Friday, June 20, 2025

Italy - Emilia-Romagna - Parma


PARMA
The Cathedral and Baptistery

Sent by Giada-Alfieri from Parma, Italy.

Parma (Italian: [ˈparma] ParmigianoPärma [ˈpɛːʁmɐ]) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecturemusic, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, Parma is the second most populous city in Emilia-Romagna after Bologna, the region's capital. The city is home to the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world. Parma is divided into two parts by the stream of the same name. The district on the west side of the river is Oltretorrente, meaning The other side of the stream. Parma's Etruscan name was adapted by Romans to describe the round shield called Parma (read more).

Malaysia - Johor - Clock Tower


Muar
is the official Royal Town (or "Empress Town") of Johor.
One of the tourist attractions is the British colonial architecture Clock Tower which is standing at the entrance of the town.

Sent by Nurul from Muar, Johore.

Muar (Muarian dialect: Muo) or Bandar Maharani is a historical town and the capital of Muar District, Johor, Malaysia. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Malaysia to be visited and explored for its food, coffee and historical prewar buildings. On the 5 of February 2012, Muar was declared as the royal town of Johor by Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar and is the fourth largest urban area (after Johor Bahru, Batu Pahat and Kluang) in Johor. It is the main and biggest town of the bigger entity region or area of the same name, Muar, which is sub-divided into the Muar district and the new Tangkak district, which was upgraded into a full-fledged district from the Tangkak sub-district earlier. Muar district as the only district covering the whole area that formerly borders Malacca in the northern part. Upon the upgrading of Tangkak (formerly Ledang) district, the Muar district now covers only the area south of Sungai Muar, whilst the northern area beyond the river is in within Tangkak district. However, both divided administrative districts are still collectively and fondly called and referred to as the region or area of Muar as a whole by their residents and outsiders. Currently, the new township of Muar is located in the Bakri area.

Muar is one of the cleanest cities in South East Asia, being awarded with Asean Clean Tourist City Standard Award 2017 and 2022 (read more).


Estonia - Tartu (2)


ESTONIA/EESTI
Tartu

Sent by Maire from Estonia.

My first Tartu postcard is here.


Russia - Zabaykalsky Krai - Chita


Details of Chita in Zabaykalsky Krai, Russia.

Sent by Anzhelika from Vladivostok, Russia.

Chita (RussianЧитаIPA: [tɕɪˈta]) is a city and the administrative center of Zabaykalsky KraiRussia, located on the Trans-Siberian Railway route, roughly 1,100 kilometers (680 mi) east of Irkutsk and roughly 2,100 kilometers (1,300 mi) west of Khabarovsk

Population: 334,427 (2021 Census); 324,444 (2010 Census);

Pyotr Beketov's Cossacks founded Chita in 1653. The name of the settlement came from the local River Chita (read more).


Russia - Leningrad Oblast - Vyborg Library


Vyborg Library, Vyborg
Lending Department

Sent by Vasya and Nastya from Moscow, Russia.

Vyborg Library (Finnish: Viipurin kaupunginkirjasto) is a library in Vyborg, Russia, built during the time of Finnish sovereignty (1918 to 1940-44), before the Finnish city of Viipuri was annexed by the former USSR and its Finnish name was changed to Vyborg by the Soviet authorities.

The building, built from 1927 to 1935, is an internationally acclaimed design by the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto and one of the major examples of 1920s functionalist architectural design. The library is considered one of the first manifestations of "regional modernism". It is particularly famous for its wave-shaped ceiling in the auditorium, the shape of which, Aalto argued, was based on acoustic studies. On completion the library was known as Viipuri Library, but after the Second World War and Soviet annexation, the library was renamed the Nadezhda Krupskaya Municipal Library. Nowadays, integrated in the Russian Federation city of Vyborg, the library is officially known as the Central City Alvar Aalto Library.

The library restoration project lasted almost two decades from 1994 until late 2013. The restoration work was awarded with the World Monuments Fund / Knoll Modernism Prize in 2014 and the Europa Nostra Award in 2015 (read more).


Sweden - Malmö


Multiviews of Malmö
Sent by David (reddit) during his trip to Malmo, Sweden.
Malmö is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region. Located on the Öresund strait on the southwestern coast of Sweden, it is the largest city in Scania, with a municipal population of 365,644 in 2024, and is the gubernatorial seat of Skåne County. Malmö received its city privileges in 1353, and today Malmö's metropolitan region is home to over 700,000 people.
Malmö is the site of Sweden's only fixed direct link to continental Europe, the Öresund Bridge, completed in 2000. The bridge connects Sweden to Denmark, and carries both road and rail traffic. The Öresund Region, which includes Malmö and Copenhagen, is home to four million people (read more).

USA - Nevada - Great Basin National Park


Great Basin National Park. NEVADA.
Sent by Kyrienne from Sacramento in California, USA. 
Great Basin National Park is a national park of the United States located in White Pine County in east-central Nevada, near the Utah border. Established 39 years ago in 1986, the park is most commonly entered by way of Nevada State Route 488, which is connected to U.S. Routes 6 and 50 by Nevada State Route 487 via the small town of Baker, the closest settlement.
The park derives its name from the Great Basin, the dry and mountainous region between the Sierra Nevada and the Wasatch Mountains. Topographically, this area is known as the Basin and Range Province. The park is located about 290 miles (470 km) north of Las Vegas and protects 77,180 acres (121 sq mi; 312 km2).
The park is notable for its groves of ancient bristlecone pines, the oldest known living non-clonal organisms; Lehman Caves; Wheeler Peak Glacier, below 13,063-foot (3,982 m) Wheeler Peak; and some of the darkest night skies in the contiguous United States (read more).


Germany - Bavaria - Aschaffenburg


Greetings From Aschaffenburg.

Sent by Sina from Bavaria, Germany.

Aschaffenburg (German pronunciation: [aˈʃafn̩bʊʁk]; Hessian: Ascheberschpronounced [ˈaʒəˌbɛːʃ]) is a town in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg, despite being its administrative seat, is not part of the district of Aschaffenburg.

Aschaffenburg belonged to the Archbishopric of Mainz for more than 800 years. The town is located at the westernmost border of Lower Franconia and separated from the central and eastern part of the Regierungsbezirk (administrative region) by the Spessart hills, whereas it opens towards the Rhine-Main plain in the west and the north-west. Therefore, the inhabitants speak neither Bavarian nor East Franconian but rather a local version of Rhine Franconian (read more).


Marilyn Monroe


Star trippings and a confident attitude won Marilyn the adoration of millions.

Sent by Anna from Nebraska, USA.

Marilyn Monroe (/ˈmærəlɪn mənˈr/ MARR-ə-lin mən-ROH; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 – August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as well as an emblem of the era's sexual revolution. She was a top-billed actress for a decade, and her films grossed $200 million (equivalent to $2 billion in 2024) by her death in 1962.

Born in Los Angeles, Monroe spent most of her childhood in foster homes and an orphanage before marrying James Dougherty at the age of 16. She was working in a factory during World War II when she met a photographer from the First Motion Picture Unit and began a successful pin-up modeling career, which led to short-lived film contracts with 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures. After roles as a freelancer, she began a longer contract with Fox in 1951, becoming a popular actress with roles in several comedies, including As Young as You Feel and Monkey Business, and in the dramas Clash by Night and Don't Bother to Knock. Monroe faced a scandal when it was revealed that she had posed for nude photographs prior to fame, but the story resulted in increased interest in her films (read more).

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Switzerland - Disentis


Segnas, Buretsch, and Cuz in Disentis, 1300m above sea level.

Sent by Carole from Mühleberg in Switzerland.

Mustér ([muˈʃteː], Romansh) or Disentis (German), with its official name Disentis/Mustér is a village and a municipality in the Surselva Region in the Swiss canton of Grisons.

The skiing and summer tourism resort high up in the Rhine valley is the site of one of the oldest Benedictine monasteries in Switzerland. The monastery dates back to 720, its huge current complex dates from 1696 to 1712 (read more).


