Verkade's confectionery

Postcard ID: NL-2432100
Country: Netherlands

As far as I understand this card shows sweets made by Verkade company. I'm not sure what this is kind of sweets on this card but looks tasty :)

Verkade is a Dutch manufacturing company. The company is headquartered in Zaandam and was one of the oldest existing family companies in the Netherlands until its takeover in 1990 by British United Biscuits, which in turn was taken over in 2006 by Blackstone Group and PAI Partners. Originally founded in 1886 by Ericus Verkade to make mostly bread and rusk, it expanded to produce cookies, sweets, and, especially, chocolates.

Here are the stamps from the card:

Kritsovsky memorial, Russia

Postcard ID: RU-2597895
Country: Russia

This card came to me from the best postcrosser Dmitry. He sent me the beautiful big card, sticked funny stamp and also added some booklets about Russian money (as I collect banknotes from different countries). Many-many thanks for all these efforts!

Description from the backside of he card:

Kritsovsky memorial is  called by memorial of Grief and Glory. It is open on the place of the battle with the invaders. Here you can feel the immortal soldiers feats of the Great Patriotic War.

Here is a nice stamp:

Bad Berleburg, Germany

Postcard ID: DE-3066611
Country: Germany

Here is one more city view card and I now I've known a little more about German town Bad Berleburg. So interesting to discover new places!

Bad Berleburg is a town, in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is one of Germany's largest towns by land area. It is located approximately 30 km northeast of Siegen and 35 km northwest of Marburg an der Lahn.

Bad Berleburg’s main attraction is the majesty of nature. Thick woodlands and rugged forests attract hikers, mountain bikers, and cross country skiers. Also a favorite among wildflower lovers, the town features many floral displays scattered throughout its borders.

Set atop a hill, this lively town’s main visual eye candy is the ancient 16th century Baroque castle that dominates the hillside. Known as the Schloss Fürst von und zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, this magnificent example is one of the best attractions in the village.

Here is a stamp from the card:

Woman Reading by Robert James Gordon

Postcard ID: DE-3066046, DE-3485760
Country: Germany

I wrote 2 Postcard IDs as I received this card twice.

I have preferences like reading and painted cards. The senders met both of them and I received this beautiful card.

Robert James Gordon was a London genre painter.
He was active in exhibiting between 1871 and 1894, showing works such as Pet Parrot and Lady Teazle at the Royal Academy, Royal Institute of Oil Painters and Society of British Artists in London, as well as at the Royal Society of Artists in Birmingham, Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts, Royal Scottish Academy, Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool and Manchester City Art Gallery. In 1876 he was elected a member of the Society of British Artists, a Society which was to appoint JW its President in 1886.

My stamp collection is also received new German flower stamp:

Photo-card made in pin-up style

Postcard ID: DE-3077656
Country: Germany

A pin-up girl is a model whose mass-produced pictures see wide appeal as popular culture. Pin-ups are intended for informal display, e.g. meant to be "pinned-up" on a wall. Pin-up girls may be glamour models, fashion models, or actresses.

Usually we see girls from XX century on pin-up card, but now we are living in XXI century, so these cards can be a little changed to make them more modern.

This beautiful card also contains amazing stamps:

Mouses by Polina Yakovleva

Postcard ID: RU-2605912
Country: Russia

It's always nice to receive cards from your favourits! I'm so happy to be owner of this one. This is the second card made by Polina Yakovleva in my collection. Here is so wonderful enigmatic world!

Traditionally. backside contains a poem (originally, in Russian):

Snails froze at the gates of July,

Wet nut slams by sheets, 

Wind pulls the thread out of the rain , 

Sun pours glitter from cloud loopholes

Novella Matveeva

Also this card contains BIG amazing stamp:

I need more butterflies!

Postcard ID: NL-2418301
Country: Netherlands

This week was so good for me and brought so many cards and stamps with butterflies. It made me really happy!

This postcrosser (Marcel) also sent to me 7 (seven!!) blank postcards! I sent him a message what I can send to him like thank you message, but haven't received answer yet. 

So wonderful, wonderful butterflies!

Hasselt fries

Postcard ID: BE-275957
Country: Belgium

As I like food cards, Sien sent me a card with fries, mentioned that this is famous Hasselt fries. I haven't heard about it earlier (sorry), but I'm like this food, although eat it quit rarely.

It's interesting that in the day I receved this cars, I ate fries :)

And I really like a stamp from this card as here is a butterfly!

