"München mag Dich"

The last postcard from my lovely penpal Tina (Germany), from München.
(Received in June, 2012)

The city's motto is "München mag Dich" (Munich likes you). Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" (Cosmopolitan city with a heart). Its native name, München, is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat of arms. Black and gold—the colours of the Holy Roman Empire—have been the city's official colours since the time of Ludwig the Bavarian.

For economic and social innovation, the city was ranked 15th globally out of 289 cities in 2010, and 5th in Germany by the 2thinknow Innovation Cities Index based on analysis of 162 indicators. In 2010, Monocle ranked Munich as the world's most livable city.

Weimar

Also a postcard from Tina (Germany), this one from Weimar.
(Received on 28.06.2012)

Weimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia (Thüringen), north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899. Weimar was the capital of the Duchy (after 1815 the Grand Duchy) of Saxe-Weimar (German Sachsen-Weimar).
Weimar's cultural heritage is vast. It is most often recognised as the place where Germany's first democratic constitution was signed after the First World War, giving its name to the Weimar Republic period in German politics, of 1918–1933. However, the city was also the focal point of the German Enlightenment and home of the leading characters of the literary genre of Weimar Classicism, the writers Goethe and Schiller. The city was also the birthplace of the Bauhaus movement, founded in 1919 by Walter Gropius, with artists Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Oskar Schlemmer, and Lyonel Feininger teaching in Weimar's Bauhaus School. Many places in the city centre have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Potsdam

The 10. Postcard from Tina's collection from today's (28.06.2012) post.

Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, 24 km (15 mi) southwest of Berlin city centre.
The name "Potsdam" originally seems to have been "Poztupimi" from a West Slavonic name meaning "beneath the oaks", highlighting the area's many grand oak trees.
Potsdam has several claims to national and international notability. In Germany, it had the status Windsor has in Britain: it was the residence of the Prussian kings and German Kaisers, until 1918. Around the city there are a series of interconnected lakes and unique cultural landmarks, in particular the parks and palaces of Sanssouci, the largest World Heritage Site in Germany. The Potsdam Conference, the major post-World War II conference between the victorious Allies, was held at another palace in the area, the Cecilienhof.

Bamberg

Tina's (snail-mail) next postcard, from Germany, shows more photos from Bamberg.
(Received on 28.06.2012) 
I remember that I have visited this town with my family many years ago, when we lived in Germany.

Bamberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. Its historic city center is a listed UNESCO world heritage site.
Bamberg is known for its smoked Rauchbier.
Bamberg is located in Franconia, 63 km (39 mi) north of Nuremberg by railway and 101 km (63 mi) east of Würzburg, also by rail. It is situated on the Regnitz river, 3 km (1.9 mi) before it flows into the Main river.
Bamberg prides itself with being on seven hills, as it symbolises similarity to Rome. The hills are Cathedral Hill, Michaelsberg, Kaulberg/Obere Pfarre, Stefansberg, Jakobsberg, Altenburger Hill and Abtsberg.

Kempten

This card is also from Tina, through snail-mail, from Germany.
(Received on 28.06.2012)

Kempten is the largest town in Allgäu, a region in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. The area was possibly settled originally by Celts, but was later overtaken by the Romans, who called the town Cambodunum. Archaeologists consider Kempten one of the oldest urban settlements in Germany.

More Diddl cards

Twelve postcards came today (28.06.2012) from my penpal, Tina (Germany) and five of them are Diddl cards. Cute, right? :)

Diddl has many friends and relatives, including a girlfriend called Diddlina who is also a Jumping Mouse. Their friends include Mimihopps (a fox rabbit); 'Pimboli' (a Knautschanien cuddle-teddy bear); Ackaturbo (a fire-tailed mini-raven); Bibombl (a bobbletail setter); Milimits (a tigertail kitten); Tiplitaps (a changing-shell turtle); Wollywell & Vanillivi (angora lucky sheep); and Galupy (a galapagos horse). The 'Frog Brothers' are the enemies of Diddl and Friends.

