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.

USA - Utah - Zion National Park (1)

ZION NATIONAL PARK
UTAH
Anasazi ruin - overlooks the canyon and mesa scenery including erosion and rock fault patterns that create phenomenal shapes and landscapes - a majestic example of nature's creativity.

Sent by John from Tenenessee, USA.

This is from Wikipedia : Zion National Park is located in the Southwestern United States, near Springdale, Utah. A prominent feature of the 229 square miles (590 km2) park is Zion Canyon, which is 15 miles (24 km) long and up to half a mile (800 m) deep, cut through the reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone by the North Fork of the Virgin River. The lowest elevation is 3,666 ft (1,117 m) at Coalpits Wash and the highest elevation is 8,726 ft (2,660 m) at Horse Ranch Mountain. Located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions, the park's unique geography and variety of life zones allow for unusual plant and animal diversity. Numerous plant species as well as 289 species of birds, 75 mammals (including 19 species of bat), and 32 reptiles inhabit the park's four life zones: desert, riparian, woodland, and coniferous forest. Zion National Park includes mountains, canyons, buttes, mesas, monoliths, rivers, slot canyons, and natural arches.

Human habitation of the area started about 8,000 years ago with small family groups of Native Americans; the semi-nomadic Basketmaker Anasazi (300 CE) stem from one of these groups. In turn, the Virgin Anasazi culture (500 CE) developed as the Basketmakers settled in permanent communities. A different group, the Parowan Fremont, lived in the area as well. Both groups moved away by 1300 and were replaced by the Parrusits and several other Southern Paiute subtribes. The canyon was discovered by Mormons in 1858 and was settled by that same group in the early 1860s. In 1909, U.S. President William Howard Taft named the area a National Monument to protect the canyon, under the name of Mukuntuweap National Monument. In 1918, however, the acting director of the newly created National Park Service changed the park's name to Zion as the original name was locally unpopular. Zion is one of the names of Jerusalem in ancient Hebrew. The United States Congress established the monument as a National Park on November 19, 1919. The Kolob section was proclaimed a separate Zion National Monument in 1937, but was incorporated into the park in 1956.

The geology of the Zion and Kolob canyons area includes 9 formations that together represent 150 million years of mostly Mesozoic-aged sedimentation. At various periods in that time warm, shallow seas, streams, ponds and lakes, vast deserts, and dry near-shore environments covered the area. Uplift associated with the creation of the Colorado Plateaus lifted the region 10,000 feet (3,000 m) starting 13 million years ago.

Croatia - Rovinj

An aerial view of Rovinj, a small town on the Adriatic coast of Croatia.

Sent by Ady from Croatia.

This is from Wikipedia : Rovinj (Istriot: Ruvèigno or Ruveîgno; Italian: Rovigno) is a city in Croatia situated on the north Adriatic Sea with a population of 13,562 (2007). It is located on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula and is a popular tourist resort and an active fishing port. Istriot, a Romance language once widely spoken in this part of Istria, is still spoken by part of the residents (also called Rovignese by those who speak it here). There is a centre of History Research which is an institution of the Council of Europe.

Rovinj is one of nine towns in Istrian County. The climate is Mediterranean. The average temperature is 4.8 °C (40.6 °F) in January and 22.3 °C (72.1 °F) in July. The average annual temperature is 16 °C (60.8 °F). Sea temperature is more than 20 °C (68 °F) from the middle of June to the middle of September. The average annual sea temperature is 16.6 °C (61.9 °F).

From the middle of May to the middle of September the sun shines more than 10 hours a day. The rainfall averages 941 mm a year. The average humidity is 72%. Vegetation is subtropical.

Originally the peninsula on which the city lies was an island, separated from the mainland by a channel. The latter was filled in 1763. Rovinj Archipelago includes 22 islets.

Chile - Cueca

Cueca, Chilean folklore dance. TROVA Group.

Sent by Noelle, a postcrosser from Santiago, Chile.

This is from Wikipedia : Cueca (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkweka]) is a family of musical styles and associated dances from Chile, Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina. In Chile, the cueca holds the status of national dance, where it was officially selected on September 18, 1979.

While its origins are not clearly defined, it is considered to have Spanish and African influences, among others. The most widespread version of its origins relates it with the zamacueca which arose in Peru as a variation of Spanish Fandango dancing with criollo and African influences. The dance is then thought to have passed to Chile and Bolivia, where its name was shortened and where it continued to evolve. Due to the dance's popularity in the region, the Peruvian evolution of the zamacueca was nicknamed "la chilena", "the Chilean", due to similarities between the dances. Later, after the Pacific War, the term marinera, in honor of Peru's naval combatants and hostile attitude towards Chile was used in place of "la chilena." The Marinera, Zamba and the Cueca have different styles that distinct them from each other and their "root" which is the zamacueca.

Another theory is that Cueca originated in the early 19th century bordellos of South America, as a pas de deux facilitating partner finding.

The usual interpretation of this courting dance is zoomorphic: it tries to reenact the courting ritual of a rooster and a hen. The male displays a quite enthusiastic and at times even aggressive attitude while attempting to court the female, but the dance often finishes with the man kneeling on one knee, with the woman placing her foot triumphantly on his raised knee.