Postal butterflies

Postcard ID: GB-528872
Country: United Kingdom

This card meets my 2 preferences - butterflies and postal themes. This card is really beautiful and delicate. It's really nice to receive a message on this card. I think that postal butterflies brought it to me :)

Also this card contains absolutely amazing stamps! One of them with butterfly, yeah!

The early morning sun lights, Denver, USA

Postcard ID: US-2425766
Country: USA

The City and County of Denver is the largest city and capital of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is also the second most populous county in Colorado after El Paso County. Denver is a consolidated city and county located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Denver is nicknamed the Mile-High City because its official elevation is exactly one mile or 5,280 feet (1,609.3 m) above sea level, making it one of the highest major cities in the United States.The 105th meridian west of Greenwich passes through Union Station and is the temporal reference for the Mountain Time Zone.

Denver is ranked as a beta world city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. With a 2012 estimated population of 634,265, Denver ranks as the 23rd most populous U.S. city. The 10-county Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area had an estimated 2011 population of 2,599,504 and ranked as the 21st most populous U.S. metropolitan statistical area. Denver is the most populous city within a 500-mile (800 km) radius and the 3rd most populous city in the Mountain West and the Southwestern United States after Phoenix, Arizona and El Paso, Texas.

Here are some stamps:

Friends by Anya Drynkina, 11 yrs

Postcard ID: US-2718976
Country: USA

The International Children's Art Exchange (ICAE) is a non-profit program that provides an opportunity for children to receive artwork from other children all over the world so that they can learn about life in other countries, see what other children care about and what they like to do and, are motivated to learn about world geography. The ICAE has been offering an exhange of artwork to children for about 20 years now. Schools, churches, and groups of individuals around the world send pictures to Cherry Lee (the founder)at one location (La Jolla, Ca, USA). After pictures are received, a group of volunteers work with Cherry Lee to sort the art into packages for participants. Each package has pictures from as many countries around the world as possible. The organization makes every effort to select art to match the number of pictures sent and the ages of children of the participating organizations. ~ from the ICAE brochure.

The World of Books

Postcard ID: US-2719098
Country: USA

Reading is wonderful. I'm strongly agree with this statement. " Edward McKay Used Books & More" is a favourite book store of the sender. 

In 1974, an ex-Army officer in Fayetteville who loved books and reading realized he couldn’t afford to establish a library, so he did the second-best thing—he started a used bookstore! From modest beginnings that included Canada Dry Ginger Ale crates, buildings originally designed to function as chicken coops, and a building that the founder put together himself, Edward McKay Used Books & More has grown to four stores across North Carolina.

Enjoy your reading!

Cardiff Castle, Wales

Postcard ID: GB-467498
Country: United Kingdom

This card is photo made by sender. Unfortunately it was a little damaged during the trip to me. This castle has great history, so the message below is quite big, but interesting.

Cardiff Castle is one of Wales’ leading heritage attractions and a site of international significance. Located at the heart of the capital, within beautiful parklands, the Castle’s walls and fairytale towers conceal 2,000 years of history.

The Roman fort at Cardiff was probably established at the end of the 50s AD, on a strategic site that afforded easy access to the sea. After the Norman conquest, the Castle’s keep was built, re-using the site of the Roman fort. The site was divided into inner and outer wards, separated by a huge stone wall. The first keep on the motte was erected by Robert Fitzhamon, the Norman Lord of Gloucester, and along with many of these early defences was probably built of wood. More medieval fortifications and dwellings followed.

The Castle passed through the hands of many noble families until in 1766, it passed by marriage to the Bute family. The 2nd Marquess of Bute was responsible for turning Cardiff into the world’s greatest coal exporting port. The Castle and Bute fortune passed to his son John, the 3rd Marquess of Bute, who by the 1860s was reputed to be the richest man in the world.

From 1866 the 3rd Marquess employed the genius architect William Burges to transform the Castle lodgings. Within gothic towers he created lavish and opulent interiors, rich with murals, stained glass, marble, gilding and elaborate wood carvings. Each breathtaking room has its own special theme, including Mediterranean gardens and Italian and Arabian decoration.

The 3rd Marquess died when he was only 53 in 1900. He had transformed the Castle into a Welsh Victorian Camelot – now regarded as being of international significance. Despite huge death duties on the estate, the 4th Marquess completed many of his father’s restoration projects including the reconstruction of the Roman wall. The Bute family continued to stay at the Castle throughout the 1920s and 1930s, although they had sold off many of their business interests in South Wales. Following the death of the 4th Marquess of Bute, the family decided to give the Castle and much of its parkland, known as Bute Park, to the city of Cardiff. For 25 years, the Castle was home to the National College of Music and Drama and since 1974 has become one of Wales’ most popular visitor attractions.

‘The Essential Cardiff Castle’ by Castle Curator Matthew Williams is the definitive guidebook to the fascinating history of this site and is available from the Castle Gift Shop.

A fairytale town

Postcard ID: SG-136671
Country: Singapore

As far as I've found it's a card from postcard series "Floating Town", but I do not have some description.

I like painted cards, so like this one also :) moreover, when I see on details I want to paint children's cartoons :)

It looks so nice!

Please take a look on these bright and absolutely amazing stamps!

Beauty Girl from a Dream of the Red Mansions novel

Postcard ID: CN-1239697
Country: China

Dream of the Red Chamber, composed by Cao Xueqin, is one of China's Four Great Classical Novels. It was written sometime in the middle of the 18th century during the Qing Dynasty. It is considered a masterpiece of Chinese literature and is generally acknowledged to be the pinnacle of Chinese fiction. "Redology" is the field of study devoted exclusively to this work.

The title has also been translated as Red Chamber Dream and A Dream of Red Mansions. The novel circulated in manuscript copies with various titles until its print publication, in 1791. The novel is also often known as The Story of the Stone. While the first 80 chapters were written by Cao Xueqin, Gao E, who prepared the first and second printed editions with his partner Cheng Weiyuan in 1791-2, added 40 additional chapters to complete the novel.

Red Chamber is believed to be semi-autobiographical, mirroring the rise and decay of author Cao Xueqin's own family and, by extension, of the Qing Dynasty. As the author details in the first chapter, it is intended to be a memorial to the women he knew in his youth: friends, relatives and servants. The novel is remarkable not only for its huge cast of characters and psychological scope, but also for its precise and detailed observation of the life and social structures typical of 18th-century Chinese aristocracy.

Here is also beautiful stamp, but I don't known its sense:

The northwestern part of the world map, France, 1708

Postcard ID: RU-2571332
Country: Russia

This postcard shows us a part of really big mapm created in 1708.

The whole map by the world famous Jean Baptiste Nolin is probably the last card of this genre, decorated  so rich. Then 18 century came, this was century of revolutions and simplicity. This map is decorated with six scenes from the Old Testament. The hemispheres keep on the shoulders  the four seasons of the year. On whole map we can see six days of world creation, but on the postcard came to me - only 3.

Here is a stamp from this card:

Eagle Brand

Postcard ID: US-2713374
Country: USA

What is Orange Crate Label?
Orange crate labels have become highly collectible art forms and important artifacts of California-and American-history. Their bright colors and cheerful images remind us of the state's early alliance with health and the region's agricultural roots.

Before There Were Labels
Sunkist first used paper crate labels in the 1880s. Before then, wooden crate ends and barrel tops were crudely stenciled, stamped or burned with a brand name and packing location.

Why the Switch?
Strong local demand quickly spread eastward as the transcontinental railroad and steamship systems opened up new opportunities. California packers needed an effective way to identify and advertise a product for customers who lived thousands of miles away. They developed a wood shipping box about 12" x 12" x 27", and used a label about 10" x 11" on the box end. The brightly colored, attractively designed paper label attached to the end of a wooden box proved to be a key ingredient in the national marketing system.
Who Chose the Labels?

Growers and packers created their own labels. The images they chose related to their special interests or were designed to call attention to their product in the face of hundreds of competing brands. In the hands of a good artist and a talented graphic designer, the citrus box label became an elegant small poster, containing an easily understood and remembered message. The collaboration between fruit grower and commercial artist led to thousands of different label designs and a huge variety of subjects.

What Happened to All Those Labels?
Many of the labels designed and used over their rich 70-year history no longer exist or are extremely rare.

Labels were used on wooden citrus boxes until the mid-1950s, when the wooden boxes were replaced by cardboard boxes with preprinted labels on the box ends. The abrupt termination of the use of the wooden boxes left large quantities of unused labels in citrus packinghouses. These labels were gradually gathered up by collectors and form the main body of material existing for collectors today.