Elves

This two elf-postcards are from my dear penpal, Tina (Germany), received through snail-mail.
(I got it today, 28.06.2012)



The first one on the left  is my favourite, it's so glittery and colorful, but I love of course the second one too!! :)

Little Mole and Christmas

I got today (28.06.2012) this lovely Christmas-Krtek postcard from the Czech Republic, sent by Karolína.

Little Mole and Christmas (Krtek a Vánoce)

Snow lies all around and Christmas is approaching. Everybody in the forest is asleep; only Mole wants to surprise his friends and decorates a lovely Christmas tree. He wraps presents for each animal and sings his carols. But the malevolent Aunt Crow steals the Christmas tree and flies away. How can Little Mole save Christmas?

Hegratsreider See im Allgäu

This pretty landescape postcard came from Lisa, my penpal from Germany.
(Received on 27.06.2012)

The Allgäu is a southern German region in Swabia. It covers the south of Bavarian Swabia and southeastern Baden-Württemberg. The region stretches from the prealpine lands up to the Alps. The main rivers flowing through the Allgäu are the Lech and Iller.

It is sub-divided into the following regions: Oberallgäu, Unterallgäu, Ostallgäu, Westallgäu.

The area is notable for its beautiful landscapes and is popular for vacations and therapeutic stays. It is well known in Germany for its farm produce, especially dairy products including Hirtenkäse ("herdsman's cheese"). The alpine regions of the Allgäu rise over 2,000 metres in altitude and are popular for winter skiing. 

Beautiful Greece

My first three postcard from Greece were sent by Anna (FB-swap). The card are so picturesque, I have never been to Greece, I got the mood to visit it soon!! :)
(Received in June, 2012)

 

Greece (Ελλάδα; historically in Ancient Greek: Ἑλλάς, Hellas), officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία), is a country in Southern Europe, politically considered part of Western Europe. Athens is the capital and the largest city in the country (its urban area also including Piraeus). 

Greece has land borders with Albania, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of mainland Greece, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the 11th longest coastline in the world at 13,676 km (8,498 mi) in length, featuring a vast number of islands (approximately 1,400, of which 227 are inhabited), including Crete, the Dodecanese, the Cyclades, and the Ionian Islands among others. Eighty percent of Greece consists of mountains, of which Mount Olympus is the highest at 2,917 m (9,570 ft).

Modern Greece traces its roots to the civilization of ancient Greece, generally considered the cradle of Western civilization. As such it is the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy, the Olympic Games, Western literature and historiography, political science, major scientific and mathematical principles, and Western drama, including both tragedy and comedy. This legacy is partly reflected in the seventeen UNESCO World Heritage Sites located in Greece, ranking Greece 7th in Europe and 13th in the world.

The Prambanan temple

This beautiful ancient temple is from Indonesia, sent by Yenny Rere (FB-swap).
(Received in June, 2012)

Candi Prambanan or Candi Rara Jonggrang is a 9th-century Hindu temple compound in Central Java, Indonesia, dedicated to the Trimurti, the expression of God as the Creator (Brahma), the Sustainer (Vishnu) and the Destroyer (Shiva). The temple compound is located approximately 18 kilometres (11 mi) east of the city of Yogyakarta on the boundary between Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces.
The temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia, and is one of the largest Hindu temples in Southeast Asia. It is characterized by its tall and pointed architecture, typical of Hindu temple architecture, and by the towering 47-metre-high (154 ft) central building inside a large complex of individual temples. One of the most majestic temples in Southeast Asia, Prambanan attracts many visitors from across the world.

How The Mole Got His Pants

How The Mole Got His Pants was the first Krtek-cartoon I have ever seen. This postcard shows a scene from it, sent by Lucía (Czech Republic), I got it through FB-swap.
(Received in June, 2012)

Krtek was first to be seen in 1956 in Prague, when Zdeněk Miler wanted to create a children's cartoon about how flax is processed. He wanted a strong Disney-influence to the cartoon by choosing an animal for the leading role, and decided to pick a mole after stumbling over a molehill during a walk. The first film called "Jak krtek ke kalhotkám přišel" ("How the mole got his pants") was released in 1956, and the cute main character won itself an enormous popularity in many Eastern European countries as well as Germany, Austria, India and China. Production for further episodes started in 1963 and since then, around 50 episodes have been created.

