Kingdom of Bahrain

Traditional Bahrani teapot over looking famous Grand Mosque

We received this lovely card from a swap on Facebook.  There are a couple of Facebook pages for Postcards that I really like and have received some wonderful cards from.


The Al-Fateh Grand Mosque is one of the largest mosques in the world.  It can accommodate 7,000 people at a time! 

Cow Postcard from The Netherlands

Another cow postcard from the tag in the Postcrossing forums. This one comes from The Netherlands.

Lovely cow stamp and a Unesco Stamp (squeee!!)

Cow Postcard from Siberia

Over in the forums at Postcrossing there is a tag for postcards featuring cows. Actually you can find a tag for just about any type of postcard you like. This one came from Siberia.

Oregon

I'd love to go camping or hiking in this forest. How beautiful is that?

Star Trek - Gamesters of Triskelion

How do you make my whole family happy? By sending a postcard that appeals to the whole family of course! The kids and I love the postcard itself and hubby is over the moon that we received a Star Trek card.

Teddy Bears

Bowen and Kayleigh received this very special card. It's really adorable and a special addition to our collection.

The Fruit Seller - Guiseppe Signorini

An art card featuring the painting The Fruit Seller  by Guiseppe Signorini. The painiting is displayed at The Russell-Cotes Art Museum in Bournemouth, England.

Trondheim, Norway

Trondheim is the 3rd largest city in Norway.  It was founded in 997 as a trading post and was capital of Norway until 1217. 

The picture on the bottom right on the postcard is the Old Town Bridge or Gamle Bybro in Norwegian. It was constructed in 1681.  It was built near the original Elgester Bridge which was then allowed to decay and collapse. Originally Gamle Bybro was constructed of wood, but the wood was supported on three stone piers. In the middle of the bridge, an iron gate was placed. This remained a guarded city gate until 1816. At each end of the bridge was a toll and guardhouse.

Gamle Bybro is also known as Lykkens portal (Gate of Happiness), after the lyrics of the popular waltz Nidelven stille og vakker du er ( "Nidelven quiet and beautiful you are") by Norwegian composer Oskar Hoddø (1916-1943). According to tradition, Hoddø wrote the waltz about the Nidelva River one night in late April 1940 while he was standing at Gamle Bybro. Oskar Hoddø was a member of the resistance movement against the Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany. He was executed in Trondheim on 17 November 1943.

The middle picture is the city's central plaza. On top of the obelisk in the center is a statue of Olav Tryggvason. (The founder of Trondheim) The statue base is also a sun dial.

The picture on the upper right is Nidaros Cathedral.  It was built in 1070 and is the most important Gothic monument in Norway.  It was Northern Europe's  most important Christian pilgrimage site during the middle ages. During the Middle Ages, and again after independence was restored in 1814, the Nidaros Cathedral was the coronation church of the Norwegian kings.

The Narva Triumphal Gate, Saint Petersburg, Russia

The Narva Triumphal Gate or Arch was erected in 1814 to commemorate the Russian victory over Napoleon.  The wooden structure was constructed on the Narva highway with the purpose of greeting the soldiers who were returning from abroad after their victory over Napoleon.  Between 1827 to 1834 it was rebuilt in stone.

Hello Kitty

How adorable is this? In our Postcrossing profile I mentioned that we like Hello Kitty. Shortly after that we received this cutie in a trade.

The Black Gate & Keep, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England

Medieval fortification in Newcastle Upon Tyne.  The most prominent remaining structures are the Castle Keep and the Black Gate (fortified gatehouse).

In Roman times the site housed a fort and settlement called Pons Aelius.  In 1080 a wooden motte and bailey style castle was built on the site of the Roman fort. The "New Castle on Tyne" from which the town took it's name.

The Castle Keep and Blackgate can be visited today. The keep is also notable in having the main East Coast railway line running through the centre of the grounds. In particular, the battlements offer fine views over the River Tyne quayside, the cathedral and Newcastle Central station. The castle is said to be haunted and has been subject to many paranormal investigations. It was featured in an episode of Most Haunted.

Giraffes, Netherlands

Okay, okay I admit it. When I first saw this card in the mail I squealed and jumped up and down like a little kid.  Giraffes are my absolute favorite animal and this is such an adorable photo of them.

China Peony

The Peony is the national flower of China.

Wells Cathedral, Wells, Somerset, England

Wells Cathedral is a Church Of England Cathedral located in Wells, Somerset, England.

The first church was established on the site in 705. Construction of the current church began in the 10th century.  Wells Cathedral contains one of the most substantial collections of medieval stained glass in England.

2012 London Olympics Postage Stamp

Michigan Map Card

Another wonderful map card for my collection. I'm hoping one day to have one from every US state and every country. This one also came with some really great old stamps.

China Sticker Tag

Another beautiful postcard from a sticker tag on Postcrossing forums. Unfortunately the card information is all in Chinese so I am unable to say who the artist is.

Florida Map Card

Gorgeous map card of Florida. It's been way too many years since my last visit. I think it's time to start planning a family vacation.

Australian Animals

Eastern Grey Kangaroo is also known as the Great Grey Kangaroo and the Forester Kangaroo. The males usually weigh around 145 lbs and stand almost 6 1/2 ft tall.

The Common Brushtail Possum is nocturnal, native to Australia and the largest of the possums.

Koalas are too cute! I've always loved Koalas. I'm hoping sometime in the future to see one in the wild.

Singapore Skyline at Night

Night time view of the Singapore Skyline and the Singapore Flyer. 

Singapore Waterfront Skyline

Beautiful panoramic view of Singapore Waterfront.  From left:

The Singapore Flyer is a giant Ferris wheel.  It reaches 42 stories high with a total height of 541 feet making it the tallest Ferris wheel in the world!  It offers views of the city centre and beyond to almost 28 miles including the islands of Batam, Bintan and Johor, Malaysia.

Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort Hotel is billed as the most expensive standalone casino property at $8 billion including the cost of the land. In addition to the casino the property features 2,561 rooms, 1,300,000-square-foot convention center, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands mall, a museum, two large theatres, seven "celebrity chef" restaurants, two floating Crystal Pavilions, an ice skating rink, and the world's largest atrium casino with 500 tables and 1,600 slot machines. The complex is topped by a SkyPark and an infinity pool.

Fullerton Hotel is a five star luxury hotel near the mouth of the Singapore River. 

Financial Centre is home to a large number of internationally significant banks, businesses and stock exchanges.

Titanic from Ireland

We were very lucky to receive three wonderful Titanic postcards from Ireland. These were from a trade with a friend on Facebook.

 Titanic "A Wonder of Engineering"

 

This majestic liner was the most luxurious carrier of it's time.  The "Ship of Dreams" was a heralded
wonder of engineering.

The Titanic ready to sail on maiden journey on 10th April 1912.

 The luxury liner RMS Titanic sank on April 14-15, 1912,  en route to New York City from Southhampton, England during her maiden voyage.  The vessel hit an iceberg about 400 miles south of Newfoundland causing a 300 foot gash on her starboard side.  Over 1500 lives were lost and only 705 persons survived.  The great ship at that time the largest and most luxurious afloat was designed and built by Belfast firm Harland & Wolff.