Wednesday 30 January 2013

A Map of Gökçeada, Turkey



Card no 377 - Riutsi
A Map of Gökçeada, Turkey
Country: Finland
Place:  Jyväskylä
Received: 30th January 2013
Distance: 1,217 miles
Travelled for: 6 days

The Island of Imbros or İmroz officially changed its name to Gökçeada in 1970.  It is the largest island of Turkey and is located in the Aegean Sea, at the entrance of Saros Bay.  It is also the westernmost point of Turkey.  Gökçeada has an area of 108 sq miles and contains some wooded areas.  If you are wondering about the connection with Finland, the sender has a summer house there.

According to the 2011 census, the island-district of Gökçeada has a population of 8,210.  Its main industries are fishing, tourism, vineyards and wine production. 


The population is predominantly Turkish but there are still about 250 Greeks, most of them elderly. The island was primarily inhabited by ethnic Greeks from ancient times through to the middle of the twentieth century when many emigrated to Greece, Western Europe, the United States and Australia during a campaign of discrimination.

According to Greek mythology, the palace of Thetis, mother of Achilles, king of Phthia, was situated between Imbros and Samothrace. The stables of the winged horses of Poseidon were said to lie between Imbros and Tenedos.

The Cosmo Tower, Osaka

Card no 376 - Mitsuyo
The Cosmo Tower, Osaka
Country: Japan
Place: Osaka
Received: 29th January 2013
Distance: 5,896 miles
Travelled for: 4 days

The Osaka Prefectural Government Sakishima Building or Cosmo Tower is the tallest building in Osaka, and the second-tallest building in Japan. It was built in 1995.  Formerly named the Osaka World Trade Center Building it was renamed in June, 2010.   The building houses trade offices for companies around the world.

The 55-story building is 840 feet tall and is topped by a skylobby. It contains three basement floors, a museum, restaurants, observation deck, office space and a conference room. The observation deck is in an inverted pyramid at the top of the structure. A transparent elevator can take passengers from ground level to the top in just 80 seconds.

The stamps -
 

Tuesday 29 January 2013

A Mysterious Chambered Tomb (in Belarus ?)



Card no 375 - Maria
 Chambered Tomb – Belarus (?)
Country: Belarus
Place: Minsk
Received: 28th January
Distance: 1,246 miles
Travelled for: 5 days


Where and what is this megalithic chambered tomb?   I need help here, Mish! (You must read Mish's response to this appeal - the first comment!)



Porec – the self-styled capital of Croatian tourism



Card no 373 - Maria
 Porec - Croatia
Country: Belarus
Place: Minsk
Received: 28th January
Distance: 1,246 miles
Travelled for: 5 days


This card is from Maria’s holiday in Croatia and shows Porec – the self-styled capital of Croatian tourism.  Poreč (Ancient Greek: Pàrenthos) is a town on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula, Croatia. Its major landmark is the 6th century Euphrasian Basilica, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.  Poreč is almost 2,000 years old, and is set around a harbour protected from the sea by the small island of Saint Nicholas/San Nicolo. The town's population of approximately 12,000 resides mostly on the outskirts, while the wider Poreč area has a population of approximately 17,000 inhabitants.

A Calm Day on the Swedish Coast



Card no 372 - Monica
A Calm Day by Lena Nilebäck
  Country: Sweden
Place: Borås
Received: 28th January
Distance: 695 miles
Travelled for: 5 days
 

This watercolour of a typical West coast village or small town was painted by Lena Nilebäck.

Lena has been painting watercolours for nearly 20 years and has had numerous exhibitions.   She grew up in Ljungskile, but now lives with her family outside the city of Trollhättan.  Since her childhood she has spent summers in Alsbäck by the Gullmarn fjord, not far from the city of Lysekil.  Alsbäck is located on the west coast, with mountains, salt water bays and a variety of natural history.