This gorgeous card comes from Susanne in the USA and really looks outside the box to find something that matches my love for ‘vintage map cards’. And I love it! It is so unique! Here you can see an old celestial map, dating to 1729 and the constellations as seen then. I love old paintings like this and the stars have always intrigued me. Thank you so much Susanne! It’s a hit!
From Martina on a trip to Germany I received this card showing the city of Passau. Home to 50,000 people, more than 20% of the population of this city are students. Also known as the City of Three Rivers, Passau is the meeting point of the Danube, the Inn and the Ilz. As such, most of the touristic spots in Passau are located along the river. Very pretty card!
This awesome card comes from Tonje in Norway and I love it! As a child I had a total fascination with Norwegian trolls, so this card totally takes me back to my childhood! Trolls in Scandinavian folklore are usually dangerous or at the very least to be avoided and in many stories will eat children. However, if you can trick a troll (they are usually described as slow-witted) and make him stray into the sunlight, he will be turned to stone. Incidentally, this image has been based on a view at the village of Geiranger. Great card! Thank you Tonje!
This stunning card comes from my dad during the aforementioned trip to the Lake District. These beautiful Hogback Tombs can be found in Gosforth church. What is particularly fascinating about this seemingly non-descript little church hidden in the Lake District is that it is teeming with Anglo-Scandinavian (read: Viking-style) motifs and carvings, including these beauties! Amazing!
This cool card comes from Teresa in Portugal and shows the city of Coimbra. With a magical library and a university that was established in 1290, this city is just full of culture and history! Hidden in the city’s depths you can also stumble across Roman structures and buildings that date back to the days when this was actually Portugal’s capital. Amazing!
This beautiful card is one of my favourites! Sent to me way back in March, just after the amazing Sochi Winter Olympics, Nadya in Russia really hit the nail on the head with this one – AND even used a commemorative stamp! For some reason, this was the first year I really got into the Winter Olympics and I honestly got hooked! My favourite: the snowboarding! Amazing! And there’s no doubt about it – despite all their controversies the Russians can certainly put on a good show.
This lovely card comes from Haebaragi in Malaysia and shows the Kuan Yin Teng temple – the oldest temple in Penang. Built in the early 1800s by Chinese settlers, it is dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy. My favourite bit? The DO NOT FEED PIGEON sign proudly displayed in this image!
This spectacular card is another from Cheryll in Suriname and shows the beautiful Brokopondo Reservoir. Built in the 1960s this giant lake was created to feed a hydro power station which in turn provides the country’s electricity. Many people had to leave the area for its creation, but it is now also a popular tourist spot. Interestingly, the trees were not felled before the area was flooded, leaving the stark skeletons in the water. Beautiful!
This yummy card comes from Marina and Igor in Austria. They tell me that the ‘coffee culture’ is big in Vienna, the capital city. Here, you can see a cappuccino (called melange there) and a particularly scrummy looking slice of Sacher cake – a local delicacy made from chocolate, meringue and apricots and served with whipped cream. Anyone else drooling?!
This pretty card comes from Minona in Germany and shows the beautiful town of Bernkastel-Kues which is surrounded by vinyards! Minona actually works in the Cusanusstift (top right) nursing home – the oldest in Germany – which dates to 1557. Amazing! And what a stunning quaint little town! Germany has some real hidden treasures!
The World On My Doorstep 