Netherlands - Groningen - Leek

Multiviews of Leek.

Sent by Alma, a postcrosser from Leek, Groningen,the Netherlands.

Leek ([leɪ̯k] Gronings: De Laik; West Frisian: De Like) is a municipality and a village in the Groningen province in the northeastern Netherlands, bordering on the Drenthe and Fryslân provinces.

The village is approximately 20 km west of Groningen (city) on the A7 (E22) highway.

The village grew around a fortification that was constructed here during the Eighty Years' War with Spain. The name 'Leek' was derived from a brook, the "Leke". The town is sometimes also called "The Leek". In Dutch the people from Leek are called "Leeksters".

Every year around pentecost there is a fair (Pinkstermarkt), drawing thousands of people from the area.

Near the village is a shallow lake, called "Het Leekstermeer" (also called Zulthemeer), with recreational facilities. Actually, the lake is in another municipality and in another province. (read further)

U.S.A. - North Dakota - Mapcard

NORTH DAKOTA
State Capital : Bismarck
State Bird : Western Meadowlark
State Flower : Prairie Rose
State Tree : American Elm
Admitted to Union : 1889

Sent by Mary & Family from Minot, North Dakota, USA.

Malaysia - Penang - George Town Festival 2013

Sent by SL Liew from Penang, Malaysia.

U.S.A. - North Dakota - Bismarck

DOWNTOWN BISMARCK
North Dakota's Capital City.

Sent by Amy from Bismarck, North Dakota, USA.

Bismarck is the capital of the State of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 120,060. Bismarck was founded in 1872 and has been North Dakota's capital city since the State was created from Dakota Territory and admitted to the Union in 1889.

Bismarck is on the east bank of the Missouri River, directly across the river from Mandan. The two cities make up the core of the Bismarck-Mandan Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The North Dakota State Capitol, the tallest building in the state, is in central Bismarck. The state government employs more than 4,000 in the city. As a hub of retail and health care, Bismarck is the economic center of south-central North Dakota and north-central South Dakota. (read further)

U.S.A. - Louisiana - Old State Capitol Building

OLD LOUISIANA STATE CAPITOL
The Old Louisiana State Capitol, a National Historic Landmark, is located in downtown Baton Rouge, next to the Mississippi River, and was designed by Architect James Harrison Dakin. Its floor plan,towers, exterior stained glass windows and gables give it the appearance of a 15th-century Gothic cathedral.

Sent by Melissa, a Swap-Bot partner from USA.

The Louisiana's Old State Capitol is a building in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States that housed the Louisiana State Legislature from the mid-19th century until the current capitol tower building was constructed in 1929.

It is built both to look like and function like a castle and has led some locals to call it the Louisiana Castle, the Castle of Baton Rouge, the Castle on the River or the Museum of Political History, though most people just call it the old capitol building. When someone says "Old State Capitol" in Louisiana they are probably talking about this building and not the two towns that were formerly the capital city; New Orleans and Donaldsonville. (read further)

U.S.A. - Pennsylvania - State Capitol Building

Harrisburg was incorporated as a borough in 1791. Located along the Susquehanna River, Harrisburg was chosen as the state capital in 1812.

Sent by Jaime from Pennsylvania, USA.

The Pennsylvania State Capitol is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is in downtown Harrisburg. It was designed in 1902 in a Beaux-Arts style with Renaissance themes throughout. The capitol houses the chambers for the Pennsylvania General Assembly, made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the Harrisburg chambers for the Supreme and Superior Courts of Pennsylvania, as well as the offices of the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor. It is also the main building of thePennsylvania State Capitol Complex.

The seat of government for the state was originally in Philadelphia, then was relocated to Lancaster in 1799 and finally to Harrisburg in 1812. The current capitol, known as the Huston Capitol, is the third state capitol building to be built in Harrisburg. The first, the Hills Capitol, was destroyed in 1897 by a fire and the second, the Cobb Capitol, was left unfinished when funding was discontinued in 1899.

Joseph Miller Huston designed the current capitol, dedicated in 1906. After its completion, the capitol project was the subject of agraft scandal. The construction and subsequent furnishing cost three times more than the General Assembly had appropriated for the project. Huston and four others were convicted of graft in relation to costs of the total project.

The capitol is often referred to as a "palace of art" because of its many sculptures, murals and stained-glass windows, most of which use Pennsylvania themes or were made by Pennsylvanians. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Starting in 1982, the restoration of the capitol has been ongoing. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006; the boundaries were expanded to include the Capitol Complex in 2013 with the capitol a contributing property. (Source)

U.S.A. - Pennsylvania - Harrisburg

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Sent by Jaime from Pennsylvania, USA.

Harrisburg is the capital city of Pennsylvania. As of 2011, the city had a population of 49,673, making it the ninth-largest city in Pennsylvania. Harrisburg is also the county seat of Dauphin County and lies on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, 105 miles (169 km) west-northwest of Philadelphia.

The Harrisburg-Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Dauphin, Cumberland, and Perry counties, had a population of 509,074 in 2000 and grew to 549,850 in 2010. A July 1, 2007 estimate placed the population at 528,892, making it the fifth largest Metropolitan Statistical Area in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown−Bethlehem−Easton (the Lehigh Valley), and Scranton−Wilkes Barre. The Harrisburg-Carlisle-Lebanon Combined Statistical Area, including both the Harrisburg-Carlisle and Lebanon Metropolitan Statistical Areas, had an estimated population of 656,781 in 2007 and was the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the state.

Harrisburg played a notable role in American history during the Westward Migration, the American Civil War, and the Industrial Revolution. During part of the 19th century, the building of the Pennsylvania Canal and later the Pennsylvania Railroad allowed Harrisburg to become one of the most industrialized cities in the Northeastern United States. The U.S. Navy ship USS Harrisburg, which served from 1918 to 1919 at the end of World War I, was named in honor of the city.

In the mid-to-late 20th century, the city's economic fortunes fluctuated with its major industries consisting of government, heavy manufacturing including the production of steel, agriculture (the greater Harrisburg area is at the heart of the fertile Pennsylvania Dutch Country), and food services (nearby Hershey is home of the chocolate maker, located just 10 miles east of Harrisburg). In 1981, following contractions in the steel and dairy industries, Harrisburg was declared the second most distressed city in the nation. The city subsequently experienced a resurgence under its former mayor Stephen R. Reed, with nearly $3 billion in new investment realized during his lengthy tenure.(read further)

Road Trains

Roadtrains Australia

Sent by Jenny, a postcrosser from Victoria, Australia.

Bicycle (45)

Sent by Paulina, a postcrosser from Finland.

India - Rajasthan

Rajasthan

Sent by Vidya, a postcrosser from India.

U.S.A. - California - State Capitol Building (2)

STATE CAPITOL AND FOUNTAIN
- SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
Amid botanical specimens brought from all over the world, the fountain forms a scenic setting for California's State Capitol Building.

Sent by Eugene, a postcrosser from California, USA.

Cambodia - Phnom Penh

The humble cyclo, a bicycle rickshaw, is operated by some of the poorest yet hardest working drivers in Cambodia.

Sent by Elma from Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Phnom Penh (/pəˈnɔːm ˈpɛn/ or /ˈnɒm ˈpɛn/; Khmer pronunciation: [pnum pɨɲ]) is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since French colonization of Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security, politics, cultural heritage, and diplomacy of Cambodia.

Once known as the "Pearl of Asia," it was considered one of the loveliest French-built cities in Indochina in the 1920s. Phnom Penh, along with Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, are significant global and domestic tourist destinations for Cambodia. Founded in 1434, the city is noted for its beautiful and historical architecture and attractions. There are a number of surviving French colonial buildings scattered along the grand boulevards.

Situated on the banks of the Tonlé Sap, Mekong and Bassac rivers, the Phnom Penh metropolitan area is home to about 2.2 million of Cambodia's population of over 14.8 million, up from about 1.9 million in 2008. The city is the wealthiest and most populous city in Cambodia and is the country's political hub. (read further)

U.S.A. - Georgia - Mapcard

Map of Georgia.

Sent by Kristenita from Atlanta, USA.

Georgia (/ˈdʒɔrdʒə/ jor-juh) is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. Named after King George II of Great Britain, Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788. It declared its secession from the Union on January 19, 1861, and was one of the original seven Confederate states. It was the last state to be restored to the Union, on July 15, 1870. Georgia is the 24th most extensive and the 8th most populous of the 50 United States. From 2007 to 2008, 14 of Georgia's counties ranked among the nation's 100 fastest-growing, second only to Texas. Georgia is known as the Peach State and the Empire State of the South. Atlanta is the state's capital and its most populous city.

Georgia is bordered on the south by Florida; on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and South Carolina; on the west by Alabama; and on the north by Tennessee and North Carolina. The northern part of the state is in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a mountain range in the Appalachian Mountain system. The central Piedmont extends from the foothills to the fall line, where the rivers cascade down in elevation to the continental coastal plain of the southern part of the state. The highest point in Georgia is Brasstown Bald, 4,784 feet (1,458 m); the lowest point is the Atlantic Ocean. Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi River in land area, although it is the fourth largest (after Michigan, Florida, and Wisconsin) in total area, including expanses of water that are part of state territory. (read further)

Malaysia - Perak Darul Ridzuan - Pangkor Island (2)

Teluk Ketapang Beach
Pangkor Island, Malaysia.