USA - South Dakota - Wind Cave National Park


Wind Cave National Park
SOUTH DAKOTA
You and your family will have a great exploring the many rooms in Wind Cave. The informative tour, offered a number of times a day by the National Park Service, is not fatiguing. In this card yu can see the interesting boxwork on the ceiling.

Sent by Karolyn who lives near St. Louis in Missouri, USA.

Wind Cave National Park is a national park of the United States located 10 miles (16 km) north of the town of Hot Springs in western South Dakota. Established on January 3, 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt, it was the sixth national park in the U.S. and the first cave to be designated a national park anywhere in the world. The cave is notable for its calcite formations known as boxwork, as well as its frostwork. Approximately 95 percent of the world's discovered boxwork formations are found in Wind Cave.

Wind Cave is one of the best known examples of a breathing cave. The cave is recognized as the densest cave system in the world, with the greatest passage volume per cubic mile. Wind Cave is the sixth longest cave in the world with 168.02 miles (270.40 km) of explored cave passageways (as of 2025) and the third longest cave in the United States, though it is only the second longest cave in Custer County, South Dakota behind Jewel Cave. Despite the close proximity, no connection has ever been found between Wind Cave and Jewel Cave and most geologists believe the caves are not connected. Above ground, the park includes the largest remaining natural mixed grass prairie in the United States, as well as the southern terminus of the South Dakota Centennial Trail (read more).


USA - Kansas - State Bird


The western meadowlark (Sturnella neglectus) was given its scientific name by John Auduborn.

Sent by Tonya from Kansas City, USA.

The western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) is a medium-sized icterid bird, about 8.5 in (22 cm) in length. It is found across western and central North America and is a full migrant, breeding in Canada and the United States with resident populations also found in Mexico. The western meadowlark nests on the ground in open grasslands and shrublands. It feeds on bugs and seeds. The western meadowlark has distinctive calls described as watery or flute-like, which distinguish it from the closely related eastern meadowlark. The western meadowlark is the state bird of six states: KansasMontanaNebraskaNorth DakotaOregon, and Wyoming (read more).

USA - Michigan - Isle Royale National Park


Isle Royale National Park was established in 1940, the 23rd among America's National Parks. The park is a remote island cluster in Lake Superior, near Michigan's border with Canada. Isle Royale is the largest island's in Lake Superior measuring over 45 miles in length and 9 miles at its widest point. It's a car-free wilderness of forest, lakes and waterways. The island is accessible only by boat or floatplane.

Sent by Nicole from Ohio, USA. 

Isle Royale National Park is a national park of the United States consisting of Isle Royale, along with more than 400 small adjacent islands and the surrounding waters of Lake Superior, in Michigan.

Isle Royale is 45 mi (72 km) long and 9 mi (14 km) wide, with an area of 206.73 sq mi (535.4 km2), making it the fourth-largest lake island in the world. In addition, it is the largest natural island in Lake Superior, the second-largest island in the Great Lakes (after Manitoulin Island), the third-largest in the contiguous United States (after Long Island and Padre Island), and the 33rd-largest island in the United States.

Isle Royale National Park was established on April 3, 1940, then additionally protected from development by wilderness area designation in 1976, declared a UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve in 1980, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019 as the Minong Traditional Cultural Property. The park covers 894 sq mi (2,320 km2), with 209 sq mi (540 km2) of land and 685 sq mi (1,770 km2) of surrounding waters.

The park's northern boundary lies adjacent to the Canadian Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area along the international border. With 25,894 visits in 2021, it is the seventh least-visited National Park in the United States (read more).


USA - New Jersey - The Garden State


The many faces of New Jersey, the Garden State.

Sent by CarlaRose from New Jersey, USA.

New Jersey is a state located in both the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the heavily urbanized Northeast megalopolis, it is bordered to the northwest, north, and northeast by New York State; on its east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on its west by the Delaware River and Pennsylvania; and on its southwest by Delaware Bay and Delaware. At 7,354 square miles (19,050 km2), New Jersey is the fifth-smallest state in land area. According to a 2024 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, it is the 11th-most populous state, with over 9.5 million residents, its highest estimated count ever. The state capital is Trenton, and the state's most populous city is Newark. New Jersey is the only U.S. state in which every county is deemed urban by the U.S. Census Bureau. It is the most densely populated U.S. state (read more).

