Alanya

This is an official from Germany .Daniela spent her holidays there and wasnt sure about Turkey ´s post so she sent it from Germany.And i really like it:)Danke:)

Alanya is a seaside resort city and district of Antalya Province in Turkey, 120 kilometres (75 mi) from the city of Antalya. On the southern coast of Turkey, the municipal district, including the city center, has close to 400,000 inhabitants. The population is almost entirely of Anatolian origin, but is home to around 10,000 European residents.

Smile!

This cute card comes from 7 y.o. Marie(now she is older of course:)) .It made me smile when I found this from my mailbox.Cute isn't

Danke:) Marie!

http://www.postcrossing.com/user/Sternschnuppi15

São Paulo

A card from Brazil.I don´t have many Brazil cards,so this one is quite special to me(all my cards are;))It is sent by Valéria from Sao Paulo.She wrote that Sao Paulo is a huge city,and they call it a "Jungle of Stones"

This card shows Ibirapuera Park founded in 1945 for the 400 anniversary of the city, , with buildings designed by famous architect Oscar Niemeyer and landscape by designer Roberto Burle Marx, Ibirapuera Park covers an area of almost 2 square kilometres (0.77 sq mi). It is the second biggest park in the city. Admission is free of charge.

Texas

Texas is the second-largest U.S. state in both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous United States. The name had wide usage among native Americans, meaning "friends" or "allies".^[7] Located in the South Central United States, Texas is bordered by Mexico to the south, New Mexico to the west, Oklahoma to the north, Arkansas to the northeast, and Louisiana to the east. Texas has an area of 268,820 square miles (696,200 km²), and a growing population of 24.7 million residents. Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States, while Dallas–Fort Worth and Houston are the fourth- and sixth-largest United States metropolitan areas, respectively. Other major cities include San Antonio, El Paso, and Austin—the state capital. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State to signify Texas as an independent republic and as a reminder of the state's struggle for independence from Mexico. The "Lone Star" can be found on the Texas State Flag and on the Texas State Seal today.

Côte d'Azur

The Côte d'Azur, often known in English as the French Riviera, is theMediterranean coastline of the south eastern corner of France, extending from Menton near the Italian border in the east to either Hyères or Cassis in the west.

This coastline was one of the first modern resort areas. It began as a winter health resort for the British upper class at the end of the 18^th century. With the arrival of the railway in the mid-19^th century, it became the playground and vacation spot of British, Russian, and other aristocrats, such as Queen Victoria and King Edward VII, when he was Prince of Wales. In the summer, it also played home to many members of the Rothschild family. In the first half of the 20^th century it was frequented by artists and writers, includingPablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Edith Wharton, Somerset Maugham andAldous Huxley, as well as wealthy Americans and Europeans. After World War II it became a popular tourist destination and convention site. Many celebrities, such as Elton John and Brigitte Bardot, have homes in the region. Officially, the Côte d'Azur is home to 163 nationalities with 83,962 foreign residents,^[1] although estimates of the number of non-French nationals living in the area are often much higher

Humpback whale

Brazil card from dear Macedonian postcrosser Ana:)Thank you ,Ana:) Another beautiful card to my growing collection.

The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from 12–16 metres (39–52 ft) and weigh approximately 36,000 kilograms (79,000 lb). The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is an acrobatic animal, often breaching and slapping the water. Males produce a complex whale song, which lasts for 10 to 20 minutes and is repeated for hours at a time. The purpose of the song is not yet clear, although it appears to have a role in mating.

Found in oceans and seas around the world, humpback whales typically migrate up to 25,000 kilometres each year. Humpbacks feed only in summer, in polar waters, and migrate to tropical or sub-tropical waters to breed and give birth in the winter. During the winter, humpbacks fast and live off their fat reserves. The species' diet consists mostly of krill and small fish. Humpbacks have a diverse repertoire of feeding methods, including the bubble net feeding technique.

Like other large whales, the humpback was and is a target for the whaling industry. Due to over-hunting, its population fell by an estimated 90% before a whaling moratorium was introduced in 1966. Stocks have since partially recovered; however, entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships, and noise pollution also remain concerns. There are at least 80,000 humpback whales worldwide. Once hunted to the brink of extinction, humpbacks are now sought by whale-watchers, particularly off parts of Australia, Canada, and the United States.

4th Portugese meeting

Royal Botanical Gardens,Canada

This lovely card arrived also today from Marie/Renegade_Cavalcade / .It is a meeting card.They had 2nd Ontario/Toronto meetup:)Signed by Marie and CawindtBlind_Melonette,Taxingwoman:)

Thank you soo much for this card.It made my day:)

Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) is headquartered in Burlington and also include lands in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the major tourist attractions between Niagara Falls andToronto, as well as a significant local and regional horticultural, education, conservation and scientific resource. On 31 July 2006, Royal Botanical Gardens was selected as the National Focal Point for the Global strategy for plant conservation (GSPC) by Environment Canada.

The 980 hectares (2,422 acres) of nature sanctuary owned by Royal Botanical Gardens is considered the plant biodiversity hotspot for Canada, with a very high proportion of the wild plants of Canada in one area; is an Important Bird Area according to Bird Studies Canada and is part of the the Niagara Escarpment World Biosphere Reserve. More than 1,100 species of plants grow within its boundaries including the Bashful Bulrush (Trichophorum planifolium) which is found nowhere else in Canada, and the largest remaining population of Canada's most endangered tree, the Red Mulberry (Morus rubra). Both of these plants are listed as Endangered in Canada under the Species at Risk Act. In 2008, RBG was designated as an Important Amphibian and Reptile Area by CARCNET, the Canadian Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Network.

An Orang Asli /aborigine/plays a nose flute

Very interesting card from SLLiew.This man is playing nose flute.The nose flute is a popular musical instrument played in Polynesia and the Pacific Rim countries.Other versions are found in Africa ,China and India.

Essentially, the nose flute resembles the mouth flutes many westerners are familiar with. The difference is that expelling air through the nasal passages plays the nose flute. Using a slanted hole design as the point of entry on thenose flute, the design effectively cuts the flow of air into two different streams within the body of the flute. The presence of the two air streams sets up a vibration within thenose flute, resulting in the creation of the sounds emitted by nose flutes.

Often constructed with a body of bamboo, the body is cut with one closed end and one open end, usually the end that is opposite the slanted hole used for administering the flow of air from the nasal passages. A series of holes in the body of the nose flute allow the player to control the pitch and tone of the sounds produced by placing fingers over the different holes.

Nose flutes may vary slightly in where the nose hole is placed. Some versions have the hole on the side of the bamboo flute, while other designs have the nose hole placed on the plugged end of the flute body. Some designs allow for air to pass from both nostrils into the nose flute, while other types require that the player close off one nostril using the thumb. Some nose flutes are designed so that the instrument is played by using the nostril at an angle, while others require the nostril to be pressed firmly against the nose hole on the instrument.

While bamboo is the main medium for nose flutes, some types are constructed of soapstone or the necks of gourds. As is true of many ethnic instruments that develop in several different cultures, the nose flute has several variations, each of them offering a slightly different way of producing musical notes.

The use of nose flutes is very common in many places such as Polynesia and parts of Africa, and includes a long association with the courtship process in several cultures, as well as a way for lovers to communicate with one another through the medium of music. This is especially significant in cultures where breath is equated with spirit, as it implies the giving of one’s self to a loved one, and receiving back a part of that loved one.

Pigeon Point Lighthouse

Well seems that I must start collecting lighthouse cards too.I like them.I tagged Jassy-50 to get this beautiful lighthouse card.This lighthouse is located at Pigeon Point in California.

Pigeon Point Light Station or Pigeon Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse built in 1871 to guide ships on the Pacific coast of California. It is the tallest lighthouse (tied with Point Arena Light) on the West Coast of the United States. It is still an active Coast Guard aid to navigation. Pigeon Point Light Station is located on the coastal highway (State Route 1), 5 miles (8 km) south of Pescadero, California. The 115-foot (35 m), white masonry tower, resembles the typical New England structure. Because of its location and ready access from the main highway, Pigeon Point entertains a large number of public visitors.

The lighthouse and the land around have been preserved as Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park, a California state park. It is between Santa Cruz and San Francisco.

Shar pei puppies

Beautiful and cute lottery card from Carole(Taxingwoman).I really love it :)Another beautiful dog card to my collection.

The Shar Pei, or Chinese Shar-Pei, is a breed of dog known for its distinctive features of deep wrinkles and a blue-black tongue. The breed comes from China. The name (沙皮, pinyin: shā pí; English name probably derived from British spelling of the Cantonese equivalent, sā pèih) translates to "sand skin" and refers to the texture of its short, rough coat. As puppies, Shar Pei have numerous wrinkles, but as they mature, these wrinkles disappear as they "grow into their skin". Shar Pei were once named as one of the world's rarest dog breeds by Time magazine and the Guinness Book of World Records, and the American Kennel Club did not recognize the breed until 1991.

Christmas 2009

This lovely card is from my dear Chrissy.It was a bit late but better late than never:).I love those bears they are really cute!Thank you so much my dear:)

Sri Lanka (Ceylon)

A beautiful swap card from Irene(quivive).It shows Sigiriya Rock and the Frescoes 5th Century.

Sigiriya (Lion's rock) is an ancient rock fortress and palace ruin situated in the central Matale District of Sri Lanka, surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures. A popular tourist destination, Sigiriya is also renowned for its ancient paintings (frescos), which are reminiscent of the Ajanta Caves of India. The Sigiriya was built during the reign of King Kassapa I (AD 477 – 495), and it is one of the seven World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka.

Sigiriya may have been inhabited through prehistoric times. It was used as a rock-shelter mountainmonastery from about the 5th century BC, with caves prepared and donated by devotees to the Buddhist Sangha. The garden and palace were built by King Kasyapa. Following King Kasyapa's death, it was again a monastery complex up to about the 14th century, after which it was abandoned. . The Sigiri inscriptions were deciphered by the archaeologist Senarath Paranavithanain his renowned two-volume work, published by Oxford, Sigiri Graffiti. He also wrote the popular book "Story of Sigiriya".

The Mahavamsa, the ancient historical record of Sri Lanka, describes King Kasyapa as the son of King Dhatusena. Kasyapa murdered his father by walling him alive and then usurping the throne which rightfully belonged to his brother Mogallana, Dhatusena's son by the true queen. Mogallana fled to India to escape being assassinated by Kasyapa but vowed revenge. In India he raised an army with the intention of returning and retaking the throne of Sri Lanka which he considered was rightfully his. Knowing the inevitable return of Mogallana, Kasyapa is said to have built his palace on the summit of Sigiriya as a fortress and pleasure palace. Mogallana finally arrived and declared war. During the battle Kasyapa's armies abandoned him and he committed suicide by falling on his sword. Chronicles and lore say that the battle-elephant on which Kasyapa was mounted changed course to take a strategic advantage, but the army misinterpreted the movement as the King having opted to retreat, prompting the army to abandon the king altogether. Moggallana returned the capital to Anuradapura, converting Sigiriya into a monastery complex.

Alternative stories have the primary builder of Sigiriya as King Dhatusena, with Kasyapa finishing the work in honour of his father. Still other stories have Kasyapa as a playboy king, with Sigiriya a pleasure palace. Even Kasyapa's eventual fate is mutable. In some versions he is assassinated by poison administered by a concubine. In others he cuts his own throat when isolated in his final battle. Still further interpretations have the site as the work of a Buddhist community, with no military function at all. This site may have been important in the competition between the Mahayana and Theravada Buddhist traditions in ancient Sri Lanka.