Myanmar.

Sent by Thitar from Yangon, Myanmar.

Karaweik or Karaweik Hall is a palace on the eastern shore of Kandawgyi Lake, Yangon, Burma. The barge was designed by Burmese architect U Ngwe Hlaing, who based it on the Pyigyimon royal barge. Construction began in June 1972 and it was finished in October 1974. The barge is a two-storied construction of concerete and stucco, reinforced by iron rods, with a pyatthat-topped roof, and two reception halls and a conference room. It houses a buffet restaurant today. (Source)

Mexico - Pyramid of the Sun

Pyramid of the Sun
Teotihuacan, Estado de Mexico, Mexico.

Sent by Cynthia from Mexico City, Mexico.

The Pyramid of the Sun is the largest building in Teotihuacan and one of the largest in Mesoamerica. Found along the Avenue of the Dead, in between the Pyramid of the Moon and the Ciudadela, and in the shadow of the massive mountain Cerro Gordo, the pyramid is part of a large complex in the heart of the city. (read further)

U.S.A. - New Jersey - State Capitol

TRENTON, NEW JERSEY
Located in the cultural Delaware River region, this New Jersey State Capitol, is the second oldest state capitol in continuous use.  Trenton was the site where George Washington attacked the Hessians on Christmas Day.  The Trent House, the Old Barracks, the State Museum / Planetarium and the State House stand as reminders of the historic significance of this town.

Sent by Pany from Trenton, USA.

The New Jersey State House is located in Trenton and is the capitol building for the U.S. state of New Jersey. Built in 1790, it is the second-oldest state house in continuous legislative use in the United States; only the After the Maryland State Capitol in Annapolis is older. The building is currently home to both chambers of the New Jersey Legislature (the New Jersey Senate and the New Jersey General Assembly), as well as offices for the Governor of New Jersey, Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey and several state government departments. (read further)

Indonesia - North Sumatera - Batak Traditional House

Batak Traditional House - Samosir Island Toba Lake (North Sumatera).

Sent by Jeri from Medan, Indonesia.

Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia. The term is used to include the Alas, Kluet, Singkil, Karo, Pakpak, Simalungun, Toba, Angkola, and Mandailing which are distinct but related groups with distinct, albeit related, languages and customs (adat).

In North Sumatra, Toba people typically assert their identity as 'Batak', while other 'Bataks' may explicitly reject that label, preferring instead to identify as specifically 'Simalungun', 'Karo', etc. (read further)

Kenya - Nairobi (2)

NAIROBI - KENYA

Sent by Simon from Nairobi, Kenya.

France - Lorraine - 54 Meurthe-et-Moselle - Place Stanislas, Place de la Carrière and Place d'Alliance in Nancy

LORRAINE
NANCY (Meurthe-et-Moselle)
Stanislas Square

Sent by Juliette from Nancy, France.

Nancy, the temporary residence of a king without a kingdom – Stanislas Leszczynski, later to become Duke of Lorraine – is paradoxically the oldest and most typical example of a modern capital where an enlightened monarch proved to be sensitive to the needs of the public. Built between 1752 and 1756 by a brilliant team led by the architect Héré, this was a carefully conceived project that succeeded in creating a capital that not only enhanced the sovereign's prestige but was also functional. (read further)

Mexico - Guadalajara

Guadalajara - MEXICO
FIESTA IN GUADALAJARA - During "fiesta" nights, the cathedral, finished and consecrated in 1968, is adorned by fireworks.

Sent by Juan from Guadalajara, Mexico.

Guadalajara (/ˌɡwɑːdələˈhɑrə/, Spanish pronunciation: [ɡwaðalaˈxaɾa]) is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality. The Guadalajara Metropolitan Area includes seven adjacent municipalities with a reported population of 4,328,584 in 2009, making it the second most populous metropolitan area in Mexico, behind Mexico City. The municipality is the second most densely populated one in Mexico; the first being Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl in State of Mexico. (read further)

United Arab Emirates - Fujairah Fort

UAE - Fujairah Fort at Bithmah Oasis

Sent by Ritz from Fujairah, UAE.