I mailed this postcard from Post Office of Pangkor Island on 27th June during my business trip on that island.

Malaysia - Perak Darul Ridzuan - Pangkor Island (1)

Some beautiful beaches of Pulau Pangkor.
1. Emerald Bay on the west of the Pangkor Laut Island.
2. An isolated streatch of beach on the south-western coast of Pangkor Laut Island.
3. Telok Belanga on the west coast of Pangkor Island.
4. Deep sea trawlers are a familiar sight in Pangkor.

I mailed this postcard from Post Office of Pangkor Island on 27 June during my business trip on that island.

Pulau Pangkor is an island off the coast of Perak in north-west peninsular Malaysia, reached by ferry either from the old jetty or from Marina Island jetty both located in Lumut (a small coastal town that links to Ipoh through Sitiawan). It has a land area of only 8 square kilometers, and a population of approximately 25,000 islanders. It is heavily promoted as a low-key tourist destination by the Malaysian government, but fishing and fish products remain major industries. (read further)

Malaysia - Kedah Darul Aman

Traditional architecture in Malaysia varies from state to state. Pictured is a village headman's exquisitely crafted home from the northern state of Kedah.

I mailed this postcard on 28 June from my parents' hometown in Serdang, Kedah Darul Aman.

Kedah (also known by its honorific, Darul Aman, or "Abode of Peace") is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice. Langkawi is an archipelago of islands, most of which are uninhabited. Kedah was called Kadaram (Tamil:காடாரம்) by Tamil people and Syburi (Thai: ไทรบุรี; RTGS: Sai Buri) by the Siamese when it was under their influence.

Kedah borders the state of Perlis and shares an international boundary with the Songkhla and Yala provinces of Thailand to the north. It also borders the state of Perak to the south and Penang to the southwest.

The state's capital is Alor Setar and the royal seat is in Anak Bukit. Other major towns include Sungai Petani, and Kulim on the mainland, and Kuah on Langkawi. (read further)

Brownies

Sent by Diana, a postcrosser from Ukraine.

Bicycle (44)

Sent by Hanneke, a postcrosser from the Netherlands.

Germany - Berlin (4)

BERLIN

Sent by Leila, a postcrosser from Berlin, Germany.

Guatemala - Tikal National Park (2)

GUATEMALA
Tikal, Templo II

Sent by Astrid from Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.

Australia - Victoria - Melbourne Aquarium

left : Common Seadragon Phyllopteryx taeniolatus
right : Leafy Seadragon Phycodurus eques

Sent by Elizabeth, a postcrosser from Australia.

Melbourne Aquarium is a Southern Ocean and Antarctic aquarium in central Melbourne, Australia. It is located on the banks of the Yarra River beside and under the Flinders Street Viaduct and the King Street Bridge.

Built between February 1998 and December 1999, the building was designed by Peddle Thorp architects to resemble a ship moored to the river, and opened in January 2000. The depth of the building however was designed not to be imposing at street level, and extends 7 metres (23 ft) below the surface. At its centre is a world first 2,200,000-litre (580,000 US gal) 'oceanarium in the round' where the spectators become the spectacle to the marine life swimming around them.

Soon after opening, the building had a legionnaires disease outbreak that resulted in 2 deaths and another 60 people being affected. Those affected had visited the aquarium between 11 and 27 April 2000. A damages action was brought in May 2000, ending in February 2004.

The Melbourne Aquarium recently underwent a significant expansion, also designed by Peddle Thorp, and now extends from the Yarra River to Flinders Street. A new entrance was built on the corner of Flinders and King Streets. The expansion features exhibits with king penguins and gentoo penguins, as well as many other Antarctic fish, a first for Australia. The exhibits also feature real ice and snow to simulate Antarctic conditions, and take visitors on an expedition to Antarctica. The penguins were sourced from Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World in New Zealand. (Source)

Canada - British Columbia - Mapcard

BEAUTIFUL BRITISH COLUMBIA
Canada
BC, with its varied landscape, is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Mighty rivers and ocean shoreline, fishing lakes, and sandy beacghes, wildflowers and old-growth forests, comprise the 952,263 square kilometres of "Beautiful" British Columbia.

Sent by Tam, a postcrosser from Kitimat,Canada.

Bicycle (43)

Sent by Jurgita, a postcrosser from Vilnius, Lithuania.

U.S.A. - Alabama - Mapcard

ALABAMA
The Cotton State

Sent by Lee from Montgomer, Alabama, USA.