Philippines - Tappia Waterfalls

TAPPIA WATERFALLS
It is a 32 foot waterfalls, perfect after a trek from Batad Village.

Sent by Godfrey from Sarangani Province in the Philippines.

"The Tappiyah Waterfalls is 70 meters tall with a wide swimming pool. A visit to Batad Rice Terraces would be incomplete without seeing this beautiful cascading waterfall with an enormous natural pool. The Tappiyah Waterfalls can be reached about 30 minutes walk from the village of Batad. (Banaue Tourism Council).

To go to Tappiyah Waterfalls without a guide: When arriving to Batad Village Proper from the saddle point, walk towards the rice terraces amphitheater. Go through past it and up to the promontory. From here, go down again. There are stairs / a pathway from this point, which ends at the foot of the waterfalls."(Source)

Philippines - Callao Cave

CALLAO CAVE, CAGAYAN
It is found in Peñablanca, Cagayan; the cave has seven chambers and each chambers is 100 meters by 50 meters wide and 36 meters high. The cave is also rich in "guano", a fertlizer useful to farmers.

Sent by Godfrey from Sarangani Province in the Philippines.

This is from Wikipedia : Callao Cave is a cave with seven chambers located on the Province of Cagayan, in the Philippines. It is one of the best known tourist attractions of the province. It is located in Barangays Parabba and Quibal, Peñablanca, near Tuguegarao, the capital city of the Province of Cagayan.

It has a natural cathedral located at the first chamber, which was turned into a chapel by the local people. The conditions inside the cave cause stalactites and stalagmites, particularly in the deeper chambers.

Every chamber has natural crevices, which let light get into the cave, serving as illumination for the otherwise dark areas of the place.

Vatican - Città del Vaticano

Città del Vaticano or Vatican City.

Sent by Kelly, a Facebook friend from the Netherlands who was visiting.

The Vatican City, one of the most sacred places in Christendom, attests to a great history and a formidable spiritual venture. A unique collection of artistic and architectural masterpieces lie within the boundaries of this small state. At its centre is St Peter's Basilica, with its double colonnade and a circular piazza in front and bordered by palaces and gardens. The basilica, erected over the tomb of St Peter the Apostle, is the largest religious building in the world, the fruit of the combined genius of Bramante, Raphael, Michelangelo, Bernini and Maderno (read further).

India - Kerala State

ON BACK WATERS - KERALA
Shadowed and sheltered by the coconut trees, this simple Kerala country house, stands cheek by jowl with the waters.

Sent by Cherian from Kerala State in India.

This is from Wikipedia : Kerala or Keralam (Malayalam: കേരളം, Kēraḷam) is a state of India, located south most on its west coast. It was created on 1 November 1956, by the States Reorganisation Act, combining various Malayalam speaking regions.

The state has an area of 38,863 km2 (15,005 sq mi) and is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the south and southeast and the Lakshadweep Sea[note] towards the west. Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of the state. Kochi and Kozhikode are the major cities. Kerala is also known for its many small towns that are scattered across the state, thus creating a higher density of population.

Stone age carving in Edakkal Caves had pictorial writings believed to be dating to at least 5000 BC, from the Neolithic man, indicating the presence of a prehistoric civilization or settlement in this region. From as early as 3000 BC, Kerala had established itself as a major spice trade center. Kerala had direct contact across the Arabian Sea with all the major Red Sea ports and the Mediterranean ports as well as extending to ports in the Far East. The spice trade between Kerala and much of the world was one of the main drivers of the world economy. For much of history, ports in Kerala were the busiest (Muziris) among all trade and travel routes in the history of the world.

During the classical Sangam period the region was ruled by the Chera Dynasty, which traded with the Greeks, Romans and Arabs. The Tamil Chera dynasty, Ays and the Pandyan Empire were the traditional rulers of Kerala whose patriarchal dynasties ruled until the 14th century. The Cheras collapsed after repeated attacks from the neighboring Chola Empire and Rashtrakuta Empire. Feudal Namboothiri Brahmin and Nair city-states subsequently gained control of the region.

Contact with Europeans after the arrival of the Portuguese explorer Vasco Da Gama in 1498 gave way to struggles between colonial and native interests. In 1795, the area was under the control of the British East India Company. From 1858, the power was shifted from the Company to the British, with the area being under the British Raj. After independence in 1947, the state of Kerala was created in 1956 from the former state of Travancore-Cochin, the Malabar district of the Madras State, and the Kasaragod taluk of Dakshina Kannada.

Kerala is a popular tourist destination famous for its backwaters, Ayurvedic treatments and tropical greenery. Kerala has a higher Human Development Index than all other states in India. The state has a literacy rate of 94.59 percent, the highest in India. A survey conducted in 2005 by Transparency International ranked Kerala as the least corrupt state in the country. Kerala has witnessed significant migration of its people, especially to the Persian Gulf countries during the Kerala Gulf boom, and is heavily dependent on remittances from its large Malayali expatriate community.

Belgium - Greetings From ...

Images of Belgium.

Sent by Luc, a postcrosser from Belgium.

Russia - Lake Baikal (2)

Sent by Maria, a postcrosser from Angarsk, Russia.

Netherlands - Ot en Sien

An illustration from a children book called Ot en Sien.

Sent by Monique, a postcrosser from the Netherlands.

This is from Wikipedia : Ot en Sien is an old children's book, written by a teacher in Drenthe, the Netherlands.

It was the start of a new method of writing children's books and had profound influence on Dutch elementary education in the first half of the twentieth century

Ot and Sien are the main characters in a series of Dutch children's tales that were very popular in the first half of the twentieth century. The first series titled Dicht bij Huis ("Close to home"), appeared in 1902. The second series Nog bij Moeder ("Still with mam"), followed in 1904. De author of the stories was Hendricus Scheepstra. However, he acted on the inspiration of Jan Ligthart, who had the intention to expose young people to what he considered a healthy daily family life. The illustrations were made by Cornelis Jetses.

After WWII the stories of Ot and Sien gradually went out of fashion and they were often ridiculed for the unrealistic picture they gave of life in the province. A century after their appearance there is a revival in the interest for the publications and in 2004 an exposition was held, focusing mostly on the artwork by Jetses.

Ot (short for Otto) and Sien (short for e.g. Francine) are two next door neighbors, a boy and a girl. Their illustrations were based on two children that actually lived in Jetses' neighborhood. The stories are situated in Drenthe that was at the time the most impoverished province of the Netherlands where quite a few people were still living in dwellings constructed of peat and sods. The surrounding poverty is nowhere to be seen in the stories that depict a very idealized version of reality.

India - Thiruvalluvar Statue

Sunset view of Thiruvalluvar Statue in Kanyakumari.

Sent by Khartikeyan from Tamil Nadu, India.

This is from Wikipedia : The Thiruvalluvar Statue is a 133 feet (40.5 m) tall stone sculpture of the Tamil poet and saint Tiruvalluvar, author of the Thirukkural. It was opened on January 1, 2000 (Millennium) and is located atop a small island near the town of Kanyakumari, where two seas and an ocean meet; the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean . The statue has a height of 95 feet (29 m) and stands upon a 38 foot (11.5 m) pedestal that represents the 38 chapters of "virtue" in the Thirukkural. The statue standing on the pedestal represents "wealth" and "pleasure", signifying that wealth and love be earned and enjoyed on the foundation of solid virtue.

The combined height of the statue and pedestal is 133 feet (40.5 m), denoting the 133 chapters in the Thirukkural. It has a total weight of 7000 tons.

The statue, with its slight bend around the waist is reminiscent of a dancing pose of the ancient Indian deities like Nataraja. It was sculpted by the Indian sculptor Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati, who also created the Iraivan Temple.

This monument was hit by the Indian Ocean Tsunami of December 26, 2004.

In 1979, the then Prime Minister Morarji Desai laid the foundation stone for the statue. However, the installation and the sculpting work began on September 6, 1990, on the tiny island adjacent to Vivekananda Rock Memorial when funds were allocated in the 1990-91 budget. Initially, the project stalled but then recommenced in 1997 and was completed on January 1, 2000. At the cost of more than US$1 million (INR 61.4 million), it employed about 150 workers, sculptors, assistants and supervisors. The slight bend around the waist made the design challenging. Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati solved the problem by creating a full-length wooden prototype before construction. Study of this prototype led to the identification of an energy line (known in Vastu science as kayamadhyasutra), currently an empty cavity in the center of the statue from top to bottom. Sthapati designed the statue to survive earthquakes of unexpected magnitude.