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Classic Rock Bands - #2 Queen


A Night with Queen Concert
14th May 1977
Frankfurt, Germany

Sent by Stephanie from Austin in Texas, USA.

Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1970 by Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), and Roger Taylor (drums, vocals), later joined by John Deacon (bass). Their earliest works were influenced by progressive rock, hard rock and heavy metal, but the band gradually ventured into more conventional and radio-friendly works by incorporating further styles, such as arena rock and pop rock.

Before forming Queen, May and Taylor had played together in the band Smile. Mercury was a fan of Smile and encouraged them to experiment with more elaborate stage and recording techniques. He joined in 1970 and suggested the name "Queen". Deacon was recruited in February 1971, before the band released their self-titled debut album in 1973. Queen first charted in the UK with their second album, Queen II, in 1974. Sheer Heart Attack later that year and A Night at the Opera in 1975 brought them international success. The latter featured "Bohemian Rhapsody", which topped the UK singles chart for nine weeks and helped popularise the music video format. The band's 1977 album News of the World contained "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions", which have become anthems at sporting events. By the early 1980s, Queen were one of the biggest stadium rock bands in the world. "Another One Bites the Dust" from The Game (1980) became their best-selling single, and their 1981 compilation album Greatest Hits is the best-selling album in the UK and is certified 9x Platinum in the US by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Their performance at the 1985 Live Aid concert is ranked among the greatest in rock history by various publications. In August 1986, Mercury gave his last performance with Queen at Knebworth, England (read more).


Remarkable Women #5 - Mary Blair


MARY BLAIR
Illustrator, Designer, Concept Artist, and Animator

Sent by Beth from Topeka in Kansas, USA.

Mary Blair (born Mary Browne Robinson; October 21, 1911 – July 26, 1978) was an American artist, animator, and designer. She was prominent in producing art and animation for The Walt Disney Company, drawing concept art for such films as Alice in WonderlandPeter PanSong of the South and Cinderella. Blair also created character designs for enduring attractions such as Disneyland's It's a Small World, the fiesta scene in El Rio del Tiempo in the Mexico pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase, and an enormous mosaic inside Disney's Contemporary Resort. Several of her illustrated children's books from the 1950s remain in print, such as I Can Fly by Ruth Krauss. Blair was inducted into the group of Disney Legends in 1991 (read more).


Thursday, June 19, 2025

Pakistan - Islamabad - "Blue Area"


The commercial center of Islamabad is known as the 'Blue Area' and runs along the length of Jinnah Avenue. It is the commercial financial and business hub of Islamabad. It is called the "Blue Area" because it was represented in a colour blue in the original design of the planned city. Its eastern and runs into Parliament Road, where the majority of the country's government buildings are located.

Sent by Muhammad Imran from Islamabad, Pakistan.

Blue Area (Urduبلیو ایریا) is the central business district of Islamabad, Pakistan along the Jinnah Avenue.[1] The area is a 2-kilometer (1.2 mi)-long corridor along Islamabad's Khayaban-e-Quaid-e-Azam (also known as Jinnah Avenue), Islamabad's primary arterial road which leads up to the main government buildings. It is characterized by clean, wide roads and tall buildings among the panoramic greenery of the adjacent areas.

It is called the "Blue Area", because it was represented in blue colour in the original design (master plan) of the planned city (read more).


USA - Illinois The Browning Mansion


The Browning Mansion was built in 1858 as an Italianate two-story square house and "Victorianized" with the addition of bays, dormers and gingerbread in 1886. The Galesburg Historical Society acquired it in 1975 and undertook an extensive renovation. It is furnished with antiques and open for tours by appointment.

Sent by Jeannette from Galesburg in Illinois, USA.


USA - Michigan - Wild Adventure!


MICHIGAN WILD ADVENTURE
With miles of Great Lakes shoreline, inland lakes, scenic rivers, sweeping sand dunes and wilderness forest regions, Michigan is filled with delightful adventurous activities for everyone.

Sent by Christel from Watervliet in Michigan, USA.


