USA - MASSACHUSETTS

Boston

Franklin Park, previously known as West Roxbury Park, was renamed in honor of Boston born patriot Benjamin Franklin, who documented in his will that he wished for a portion of his estate to be given to a worthy cause. The park brings together rural scenery, a woodland preserve, and areas for active recreation and sports. Franklin Park also has six miles (10 km) of roads and fifteen miles (24 km) of pedestrian and bridle paths to explore.

The Public Garden, also known as Boston Public Garden, is a large park located in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts. The Public Garden was established in 1837 when philanthropist Horace Gray petitioned for the use of land as the first public botanical garden in the United States. The bridge crossing the lagoon, designed by William G. Preston, opened in 1867. It was the world's shortest functioning suspension bridge before its conversion to a girder bridge in 1921. Its original suspension system is now merely decorative.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful stamps (and many extra stamps in the envelope).

Received from: jtw

ICELAND

Hornbjarg

View of the magnificent cliffs at Hornbjarg, the northernmost point of the West fjords. Kálfatindur is the highest point at 534 m. Hælavíkurbjarg is the site of one of the largest bird breeding and nesting cliffs in Iceland.

 

 

 

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: BirgittaH

JAPAN - KEIKO SENA

Keiko Sena was born in Tokyo in 1932. Her apprenticeship in creating children's picture books with Takeo Takei,an early pioneer of Japanese children's literature. She has written over 35 books and her most popular series is the I Don't Want. Miss Sena lives in Zushi in Kanagawa, Japan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful stamps.

Received from: sktour

GERMANY - CASTLES

Trifels Castle

Trifels Castle is a medieval castle at an elevation of 500 m (1,600 ft) near the small town of Annweiler, in the Palatinate region of southwestern Germany. It is located high above the Queich valley within the Palatinate Forest on one peak of a red sandstone mountain split into three. Trifels Castle is also famous as the site where King Richard I of England (Richard the Lionheart) was imprisoned after he was captured by Duke Leopold V of Austria near Vienna in December 1192 on his return from the Third Crusade. The present-day castle is in large parts not true to the medieæval original. It is characterized by a large well tower outside the ring wall, linked to the castle by a bridge. The surrounding rocky landscape is a popular venue for mountaineers.

 

 

 

 

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: Eisi21

LIGHTS OF THE NORTH

Lapland

Lapland is the largest and northernmost of the regions of Finland. Lapland lies largely north of the Arctic Circle. The climate is subarctic and vegetation is sparse, except in the densely forested southern portion. North of the Arctic Circle polar night characterises the winter season and midnight sun the summer season—both phenomena are longer the further north one goes. The Aurora Borealis can be seen in all parts of Lapland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: anuemilia

MONGOLIA

Singing sands

Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park is a national park in southern Mongolia. The park was established in 1993, and expanded to its current size in 2000. The park, at nearly 27,000 square kilometers, is the largest national park in Mongolia, stretching 380 km from east to west and 80 km from north to south. The park lies on the northern edge of the Gobi desert. The higher elevations contain areas of steppe, and reach elevations of up to 2,600 meters. A number of rare plants and animals are found in the park, including the elusive snow leopard and the Gobi Camel. Areas of sand dunes are found, most famously the Khongoryn Els - the Singing Sands. Another major tourist destination is Yolyn Am, a mountain valley that contains a large ice field through most of the year.

Received from: 4ajka

CANADA - MAPS

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces. Its provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia has long been a centre for artistic and cultural excellence. The province has numerous National Historic Sites, the most notable being the Habitation at Port-Royal, the Fortress of Louisbourg and Citadel Hill (Fort George) in Halifax. Nova Scotia has two national parks, Kejimkujik and Cape Breton Highlands, and many other protected areas. The Bay of Fundy has the highest tidal range in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: Purpleferret

Irina Dumina

Received from: 4ajka

Victoria Kirdiy

Received from: 4ajka

BRAZIL - MAPCARDS

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro is on a strip of Brazil's Atlantic coast where the shoreline is oriented east–west. The Centre, the core of Rio, lies on the plains of the western shore of Guanabara Bay. The greater portion of the city, commonly referred to as the North Zone (Zona Norte), extends to the northwest on plains composed of marine and continental sediments and on hills and several rocky mountains. The South Zone (Zona Sul) of the city, reaching the beaches fringing the open sea, is cut off from the Centre and from the North Zone by coastal mountains. These mountains and hills are offshoots of the Serra do Mar to the northwest, the ancient gneiss-granite mountain chain that forms the southern slopes of the Brazilian Highlands.

 

 

 

 

Nice stamps and one big extra stamp sent in the envelope with the postcard.

Received from: Feliciano