Germany - Frankenthal

Multiviews of Frankenthal.

Sent by Sabine, a WiP partner from Germany.

This is from Wikipedia : Frankenthal is a town in southwestern Germany, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

Frankenthal was first mentioned in 772. In 1119 an Augustinian monastery was built here, the ruins of which — known, after the founder, as the Erkenbertruine — still stand today in the town centre.

In the second half of the 16th century, people from the Netherlands, persecuted for their religious beliefs, settled in Frankenthal. They were industrious and artistic and brought economic prosperity to the town. Some of them were important carpet weavers, jewellers and artists whose Frankenthaler Malerschule ("Frankenthal school of painting") acquired some fame. In 1577 the settlement was raised to the status of a town by the Count Palatine Johann Casimir.

In 1600 Frankenthal was converted to a fortress. In 1621 it was besieged by the Spanish during the Thirty Years' War, and then successively occupied by troops of the opposing sides. Trade and industry were ruined and the town was not reconstructed until 1682.

In 1689 the town was burnt to the ground by French troops in the War of the Grand Alliance. The town did not fully recover from this for more than fifty years.

However, in 1750, under the rule of the Elector (Kurfürst) Charles Theodore, Frankenthal was established as a centre of industry. Numerous factories were opened and mulberry trees were planted for silk production. In 1755 the famous Frankenthal porcelain factory was opened, which remained in production until 1800.

In 1797 the town came under French occupation during the French Revolutionary Wars. It passed into the rule of Bavaria in 1816.

The beginning of modern industrialisation is dated from 1859.

In 1938 the Jewish synagogue, built in 1884, was burnt to the ground during the Kristallnacht.

In 1943 during a bombing raid the centre of the town was almost completely destroyed. In 1945, at the end of World War II, its industries in ruins, it was occupied first by the Americans and then by the French.

From 1946 Frankenthal has been part of the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Today the town is again the site of some medium sized industries.

USA - Utah - Arches National Park (2)

Arches National Park, Utah.

Sent by Dagmar, a postcrosser from Potsdam, Germany.

This is from Wikipedia : Arches National Park is a U.S. National Park in eastern Utah. It is known for preserving over 2000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations.

The park is located just outside of Moab, Utah, and is 76,679 acres (31,031 ha) in area. Its highest elevation is 5,653 feet (1,723 m) at Elephant Butte, and its lowest elevation is 4,085 feet (1,245 m) at the visitor center. Forty-three arches have collapsed due to erosion since 1970. The park receives 10 inches (250 mm) of rain a year on average.

Administered by the National Park Service, the area was originally created as a National Monument on April 12, 1929. It was redesignated as a National Park on November 12, 1971.

The national park lies atop an underground evaporite layer or salt bed, which is the main cause of the formation of the arches, spires, balanced rocks, sandstone fins, and eroded monoliths in the area. This salt bed is thousands of feet thick in places, and was deposited in the Paradox Basin of the Colorado Plateau some 300 million years ago when a sea flowed into the region and eventually evaporated. Over millions of years, the salt bed was covered with debris eroded from the Uncompahgre Uplift to the northeast. During the Early Jurassic (about 210 Ma) desert conditions prevailed in the region and the vast Navajo Sandstone was deposited. An additional sequence of stream laid and windblown sediments, the Entrada Sandstone (about 140 Ma), was deposited on top of the Navajo. Over 5000 feet (1500 m) of younger sediments were deposited and have been mostly eroded away. Remnants of the cover exist in the area including exposures of the Cretaceous Mancos Shale. The arches of the area are developed mostly within the Entrada formation.

The weight of this cover caused the salt bed below it to liquefy and thrust up layers of rock into salt domes. The evaporites of the area formed more unusual salt anticlines or linear regions of uplift. Faulting occurred and whole sections of rock subsided into the areas between the domes. In some places, they turned almost on edge. The result of one such 2,500-foot (760 m) displacement, the Moab Fault, is seen from the visitor center.