Art postcard

This art postcard is from Finland, an official Postcrossing postcard, sent by Leyla.
Postcard ID: FI-1457889
Received on: 22 Jun, 2012

I don't know why she has sent me this postcard, I don't collect art-stuff... I'd be happy with a simple city-view card and that's all... 

Three Miffy cards

These three Miffy-postcards are from the Netherlands, sent by Natascha. I got them through direct-swap on Postcrossing.
(Received in June, 2012)

 

Miffy was created in 1955 after Bruna had been telling his one-year-old son Sierk stories about a little rabbit they had seen earlier in the dunes, while on holiday at Egmond aan Zee. Miffy became a female after Bruna decided that he wanted to draw a dress and not trousers on his rabbit. Depending on the story, Miffy can be a baby or four years old.

At first Miffy looked like a toy animal, with floppy ears, but by 1963 she looked the way we see Miffy today. Miffy is drawn in a minimalist style, requiring only a few lines and one or two primary colors. There are some colors that are never used, and Bruna can be picky about a certain shade of color, brown and grey for example, and will search for it until he is happy. Even though the things that he draws are not realistic, they are instantly recognisable, and Miffy is obviously a rabbit.

Hong Kong

My very first postcard from Hong Kong was sent by Ivan, through FB-swap.
(Received in June, 2012)

Hong Kong (香港) is one of two special administrative regions (SARs) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the other being Macau. Hong Kong is a city-state. It is situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is known for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour. With a land mass of 1,104 km2 (426 sq mi) and a population of seven million people, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Hong Kong's population is 95 percent ethnic Chinese and 5 percent from other groups. Hong Kong's Han Chinese majority originate mainly from the cities of Guangzhou and Taishan in the neighbouring Guangdong province.

Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after the First Opium War (1839–42). Originally confined to Hong Kong Island, the colony's boundaries were extended in stages to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and then the New Territories in 1898. It was occupied by Japan during the Pacific War, after which the British resumed control until 1997, when China resumed sovereignty. The region espoused minimum government intervention under the ethos of positive non-interventionism during the colonial era. The time period greatly influenced the current culture of Hong Kong, often described as "East meets West", and the educational system, which used to loosely follow the system in England until reforms implemented in 2009.

Bali

This beautiful Balinese water temple-postcard was also sent by Indah (FB-swap), from Indonesia.
(Received in June, 2012)

Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of the country's 33 provinces with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island. The province covers a few small neighbouring islands as well as the isle of Bali.

With a population recorded as 3,891,428 in the 2010 census, the island is home to most of Indonesia's Hindu minority. In the 2000 census about 92.29% of Bali's population adhered to Balinese Hinduism while most of the remainder follow Islam. It is also the largest tourist destination in the country and is renowned for its highly developed arts, including traditional and modern dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking, and music. Bali, a tourist haven for decades, has seen a further surge in tourist numbers in recent years.

Thinking of you

This old-fashioned postcard with the Eiffel-Tower is from Indonesia, sent by Indah (FB-swap).
(Received in June, 2012)

I think this card is very sweet and romantic, I wish I could go back to Paris once again! :)

Polska

This Poland card was sent by Marta, from Katowice, through FB-swap.
(Received in June, 2012)

Poland  (Polska), officially the Republic of Poland (Rzeczpospolita Polska) is a country in Central Europe, bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north. The total area of Poland is 312,679 square kilometres (120,726 sq mi), making it the 69th largest country in the world and the 9th largest in Europe.

Winter in Germany

This picturesque winter- landescape was sent from Germany, by Klaus as an official Postcrossing postcard.
Postcard ID: DE-1423674

Received on: 19 Jun, 2012

Melbourne

I think it's one of the most beautiful cards I have ever received, this nightview from Melbourne, Australia, sent by Azzi. (This is also an official Postcrossing postcard.)
Postcard ID: AU-210289
Received on: 19 Jun, 2012

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. Inhabitants of Melbourne are called Melburnians or Melbournians.
The metropolis is located on the large natural bay known as Port Phillip, with the city centre positioned at the estuary of the Yarra River (at the northernmost point of the bay). The metropolitan area then extends south from the city centre, along the eastern and western shorelines of Port Phillip, and expands into the hinterland. 
Melbourne was founded in 1835 (47 years after the European settlement of Australia) by settlers from Launceston in Van Diemen's Land. It was named by governor Richard Bourke in 1837, in honour of the British Prime Minister of the day, William Lamb—the 2nd Viscount Melbourne. Melbourne was officially declared a city by Queen Victoria in 1847. In 1851, it became the capital city of the newly created colony of Victoria. During the Victorian gold rush of the 1850s, it was transformed into one of the world's largest and wealthiest cities. After the federation of Australia in 1901, it then served as the interim seat of government of the newly created nation of Australia until 1927.

Berlin - Nikolaiviertel

My first postcard from Berlin came from Spain, as an official Postcrossing card, sent by Anna (Russian girl).
Postcard ID: ES-166824
Received on: 19 Jun, 2012

Founded about 1200, the Nikolaiviertel (Nikolai Quarter) of Alt-Berlin, together with the neighbouring settlement of Cölln, is the reconstructed historical heart of the German capital Berlin. It is located in Mitte locality (in the same-named district), five minutes away from Alexanderplatz.

Situated on the eastern shore of the river Spree, it is bounded by the streets Rathausstraße, Spandauer Straße and Mühlendamm. The Nikolaikirche (Saint Nicholas Church), Berlin's oldest church, lies at the centre of the neighbourhood.

The card with the longest travel time

This is the oldest (but really sweet) card I have ever seen. It came from Russia, sent by Alexandra and it's an official Postcrossing card.
Postcard ID: RU-934352

Received on: 19 Jun, 2012

Travel time: 59 days - it was really slow!! :))

Children in winter

This vintage-postcard came from the Netherlands, as an official Postcrossing card, sent by Patricia.
Postcard ID: NL-1269847

Received on: 19 Jun, 2012

Four babies and a teddy from Belgium

This two Anne Geddes postcards are from Sarah (FB-swap), from Belgium.
(Received in June, 2012)

In an episode of Friends, Joey Tribbiani complains to his roommate Janine about an Anne Geddes photograph she hung on the wall of his apartment. The photograph depicted a baby dressed as a sunflower. After being told that Anne Geddes is a famous artist, he assumes that the baby is Anne Geddes.

Something from China

This interesting card is from Sylvia (China), I know her from Interpals.
(Received in June, 2012)

I don't know what is it on the card exactly, or what does it mean, but I like these colors. :)

Butterfly baby

This Anne Geddes postcard is from Lucía (Czech Republic), through FB-swap.
(Received in June, 2012)

Anne Geddes does not audition babies for use as models because they are "too unpredictable". Instead, she keeps in touch with multiple birth and twin clubs, and has thousands of photographs on file that parents have sent her. Geddes travels to the United States every year in search of black infants to photograph, as New Zealand has a very small black population. A typical sitting takes place in the morning when the babies are well-rested, and lasts about half an hour, otherwise the babies get too bored or fussy. "You have to be really fast," Geddes says about getting good shots. She sets up her studio in advance—props, lighting, cameras and equipment—so that all the baby or babies have to do is sit. Many of her props are custom made, such as over-sized shoes and flowerpots. She keeps the babies' parents nearby for extra assistance with expressions.

Kotor

Kotor's postcard is my first card from Montenegro, sent by Ivana (Interpals-swap).
(Received in June, 2012)

Montenegro (Crna Gora Црна Гора), meaning "Black Mountain") is a country in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Kosovo to the east, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the southeast. Its capital and largest city is Podgorica, while Cetinje is designated as the Prijestonica (Пријестоница), meaning the former Royal Capital City.
Kotor (Котор) is a coastal city in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Gulf of Kotor. 
The old Mediterranean port of Kotor is surrounded by an impressive city wall built by the Republic of Venice and Venetian influence remains predominant in the city's architecture. The Bay of Kotor (Boka Kotorska; Bocche di Cattaro), one of the most indented parts of the Adriatic Sea, is sometimes called the southern-most fjord in Europe (though it is actually a submerged river canyon). Together with the nearly overhanging limestone cliffs of Orjen and Lovćen, Kotor and its surrounding area form an impressive and picturesque Mediterranean landscape.
In recent years, Kotor has seen a steady increase in tourists, many of them coming by cruise ship. Visitors are attracted both by the natural beauty of the Gulf of Kotor and by the old town of Kotor itself. Kotor is part of the World Heritage Site dubbed the Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor.

The Cock of Barcelos

This card is from Susane (Portugal), FB-swap.
(Received in June, 2012)

The legend of the Rooster of Barcelos tells the story of a dead rooster's miraculous intervention in proving the innocence of a man who had been falsely accused and sentenced to death. The story is associated with the 17th-century calvary that is part of the collection of the Archeological Museum located in Paço dos Condes, a gothic-style palace in Barcelos, a city in the Braga District of northwest Portugal.

According to the legend, silver had been stolen from a landowner in Barcelos, and the inhabitants of that city were looking for the criminal who had committed the crime. One day, a man from neighboring Galicia turned up and became suspect, despite his pleas of innocence. The Galician swore that he was merely passing through Barcelos on a Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela to complete a promise.

Nevertheless, the authorities arrested the Galician and condemned him to hang. The man asked them to take him in front of the judge who had condemned him. The authorities honored his request and took him to the house of the magistrate, who was holding a banquet with some friends. Affirming his innocence, the Galician pointed to a roasted cock on top of the banquet table and exclaimed, "It is as certain that I am innocent as it is certain that this rooster will crow when they hang me." The judge pushed aside his plate because he decided to not eat the rooster. But still, the judge ignored the Galician's appeal.

However, while the pilgrim was being hanged, the roasted rooster stood up on the table and crowed as the Galician predicted. Understanding his error, the judge ran to the gallows, only to discover that the Galician had been saved from hanging thanks to a poorly made knot in the rope. The man was immediately freed and sent off in peace.

Some years later, the Galician returned to Barcelos to sculpt the Calvary (or Crucifix) to the Lord of the Rooster (Portuguese, "Cruzeiro do Senhor do Galo") in praise to the Virgin Mary and to Saint James. The monument is located in the Archeological Museum of Barcelos.

Nouvelles images

These two postcards are my first nouvelles images-cards, sent by Svenja (Germany), through FB-swap.
(Received in June, 2012)

I think they are very cute and delicious. :)

Drawing

This drawing-postcard is from my penpal, Violet (Russia).
(Received in June, 2012)

She wrote that on the card I can see a Russian village, she lives in a same house like this one on the postcard, and that's how her countryside looks like. :)

Milano

My second postcard from Italy is from Milano, sent by Nico (FB-swap).
(Received in June, 2012)

Milan (Milano) is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital of Lombardy as well as of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area is the 5th largest in EU and the largest in Italy with an estimated population of approximately 4.4 million.

Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano) is the cathedral church of Milan, Italy. Dedicated to Santa Maria Nascente (Saint Mary Nascent), it is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan, currently Cardinal Angelo Scola.

The Gothic cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete. It is the fourth largest cathedral in the world and the largest in the Italian state territory.

Miffy♥

My first Miffy-postcard is from Taiwan, sent by Claire (FB-swap). 
(Received in June, 2012)

Miffy (Nijntje) is a small female rabbit in a series of picture books drawn and written by Dutch artist Dick Bruna. The original Dutch name, Nijntje, is a shortening of konijntje, "little rabbit".
The first Miffy book was produced in 1955, and almost 30 others have followed. In total they have sold over 85 million copies, and inspired a television series as well as items such as clothes and toys featuring the character. 
In Bruna's hometown, Utrecht, there is a square named after Nijntje, the Nijntjepleintje (Little Nijntje Square) and in 2006, the Centraal Museum opened a permanent exhibition, the dick bruna huis (Dick Bruna house). Miffy celebrated her fiftieth birthday in 2005. This has been celebrated in cities across the globe, for example in the Manchester Art Gallery in England. She also serves a "celebrity character spokesperson" for Unicef.

Ayamonte

It's an official Postcrossing postcard from Spain, sent by Jesús.
Postcard ID: ES-165757
Received on: 9 Jun, 2012

Ayamonte is a town and municipality located in the province of Huelva, Spain. 

The township of Ayamonte preserves its old medieval quarter in the central district of the town, with many very narrow streets and historical buildings; this central area is a designated car-free zone. For centuries the ferry link between Ayamonte and Vila Real de Santo António was the traditional crossing point between Spain and Portugal. A modern bridge over the Guadiana River has now been built to the north of the town, linking the motorway systems of the two countries, but the ferry still runs and provides an inexpensive mode of transport between the two countries. The beach area of Ayamonte is Isla Canela, and is reached by a causeway across the Marismas del Guadiana; the marismas (salt marshes) are an important wildlife reserve, providing a home to many waterfowl, including herons and flamingos. Isla Canela is built along several kilometers of sandy beaches, and provides an ideal area for windsurfing, kitesurfing and sailing. There are a number of quality golf courses in and around the area, including one built into the Marismas itself.

Thetford Mines

This town is the hometown from Karin (Canada). I got the card through FB-swap.
(Received in June, 2012)

Thetford Mines  is a town in south-central Quebec, Canada. It is the seat of Les Appalaches Regional County Municipality.

Thetford Mines was founded in 1876 after the discovery of large asbestos deposits in the area, and the city became a hub for one of the world's largest asbestos-producing regions. In 2001 the city expanded to its current boundaries, merging with Black Lake, Robertsonville, Pontbriand and Thetford-Sud.

Thetford Mines is the seat of the judicial district of Frontenac.

Newfoundland

I got this postcard also from Karine (Canada), through FB-swap.
(Received in June, 2012)

Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador (located Northwest of the island) with a combined area of 405,212 square kilometres (156,500 sq mi). Newfoundland and Labrador's capital and largest city, St. John's, is Canada's 20th-largest Census Metropolitan Area, and is home to nearly 40 percent of the province's population. St. John's is the seat of government, home to the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador and the highest court in the jurisdiction, the Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal.

A former colony and dominion of the United Kingdom, Newfoundland and Labrador became the tenth province to enter the Canadian Confederation on March 31, 1949, as Newfoundland. On December 6, 2001, an amendment was made to the Constitution of Canada to change the province's official name to Newfoundland and Labrador. In day-to-day conversation, however, Canadians generally still refer to the province itself as Newfoundland and to the region on the Canadian mainland as Labrador.

Québec

These two postcard are from Karine (Canada) through FB-swap.
(Received in June, 2012)

Quebec (Québec), also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City (Ville de Québec) is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of 2011, the city has a population of 516,622, and the metropolitan area has a population of 765,706, making it the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about 233 kilometres (145 mi) to the southwest.

According to the federal and provincial governments, Québec is the city's official name in both French and English, although Quebec City (Ville de Québec) is commonly used, particularly to distinguish the city from the province. The city's most famous landmark is the Château Frontenac, a hotel which dominates the skyline. The National Assembly of Quebec, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (National Gallery of Quebec), and the Musée de la civilisation (Museum of Civilization) are found within or near Vieux-Québec.

Canada

This beautiful snowy winter-postcard is from Karine (Canada), through FB-swap.
(Received in June, 2012)

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean. Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area, and its common border with the United States is the world's longest land border.

The land that is now Canada has been inhabited for millennia by various Aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French colonial expeditions explored, and later settled, the region's Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the Seven Years' War. In 1867, with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation, Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces. This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy, culminating in the Canada Act 1982.

Canada is a federal state governed as a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state. The country is officially bilingual at the federal level. 

Seoul

This is my first postcard from South Korea, an official Postcrossing card, sent by Corey.
Postcard ID: KR-40526
Received on: 6 Jun, 2012

Seoul, officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world. The Seoul National Capital Area is the world's second largest metropolitan area with over 25 million inhabitants, which includes the surrounding Incheon metropolis and Gyeonggi province. Almost a quarter of South Koreans live in Seoul, half of South Koreans live in the metropolitan area.

Located in the Han River, Seoul has been a major settlement for over 2,000 years, with its foundation dating back to 18 B.C. when Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, established its capital in what is now south-east Seoul. It continued as the capital of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty and the Korean Empire. The Seoul National Capital Area is home to four UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Changdeokgung, Hwaseong Fortress, Jongmyo Shrine and the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty.