Mountains in Poland

Unfortunately I don't speak Polish so I can't translate this card. I do however know that the photos of the mountains are spectacular!

California

Yosemite Falls in Yosemite National Park is the highest measured waterfall in North America. It is 2,425 feet from the top to the base which makes it the 6th highest waterfall in the world.

Disneyland! What's not to love about the happiest place on Earth? I haven't been since I has a freshman in high school but I have great memories of that trip.

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California.

San Joaquin Valley Oranges

Los Angeles at twilight.

Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas

Established in 1961 on nearly 1,700 acres southeast of downtown Houston as the Manned Spacecraft
Center, the bustling core of space activity was renamed in 1973 to honor the late president and
Texas native, Lyndon B. Johnson.

It is from here that NASA flight controllers monitor events occurring on space flights.  The space center also serves as a retirement center.  Flight hardware that has been retired and too large to store indoors is displayed at Rocket Park.

Austin, Texas

Austin is the capital of Texas. In 1839 the site was chosen and incorporated under the name Waterloo.  Shortly afterward the name was changed to Austin in honor of Stephen F Austin the "Father of Texas" and the republic's first secretary of state.

An 1873 illustration of Edwin Waller's layout for Austin

Rutland, Vermont

The original town of Rutland was chartered in 1761 and later divided into Proctor, West Rutland and the city of Rutland.

Main street in Rutland circa late 1700s

Seattle, Washington

Lots of interesting facts about Seattle on this card. Many that I didn't know. That is one thing I love about postcards...you learn a lot about the area. I've had postcards that have led me onto hours of research on the internet.

Switzerland Map Card

I have a thing for map cards so I was thrilled to find this in the post office box.  I've always had a love for maps and globes of all types. We are on the lookout for a large world map and a map of the USA to hang on the wall. We want to put pins in all the spots we have received post cards from. Corny I'm sure but we are sure having fun!

Venice, Florida

How gorgeous is this photo? I love the colors of the sky at sunset. I can imagine finding a comfy spot on the pier to relax and watch Mother Nature put on a show.

Venice, Florida has been listed in many publications as being the "Shark's Tooth Capital of The World". It hosts an annual festival, the Shark's Tooth Festival, every year to celebrate the abundance of fossilized shark's teeth that can be found on its coastal shores. One of these days I'd love to take the kids here so they can find some teeth of their own or at least give it a good try.

Washington

M/V Puyallup is a Jumbo Mark II ferry operated by Washington State Ferries.

From the Puyallup language: "generous people." The Puyallup tribe had a reputation for generosity in dealing with traders and travelers. Early settler Ezra Meeker renamed his town from Franklin in 1877 looking for something unique. Besides the tribe and town, Puyallup is also used on a river and a Mt. Rainier glacier.

Fort Mill, South Carolina

Fort Mill was established in 1873. The name comes from a British fort and grist mill on nearby Steele Creek. The Catawba Indians lived in the area for many years.

The town of Fort Mill was the site of the last Confederate Government Cabinet meeting (1865).  The last meeting of the full Confederate Cabinet was held at the White Homestead in Fort Mill. Fort Mill's Confederate Park contains the nation's only monument to slaves fighting on the Confederate side of the American Civil War.

 Fort Mill is also known for its peach orchards and the Anne Springs Close Greenway. The Greenway is an extensive protected natural area consisting of approximately 2,300 acres of lakes, forests, and pastures that provide trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.

Bucharest, Romania

The Old Court of Bucharest

The Old Court was built in the 15th century by Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler (Dracula)) It was expanded during the 16th century by Mircea Ciobanul, and again a century later, this time at the hand of Constantin Brancoveanu, who added a splendid voievodal palace, decorated with marble and icons. The palace was pretty much destroyed by a series of fires in the 19th century.  During archaeological digs in the late 1960's most of what remains today was uncovered. 

Dusseldorf, Germany

Two from Germany within days of each other. You know I'm sitting here grinning.

Rhine Tower in the background and Media Harbor in the foreground. The Rhine Tower houses a revolving restaurant and an observation deck. I bet the views from the deck are spectacular!

Stamp issued February 3, 2011

 Unesco *squeeeeeee* stamp featuring the old town of Regensburg. The stamp shows St. Peter's Cathedral surrounded by a Medieval buildings. 

Munich, Germany

Germany is one of my bucket list places so I am always thrilled to receive a card from there.

Munich is the capital city of the German state of Bavaria. It is located on the River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany.

The city's motto is "München mag Dich" Munich likes you. Before 2006 it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" (Cosmopolitan city with a heart). The name Munich comes from Old High German Munichen which means by the monk's place. Monks from the Benedictine Order founded the city. The city's colors are Black and Gold, the colors of the Holy Roman Empire, and have been since the time of Ludwig the Bavarian.

Texas State Fact Card

Giant City State Park, Ilinois

Balanced Rock

Located in the Shawnee National Forest just south of Carbondale, Illinois. The area was named for the unique impressions made by massive sandstone structures.

Shelter bluffs in the cliffs have revealed evidence of human habitation as far back as 10,000 years! On an 80 foot sandstone cliff near the entrance to the park you can see the remains of a Native American stone wall that was built between A.D. 600-800.

Hegyfalu, Hungary

Holy Cross Church

Warwickshire, England

Royal Leamington Spa is a spa town located in Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors. The town expanded rapidly following the popularization of  the medicinal properties of it's water in 1784.

The town is named after the River Leam. The name of the town comes from the Anglo Saxon Leman-tun which means "farm on the River Leam."

Leavenworth, Washington

Christmas scene from Leavenworth, Washington.

Harry Potter

Star Wars

This painting by Tom Chantrell, used on a Star Wars poster in the U.S. , was in great demand for foreign posters.

Darigold's Dairy Fair - Sunnyside, WA

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Bad Cat

Cashmere, Washington

Liberty Orchards in Cashmere, Washington.

Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague, Czech Republic

The Old Jewish Cemetery is in the Jewish Quarter of Prague.  It was in use from the early 15th century (the oldest preserved tombstone, the one of Avigdor Kara, dates back to 1439) until 1787. Its ancestor was a cemetery called "The Jewish Garden", which was found in archaeological excavations under the Vladislavova street. The numbers of grave stones and numbers of people buried there are uncertain, because there are layers of tombs. However, it has been estimated that there are approximately 12,000 tombstones presently visible, and there may be as many as 100,000 burials in all.

 According to halakah, Jews must not destroy Jewish graves and in particular it is not allowed to remove the tombstone. This meant that when the cemetery ran out of space and purchasing extra land was impossible, more layers of soil were placed on the existing graves, the old tombstones taken out and placed upon the new layer of soil. This explains why the tombstones in the cemetery are placed so closely to each other. This resulted in the cemetery having 12 layers of graves.

Czech Republic Unesco

Our very first Unesco postcard *squeeeeeeeeee!!!* Featuring World Heritage Sites in the Czech Republic. I haven't had a chance to research what they all are as of yet but as I do I will update this post.

Prague, Czech Republic

Prague is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic.  

According to legends, Prague was founded by Libuse and her husband, Premysl, founder of the dynasty of the same name. By the year 800 there was a simple fort fortified with wooden buildings.

 

Nymburk, Czech Republic

I adore this postcard!

Nymburk, Czech Republic. The top crest is the coat of arms of the region. The bottom is the coat of arms of the city of Nymburk. Surrounding the rest of the card are coats of arms of all the remaining towns in the region.

Barcelona, Spain

Antoni Gaudi was an architect. Much of his work can be seen in Barcelona. The top left photo on the postcard is his magnum opus the Sagrada Familia. A Roman Catholic church in Barcelona. It is a Unesco World Heritage Site. In November of 2010 it was consecrated and proclaimed a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI.

The bottom left photo is the Park Guell.  It is situated on the hill of El Carmel in Barcelona. It is also an Unesco World Heritage Site.

The bottom right photo is Casa Batllo. The local name for it is House of Bones.

The top right photo is Casa Mila better known as La Pedrera (The Quarry) It was named a Unesco World Heritage site in 1984.

Moscow, Russia

Finally our first official postcrossing.com postcard! We have been waiting weeks to have one to register at the sight. And what a great first one...Moscow!  The view is the Northern River Port at Khimki.

Macau, China

The statue of Goddess of Mercy, Kun Iam was designed by Portuguese artist Cristina Rocha Leiria.
The goddess Kun Iam is a Buddhist deity of mercy.  This 20 meter high bronze statue is built on top of a lotus flower shaped dome which is home to the ecumenical center.  Built on a man-made island, access to the statue is via a narrow causeway.  The ecumical center provides information on the local religions/philosophies of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianis.