Card #5 From Thea (The Netherlands)

This is the fifth 'Monday' card I have received from

Thea. If you scroll down far enough, you will come

across all the others. Thea says, 'Where would we be

in this world if we had not learned how to write

(and ride a bike, for Dutchmen!)

You are so right, Thea!

Thank you for the wonderful card. I love the

concentration shown on the child's face as she

practices her writing!

Gruesse aus Langenfeld (Deutschland)

My new friend in Langenfeld is Annika. She tells me that

Langenfeld is a little town next to Cologne. Annika lives

in a section called Richrath, shown in the upper right

corner of the card. She says they have a water-ski place

there and it is very cool! Thank you, Annika, for

the beautiful card!

A Ukrainian Resort

Sasha, who is 16 years old and lives in the 'sunny city
of Odessa' in the Ukraine, sent me this great postcard.
It is a picture of the Black Sea in Crimea, a
Ukrainian resort. I think it is beautiful!
Thank you, Sasha, for sharing this beautiful view
of Crimea with me!

A Dutch Lighthouse in Marken

This black-and-white lighthouse is on the island of

Marken in the Netherlands. I am not surprised that

it is black-and-white. When we went to Marken, we

were amazed that every animal we saw--cats, dogs, cows,

chickens, geese, etc.--were all black-and-white!

This is a pretty little lighthouse. It was sent to me

by Marieke, who lives in The Hague. She says the

lighthouse almost looks like a real house!

Thank you, Marieke, for the pretty lighthouse card!

Groeten (greetings) from Holland

Sue, who lives in Rotterdam in the Netherlands,
sent this card to me. It shows many typical Dutch
things. Bicycles are a major form of transportation
in Holland (see upper right picture). The picture in
the upper left shows a motorcycle with Delft-style
painting on it! I have never seen one like that before!
Of course, the tulips and the pastries say 'Holland' too!
Thank you, Sue, for a taste of your country!

A Student's Project

These falling waters, rushing over the rocks and

cliffs, are on a card I received from Patrick,

a 15-year-old student in Germany. He says he

does Postcrossing with his private English tutor.

I think that must be a great way to learn about a

new language, as well as about other countries

and peoples.

Thank you, Patrick, for the nice card.

A Belarusian Card

This pretty buildingh with its Ionic columns is

the city hall in Svoboda (Freedom) Square,

Minsk, Belarus. It comes to me from Taras,

who lives in this capital city of Belarus.
He says he works as a media and motion

designer, and is fond of video-art, photography,

and graphic design.

Thank you, Taras, for the nice card!

These are the stamps that brought Taras' card.

Her First Postcrossing Card

This card, a Van Gogh painting, was sent to me

by Erica, who lives in Northborough, Massachusetts.

She said that this is the first Postcrossing card she has

sent and she is so excited. I can understand completely,

Erica. I have been postcrossing about 15 months and

I still get excited about it! Thank you so much for

the great art card!

Lighthouses of Maine

Kayla, who lives in Brunswick, Maine, sent me this picture

of five of my favorite lighthouses in Maine. They are:

Bass Harbor, Pemaquid Point, West Quoddy,

Portland Head, and Cape Neddick (Nubble). I have

visited all of these lighthouses more than once, and

I love them. The card makes me itch to go back to

Maine and re-visit. When Sam and I go to Maine, we

often stay at the Naval Station in Brunswick, where

Kayla lives.

Thank you, Kayla, for bringing back wonderful memories!

If Wishes Were Horses...

This pretty little postcard comes to me from

Hanna, who lives in Finland. She translated the

front of the card, and it says,

"Even a small dream can e a seed of great

happiness."

That's a nice thought, and I love the little bunny

making a wish and blowing the dandelion fluff!

Thank you, Hanna, for the nice card!

My Most Amazing Card Yet!

