Seattle | USA

I received thiw card a few months ago, but due to some family problems I didn't upload it at that time. It was sent by my card-pal Valerie from Seattle.

Seattle is the county seat of King County, in the U.S. state of Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country. The city is a major coastal seaport situated on a narrow isthmus between Puget Sound (an arm of the Pacific Ocean) and Lake Washington, about 114 miles (183 km) south of the Canada–United States border. In 2010, Seattle was the sixth busiest port in the United States, serving as a major gateway for trade with Asia.

The Seattle area had been inhabited by Native Americans for at least 4,000 years before the first permanent white settlers. Arthur A. Denny and his group of travelers, subsequently known as the Denny Party, arrived at Alki Point on November 13, 1851. The settlement was moved to its current site and renamed "Seattle" in 1853, after Chief Seattle of the local Duwamish and Suquamish tribes.

Logging was Seattle's first major industry, but by the late 19th century the city had become a commercial and shipbuilding center as a gateway to Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush. By 1910, Seattle was one of the 25 largest cities in the country. However, a combination of strikes and the Great Depression severely damaged the city's economy. Growth returned during and after World War II when the local Boeing company established Seattle as a center for aircraft manufacturing. The city developed as a technology center in the 1980s. The stream of new software, biotechnology, and internet companies led to an economic revival, which increased the city's population by 50,000 between 1990 and 2000. More recently, Seattle has become a hub for "green" industry and a model for sustainable development.

Seattle has a noteworthy musical history. From 1918 to 1951, there were nearly two dozen jazz nightclubs along Jackson Street in the current Chinatown/International District. The jazz scene developed the early careers of Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Ernestine Anderson and others. Seattle is also the birthplace of rock legend Jimi Hendrix and the rock music style known as "grunge," which was made famous by local groups Melvins, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Pearl Jam. In more recent years, Seattle has been known for indie rock and indie dance music. [wikipedia]

Προβολή Postcards σε χάρτη μεγαλύτερου μεγέθους

Amalfi Coast

This postcard was bought by my mother many many years ago, when she was studying in Naples. It shows Amalfi Coast.

Declared one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites for its undisputed beauty and the uniqueness of its natural landscape, the Amalfi Coast is the land characterised by the oxymoronic combination between mountain and sea, the farmer and the fisherman. The mountain, that thanks to the intense work of man, has been adapted to the demands of life over the ages. It plunges steeply into a sea, creating charming coves, deep fjords, cliffs, caverns, bays, natural arches and small pebble beaches; natural elements that have created, over the centuries, an enchanting, sinuous and seductive landscape: it is certainly not a coincidence that this area is known as the land of the Sirens, in the Homer's epic poem "Odysseus". Typical houses, painted in warm pastel colors, follow the natural slope of the foothills of Mounts Lattari, leaning against each other, creating a very picturesque landscape. From the characteristic terraces, built with dry stone walls, expands the intense scents of the lemon groves, the vineyards, the broom, the bright colors of bougainvillea which, combined with the smell of salt air, creates a unique sensory experience.

Amalfi was founded by the Romans in the IV century A.D. (in the coat of arms reads "ex Descendit patribus Romanorum"). The town became independent from the Byzantine Empire in 839, and proclaimed itself Maritime Republic (the first of the four most important ones with Pisa, Genoa and Venice). The core of its wealth was produced form the trade with the East. Amalfi reached its maximum splendor in the XI century with its powerful and agile fleet, with berths in the main ports of the Mediterranean. The Arsenal of masonry, used for the construction of the hulls of the galleys, are today two stone brick halls, divided by ten pillars. The sea front and the ancient port of Amalfi were swallowed by the sea, after an underwater landslide, caused by a powerful current of Libeccio in the night between 24 and 25 November 1343.
The local traditions narrate that the mariners of Amalfi were the first to use the compass during their voyages, identifying the name of the inventor Flavio Gioia. 

The present town, which lies on the higher grounds in the valley, features a series of white houses, most with barrel vault ceilings and built on terraces within a picturesque web of alleys and stairways.
The main monument and symbol of the city is the Cathedral of St. Andrew, preceded by an imposing staircase. The original structure is in Romanesque style, currently covered with sumptuous Baroque decorations. The polychrome façade, preceded by an elegant portico, is dominated by the mosaic tympanum, Christ's triumph, artwork of Domenico Morelli, whose proofs are still preserved in the hall, entitled to him, in the Town Hall. Inside the Cathedral preserves a wide selection of masterpieces: an elegant coffered ceiling with paintings of the XVIII century, a wooden crucifix of the XIII century, a mother of pearl cross from Jerusalem, the baptismal font (a basin of porphyry stone from an ancient Roman villa), two pillars of Egyptian granite from nearby Paestum that support the main arch, spiral columns and an Ambon of the XII century. In the crypt are preserved the relics of St. Andrew, from which, since 1304, exudes a dew, called "manna", which is collected in a glass bowl that for the locals has miraculous effects. [amalficoast]

Tangier

This postcard was sent to my aunt on 20 December 1970 from Tanger. It shows Casbah and the new town.

Tangier, preferred, or Tangiers (Amazigh: Tanja, archaic Berber name: Tinji, Arabic: طنجة) is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 (2008 census). It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. It is the capital of the Tangier-Tétouan Region and of the Tangier-Assilah Prefecture within that region.

Pohjoisesplanadi

An Helsinki card sent by dotdotpc from Finland via postcrossing [FI-972547]. It shows Pohjoisesplanadi and the Market Square. 

In the heart of Helsinki, the capital of Finland, the two streets constituting Esplanadi (Swedish: Esplanaden) are officially named Pohjoisesplanadi (Finnish for the North Esplanade Street, Swedish: Norra Esplanaden) and Eteläesplanadi (Finnish for the South Esplanade street, Swedish: Södra Esplanaden). They lead from Erottaja Square to the Market Square (Kauppatori), and the North Esplanade Street extends along the border of the Market Square up to the Katajanokka Channel. Esplanadi is colloquially called "Espa".

Stockholm, Venice of the North

Stockholm is built across 14 islands and is often called the Venice of the North. With more foreign visitors than any other city in Scandinavia it is also considered to be the Capital of Scandinavia. Stockholm is situated at the point where the vast Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea and was built on this strategic spot in the mid 13th century, enabling the founder to tax merchant vessels going in and out of the lake.

As water covers one third of the city area, the maritime life is an important aspect of the city. There are plenty of bridges, marinas and locks. The water is so clean that you can drink it and catch salmon in the middle of the city. The climate is very much conditioned by the sea winds, so even the warmest summer day will be contingent upon the sea breeze finding its way into the city streets.

Some basic facts: 1,3 million people live in the greater Stockholm area. The average temperature in Stockholm is around -2 C (28 F) in January and about 18 C (64 F) in July. [link]

Tavern of the seas | South Africa

Another beautiful card sent by Rosey from South Africa.

In 1700 Cape Town lacked the sophistication of Amsterdam, or the exotic attractions of Batavia, and visitors commented upon the problems of rough roads, wandering animals and open sewage, but it was generally rated an attractive town, and particularly welcome after months at sea.

Wealthy visitors could find rooms in the finer houses and wrote of the abundant, fresh food and the dancing laid on for their enjoyment. There was also a wine shop, that offered tours of Table Mountain, complete with hampers carried by slave porters.

Sailors found their way to boarding houses and tented camps, and filled up the taverns, which had a reputation for prostitutes and brawls with the local soldiers. 'The Scottish Temple' was a popular bar and brothel and it prospered for much of the century. Cape Town lived up to its nickname 'Tavern of the Seas'. [www.capetown.at/heritage/history/voc_1700s.htm]

Victoria Harbour

Another postcrossing card [HK-20591], this time from Hong Kong.

This is Victoria Harbour, a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on the South China Sea was instrumental in Hong Kong's establishment as a British colony and its subsequent development as a trading centre. Throughout its history, the harbour has seen numerous reclamation projects undertaken on both shores, but still retains its founding role as a port for thousands of international vessels each year.
Long famous for its spectacular views, the harbour is a major tourist attraction of Hong Kong. Lying in the middle of the territory's dense urban region, the harbour is the site of annual fireworks displays and its promenades are popular gathering places for tourists and residents. [wikipedia]

Hokkaido | Japan

This wonderful postcard was sent to me by Chiriro via postcrossing [JP-129413]. It is Hakodate Hokkaido, which is located in northern Japan.

Hokkaido actually means North sea circuit and is the second largest island of Japan. Hakodate is a city and port located in Southern Hokkaido.

Berlin

New architecture in Berlin: Sony Center and debis complex on the Potsdamer Platz. In the foreground is the Kulturforum with Philarmonie and Church of St. Metthew.

Saint Malo | France

I visited Saint Malo on April 2010.

Saint-Malo is a walled port city in Brittany in north-western France on the English Channel. It is a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine department.

Once you are there, I can advise you to do two things:

1. Just before sunset, take a long walk on the city walls. That way you will see the city from above and you will have a magnificent view of the sun setting into the sea!

2. You just HAVE TO try the seafood! Any seafood recipe we tried was amazing!!

New York, New York

This postcard was sent to me by a friend in 2000.

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona...I've been there in 2001. It is a beautiful city with amazing citizens!

Barcelona is the capital of the province of Catalunya. This region is well known for its economic and cultural differences with the rest of Spain. The most striking difference with the other Spanish regions though, is the Catalan language. Catalan is quite different from Spanish - it is spoken in Catalunya but also in a small part of France, the Balearic Islands and around Valencia - and the Catalan population takes great pride in using their own language.