The clothing worn during the cueca dance is very traditional Chilean clothes. The men in the dance wear the huaso's hat, shirts, flannel poncho, riding pants and boots, short jacket, riding boots, and spurs. Women wore flowered dresses with an apron. (spotlightonchile.com) The dance of the cueca is done with a sense of the rooster and the chicken. The man approaches the woman and offers his arm, then the women accompanies him and they walk around the room. They then face each other and hold their handkerchief in the air, and being to dance. They never touch, but still maintain contact through facial expressions and movements. The white handkerchief must be waved; this writer has seen Chileans using paper handkerchieves from a box rather than dance the cueca without one.(spotlightonchile.com)

USA - New Mexico - Mapcard (2)

NEW MEXICO
LAND OF ENCHANTMENT

Sent by Erin, a postcrosser from USA.

Solomon Islands - Sono (War Dance)

Sono (War Dance) from Roviana Head Hunting Parties, Western Province.

Sent by Catherine & David from Solomon Islands. This is my first from this country.

This is from Wikipedia : Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of 28,400 square kilometres (11,000 sq mi). The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal. The nation of the Solomon Islands is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The Solomon Islands are believed to have been inhabited by Melanesian people for many thousands of years. Spanish navigator Alvaro de Mendaña was the first European to arrive in Solomon islands in 1568 and named them Islas Salomon. The United Kingdom established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in 1893. In the Second World War there was fierce fighting between the Americans and the Japanese in the Solomon Islands campaign of 1942–45, including the Battle of Guadalcanal.

Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. The Solomon Islands is a constitutional monarchy with the Queen of the Solomon Islands, at present Elizabeth II, as the head of state. Danny Philip is the tenth and current Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands. He was elected in August 2010.

Finland - The Obelisk and the Lutheran Cathedral

The Obelisk "The Stone of Empress" and the Lutheran Cathedral.

Sent by Merja, a postcrosser from Finland.

"The Stone of the Empress' is the oldest public memorial in Helsinki. It was erected in the Market Square to commemorate the Empress Alexandra's (the German-born wife of Nicholas I), first visit to Helsinki. She visited the City in 1833 with her husband, who came to inspect the construction of Helsinki's new centre. The memorial is an obelisk cut in red granite. A bronze globe is set on top of the obelisk, and the two-headed eagle of Russia.

The obelisk form, already a basic memorial type for glorifying sculptures depicting historical events and in memorial stones during Antiquity in Europe was adopted for 'The Stone of the Empress'. This work is typical of the early 19th century obelisks which followed the traditions of the Antique forms.

The stone includes the following, explanatory texts in Finnish and Latin: "Keisarinna Alexandralle Suomen pääkaupungissa ensikerran käyneelle XXIX.p:Touko X.p: Kesä MDCCCXXXIII. Imperatrici Alexandrae Metropolin Finlandiae Primum Adventati die XXIX Maji X Juni MDCCCXXXIII." The English translation reads: "To Empress Alexandra on her first visit to the capital of Finland May 29 - June 10, 1833."(Source)

Philippines - Cordillera Mountain Range

MT. PULAG NATIONAL PARK
Cordillera Mountain Range is the second highest park in the Philippines.

Sent by Raine, a postcrosser from Manila, Philippines.

New Zealand - Maori War Canoe

MAORI WAR CANOE
During the 20th Century, Maori culture has undergone a revival. Today, Maori spirit is expressed through extended families, communal organisations, ritual and protocol, and their artistic values through carving, song and weaving.

Sent by Lauretta, a postcrosser from Dunedin in New Zealand.

This is from Wikipedia : Waka (English pronunciation: /ˈwɒkə/, Maori [ˈwɒka]) are Māori watercraft, usually canoes ranging in size from small, unornamented canoes (waka tīwai) used for fishing and river travel, to large decorated war canoes (waka taua) up to 40 metres (130 ft) long. In recent years, large double-hulled canoes of considerable size have been constructed for oceanic voyaging to other parts of the Pacific Ocean.

Waka taua (war canoes) are large canoes manned by up to 80 paddlers and are up to 40 metres (130 ft) in length. Large waka, such as Nga Toki Matawhaorua which are usually elaborately carved and decorated, consist of a main hull formed from a single hollowed-out log, along with a carved upright head and tailboard. The gunwale is raised in some by a continuous plank which gives increased freeboard and prevents distortion of the main hull components when used in a rough seas. Sometimes the hull is further strengthened, as in the case of Te Winika, a 200-year-old design, by a batten or stringer running lengthwise both inside and outside the hull just above the loaded waterline. The resurgence of Māori culture has seen an increase in the numbers of waka taua built, generally on behalf of a tribal group, for use on ceremonial occasions.

China - Guangzhou Gymnasium

Guangzhou Gymnasium

Sent by Evelyn, a postcrosser from China.

This is from Wikipedia : The Guangzhou Gymnasium is an indoor arena in Guangzhou, China. The arena used mainly for basketball. The facility has a capacity of 10,000 people and was opened in 2001. It was designed by Paul Andreu.