Not only does this card show the Bulgarian folklore dancers,

musical instruments, costumes, etc., the card, itself,

is cut out in the shape of Bulgaria! It comes to me from

Stefka, who lives in Aitos, Bulgaria. The back of the card reads:

'Bulgaria is world famous for its long centuries of

folklore traditions in the field of the musical and dance arts.

The voices of Bulgarian performers of folk songs are

cosmic and mystical. The magic of their performance is

completed with the incredible splendor of traditional

clothing.'

This is a great card, Stefka, and I really appreciate

your sending it to me. Thank you so much!

Charleston Sternwheel Regatta

I had never heard of a 'sternwheel Regatta' until I received

this card from Michelle in Mason, a small town

in West Virginia. She, too, likes to travel, and she

lived a few years in Hawaii, but then moved back to her

hometown. The back of the card says,

Charleston's Kanawha River Levee is the hub of activities

for this 10-day river festival. This is truly a river-oriented

festival for the people. Participants and observers view the

Sternwheel Regatta festivities from all types of personal river

craft and from along the banks of the Kanawha River.

Thank you, Michelle, for the great card.

Niagara Falls--the Canadian Side

Isn't this an amazing view of Niagara Falls? It shows

the Canadian side of the Falls, with the capital city

of Canada, Toronto, in the background. I love the way

it looks when photographed at night! Stephen sent

me the card. He lives in Toronto, and likes to spend

time with his hobbies, photography and scrapbooking.

He also likes to go to the beach on Lake Ontario. He

said he took some cool snapshots of the sailboats,

rocks on the beach, etc.

I would love to see those pix, Stephen! Many thanks

for the great card!
This little Olympic skier was on the

stamp of Stephen's card.

From Yang in Taiwan

This card shows the Kaohsiung Arena in Taiwan

where the Kaohsiung World Games were held this

past summer. Yang sent me this very nice postcard,

and he also put some amazing stamps (below) on the card.

Thank you very much Yang!

From the 'Berry Region' of France

This is a 'private swap' postcard that was sent to me by Ann.

The card comes from France, where she lives part of the

time. The rest of the time she lives in England. She said they

have recently moved to France because they once spent

3 years in Paris and missed it, and now their grown sons

have settled in the south of France. Their first grandchild

was born on the 10th of this month.

Thank you, Ann, for the lovely card. I have always thought

I would love living in the south of France, but never made it!

A 'Thank You' card from Brenda

I received this iguana card in the mail today from

Brenda, who lives in Florida. She took the picture

of this iguana eating a hibiscus flower while she

was in the Virgin Islands with her husband,

celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary.

She said this big lizard was about 7 1/2 feet long!

Amazing photo, Brenda! I love it!

Thank you very much!

Pretty Polly!

Sue, a librarian from Phoenix, AZ, sent me

this beautiful picture of a macaw in Costa Rica.

She and her husband like to travel and she

tells me that seeing a flock of macaws glying to

feed (in Costa Rica) is just gorgeous.

I can imagine it is, Sue! They are such

beautiful birds. Thank you very much

for the great card!

Stained Glass and Candles

This is the fourth postcard I have received from

Thea, who lives in Hoorn, The Netherlands.

We are trading cards each Monday for six weeks.

She tells me that, for her, churches always mean

candles and stained glass, and that she is always

'running into things as my view is upwards'!

I understand completely, Thea. I have seen quite

a few European cathedrals and they are beautiful.

I never tired of visiting the Muenster in Ulm

when we lived in Germany.

Thank you for this nice card.

From a Belgian Music-Lover

Yasmine, a newcomer to Postcrossing,

sent me this card from Belgium, where she

lives. She said that the card shows her

passion: MUSIC!

Being a music-lover myself, I can identify

with Yasmine! I love the card, Yasmine,

and I thank you very much!

Vine and Branches

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man

remains in me and I in him, he will bear much

fruit; apart from me you can do nothing....

If you remain in me and my words remain in you,

ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much

fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

John 15:5, 7 - 8

This very nice card came to me from Hiltrud

who lives in Vechta, Germany.

Thank you, Hiltrud, for the beautiful card!

A Romanian Card

The building shown on this card is

Calimanesti Hotel Central in Romania. I comes

to me from Andrea, who asks if I think it looks

like a hotel. Well, no, it doesn't.

I would have guessed it was a palace!

Thank you, Andrea, for the great card!

Two from Deutschland

Claudia, from Wuppertal, sent me this card. She says

her city is the German town with a unique kind of

public transport--the Schwebebahn'. It can be seen

in the lower right hand corner of the card. It is a

monorail system where the cars glide along under

the rail. It was built in 1908! Claudia says that every

tourist has to 'float through our valley' on the

Schwebebahn. It looks like fun to me!!!

Thank you, Claudia, for introducing me to your

city and unique transportation!

The second card comes from Anke, who lives in

Dortmund, the seventh largest city in the country.

The card shows a lot of the cities and other sites

from Schoenes Deutschland--Heidelberg, erlin, Munich,

Rothenburg, Frankfurt and Cologne, as well as

the Konigssee and Neuschwanstein Castle and other

sites. (They did, however, leave out the beautiful city

of Ulm) I love the card and I love Germany!

Thank you, Anke, for the beautiful card!

Singapore Drama

Ammy, who lives in Singapore and teaches piano there,

sent me this nice card advertising a drama to be

given at the Drama Centre Theatre in her city.

Ammy wrote a nice long note on her card, telling me

of Singapore's rich cultural background. There

are many different races living in this city, and

each brings its cultural and leisure events

to the mix. Ammy is Chinese and her race makes

up about 75% of the population. She says that

piano playing is extremely popular and that almost

everyone learns it when they are young. Clasasical piano

training and qualifications are recognized and valued.

She says that is why she is able to make a living

from what she does.

Thank you, Ammy, for a beautiful and informative

postcard. I truly like it!

Nice Shot!

This very nice postcard came to me from

my daughter, Brenda (Postcrossing user Cinnamon1).
She said it is her first attempt at sending

a postcard through Hippopost

(www.hippopost.com/facebook/postcards).

It is a photo she took

of Bass Harbor lighthouse in Acadia National Park, Maine.

Very good, Brenda! I love it!

Second Monday Card

Thea, from Hoorn, Netherlands, and I are swapping

cards every Monday for six weeks. This is the second

of the series I am receiving from her. (The first can

be seen by scrolling down this page.)

Although this looks like a watercolor, it is actually

an oil painting by Jantje Klop. Thea says, 'Jantje Klop

is a serious artist, not one who throws paint on a

white frame. This one I bought in her atelier in

Oostzaan, northwest of Amsterdam.'

It is a beautiful painting and I love it, Thea!

Thank you so very much!

Providence, RI Memories

Lori sent me this wonderful picture of beautiful

downtown Providence, the capital city of Rhode

Island. Back in 1968, when we were living on

Cape Cod, the providence TV stations usually

gave us our best reception. One of them, as a promotion,

had a sweepstakes and asked people to send in

their addresses for a drawing. If their name was

drawn, they had 15 minutes to call the station and

claim the prize, All the letters were put into a huge

drum for the drawing. John, who was in the fifth

grade at the time, insisted on sending in his name.

I told him to look at that big drum of letters, trying

to tell him there was very little chance of his winning.

However, he insisted, and we sent in his name.

Lo and behold, they drew it and John won a little

black-and-white TV set! He was so proud of it!

He kept it for years, and even took it to college with

him. Later, he gave it to his girlfriend, who is

now his wife, Laurie! Isn't that a great story?

Thank you, Lori, for the wonderful card and memories!

Matsu Festival, Taiwan

What a great picture! This card comes to me from

Angie, who lives in Taiwan. She writes:

'This photo was taken in Dajia, a small fisher

village about 40 km from where I live. On this

card, it shows a participant of Matsu Festival.

Matsu, the Mother, is the protector for all the

sailors. For those whose life depends on the

dangerously unpredictable ocean, Matsu is like

an eternal lighthouse to ensure their safe return.

For those whose loved ones are on the boat, it is for

a peaceful mind.'

Thank you, Angie, for such a lovely card!

Angie put this great stamp on her card. It seems

to be children playing on percussion

instruments. Beautiful!

Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head

If you scroll down this page, you will notice a picture

of Havasu Falls in the Grand Canyon. It was sent

to me by Michelle, who said that it was the only

Arizona card she could find that had water in it!

So, now she has sent me this picture of Waikiki Beach

and Diamond Head because she knew how much I

like natural waters. I love it, Michelle!

Thank you very much!

Remember Chiang Kai-shek?

Winnie, who is a university student in Taiwan,

sent me this picture of Tzuhu Guest House. It is

the temporary resting place of the late President

Chiang Kai-shek. It looks like a beautiful place.

Note the guards in white uniforms at the front

entrance.

Thank you, Winnie, for the nice card.

A Card From Matt

Matt, who lives near Chicago, sent me this beautiful

painting by William Trost Richards. Richards,

who painted many pictures of 'water in its

natural habitat', lived in the latter part of the

18th century. He painted in several mediums,

but I think he is a great watercolorist.

Thank you, Matt, for the nice card!

From Russia, With Love

This beautiful card came to me from Irina,

who lives in StarjOscol, in Russia.

It shows Portland Head Light and a beautiful

sailing ship in the foreground. I wish I knew

what the word at the top of the card says.

Thank you, Irina, for the beautiful card!

'Water' in Arizona

This is a beautiful picture of Havasu Falls in the

Grand Canyon. It was sent to me by Michelle, who writes,

'I think (this card) is the only Arizona card I've

found with any type of water on it :)'

This just goes to show you that Postcrossers will

bend over backward to try to get a card that

will please the recipient!

I love the card, Michelle. The falls are beautiful

and the card is so colorful!

Thank you very much!

Cards from Singapore

The following cards were received in a wonderful
package that came to me from Tuck Wei, who
lives in Singapore. (See the Singapore flag to the
left.) The package contained all these nice cards,
and also a beautiful set of table pieces. As soon
as I can photograph them, I will put them on my
blog.

Singapore's Changi Airport. It has been rated the

best in the world for amenities, facilities, and

efficiency.

A model of the Future Marina Bay Sands Integrated

Resort and Casino.
The City of Singapore from atop
The Singapore Flyer, the world's tallest
observation wheel.
An ad card for Spinelli coffee.
"Spinelli Coffee is still going strong after ten years
of serving the best, freshest coffee in town. So drink
to our anniversary with a cuppa."
Tenth Anniversary promotion, March, 2006

These are the beautiful stamps that
brought my gift from Tuck Wei.
The City of Singapore with its newest attraction,
The Singapore Flyer, The World's Tallest
Observation Wheel.

This is a great card! The legend on the back reads:
"The high season of East Timor's fabulous far eastern
beaches starts in April. Driven by a thing called
love, Hawksbill and Green turtles paddle up our shores
by the thousands. If you're a diver, you'll see Manta rays,
Whale sharks, Dugongs, giant groupers, and, if you're
lucky, another diver. In April and May, you'll cross
the migratory path of the Humpback leviathan.
In nine out of ten trips to Atauro Island, you'll be
harangued by pesky dolphins and Pilot whales.
If you've had enough of marine life, you can always chill
out at one of Dill's seaside bars and have some
Sex on the Beach*. Why should the turtles have all
the fun?"
*Sex on the Beach is the name of a drink!


Thank you, Tuck Wei, for the fabulous gift and
all the neat postcards! I love them!