USA - Colorado - Mapcard (2)


COLORADO
Colorado, the Centennial State is located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States. Denver is the capital and the most populous city.

Sent by Ana from Colorado, USA.

Colorado is a state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with ArizonaNew Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas to the east, and Oklahoma to the southeast. Colorado is noted for its landscape of mountainsforestshigh plainsmesascanyonsplateausrivers, and desert lands. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains. Colorado is the eighth-largest U.S. state by area and the 21st by population. The United States Census Bureau estimated the population of Colorado to be 5,957,493 as of July 1, 2024, a 3.2% increase from the 2020 United States census (read more).


USA - Arkansas - Mapcard


ARKANSAS 
The Natural State

Sent by Carole from Arkansas, USA.

Arkansas (/ˈɑːrkənsɔː/ AR-kən-saw) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma to the west. Its name derives from the Osage language, and refers to their relatives, the Quapaw people. The state's diverse geography ranges from the mountainous regions of the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains, which make up the U.S. Interior Highlands, to the densely forested land in the south known as the Arkansas Timberlands, to the eastern lowlands along the Mississippi River and the Arkansas Delta.

Previously part of French Louisiana and the Louisiana Purchase, the Territory of Arkansas was admitted to the Union as the 25th state on June 15, 1836. Much of the Delta had been developed for cotton plantations, and landowners there largely depended on enslaved African Americans' labor. In 1861, Arkansas seceded from the United States and joined the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. On returning to the Union in 1868, Arkansas continued to suffer economically, due to its overreliance on the large-scale plantation economy. Cotton remained the leading commodity crop, and the cotton market declined. Because farmers and businessmen did not diversify and there was little industrial investment, the state fell behind in economic opportunity. In the late 19th century, the state instituted various Jim Crow laws to disenfranchise and segregate the African-American population. White interests dominated Arkansas's politics, with disenfranchisement of African Americans and refusal to reapportion the legislature; only after the federal legislation passed were more African Americans able to vote. During the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, Arkansas and particularly Little Rock were major battlegrounds for efforts to integrate schools. Following World War II in the 1940s, Arkansas began to diversify its economy and see prosperity. During the 1960s, the state became the base of the Walmart corporation, the world's largest company by revenue, headquartered in Bentonville (read more).


USA - New York - Downtown


New York City
Downtown

Sent by James from New York, USA.

Lower Manhattan, also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York City, is the southernmost part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. The neighborhood is the historical birthplace of New York City and for its first 225 years was the entirety of the city. Lower Manhattan serves as the seat of government of both Manhattan and the entire City of New York. Because there are no municipally defined boundaries for the neighborhood, a precise population cannot be quoted, but several sources have suggested that it was one of the fastest-growing locations in New York City between 2010 and 2020, related to the influx of young adults and significant development of new housing units.

Despite various definitions of Lower Manhattan, they generally include all of Manhattan Island south of 14th Street, with the Bowling Green and the Battery near the southern end. Anchored by Wall Street and the Financial District in Lower Manhattan, New York City is the leading global center for finance and fintech. The Financial District houses Wall Street, the New York Stock Exchange, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and other major financial institutions. A center of culture and tourism, Lower Manhattan is home to many of New York City's most iconic structures, including New York City Hall, the Woolworth Building, the Stonewall Inn, the Bull of Wall Street, and One World Trade Center, the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere (read more).


USA - New York - Times Square


New York City
Times Square

Sent by Jessica from New York, USA.

Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent Duffy Square, Times Square is a bowtie-shaped plaza five blocks long between 42nd and 47th Streets.

Times Square is brightly lit by numerous digital billboards and advertisements as well as businesses offering 24/7 service. One of the world's busiest pedestrian intersections, it is also the hub of the Broadway Theater District and a major center of the world's entertainment industry. Times Square is one of the world's most visited tourist attractions, drawing an estimated 50 million visitors annually. Approximately 330,000 people pass through Times Square daily, many of them tourists, while over 460,000 pedestrians walk through Times Square on its busiest days. The Times Square–42nd Street and 42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal stations have consistently ranked as the busiest in the New York City Subway system, transporting more than 200,000 passengers daily (read more).