The stone work was divided amongst three workshops, in Kanyakumari, Ambasamudram and Shankarapuram. Ambasamudram contributed 5,000 tons of stones, while Shankarapuram was quarried for 2,000 tons of high quality granite stones for the outer portion of the statue. While the largest of the 3,681 stones weighed over 15 tons, the majority weighed three to eight tons. An interesting detail is the 19-foot-high face, with the ears, nose, eyes, mouth, forehead all made of individual stones carved by hand. Stumps of palmyra tree and poles of casuarina (ironwood) were used for scaffolding. It took 18,000 casuarina poles tied together with two truckloads of ropes to reach the top of the statue.

India - Rose Garden

ROSE GARDEN, Sector 16.
The largest Rose Garden in Asia, is spread over an area of 27 acres and has more than 17000 plants representing some 1600 varities of roses.

Sent by Manik from Chandigarh, India.

This is from Wikipedia : Zakir Hussain Rose Garden, is a botanical garden located in Chandigarh, India and spread over 30 acres (120,000 m2) of land,[1] with 50,000 rose-bushes of 1600 different species. Named after India's former president, Zakir Hussain and created in 1967 under the guidance of Dr M.S. Randhawa, Chandigarh's first chief commissioner, the garden has the distinction of being Asia's largest. The garden has not only roses, but also trees of medicinal value. Some of the medicinal plants that can be spotted here are bel, bahera, harar, camphor and yellow gulmohar. The rose plants have been planted in carved-out lawns and flower beds.

Apart from serving as a host of other events, the Zakir Rose Garden serves as the venue for hosting the annual Festival of Gardens, a major cultural event of the city during the month of March. Celebrated mainly as a tribute to the magnificence of the rose itself, the attractions include food, drinks, joyrides, and contests of varying nature, such as photography, gardening, landscaping, bonsai, and Rose Prince and Princess. The contests are open to the residents or institutions from nearby places.

Canada - Prince Edward Island

A map of Prince Edward Island.

Sent by Heather from Prince Edward Island, Canada.

This is from Wikipedia : Prince Edward Island (PEI or P.E.I.; French: Île-du-Prince-Édouard, Scottish Gaelic: Eilean a' Phrionnsa) is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population (excluding the territories). The island has a few other names: "Garden of the Gulf" referring to the pastoral scenery and lush agricultural lands throughout the province; and "Birthplace of Confederation", referring to the Charlottetown Conference in 1864, although PEI did not join the confederation itself until 1873 when it became the seventh Canadian province.

According to the 2009 estimates, Prince Edward Island has 141,000 residents. It is located in a rectangle defined roughly by 46°–47°N, and 62°–64°30′W and at 5,683.91 km2 (2,194.57 sq mi) in size,[3] it is the 104th largest island in the world, and Canada's 23rd largest island. The island was named for Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (1767–1820), the fourth son of King George III and the father of Queen Victoria.

USA - Maryland - Annapolis Boat Show

ANNAPOLIS BOAT SHOW
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
Each year in October, Annapolis is the site of one of the largest Sailboat and Power boat shows on the Atlantic Coast. Much was the same 200 years ago, when sailors from every colony sailed up the Chesapeake Bay and gathered in Annapolis, trading tales of the sea.

Sent by Brooke from Maryland, USA.

India - The India Gate

The India Gate or the All India War Memorial is an arch commemorating the soldiers who dies in World war I.

Sent by Mani, a Facebook friend from Delhi, India.

This is from Wikipedia : The India Gate is the national monument of India. Situated in the heart of New Delhi, India Gate was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. Originally known as All India War Memorial, it is a prominent landmark in Delhi and commemorates the 90,000 soldiers of the British Indian Army who lost their lives while fighting for the British Indian Empire, or more correctly the British Raj in World War I and the Third Anglo-Afghan War. It is composed of red sand stone and granite.

Originally, a Statue of King George V had stood under the now-vacant canopy in front of the India Gate, and was removed to Coronation Park with other statues. Following India's independence, India Gate became the site of the Indian Army's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, known as the Amar Jawan Jyoti (The flame of the immortal soldier).

The 42-metre tall India Gate is situated such that many important roads spread out from it. Traffic passing around India Gate used to be continuous until the roads were closed to the public due to terrorist threats.

The lawns around Rajpath throng with people during the evening, when the India Gate is lit up. Ice cream and street food vendors come out during this time and it becomes a popular picnic venue for families.

The India Gate hexagon complex covers approximately 306000m² in area with a diameter of about 625m.

The Republic Day Parade starts from Rashtrapati Bhavan and passes through India Gate to reach Red Fort.

India - Pune Vidyapith

PUNE
Pune Vidhyapith or University of Pune.

Sent by Mukund from Pune, India.

This is from Wikipedia : The University of Pune (Marathi: पुणे विद्यापीठ) (formerly the University of Poona), located in North Western Pune, is one of India's premier universities. It was founded in 1949. Spread over a 400 acre (1.6 km²) campus, the university is home to 46 academic departments. University of Pune has been given the highest "A" rating by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) for its overall performance.

The University of Pune was established under the Poona University Act, passed by the Bombay legislature on February 10, 1948. In the same year, Dr. M.R. Jayakar assumed office as the first vice chancellor of the university. Shri B.G. Kher, Chief Minister and Education Minister of the government of Bombay, helped ensure the university received a large allocation of land for their campus. In early 1950, the university was allocated over 411 acres (1.7 km²).

The location of the University has historical significance. Some incidents of the Battle of Khadki took place where the present day University of Pune is located. The present day Main Building was built in 1864 and was known as the Governor's House. The University is also home to IUCAA, the nation's premier institute for astronomy.

Scotland - Edinburgh's Scott Monument

Looking across Prince Street Gardens towards the Scott Monument and the Balmoral Hotel. The monument commemorates the life of Scottish novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott who lived from 1771 to 1832. The tower reaches 200 feet high and was built in the 1840s.

Sent by Emma from Scotland.

This is from Wikipedia : The Scott Monument is a Victorian Gothic monument to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott (not to be confused with the National Monument). It stands in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh, opposite the Jenners department store on Princes Street and near to Edinburgh Waverley Railway Station.

The tower is 200 feet 6 inches (61.11 m) high, and has a series of viewing decks reached by a series of narrow spiral staircases giving panoramic views of central Edinburgh and its surroundings. The highest viewing deck is reached by a total of 287 steps (those who climb the steps can obtain a certificate commemorating the event). It is built from Binny sandstone quarried in nearby Ecclesmachan. This oily stone was known to attract dirt quickly and was probably a deliberate choice to allow the Gothic form to quickly obtain the patina of age. Arguably the soot of Edinburgh's chimneys, in combination with smoke from the nearby railway line and Waverley Station perhaps over-egged the result, and it is now very hard to make out the numerous carved figures. Bill Bryson has described it as looking like a "gothic rocket ship".

Following Scott's death in 1832, a competition was held to design a monument to him. An unlikely entrant went under the pseudonym "John Morvo", the name of the medieval architect of Melrose Abbey. Morvo was in fact George Meikle Kemp, forty-five year old joiner, draftsman, and self-taught architect. Kemp had feared his lack of architectural qualifications and reputation would disqualify him, but his design (which was similar to an unsuccessful one he had earlier submitted for the design of Glasgow Cathedral) was popular with the competition's judges, and in 1838 Kemp was awarded the contract to construct the monument.

John Steell was commissioned to design a monumental statue of Scott to rest in the space between the tower's four columns. Steell's statue, made from white Carrara marble, shows Scott seated, resting from writing one of his works with a quill pen and his dog Maida by his side.

The foundation stone was laid on the 15th of August 1840. Following an Act of Parliament permitting it (the Monument to Sir Walter Scott Act 1841 (4 & 5 Vict.) C A P. XV.), construction began in 1841 and ran for nearly four years. The tower was completed in the autumn of 1844, with Kemp's son placing the finial in August of the year. The total cost was £16,154/7/11. When the monument was inaugurated on the 15th of August 1846, George Meikle Kemp himself was absent; walking home from the site on the foggy evening of the 6th of March 1844, Kemp had fallen into the Union Canal and drowned.

Ireland - Colorful Atlantic Puffin

Colorful Atlantic Puffin.

Sent by Sarka from Dublin, Ireland.

This is from Wikipedia : The Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) is a seabird species in the auk family. It is a pelagic bird that feeds primarily by diving for fish, but also eats other sea creatures, such as squid and crustaceans. Its most obvious characteristic during the breeding season is its brightly coloured bill. Also known as the Common Puffin, it is the only puffin species which is found in the Atlantic Ocean. The curious appearance of the bird, with its colourful huge bill and its striking piebald plumage, has given rise to nicknames such as '"clown of the ocean" and "sea parrot"

The Atlantic Puffin is 26–29 centimetres (10–11 in) in length (bill 3–4 cm), with a 47–63 centimetres (19–25 in) wingspan. The male is generally slightly larger than the female, but they are coloured alike. This bird is mainly black above and white below, with grey to white cheeks and red-orange legs. The bill is large and triangular and during the breeding season is bright orange with a patch of blue bordered by yellow at the rear. The characteristic bright orange bill plates grow before the breeding season and are shed after breeding. The bills are used in courtship rituals, such as the pair tapping their bills together. During flight, it appears to have grey round underwings and a white body; it has a direct flight low over the water. The related Horned Puffin (Fratercula corniculata) from the North Pacific looks very similar but has slightly different head ornaments.

The Atlantic Puffin is typically silent at sea, except for soft purring sounds it sometimes makes in flight. At the breeding colonies, its commonest call is a trisyllabic kaa-aar-aar and the birds make a short growl when startled.

Czech Republic - Historic Centre of Prague (6)

The bridges of Prague.

Sent by Sarka from Dublin, Ireland.

Uzbekistan - Mausoleum Rukhabad

Mausoleum Rukhabad, 14th century.

Sent by Sveta from Moscow, Russia.
Note : Still waiting for the first postcard sent stamped from Uzbekistan.

"Not far from the majestic Gur Emir is an ancient ascetic building - a mausoleum Rukhabad. It was built for the widely revered by its contemporaries of Tamerlane Sheikh Burhaneddin Klichkov Sagardzhi. By legend, Amir Temur himself used to come down from his horse and walked when he had to pass by this mausoleum.

After the death of Sheikh Sagardzhi, who was one of the brightest leaders and distributors of Islam, his son Abu Said moved his father's body from China to Samarkand. Sheikh himself gave a will to be buried here, and his son performed the last wishes of his father, and later Tamerlane ordered to build a mausoleum over the grave of the venerable Sheikh. He was named "Rukhabad" - the abode of the spirit.
The building does not differ by grandeur and bright ornaments. Occupying a small area, with a small dome of the mausoleum is an example of austerity. Later here were buried the sons of the sheik, and many members of his family, including his wife, the so-called "Chinese princess”.

Also, the there is a legend that under the dome there is hidden box with seven hairs of Prophet Muhammad. To believe or not believe, is the right of everyone, but it worth to visit the mausoleum. Moreover, it is included in an informal ensemble of mausoleums Gur Emir and Ak-Saray."(Source)

Finland - A Girl At A Mailbox

A girl at a mailbox.

Sent by Virpi, a postcrosser from Finland.

India - Royal Bengal Tiger

Royal Bengal Tiger.

Sent by Vivek from Uttar Pradesh, India.

This is from Wikipedia : The Bengal tiger, or Royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), is a tiger subspecies native to India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, and has been classified as endangered by IUCN as the population is estimated at fewer than 2,500 individuals with a decreasing trend. None of the Tiger Conservation Landscapes within the Bengal's tiger range is large enough to support an effective population size of 250.

The Bengal tiger is the most numerous of the tiger subspecies — with populations estimated at 1,411 in India, 200 in Bangladesh, 155 in Nepal and 67–81 in Bhutan.

The Bengal tiger is the national animal of Bangladesh. Panthera tigris is the national animal of India.

Its coat is a yellow to light orange, and the stripes range from dark brown to black; the belly is white, and the tail is white with black rings. A mutation of the Bengal subspecies, the white tiger, has dark brown or reddish brown stripes on a white background, and some are entirely white. Black tigers have tawny, yellow or white stripes on a black background color. The skin of a black tiger, recovered from smugglers, measured 259 cm (102 in) and was displayed at the National Museum of Natural History, in New Delhi. The existence of black tigers without stripes has been reported but not substantiated.

The total body length, including the tail, of males is 270 to 310 cm (110 to 120 in), while females are 240 to 265 cm (94 to 104 in). The tail measures 85 to 110 cm (33 to 43 in), and the height at the shoulder is 90 to 110 cm (35 to 43 in). The average weight of males is 221.2 kg (488 lb), while that of females is 139.7 kg (308 lb).

Male Bengal tigers from the northern Indian subcontinent are as large as Siberian tigers with a greatest length of skulls of 332 to 376 mm (13.1 to 14.8 in). In northern India and Nepal, males have an average weight of 235 kg (520 lb), and females 140 kg (310 lb). Recent studies of body weights of the different tiger subspecies have shown that Bengal tigers are on average larger than Siberian tigers.

The Bengal tiger's roar can be heard for up to 3 km (1.9 mi) away.

Canada - Charlottetown

Aerial view of the harbour in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

Sent by Heather from Prince Edward Island.

This is from Wikipedia : Charlottetown (2006 population: 32,174) is a Canadian city. It is both the largest city on and the provincial capital of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, Charlottetown was first incorporated as a town in 1855 and designated as a city in 1885. It was most famously the site of the Charlottetown Conference in 1864, the first gathering of Canadian statesmen to debate the proposed Canadian Confederation. From this, the city adopted as its motto "Cunabula Foederis" -- "Birthplace of Confederation".

The population of the Charlottetown census agglomeration in the 2006 census was 58,625, slightly less than half of the province's population (135,851).

Canada - St. John's

The Battery, St. John's. The Battery owes its name to fortifications which once guarded the entrance to St. John's Harbour.

Sent by Elizabeth from Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada.

This is from Wikipedia : St. John's is the capital and largest city of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada and is the primary municipality of the St. John's Metropolitan Area. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland.

St. John's is the most populous Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) in the province, it is the second largest CMA in the Atlantic Provinces after Halifax, and 20th largest metropolitan area in Canada with a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010. The CMA includes the neighbouring city of Mount Pearl and eleven other towns, the largest of which are Conception Bay South and Paradise.

The city enjoys a long and vibrant history as the oldest English-founded city in North America. The last half of the 20th century has seen St. John's, with a long and prosperous history in the fishing industry, transformed into a modern export and service centre, famed for its nightlife and rich musical culture. More recently, its proximity to recently discovered oil fields has led to an economic boom that has spurred population growth, commercial development and has resulted in the St. John's area now accounting for about half of the province's economic output.

Sinivuokko - Hepatica (Hepatica nobilis)

Sinivuokko or Hepatica (Hepatica nobilis).

Sent by Kikka, a postcrosser from Finland.

This is from Wikipedia : Hepatica (hepatica, liverleaf, or liverwort) is a genus of herbaceous perennials in the buttercup family, native to central and northern Europe, Asia and eastern North America. Some botanists include Hepatica within a wider interpretation of Anemone.

Bisexual flowers with pink, purple, blue, or white sepals and three green bracts appear singly on hairy stems from late winter to spring. Butterflies, moths, bees, flies and beetles are known pollinators.

The leaves are basal, leathery, and usually three-lobed, remaining over winter.

Hepatica cultivation has been popular in Japan since the 18th Century (mid-Edo period), where flowers with doubled petals and a range of colour patterns have been developed.

Noted for their tolerance of alkaline limestone-derived soils, Hepatica may grow in a wide range of conditions; it can be found either in deeply shaded deciduous (especially beech) woodland and scrub or grassland in full sun. Hepatica will also grow in both sandy and clay-rich substrates, being associated with limestone. Moist soil and winter snowfall is a requirement; Hepatica is tolerant of winter snow cover, but less so of dry frost.

Hepatica is named from its leaves, which, like the human liver (Greek hepar), have three lobes. It was once used as a medicinal herb. Owing to the doctrine of signatures, the plant was thought an effective treatment for liver disorders. Although poisonous in large doses, the leaves and flowers may be used as an astringent, demulcent for slow-healing injuries and as a diuretic .

USA - Texas - Mapcard (2)

TEXAS
Texas won its freedom from Mexico in 1836. It was an independent nation for 10 years and was annexed by the United States in 1845.

Sent by Betsy, a postcrosser from Texas, USA.

USA - California - National Hotel

NATIONAL HOTEL
Jackson, California.
Built in 1862, this 33 room hotel is the longest continuously operating hotel in California. Located in the heart of Gold Country near Highways 49 and 88.

Sent by Julie, a Facebook friend from West Virginia.

"The National Hotel has been in continuous operation as a hotel since 1863, making it one of the oldest such establishments in California. The lot upon which it stands has been occupied by some kind of building since 1849, when Ellis Evans and his partner D. C. White put up grocery and general provision store near the spring which gave the town its earliest name. That first building was either burned or taken down in 1852 when Evans, White & Co. put up a wooden building with a two-story front facing Main Street and a three-story back facing the creek. It was called the “Louisiana Hotel and Store.” It burned to the ground in the fire of 1862, after which Evans, White & Co. built a two-story with basement brick hotel they called the “National Hotel.” The building was completed and ready for business on March 27 of 1863, the third story and extensions coming at a later date. The three-story addition to the rear of the main building were constructed in 1896 by its new owner, Richard Webb. It is located at the bend in the road, at 2 Water Street."(Source)

Japan - Cherry Blossoms

Cherry Blossoms.

Sent by Reiko, a postcrosser from Japan.