Tuesday, May 28, 2013

OFFICIAL Card - Algeria

I am not going to deny it is really nice to get a card from such a rare country as an official. Algeria has only 124 users out of it's population of 35 million. Chalk it up to timing! Dadi is a Doctor who has a blog about the books he enjoys. He wrote that the Mediterranean Sea is right out his door - lucky! The text on the back of the card is in French and if I have Google translated it correctly it reads - "Indigenous island Berber Tuareg remain attached to many traditions and culture." A little bit more Googling leads me to this information on the Tuareg People.



Monday, May 27, 2013

OFFICIAL Card - France

Some days you just have to wonder what adventure cards take when travelling to you. Personally, I like to draw a name one night and think about the card I am going to select overnight. Then the next morning after the kids go to school I sit down to write them to then post when I go into town. Everyone is different. While my address was drawn at the beginning of February this card wasn't postmarked until April 24 and then arrived two days later. So....what happened that it then took "80 days" to travel to me? Did it get stuck in a mail box? Get caught up in some papers at home and forgotten about? Left on the scanner bed until the next time you send cards (yes, I've done this more than once!) What do you think?

Either way, Melanie sent this card with some great views of her hometown. She writes that it is right on the Atlantic Ocean. That beach looks very inviting, especially that it is just hovering above freezing here, windy and wet.





Sunday, May 26, 2013

OFFICIAL Card - USA

This map of the state of Alabama comes to me from Cara in Mobile. The images on the card have a real vintage/retro feel to them. She wrote telling me the Canadian author Margaret Atwood whom she loves has piqued her curiosity and that she would love to visit Toronto one day.



Saturday, May 25, 2013

OFFICIAL Card - Japan

Sheluna lives in Tokyo and is the top Postcrosser in Japan having sent nearly 6,000 postcards. She sent this card to me showing the Zuihoden Shrine in her hometown of Sendai. Sendai is famous, she wrote, for many beautiful trees and is called "The City of the Forest" in Japan. While only a few sentences you can really feel her emotions and in her words "love" of this city.




Friday, May 24, 2013

OFFICIAL Card - Germany

I don't know why but when I do a Google search trying to find information about a card I receive I can't help when it pops up on the screen to think "Wow, that looks exactly like the picture!" Of course it should - it's the same place! This card shows a views of the Hotel Forsthaus in 1935 and present day. Katja, a veterinarian from Leipzig sent this to me after a recent weekend getaway there. She said it was a great holiday and the surrounding nature was worth the visit.



Thursday, May 23, 2013

OFFICIAL Card - Germany

Lisa is a student in Berlin. She was on vacation at the end of April in New York City with her Dad. She sent this card to me from there. She wrote lots of little tidbits about herself. My favourite "I love snowflakes and cornflakes" So fun!



Tuesday, May 21, 2013

OFFICIAL Card - Netherlands

Ricardo sent this great multi-view of his hometown of Rotterdam. He wrote telling me he has family that lives in Richmond Hill - that is less than an hour away from me - small world!



Monday, May 20, 2013

OFFICIAL Card - Singapore

KukuNiao lives in Singapore and sent this card from an amusement park called Haw Par Villa. He wrote that he found these old cards in a bookstore. Quite an interesting read about the history of the park. He also used "Year of the Dragon" (2012) stamps.



Sunday, May 19, 2013

Direct Swap - Luxembourg from Frauke

Frauke made a post in the forum looking for cards with cassette tapes and/or vinyl albums. I knew I had the perfect card for her, just one problem - I get lots of official cards from Germany. I tend to swap only when it is going to be something different or outside of the official site. I noticed on her trade album she had several cards from Luxembourg and asked her about them. As it turns out her boyfriend works there so she was able to have the card sent from there too. The card shows views of the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City. Great card for my collection and Frauke is just as happy with the swap as I am.



Saturday, May 18, 2013

OFFICIAL Card - Russia

I received this card the same day as the parrot card, however this one took 32 days to reach me. Nastya is 15, lives in Moscow and goes to school. On the card she stapled a ticket stub from a movie she recently saw, a comedy called "Suicide". She wrote it was funny and from watching the trailer I would agree in a twisted sort of way. Nastya, also marked off where she lives on the map - fun!



Friday, May 17, 2013

OFFICIAL Card - Russia

15 days from Russia, Siberia to be more precise is pretty fast. These birds must have been flying non-stop! Glaina lives in Novosibersk and wrote that Spring has come at last. We have had frost the last couple of nights and flurries most of Mother's Day, kind of scared to see what summer might look like if this is supposed to be Spring!



Thursday, May 16, 2013

OFFICIAL Card - Netherlands

Trix sent this lovely card of The Hague to me a few weeks ago. She had very kind words to say about my blog which she stopped by before she sent the card. I love how she wrote "Susannah (who?)"...for whatever reason when I first signed up with Postcrossing I didn't feel comfortable having my last name out there. Now it helps me to differentiate direct swaps with official cards as I only give out my surname for swaps. Somewhere in there, there is method to my madness. Thanks!



Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Random Act of Smiliness - Pitcairn Island from J.J.

Last week to say I was surprised by this card was an understatement! My dear friend J.J. had somehow managed to have a card written and mailed to me from Pitcairn Island. Wowza!!!! And I know that doesn't do it justice! While I had heard of it I didn't not know much about so went to my trusty Wikipedia to learn more. I was really surprised to see how small the population is - 48 people! My extended family is bigger than that! The views on the card show - Bi-Centennial Plaque, Christian's Cove and Longboat, Bounty Bay. The stamps and cancellation are equally as wonderful. Thank you J.J. and I would really like to know how you managed this one?!?!?



Tuesday, May 14, 2013

OFFICIAL Card - Switzerland

Martin from Bern, Switzerland sent this vintage card showing views of his country as well as the coat of arms of the different cantons of this country.



Monday, May 13, 2013

OFFICIAL Card - Netherlands

Sophie from Rotterdam sent this card of Queen Beatrix, of the Netherlands. The photo used for the card was taken in Abu Dhabi in January, 2012. She only noticed it was printed on April 21, 2012 the same day, one year later, that she drew my name and sent the card. It arrived at the end of April, just days before Queen Beatrix abdicated. The picture reminds me very much of one of my Aunties, ladies from a different era. Once again, some very different stamps for me.





Sunday, May 12, 2013

OFFICIAL Card - Ukraine

Without even conciously trying, I am slowly builind a nice collection of UNESCO sites. With close to 1000 different places, I don't ever think I will have a card from each one, however really enjoy the ones that come my way. Inna lives in Melitopol, Ukraine and sent this view showing Kiev Pechersk Lavra.



Saturday, May 11, 2013

OFFICIAL Cards - Belarus

Normally I like to have each card shine on its own, however these three are destined to be together. I received each of these wonderful cards within 4 days of each other. The series Fauna of Belarus is one of my favourites and I find it neat that all of the cards are different, especially given that they were travelling at the same time. Lucky me, no duplicates!

The first card showing a Black-tailed Godwit took a staggering 74 days to travel to me from Marina in Minsk. Absolutely love the the bird stamps she used too!



Next to arrive was this Waxwing from Danila also from Minsk. Christmas stamps, another favourite!



And last to arrive was this card showing a Smew sent by K, also in Minsk. I have never heard of this species before and think this picture is just beautiful.





Friday, May 10, 2013

OFFICIAL Card - Slovenia

Mateja is a German teacher from Slovenia. On this mulit-view she wrote telling me about herself and her country and shared this interesting tidbit - there is 2cm of sea for every Slovene. I don't even know if I know any little trivia facts like that about Canada. I should find some to add to cards I am writing. Do you know anything fun and silly like this about your country?



Thursday, May 9, 2013

March - Ayn from United Arab Emirates

This month Ayn chose a fun multi-view of Abu Dhabi for me. They city she lives in is part of Abu Dhabi. She writes about her favourite beach are called Corniche. Sadly, I can't link it to anything, every site I try comes up with an error. Who knows....either way, another great card and stamps from Ayn.



Wednesday, May 8, 2013

OFFICIAL Card - Italy

Giovanni is a veterinarian living near Verona, Italy. The card shows what he describes as a typical fresco you would find in an old house. Love the size of the stamps, they are both just shy of 2"!



Tuesday, May 7, 2013

OFFICIAL Card - USA

Sarah sent this card to me of the State Capitol building in Helena, Montana. She wrote that her sister visited there recently and picked cards up for her. It looks like a beautiful building and I especially like the outdoor night view. She wrote on the card that she wished she had a Connecticut map card for me, (she obviously read my profile and my desperate attempt to find my last state map!). Not until after you register a card do you see where the person lives and yup, she is in Connecticut. If she can't find one, I am really going to have a hard time!!!



Monday, May 6, 2013

OFFICIAL Card - Germany

Another super fast card from Germany - only 4 days to get to me! Daniela has some of the smallest, neatest handwriting I have ever seen. Her message is fantastic and I think it would have taken a full 8x10 sheet of paper for me to have got all that detail down. The card shows the Berlin Wall and Daniela, has in a beautifully simplistic way explained what it is and what it means. As well as sharing a bit of her own history with it. She recounts that one of her classmates brought her a piece as they were in Berlin at the time, sadly, she does not know where it went over the years. A really great card.



Thursday, May 2, 2013

OFFICIAL Card - Netherlands

Remember how I wrote receiving this card made me rethink what types of cards I would like in my collection? After I received it, I added sheep/rams to my wish list. Gerrie must have selected my name the same or next day. I was thrilled when this card arrived shortly after I made the change. Confirmed it was a good decision to add it. This card is an art card of a pastel drawing by Dutch artist Loes Botman. The little bit I especially like is the art work was done in 2003, the year my daughter who is also a sheep was born.