As this subsurface movement of salt shaped the landscape, erosion removed the younger rock layers from the surface. Except for isolated remnants, the major formations visible in the park today are the salmon-colored Entrada Sandstone, in which most of the arches form, and the buff-colored Navajo Sandstone. These are visible in layer cake fashion throughout most of the park. Over time, water seeped into the surface cracks, joints, and folds of these layers. Ice formed in the fissures, expanding and putting pressure on surrounding rock, breaking off bits and pieces. Winds later cleaned out the loose particles. A series of free-standing fins remained. Wind and water attacked these fins until, in some, the cementing material gave way and chunks of rock tumbled out. Many damaged fins collapsed. Others, with the right degree of hardness and balance, survived despite their missing sections. These became the famous arches.

USA - North Carolina - Mapcard (2)

NORTH CAROLINA
The Tarheel State
State Bird : Cardinal
State Flower : Dogwood

Sent by Debbie, a postcrosser from North Carolina, USA.

This is from Wikipeedia : Tar Heel (or Tarheel) is a nickname applied to the state and inhabitants of North Carolina as well as the nickname of the University of North Carolina athletic teams, students, alumni, and fans.

The exact etymology of the nickname is unknown, but most experts believe its roots come from the fact that tar, pitch and turpentine created from the vast pine forests were one of North Carolina's most important exports early in the state's history.

Because the exact history of the term is unknown, a number of legends have developed to explain it. Many believe it to be a nickname given during the U.S. Civil War, because of the state's importance on the Confederate side, and the fact that the troops "stuck to their ranks like they had tar on their heels".

The term "Tar Heel" gained popularity during the Civil War.

In its early years as a colony, North Carolina settlements became an important source of the naval stores tar, pitch, and turpentine especially for the English navy. Tar and pitch were largely used to paint the bottom of wooden British ships in order to both seal the ship and to prevent shipworms from damaging the hull.

At one time, an estimated 100,000 barrels (16,000 m3) of tar and pitch were shipped annually to England. After 1824, North Carolina became the leader in the United States for naval stores. By the Civil War, North Carolina had more than 1600 turpentine distilleries, and two thirds of all turpentine in the United States came from North Carolina and one-half from the counties of Bladen and New Hanover.

Historians Hugh Lefler and Albert Newsome claim in North Carolina: the History of a Southern State (3rd edition, 1973) that North Carolina led the world in production of naval stores, from about 1720 to 1870.

At the time, tar was created by piling up pine logs and burning them until hot oil seeped out from a canal. The vast production of tar from North Carolina led many, including Walt Whitman, to give the derisive nickname of "Tarboilers" to the residents of North Carolina. North Carolina was nicknamed the "Tar and Turpentine State" because of this industry.

Somehow, these terms evolved until the nickname Tar Heel was used to refer to residents of North Carolina and gained prominence during the American Civil War. During this time, the nickname Tar Heel was a pejorative, but starting around 1865, the term began to be used as a source of pride.

In 1893, the students of the University of North Carolina founded a newspaper and christened it The Tar Heel, which was later renamed The Daily Tar Heel. By the early 1900s the term was embraced by many as a non-derisive term for North Carolinians by those from inside and outside the state of North Carolina.

Ukraine - Kiev

KIEV/KYIV
1) St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral.
2) The Refectory.
3) The Rotunda of the St. Nicholas.
4) St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery.

Sent by Alina, a postcrosser from Kiev, Ukraine.

Bicycles (12)

Sent by Sabine, a postcrosser from Germany.

Chile

CHILE
Friendly People And Unspoiled Nature.

Sent by Arnold, a postcrosser from Santiago, Chile.

USA - Ohio - Mapcard (1)

OHIO
"Buckeye State"
Extending 225 miles from east to west and 215 miles from north to south, Ohio's inland location gives the state a continental climate of warm summers and cool winters. Ohio abounds with state parks, forest and other outdoor recreational areas, as well as resorts, beaches, and boating and fishing facilities. From farmlands to bustling metropolitan cities, Ohio provides its travelers with beautiful memories of scenic wonders.
Capital : Columbus. Flower : Scarlet Carnation. Bird : Cardinal. Tree : Ohio Buckeye.

Sent by Laurence, a postcrosser from Ohio, USA.

Golden Orioles (Oriolus oriolus)

Golden Orioles (Oriolus oriolus).

Sent by Christine, a postcrosser from Germany.

This is from Wikipedia : The Eurasian Golden Oriole or simply Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus) is the only member of the oriole family of passerine birds breeding in northern hemisphere temperate regions. It is a summer migrant in Europe and western Asia and spends the winter season in the central and southern Africa.

Golden orioles have an extremely large range with large populations that are apparently stable. Therefore, they are evaluated as least concern by BirdLife International.

The male is striking in the typical oriole black and yellow plumage, but the female is a drabber green bird. Orioles are shy, and even the male is remarkably difficult to see in the dappled yellow and green leaves of the canopy.

In flight they look somewhat like a thrush, strong and direct with some shallow dips over longer distances.

The New World orioles are similar in appearance to the Oriolidae, but are icterids unrelated to the Old World birds.

The breeding range of this species spans from Portugal, Spain and France across the United Kingdom and Scandinavia to Poland, Russia, the Balkans, Turkey and West Asia to the Caucasus up to Mongolia and China. They winter in central and southern Africa. They generally migrate during the night, but may travel during the day in the spring migration. During the fall migration they migrate via the Eastern Mediterranean where they feed on fruit; they are often considered a pest in this region because of this.

The Eurasian Golden Oriole inhabits a range of habitats. In Western Europe they prefer open broadleaf forests and plantations, copses, riverine forest, orchards, large gardens; in Eastern Europe they may inhabit more continuous forest as well as mixed or coniferous forests. They generally avoid treeless habitats but may forage there. In their wintering habitat they are fond in semi-arid to humid woodland, tall forests, riverine forest, woodland/savanna mosaic and savanna.

They feed on insects and fruit. They build neat nests in tree forks and lay 3-6 eggs.

Their call is a screech like a jay, but the song is a beautiful fluting weela-wee-ooo or or-iii-ole, unmistakable once heard.

USA - Alaska - Denali National Park (3)

DENALI NATIONAL PARK, ALASKA
Dall sheep rest on a ridge in the fall at Denali National Park.

Sent by Maureen, a postcrosser from Alaska, USA.

Portugal - Azores - Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores (4)

AZORES, PORTUGAL
Angra do Heroismo

Sent by Lurdes, a postcrosser from Azores, Portugal.

China - Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System

Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.

Sent by Doris, a postcrosser from Guangzhou, China.

This is from UNESCO : The Dujiangyan Irrigation System, begun in the 2nd century BC, is a major landmark in the development of water management and technology, and is still discharging its functions perfectly. It graphically illustrates the immense advances in science and technology achieved in ancient China. The temples of Mount Qingcheng are closely associated with the foundation of Taoism, one of the most influential religions of East Asia over a long period of history.

In 256 BC Li Bing, Shu Kingdom magistrate of the Qin dynasty, selected the mountain outlet of the Minjiang River, with its abundant water flow, as the site for an irrigation system. This involved cutting the Lidui platform, digging canals to avoid the risk of flooding, and opening up a navigation route; at the same time the neighbouring farmland would be irrigated, creating a 'Land of Abundance'.

During the Tang dynasty (618-907) large-scale water conservancy and irrigation projects were carried out. The system was rationalized during the Song dynasty (960-1279) into three main water-courses, three canals and fourteen branches, with coordinated maintenance and water control. During the Yuan dynasty (1206-1368) additional projects were carried out, and this process continued throughout the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Incessant warfare at the end of the Ming dynasty and the early years of the Qing dynasty (1644-1913) resulted in the system falling into disrepair, but this was eventually set to rights.

In AD 142 the philosopher Zhang Ling founded the doctrine of Taoism on Mount Qingcheng, and in the following year he took up permanent residence in what became known as the Celestial Cave of the Tianshi (the name given to the spiritual head of the Taoist religion). During the Jin dynasty (265-420) a number of Taoist temples were built on the mountain, and it became the centre from which the teachings of Taoism were disseminated widely throughout China.

The irrigation system consists of two principal components, the Weir Works and the irrigated area. The Weir Works form the heart of the system. It receives water from the upper valley of the Minjiang River. There are three main elements. The Yuzui Bypass Dyke is located at the outfall of the Minjiang River. Water from the upper valley is diverted into the Outer and Inner Canals: the former follows the course of the Minjiang River and the latter flows to the Chengdu plain through the Baopingkou Diversion Passage. It serves the essential function of bypassing the considerable amount of silt brought down by the river. It makes full use of the bend, directing surface water with low concentrations of silt into the Inner Canal and the heavily silted deeper water into the Outer Canal.

The Feiyashan Floodgate is situated between the lower end of the Yuzui Bypass Dyke and the V-Shaped Dyke. Its upper end is 710 m from the Bypass Dyke and 120 m from the Baopingkou Diversion Passage. The principal function of the Floodgate is to transfer overflow, together with silt and pebbles, from the Inner to the Outer Canal. When water flow in the Inner Canal is low, the Floodgate ceases its draining function and transfers water into the Weir Works to ensure the supply of irrigation water to the Chengdu Plains. The Baopingkou Diversion Passage lies between the Lidui Platform south of Dujiangyan City and the cliff facing it, an enormous engineering project that dates back to the beginning of the Irrigation System in the 3rd century BC. It is able to control and maintain the water flow to the Chengdu irrigated plains automatically, even in periods of drought or flooding.

Mount Qingcheng dominates the Chengdu plains. There are eleven temples on Mount Qingcheng of special significance in the field of Taoist architecture because, unlike Mount Wudang temples, they do not reproduce the features of imperial courts but the traditional architecture of western Sichuan. The Erwang Temple west of Dujiangyan City was considerably enlarged during the Song dynasty (960-1279) and substantially reconstructed in the 17th century. It is constructed of wood and is located on a commanding point of the mountain, overlooking the river. The carvings inside the temple record the history and achievements of water control.

Australia - New South Wales

The flag, Waratah and Laughing Kookaburra are emblems of the State of New South Wales. Left, top-bottom : Over Sydney Harbour Bridge to the city and the Opera House; Hanging Rock looming over the bush-clad slopes of the Grose Valley, in the Blue Mountains.

Sent by Ali, a postcrosser from Australia.

USA - Tennessee/North Carolina - Great Smoky Mountains National Park (6)

The spectacular Great Smoky Mountains.

Sent by Cindy, a WiP partner from Maryland, USA.

South Korea - Gu Hye-seon/Ku Hye Sun

Gu Hye-seon in a scene of "Boys Over Flowers".

Sent by Yunjeong, a postcrosser from South Korea.

This is from Wikipedia : Ku Hye Sun (Korean: 구혜선, born November 9, 1984) is a South Korean actress, singer, author and director. An admirer of Leonardo Da Vinci, Ku also dabbles in directing, writing, illustrating, singing and composing. She is best known for her role as Geum Jan Di in the hit TV show Boys Over Flowers.

Ku entered the entertainment industry after gaining popularity on the internet as an ulzzang. She soon rose to fame in the drama Pure in Heart and surprised critics with her performance in the historical drama The King and I. Ku is most well known for portraying Geum Jan-di in the hit KBS drama Boys Over Flowers. After a year in limbo with no broadcasting slot, her pre-produced drama The Musical finally aired in September 2011. Ku will next star in the Taiwanese drama adaptation of the manga Absolute Boyfriend and is currently filming for the upcoming SBS series Take Care of Us, Captain.

Originally set to debut as a singer (supposedly in a 3-member girl group with 2NE1's Park Bom and Sandara Park), YG Entertainment CEO Yang Hyun-seok advised Ku to pursue acting rather than music. In recent years, she has displayed her vocal talents through Saranga (which became the title song of Pure in Heart), a cover of Shim Soo-bong's I Don't Know Anything But Love (which played during a crucial scene in Boys Over Flowers), and a duet of Kim Gun Mo's song Rain Falls on a Sleepless Night with Big Bang member Seungri on the music talk show Lee Hana's Peppermint. Ku has also composed an album of New Age music titled Breath.

Ku wrote Tango, a semi-autobiographical novel about a twenty-something woman's experience with love and relationships. The book was a bestseller, selling 30,000 copies within a week. Its release coincided with her first solo art exhibition, also titled Tango, in July 2009 at La Mer Gallery, which attracted 10,000 visitors. The exhibition featured around 40 of Ku's illustrations, some from her novel. She has also done artwork for Gummy's fourth album Comfort.

Ku made her official debut as a director through her short film The Madonna (Korean title translates to The Cheerful Caretaker) at the 2009 Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival. She has since written and directed her first feature-length film Magic, and her second film The Peach Tree premiered at the 2011 Busan International Film Festival.

In 2011 Ku established her own company, Ku Hye-sun Film, and she will produce and film her projects under its name, which will offer her a measure of legal/business protection.

Ukraine - Kiev

KYIV
1. The Dinamo Stadium.
2. A monument to V. Lobanovsky.
3. The view of Olympiysky Stadium.

Sent by Eugene, a postcrosser from Kiev, Ukraine.

Russia - Russian UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Russian UNESCO World heritage Sites.,
Gefsimansky Skit, Sergiev Posad; Qol Sharif Mosque, Kazan; Church on Spilt Blood, St. Petersburg.
Saint Basil's Cathedral, Moscow; Dormition Cathedral, Vladimir; Kizhi Pogost, Kizhi Island.
Church of Christ's Ascension, Kolomenskoye; The Cathedral of the Annunciation, Kazan; The Kremlin, Moscow.

Sent by Tatiana, a postcrosser from Moscow, Russia.

United Kingdom - England - North Norfolk Mapcard

A mapcard showing interesting places in North Norfolk.

Sent by Audrey, a postcrosser from England.

This is from Wikipedia : North Norfolk is a local government district in Norfolk, United Kingdom. Its council is based in Cromer. The council headquarters can be found approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) out of the town of Cromer on the Holt Road.

The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972. It was a merger of Cromer Urban District, North Walsham Urban District, Sheringham Urban District, Wells-next-the-Sea Urban District, Erpingham Rural District, Smallburgh Rural District, and Walsingham Rural District.

The district was originally to be called Pastonacres, but changed its name by resolution of the council and permission of the Secretary of State for Environment before it formally came into existence on 1 April 1974.

Puerto Rico - Tropical Flowers

Tropical Flowers, Puerto Rico
From top left : Heliconia Hibiscus, Frangipani, Ginger (gengibre), Banana, Orchid (orquidea), Heliconia and Bromeliad.

Sent by Jare from Puerto Rico.

Ukraine - Lviv

Lviv - A multicultural city.

Sent by Daria, a postcrosser from Kiev, Ukraine.

This is from Wikipedia : Lviv (Ukrainian: Львів L’viv, IPA: [lʲwiu̯]; Polish: Lwów, pronounced [lvuf]; Russian: Львов, L'vov; German: Lemberg; Latin: Leopolis; see also other names) is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following Holocaust and Polish population transfers (1944–1946). The historical heart of Lviv with its old buildings and cobblestone roads has survived World War II and ensuing Soviet presence largely unscathed. The city has many industries and institutions of higher education such as the Lviv University and the Lviv Polytechnic. Lviv is also a home to many world-class cultural institutions, including a philharmonic orchestra and the famous Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet. The historic city centre is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Lviv celebrated its 750th anniversary with a son et lumière in the city centre in September 2006.

Lviv was founded in 1256 in Red Ruthenia by King Danylo Halytskyi of the Ruthenian principality of Halych-Volhynia, and named in honour of his son, Lev. Together with the rest of Red Ruthenia, Lviv was captured by the Kingdom of Poland in 1349 during the reign of Polish king Casimir III the Great. Lviv belonged to the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland 1349–1772, the Austrian Empire 1772–1918 and the Second Polish Republic 1918–1939. With the Invasion of Poland at the outbreak of the second World War, the city of Lviv with adjacent land were annexed and incorporated into the Soviet Union, becoming part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic from 1939 to 1941. Between July 1941 and July 1944 Lviv was under German occupation and was located in the General Government. In July 1944 it was captured by the Soviet Red Army and the Polish Home Army. According to the agreements of the Yalta Conference, Lviv was again integrated into the Ukrainian SSR. Most of the Poles living in Lviv were resettled into Polish territories annexed from Germany.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the city remained a part of the now independent Ukraine, for which it currently serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast, and is designated as its own raion (district) within that oblast.

On 12 June 2009 the Ukrainian magazine Focus assessed Lviv as the best Ukrainian city to live in. Its more Western European flavor lends it the nickname the "Little Paris of Ukraine".

The city is expecting a sharp increase in the number of foreign visitors next summer for the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, and as a result a major new airport terminal is being built. Lviv is one of 8 Polish and Ukrainian cities that is co-hosting the group stages of the tournament.

USA - California - Mapcard (2)

GREETINGS FROM CALIFORNIA
Nickname : The Golden State
Area in Square Miles : 158,297
Population : 36, 132,147
Entered in the Union : September 9th, 1856

Sent by BlueBat, a postcrosser from California, USA.

Finland - Petäjävesi Old Church

The Petäjävesi Evangelical Lutheran Old Church.

Sent by Terhi, a postcrosser from Helsinki, Finland.

This is from UNESCO : The Petäjävesi Evangelical Lutheran Old Church is a building of considerable global importance as an example of northern timber church architecture. The church is uniquely representative of log construction in the northern coniferous area and of the skills of the peasant population. European architectural trends have influenced the external form and the ground plan of the church, but they have been applied masterfully to traditional log construction. The church combines the layout of a Renaissance central church conception and older forms derived from Gothic groined ceilings. It reflects in an impressive way the architectural beauty of a northern rural Protestant church.

The church is situated on a peninsula where Lakes Jamsa and Petäjävesi meet. The location was determined by the fact that the congregation would be able to reach it by boat or over the ice in the winter. At the present time there is no settlement in the immediate vicinity of the church, since the town of Petäjävesi has developed about 1 km away.

Petäjävesi Old Church was designed and built in 1763-64 by a peasant master-builder, and in 1821 his grandson added the bell tower at the west end. Since a new church was built on the other side of the strait in 1879, the Old Church went out of use and was not maintained for many years, only the bell tower and cemetery being used for their original purpose. Repairs began in the 1920s when an Austrian art historian drew attention to its historical and architectural value.

The ground plan of the church is cruciform, the arms being virtually the same size. This form of church developed first in towns in the later 17th century, and only later spread into the countryside. The model was probably the stone church built in Stockholm in 1656 in a style derived from Italian architecture. The bell tower at the west end of the church is connected to it by a narrow corridor; the vestry is similarly linked with the eastern arm. The main structure is of horizontal log (Blockbau) construction, in the tradition to be found further to the east. The walls were not originally clad with planks, as at the present time. The four arms are covered by high, slightly angular vaults made from reddish pine planks, and there is an octagonal dome at the crossing. The circular design at the top of the dome derives from the classical opaion as interpreted in Renaissance architecture. The masking slats, base and tie-beams of the vaults are decorated in red ochre. The interior largely preserves its original form, as developed during the century (1764-1879) when it was in liturgical use. The distinctive features are the pulpit, pews, balustraded galleries and chandeliers, the elaborate carving of which is entirely the work of local craftsmen and artists.

The exterior is characterized by the steeply pitched roof, reminiscent of Gothic architecture. One of the doorways and the window of the choir have preserved their original triple arches. The lowest tier of the bell tower is in Blockbau construction, the walls and lantern being timber-framed with clapboard cladding. The bell trestle is supported on a sturdy log frame. Unlike the rest of the church, the bell tower is painted a different colour. The church is situated within a graveyard surrounded by a stone wall.

The period of neglect between 1879 and the 1920s was a blessing in disguise. When restoration began the historical importance of the building had been recognized and so interventions for restoration and conservation were kept to a minimum and used traditional techniques and materials. As a result the level of authenticity is exceptionally high.

Antique Maps

Antique Maps

Sent by J. Tills, a postcrosser from Wisconsin, USA. Terima kasih (thanks) for the beautiful stamps.

Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)

Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)

Sent by Patricia, a postcrosser from Germany.

This is from Wikipedia : The Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus or Parus caeruleus) is a small passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. The bird is easily recognisable by its blue and yellow plumage.

Blue tits, usually resident and non-migratory birds, are widespread and a common resident breeder throughout temperate and subarctic Europe and western Asia in deciduous or mixed woodlands with a high proportion of oak. They usually nest in tree holes, although they easily adapt to nest boxes where necessary. The main rivalry for nests and search for food is the much larger Great Tit.

The blue tit prefers insects and spiders for their diet. Outside the breeding season, they also eat seeds and other vegetable-based foods. Blue tits are famed for their skill, as they can cling to the outermost branches and hang upside down when looking for food.

This species was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 as Parus caeruleus.

Most authorities retain Cyanistes as a subgenus of Parus, but the British Ornithologists' Union treats Cyanistes as a distinct genus. This is supported by mtDNA cytochrome b sequence analysis which suggests that Cyanistes is not only distinct, but not close to other tits.

Bicycle (11)

Sent by Mary Lou & Greg, postcrossers from San Diego, USA.

Finland - Kemi

View of Kemi, Finland.

sent by Airi, a postcrosser from Kemi, Finland.

This is from Wikipedia : Kemi (Northern Sami: Giepma) is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located very near the city of Tornio. It was founded in 1869 by royal decree, because of its proximity to a deep water harbour.

Kemi is situated by the Bothnian Bay, at the mouth of river Kemijoki, and it is part of Lapland region. The town has a population of 22,579 (31 January 2011) and covers an area of 747.44 square kilometres (288.59 sq mi) of which 652.1 km2 (251.8 sq mi) is water. The population density is 236.83 inhabitants per square kilometre (613.4 /sq mi).

The main economic activity in Kemi is centred on two large paper and woodpulp mills and on the only chromium mine in Europe (which supplies the Outokumpu ferrochrome plant in Tornio). A polytechnic university is also situated in Kemi.

Kemi also has a claim to fame as the home of the world's largest snow castle (reconstructed every year with a different architecture). The snowcastle is usually located at the inner harbour of Kemi.

A model of The Crown of Finland (original was never made for the King of Finland) is kept in the Gemstone gallery. There are also replicas like the Imperial State Crown of Great Britain; the Sceptre of the Czar of Russia; Orbs of Denmark and the Diamond necklace of Marie Antoinette among other things.

It's also the hometown of the Power Metal band Sonata Arctica.