Fujairah Fort, built in 1670, was badly damaged in the early 20-th century. Considered the oldest fort in the UAE, it has served as a defensive building and a home for the ruling family. The Fujairah Fort is a mud brick structure with three major sections, several halls, one square tower and two round towers. The fort has been renovated and restored to its former glory. For many centuries it was the only stone building along the Fujairah coast. Located on a hill at the edge of date gardens.
One of the milestones in the building's history was a two-year occupation by Wahabbists, from 1808 to 1810. They took possession of the fort, as well as others along the Eastern Coast, until local tribes won it back. The British bombarded the fort in 1925 during a confrontation wit the Ruler of Fujairah and the towers facing the sea were severely damaged. It was the last time when British gunboats opened fire in the Gulf of Oman. (Source)

France - Aquitaine - 33 Gironde - Bordeaux

BORDEAUX (Gironde)

Sent by Lucie from Bordeaux, France.

Bordeaux (French pronunciation: ​[bɔʁˈdo]; Gascon: Bordèu; Basque: Bordele) is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.

The city of Bordeaux, with a population of 239,157 inhabitants in 2010, is the ninth largest city in France; its metropolitan area (aire urbaine) is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 1,127,776. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture of the Gironde department. Its inhabitants are called "Bordelais" (for men) or "Bordelaises" (women). The term "Bordelais" may also refer to the city and its surrounding region.

The city's nicknames are "La perle d'Aquitaine" (The Pearl of Aquitaine), and "La Belle Endormie" (Sleeping Beauty) in reference to the old center which had black walls due to pollution. Nowadays, this is not the case. In fact, a part of the city, Le Port de La Lune, was almost completely renovated.

Bordeaux is the world's major wine industry capital. It is home to the world's main wine fair, Vinexpo (fr), while the wine economy in the metro area takes in 14.5 billion euros each year. Bordeaux wine has been produced in the region since the 8th century. The historic part of the city is on the UNESCO World Heritage List as "an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble" of the 18th century. (Source)

The Bahamas (3)

Hugs & Kisses from ...
The Bahamas

Sent by ashcan0 from The Bahamas. Thank you very much.

U.S.A. - Alaska - Juneau (2)

JUNEAU
Alaska
The aerial tramway, running from Juneau's cruise ship dock to a level platform on Mt. Roberts, takes people 1,750 feet up the mountain for a magnificent view of downtown Juneau, the Inside Passage and the Gastineau Channel.

Sent by Scott from Juneau, Alaska.

Russia - Jewish Autonomous Oblast - Birobidzhan

Views of Birobidzhan.

Sent by Natalia from Birobidzhan,  Russia.

Birobidzhan (Russian: Биробиджан, IPA: [bʲɪrəbʲɪˈdʐan]; Yiddish: ביראָבידזשאַן) is a town and the administrative center of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia, located on the Trans-Siberian Railway, close to the border with China. Population: 75,413 (2010 Census); 77,250 (2002 Census); 83,667 (1989 Census).
The town is named after the two largest rivers in the autonomous oblast: the Bira and the Bidzhan, although only the Bira flows through the town, which lies to the east of the Bidzhan Valley. Both rivers are tributaries of the Amur. (read further)

Russia - Murmansk Oblast - Murmansk

Aurora Borealis in Murmansk.

Sent by Mashe from Murmansk, Russia.

Murmansk (Russian: Му́рманск; Kildin Sami: Мурман ланнҍ; Northern Sami: Murmánska; Skolt Sami:Muurman) is a port city and the administrative centre of Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, an inlet of the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland. Regardless of how north it is, Murmansk tends to be nearly the same as any other Russian city of its size, featuring highway and railway access to the rest of Europe, a railway station, and a trolleybus system, in fact, the northernmost on Earth. Population: 307,257 (2010 Census); 336,137 (2002 Census); 468,039 (1989 Census). Despite its rapidly declining population, Murmansk remains the largest city north of the Arctic Circle. (read further)

Palau (3)

Palau Islands.

Sent by P.O.D.C Belau Tour from Koror, Palau.