Some labels have been collected by soaking them off the end of old wooden boxes, but these are not numerous and are usually in poor condition. As such, soaked labels aren't a major factor in the collecting world. Other label sources include salesmen's sample books, lithographic company archives, citrus industry association archives and early collections put together by citrus growers and other industry workers.

This is so long message, but it's so interesting history, therefore I don't want to make it shorter.

In conclusion I add stamps from this card:

Colourful butterflies

Postcard ID: DE-2992239
Country: Germany

Here is so colurful card with my favourite butterflies!

Today at the work I said a phrase like "so beautiful whether". I mean that there were so beautiful blue sky, so sunny day and so beautiful nature with only appearing green leaves.

And this card also is so colourful, so interesting, so beautiful :)

When we see pictures like on this stamp here in Belarus we say mimimi, so cute:

Kiel, Germany

Postcard ID: DE-2498592
Country: Germany

Here is one more map card to my collection. When I'm going to Kiel, I can take this card instead of real map ;) you can see on the card how many interesting places in this city!

Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 242,041.

Kiel lies approximately 90 kilometres north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the Baltic Sea, Kiel has become one of the major maritime centres of Germany. For instance, the city is known for a variety of international sailing events, including the annual Kiel Week, which is the biggest sailing event in the world. The Olympic sailing competitions of the 1936 and the 1972 Summer Olympics were held in Kiel.

Kiel has also been one of the traditional homes of the German Navy's Baltic fleet, and continues to be a major high-tech shipbuilding centre. Located in Kiel is the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR) at the University of Kiel. Kiel is an important sea transport hub, thanks to its location at the Kiel Fjord and the busiest artificial waterway in the world, Kiel Canal (Nord-Ostsee-Kanal). A number of passenger ferries to Sweden, Norway, Russia, and other countries operate from here. Moreover, today Kiel harbour is an important port of call for cruise ships touring the Baltic Sea.

Within Germany and parts of Europe, the city is known for its leading handball team, THW Kiel. The city is home to the University of Kiel (established in 1665).

Krakow, Poland

Postcard ID: PL-870298
Country: Poland

Here is a lovely card from neighbor country, however I've not visited it yet.

The Gothic Wawel Castle in Kraków in Poland was built at the behest of Casimir III the Great, who reigned from 1333 to 1370, and consists of a number of structures situated around the central courtyard.

In the 14th century it was rebuilt by Jogaila and Jadwiga of Poland. Their reign saw the addition of the tower called the Hen's Foot (Kurza Stopka) and the Danish Tower. The Jadwiga and Jogaila Chamber, in which the sword Szczerbiec, was used in coronation ceremonies, is exhibited today and is another remnant of this period. Other structures were developed on the hill during that time as well, in order to serve as quarters for the numerous clergy, royal clerks and craftsmen. Defensive walls and towers such as Jordanka, Lubranka, Sandomierska, Tęczyńska, Szlachecka, Złodziejska and Panieńska were erected in the same period.

The Wawel Royal Castle and the Wawel Hill constitute the most historically and culturally important site in Poland. For centuries the residence of the kings of Poland and the symbol of Polish statehood, the Castle is now one of the country’s premier art museums. Established in 1930, the museum encompasses ten curatorial departments responsible for collections of paintings, including an important collection of Italian Renaissance paintings, prints, sculpture, textiles, among them the Sigismund II Augustus tapestry collection, goldsmith’s work, arms and armor, ceramics, Meissen porcelain, and period furniture. The museum’s holdings in oriental art include the largest collection of Ottoman tents in Europe. With seven specialized conservation studios, the museum is also an important center for the conservation of works of art.

Here is a beautiful Polish stamp:

Street view, Taiwan

Postcard ID: TW-1007439
Country: Taiwan

This card look simple and interesting at the same time. I look on it and try to imagine myself walking there. I think that a similar place can be found in different cities, just need to change language on signboard. Perhaps, some additional secret sense can be found in the hieroglyph, but I don't know how to translate it in English or Russian :)

Potemkin Stairs, Odessa, Ukraine

Postcard ID: UA-755296
Country: Ukraine

It's always wonderful to receive a postcard with place where you were!

The Potemkin Stairs is a giant stairway in Odessa, Ukraine. The stairs are considered a formal entrance into the city from the direction of the sea and are the best known symbol of Odessa. The stairs were originally known as the Boulevard steps, the Giant Staircase, or the Richelieu steps. The top step is 12.5 meters wide, and the lowest step is 21.7 meters wide. The staircase extends for 142 meters, but it gives the illusion of greater length. The stairs were so precisely constructed as to create an optical illusion. A person looking down the stairs sees only the landings, and the steps are invisible, but a person looking up sees only steps, and the landings are invisible. 

Here is Ukrainian stamp:

Ternopil, Ukraine

Postcard ID: UA-765931
Country: Ukraine

Cities in the night look so great! I so like different colour lights on the buildings.

Ternopil is a city in western Ukraine, located on the banks of the Seret River. Ternopil is one of the major cities of Western Ukraine and the historical region of Galicia. It is served by Ternopil Airport.

The city was founded in 1540 by Jan Amor Tarnowski as a military stronghold and a castle. 

After World War II Ternopil was rebuilt in typically Soviet style. Only a few buildings were reconstructed.

Since 1991 Ternopil has been a part of independent Ukraine, along with other cities of western Ukraine. Ternopil has became an important center of Ukrainian national revival

Here is one more Ukrainian stamp:

Saarlouis, Germany

Postcard ID: DE-2484886
Country: Germany

Saarlouis is a city in the Saarland, Germany, capital of the district of Saarlouis. Saarlouis, as the name implies, is located at the river Saar. It was built as a fortress in 1680 and named after Louis XIV of France.

With the Treaties of Peace of Nijmegen in 1678/79, the Lorraine fell to France. In 1680, Louis XIV of France gave order to build a fortification (to defend the new French Eastern frontier) on the banks of the river Saar which was called Sarre-Louis. France's famous military engineer, Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, constructed the city, the plans were made by Thomas de Choisy, the city's first Gouvenour. In 1683, Louis XIV visited the fortress and granted arms. The coat of arms shows the rising sun and three Fleur-de-lis. The heraldic motto is Dissipat Atque Fovet: He (the Sun) dispels (the clouds) and heats (the earth).

In 1980, Saarlouis celebrated its 300th anniversary.

The sun always shines after the rain

Postcard ID: FI-1868262
Country: Finland

I fell in love with moomins when I have starting postcrossing activity. Firstly I saw postcards with them, then I read all the books of Tove Jansson. And now I just have a look on the card and see that here is the Snork Maiden as she has a bracelet on her leg :)

The Snork Maiden - Moomintroll's fair lady friend and admirer. She does fall in love with others sometimes, but returns to Moomintroll before things get too serious. She has blonde hair and sports a golden anklet. She changes color according to her mood, with her baseline color in the books described as pale yellow. Snorks are almost identical to Moomintrolls except that Snorks come in different colors (Moomintrolls are white), and a Snork's skin changes color depending on their mood.

Netherlands in associations

Postcard ID: NL-2066432
Country: Netherlands

In previous message I said about London symbols. The same info can be said about Netherlands. What are the first associations when we listen to Netherlands? I think it's tulips, mills, clogs. This cards includes all of them. So if you're going to visit the Netherlands you know which souvenirs you should bring ;)

London Scenes

Postcard ID: GB-468796
Country: United Kingdom

Do you like London? I think everyone likes and would like to visit it. When I receive a new address I asked my husband to suppose a country. If he has difficulties, I started to make a hints. In case of United Kingdom it's really easy: Big Ben, the Queen, red bus or red phone booth. So much associations.

Actually, today is 4 years than I started to work in the company. And all from this year I've contacted English colleagues. This is one from the main reason why I learn English :)

Finally, I knew about postcrossing when I visited English language courses :)

And some advises from a sender to escape crowds in London and visit:

1. "The laden showroom" on Brick Lane - it's a lovely shop full of clothes made by up and coming designers.

2. Have a bite to eat at Borough Market (open Thur-Sun).

Nice advices. Thank you!

Here a traditional and national English stamp:

Artistic crafts with concha of sea

Postcard ID: BR-278658
Country: Brazil

It's so nice to make a post related to sea.We live in quite north country without access to any sea, so I especially like cards related to sun, sea, summer.

Actually I have similar concha souvenirs from Crimea. Honestly, my souvenirs have some losses, as my hamsters tried to eat it :)

Here are beautiful Brazilian stamps:

An ancient Chinese girl

Postcard ID: CN-1240096
Country: China

Here is one more card from so enigmatic China for me.

For Europeans many Chinese girls look like with the same face. I think it works and vise versa. However when I watching moviese with Chinese actress I can see the difference. And I like to see on the beautiful Chinese girls. Like on this card :)

As usual, Chinese stamps are big and awesome: