Germany - Hesse - Frankfurt Airport

Collage of images, including the Franfurt Airport, the city skyline, and the historic Römerberg area.

Sent by Aline who works at Franfurt Airport.

Frankfurt Airport (German: Flughafen Frankfurt Main [ˈfluːkhaːfn̩ ˈfʁaŋkfʊʁt ˈmaɪn]) (IATA: FRA, ICAO: EDDF) is Germany's busiest international airport by passenger numbers, located in Frankfurt, Germany's fifth-largest city. Its official name according to the German Aeronautical Information Publication is Frankfurt Main Airport. The airport is operated by Fraport and serves as the main hub for Lufthansa, including Lufthansa City Airlines, Lufthansa CityLine, Discover Airlines and Lufthansa Cargo as well as Condor and AeroLogic. It covers an area of 2,300 hectares (5,683 acres) of land and features two passenger terminals with capacity for approximately 65 million passengers per year; four runways; and extensive logistics and maintenance facilities.

Frankfurt Airport is the busiest airport by passenger traffic in Germany as well as the 6th busiest in Europe after Istanbul Airport, London–Heathrow, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport. The airport is also the 22nd busiest worldwide by total number of passengers in 2024, with 61,564,957 passengers using the airport in 2024. It also had a freight throughput of 2.076 million tonnes in 2015 and is the busiest airport in Europe by cargo traffic. As of 2022, Frankfurt Airport serves 330 destinations on five continents, making it the airport with the most direct routes in the world.

The southern side of the airport ground was home to the Rhein-Main Air Base, which served as a major air base for the United States from 1947 until 2005, when the air base was closed and the property was acquired by Fraport (now occupied by Terminal 3). The airport celebrated its 80th anniversary in July 2016 (read more).

Singapore - Sultan Mosque

SULTAN MOSQUE

The largest mosque in Singapore and place of worship for Muslims.

Sent by Jonathan from Singapore.

Sultan Mosque or Masjid Sultan is a mosque located at Muscat Street and North Bridge Road within the Kampong Glam precinct of the district of Rochor in Singapore. It was named after Sultan Hussain Shah. The mosque was inaugurated on 27 December 1936. In 1975, it was designated as a national monument of Singapore.

The mosque was two-thirds complete and was formally opened on 27 December 1929. The mosque was fully completed in 1932.

The first known installation of a microphone–loudspeaker set occurred in 1936 in the mosque; it was reported that the summons to prayer could 'carry more than a mile'. Some mosque attendees were sceptical of the new electric system, however most believed it was necessary to empower the muezzin's voice to transcend a modern city's noises.

The Sultan Mosque has stayed essentially unchanged since it was built, with only repairs carried out to the main hall in 1968 and an annex added in 1993. It was gazetted as a national monument on 8 March 1975. The mosque is managed by its own board of trustees and management board (read more).

Japan - Kyoto - Sanjūsangen-dō Temple

Sanjūsangen-dō Temple Inner Sanjūsangen-dō Hall, Kyoto.

Sent by Kaori from Saitama-ken, Japan.

Sanjūsangen-dō (三十三間堂; Temple of thirty-three bays) is a Buddhist temple of the Tendai sect in the Higashiyama district of Kyoto, Japan.

The temple was founded in 1164 by Taira no Kiyomori for the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa. It is officially known as Rengeō-in (蓮華王院; hall of the Lotus King) and belongs to the Myōhō-in temple complex.

Sanjūsangen-dō is most famous for its massively long hondō (main hall) dating from 1266 (Kamakura period) and designated a National Treasure of Japan, and the collection of sculptures it houses, including 1001 standing Thousand-armed Kannon, 28 standing attendants, a statue of Fūjin and a statue of Raijin, and the principal image of the temple, a big seated statue of Thousand-armed Kannon, all of them designated National Treasures in the category of sculptures, most of them dating to the Heian to Kamakura periods.

Sanjūsangen-dō was founded by the famous samurai and politician Taira no Kiyomori (1118-1181) in 1164 for the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa. He built the temple in the emperor's own compound Hōjūji-dono in order to gain a noble title, that of Chancellor of the Realm, becoming the first samurai to do so. Go-Shirakawa's compound was around 1100 square meters in size, divided into Minamidono (the southern estate) and Kitadono (the northern estate). When Go-Shirakawa died in 1192, he was buried in the temple's east Hokkedō (hall of the Lotus Sutra) (read more).

Germany - Baden-Württemberg - Black Forest (Schwarz Wald)

Collage of pictures showcasing various scenic views and cultural elements, primarily from Germany's Black Forest region. The scenes include landscapes, architecture, food, and animals.

Sent by Lea from Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

The Black Forest (German: Schwarzwald [ˈʃvaʁtsvalt]) is a large forested mountain range in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is the source of the Danube and Neckar rivers.

Its highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres (4,898 ft) above sea level. Roughly oblong in shape, with a length of 160 kilometres (100 miles) and breadth of up to 50 km (30 mi), it has an area of about 6,009 km² (2,320 sq mi).

Historically, the area was known for forestry and the mining of ore deposits, but tourism has now become the primary industry, accounting for around 300,000 jobs. There are several ruined military fortifications dating back to the 17th century (read more).

Belgium - Antwerp - Palace of Justice

ANTWERP

Palace of Justice (Justitiepaleis)

Sent by Koen from Antwerp, Belgium.

The Palace of Justice of Antwerp (Dutch: Justitiepaleis Antwerpen), commonly known as the Antwerp Law Courts (Dutch: Gerechtsgebouw Antwerpen), De Frietzakken, and the Butterfly Palace (Dutch: Vlinderpaleis), is a courthouse in Antwerp, Belgium. The building was erected on the site of the former Antwerp-South railway station, over the Bolivar Tunnel (Dutch: Bolivartunnel), and it houses eight district civil and criminal courts. It was inaugurated on 28 March 2006 by King Albert II, Minister of Justice Laurette Onkelinx, Minister of Finance Didier Reynders, governor Camille Paulus and mayor Patrick Janssens. The building was designed by the Richard Rogers Partnership, VK Studio and Arup.

The judicial services for Antwerp were spread over 14 locations within the city. This made it difficult for the public to find their way around the different services and a central location was sought that would be more efficient. In the 1980s, the Belgian government's Régie des Bâtiments (English: Buildings Agency) considered expanding the existing law court, the Gerechtshof Britselei (English: British Avenue Law Courts), on the Britselei. However, this was discounted due to the residential nature of the area around the law courts (read more).

USA - Vermont

Various state symbols and landmarks associated with Vermont, a state in the New England region of USA.

Sent by Laurinda from Vermont, USA.

Vermont (/vərˈmɒnt/) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north. According to the most recent U.S. census estimates, the state has an estimated population of 648,493, making it the second-least populated of all U.S. states. It is the nation's sixth-smallest state by total area. The state's capital of Montpelier is the least populous U.S. state capital. No other U.S. state has a most populous city with fewer residents than Burlington.

Native Americans have inhabited the area for about 12,000 years. The competitive tribes of the Algonquian-speaking Abenaki and Iroquoian-speaking Mohawk were active in the area at the time of European encounter. During the 17th century, French colonists claimed the territory as part of New France. Conflict arose when the Kingdom of Great Britain began to settle colonies to the south along the Atlantic coast; France was defeated in 1763 in the Seven Years' War, ceding its territory east of the Mississippi River to Britain. Thereafter, the nearby British Thirteen Colonies disputed the extent of the area called the New Hampshire Grants to the west of the Connecticut River, encompassing present-day Vermont. The provincial government of New York sold land grants to settlers in the region, which conflicted with earlier grants from the government of New Hampshire. The Green Mountain Boys militia protected the interests of the established New Hampshire land grant settlers. Ultimately, a group of settlers with New Hampshire land grant titles established the Vermont Republic in 1777 as an independent state during the American Revolutionary War. The Vermont Republic abolished slavery before any other U.S. state. It was admitted to the Union in 1791 as the 14th state.

The geography of the state is marked by the Green Mountains, which run north–south up the middle of the state, separating Lake Champlain and other valley terrain on the west from the Connecticut River Valley that defines much of its eastern border. A majority of its terrain is forested with hardwoods and conifers. The state has warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters (read more).

Bicycle (62)

Postinjakaja Jari Harjumaaskola

Postman Jari Harjumaaskola

Photo Tapio Mustasaari, Hamina 15.71990

Sent by Riita from Hämeenlinna, Finland.

Bicycle (61)

Postcardbook : Fahrräder - Bicycles

Photo : Josef Bieker

Sent by Kerstin from Lichtentanne, Germany.

Gibraltar Heritage

"Gibraltar Heritage", by Gibraltar Heritage Trust, and designed by Julia Gash.

Sent by Gibraltar Heritage Trust.

USA - California - Yosemite National Park (6)

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

Two famed rock formations - El Capitan and Half Dome - reign over California's park beloved also for its giant sequoias and waterfalls including the iconic Bridalveil all seen from Tunnel View

Sent by Ciera from Utah, USA.

My other postcards of Yosemite National Park are here, here, here, here, and here.

Not just a great valley, but a shrine to human foresight, the strength of granite, the power of glaciers, the persistence of life, and the tranquility of the High Sierra.

First protected in 1864, Yosemite National Park is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more (read more).

Ken Matsudaira

Ken Matsudaira, a Japanese actor and singer. He is known for his role in the television series Abarenbō Shōgun and for the popular song "Matsuken Samba II". 

Sent by Fumihiro from Narita, Japan.

Ken Matsudaira (松平 健, Matsudaira Ken; familiarly shortened as Matsuken, born November 28, 1953) is a Japanese actor and musician from Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan. His real name is Sueshichi Suzuki (鈴木 末七, Suzuki Sueshichi).

In 1974, he joined Shintaro Katsu's production company and made his debut with the television series Zatoichi as a guest. For a quarter of a century, he starred in the series The Unfettered Shogun as Tokugawa Yoshimune, the title character. He also played a similar role in Kamen Rider OOO Wonderful (read more).

USA - Washington D.C. - United States Capitol

UNITED STATES CAPITOL

WASHINGTON D.C.

Sent by Onetimezone from Washington D.C., USA.

The United States Capitol, often called the Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the United States Congress, the legislative branch of the federal government. It is located on Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Although no longer at the geographic center of the national capital, the U.S. Capitol forms the origin point for the street-numbering system of the district as well as its four quadrants. Like the principal buildings of the executive and judicial branches, the Capitol is built in a neoclassical style and has a white exterior.

Central sections of the present building were completed in 1800, when the 6th U.S. Congress convened there on November 17, 1800, moving the national capital from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C.. The building was partly destroyed in the 1814 Burning of Washington by the British, then was fully restored within five years. The building was enlarged during the 19th century, by extending the wings for the chambers for the bicameral legislature as more states were admitted to the union, with the House of Representatives housed in the south wing and the Senate housed in the north wing. The massive dome was completed around 1866 just after the American Civil War. The east front portico was extended in 1958. The building's Visitors Center was opened in the early 21st century (read more).

Germany - Saxony - Chemnitz

Chemnitz from 1953 to 1990 : Karl-Marx-Stadt is the third-largest city in the German state of Saxony after Leipzig and Dresden.

Sent by Silvia from Chemnitz, Germany.

Chemnitz (German: [ˈkɛmnɪts]; from 1953 to 1990: Karl-Marx-Stadt [kaʁlˈmaʁksˌʃtat] (lit. 'Karl Marx City'); Upper Sorbian: Kamjenica [ˈkamʲɛnʲit͡sa]; Czech: Saská Kamenice) is the third-largest city in the German state of Saxony after Leipzig and Dresden, and the fourth-largest city in the area of the former East Germany after (East) Berlin, Leipzig, and Dresden.

The city lies in the middle of a string of cities sitting in the densely populated northern foreland of the Elster and Ore Mountains, stretching from Plauen in the southwest via Zwickau, Chemnitz and Freiberg to Dresden in the northeast, and is part of the Central German Metropolitan Region. Located in the Ore Mountain Basin, the city is surrounded by the Ore Mountains to the south and the Central Saxon Hill Country to the north. The city stands on the Chemnitz River, which is formed through the confluence of the rivers Zwönitz and Würschnitz in the borough of Altchemnitz.

The name of the city as well as the names of the rivers are of Slavic origin. Chemnitz is the third-largest city in the Thuringian-Upper Saxon dialect area after Leipzig and Dresden. The city's economy is based on the service sector and manufacturing industry. Chemnitz University of Technology has around 10,000 students.

Chemnitz is known for its many industrial age buildings and monuments, and is the European Capital of Culture of 2025 (read more).

Coca Cola Ad Card (11)

Vintage Coca Cola advertisement featuring Santa Claus enjoying an "ice-cold Coca Cola", part of the iconic campaign illustrated by Haddon Sundblom.

Sent by Sandy from Arizona, USA.