World on my postcards

Brest Fortress is a 19th-century Russian fortress in Brest, Belarus. It is one of the most important Soviet World War II war monuments commemorating the Soviet resistance against the German invasion on June 22, 1941 (Operation Barbarossa).  Following the war, in 1965 the title Hero-Fortress was given to the Fortress to commemorate the defence of the frontier stronghold during the first weeks of the German-Soviet War. It was then part of the Byelorussian SSR. The title Hero-Fortress corresponds to the title Hero City, that was awarded to an eventual total of twelve Soviet cities. Brest Fortress is situated at an height of 135 meters.

 My favorite animals are pandas! They are so cute. I wish one day to see them in real life and maybe even cuddle with them :D  Giant pandas are solitary. They have a highly developed sense of smell that males use to avoid each other and to find females for mating in the spring. After a five-month pregnancy, females give birth to a cub or two, though they cannot care for both twins. The blind infants weigh only 5 ounces (142 grams) at birth and cannot crawl until they reach three months of age. They are born white, and develop their much loved coloring later. There are only about 1,000 giant pandas left in the wild. Perhaps 100 pandas live in zoos, where they are always among the most popular attractions. Much of what we know about pandas comes from study of these zoo animals, because their wild cousins are so rare and elusive. And the back of the card is also very beautiful!

The most kids know of St. Patrick 's Day is that you must wear green or you'll get a pinch from your friends. Interesting facts:  March 17th is when Patrick died.  St. Patrick wasn't Irish.   Patrick's color is blue.  The original color associated with St. Patrick is blue, not green as commonly believed. In several artworks depicting the saint, he is shown wearing blue vestments. King Henry VIII used the Irish harp in gold on a blue flag to represent the country. Since that time, and possibly before, blue has been a popular color to represent the country on flags, coats-of-arms, and even sports jerseys. Green was associated with the country later, presumably because of the greenness of the countryside, which is so because Ireland receives plentiful rainfall. Today, the country is also referred to as the "Emerald Isle."  St. Patrick's was a dry holiday in Ireland until 1970.  Aside from the color green, the activity most associated w...

 The year was 1809 and the setting was the city of Nis, in the southeast of Serbia. At this point in history, the city was controlled by the Ottoman Empire but patriotic Serbians wanted their land back and there was a strong resistance movement. One fateful day they attacked but were no match for the Ottoman forces. When the leader of the Serbian insurgency realised the battle would be lost, he fired at his gunpowder depot, blowing it up and killing himself, his men and the advancing Turks.   It was an honourable sacrifice on the field of battle but what followed showed the morbid side of war at the time. The Turkish commander of Nis ordered that the heads of the killed Serbs be collected. Each head was then skinned and the skulls were built into a tower at the entrance of the city as a warning to anyone else who dared contemplate an attack. As a final insult, the scalps were stuffed and sent back to Constantinople to impress the Sultan.    952 skull...

  Rickshaw began as a 5 or 6-wheeled passenger cart, called a pulled rickshaw, generally pulled by one man with one passenger. The first known use of the term was in 1887.Pulled rickshaws created a popular form of transportation, and a source of employment for male laborers, within Asian cities in the 19th century.  Auto rickshaws are becoming more popular in some cities in the 21st century as an alternative to taxis because of their low cost.

The amazing scenery of the city of Smolensk is spilled over the picturesque hills of the Dnieper Valley . Over the city stands the Assumption Cathedral, surrounding by medieval walls and towers of the Smolensk fortress. Both structures are not only architectural, but also historical monuments-symbols of the heroic 20-month defense of the city in 1609-1611 against the 30 thousand-strong army of the Polish King Sigismund III. This defense played an important role on the future liberation of Moscow from the Polish conquerors in 1612 and in the formation of the Russian state.   Smolensk city wall is the longest fortified structure in Europe. Built in 1596-1602 . Beneath the walls was created a system of galleries which were used as listening outposts to detect attempts of mining and building of underground passages by the enemy. In the modern times, there are 17 towers still standing out of the original 38, and the total length of the city walls ...

 Built from 848 to 852, this sandstone tower is part of one of the biggest mosque in the world. The tower used to be connected to the actual prayer building by a bridge that no longer exists. The name Malwiya actually pertains to the shape of the structure. It means "snail shell" and is clearly obvious as to why the structure has been dubbed so.The structure is often times assumed to be a tower used for the call to prayer, but due to its extreme height it was actually impractical for such a use. Instead, it was just a statement piece, speaking to the presence of Islam in that area. There is a room at the top of this tower with eight arch windows though, that is used as a lookout point. In fact, in recent years, it has been used by American troops as a lookout point. That is a contributing factor to its current damaged state. Knowing that US Troops used this tower for such a purpose, it has been bombed by opposing forces often and so the top room and spiral stai...

  Lake Rotomahana occupies craters formed by steam-blast eruptions which accompanied the Tarawera eruption of 1886 and which destroyed the famous Pink and White Terraces and the earlier Lakes Rotomahana and Rotomakiriri. Now 20 times its original size, Rotomahana boasts the purest strain of Rainbow Trout in the world. Called the warm lake, Lake Rotomahana shores are abundant with natural marvels, including the world’s largest hot water spring. It is one of the newest eco-systems in the world and its flora and fauna are protected as a scenic reserve and wildlife refuge.  

The Casas Colgadas ( Hanging Houses ) is a complex of houses located in Cuenca, Spain . In the past, houses of this kind were frequent along the eastern border of the ancient city. Today, however, there are only a few of them remaining. Of all of these structures, the most well-known is a group of three with wooden balconies. Their origin remains uncertain, though there is proof of their existence in the 15th century. Throughout their history they have been refurbished several times. The most recent took place during the 1920s. They have been used as individual homes, council houses, and currently the host to a restaurant, and the Spanish Abstract Art Museum, in Cuenca.

 The Giant’s Causeway and Causeway Coast is a spectacular area of global geological importance on the sea coast at the edge of the Antrim plateau in Northern Ireland. The most characteristic and unique feature of the site is the exposure of some 40,000 large, regularly shaped polygonal columns of basalt in perfect horizontal sections, forming a pavement. This dramatic sight has inspired legends of giants striding over the sea to Scotland. Celebrated in the arts and in science, it has been a visitor attraction for at least 300 years and has come to be regarded as a symbol for Northern Ireland.

  Roscrea   is a historical market town in County Tipperary, Ireland. In 2011 the town had a population of 5,403.Roscrea is a designated Irish Heritage Town due to the extent of important historical buildings that are preserved in the town. Amongst the most notable buildings of interest are the 13th Century Castle and Damer House on Castle Street .

 Eyeries Village is a place of magic. This small, enchanting village offers the visitor so much.Eyeries is remarkable: one of the most south-westerly villages in Ireland, it is situated on a bluff that overlooks Coulagh Bay and beyond that, the Atlantic Ocean. Those who live or visit here can spend hours listening to the surf, taking in the gentle smell of the ocean, walking to the sandy and rocky beaches only minutes away, or just simply relaxing in the tranquillity and joy that is to be found here.

"Waterfall from Heaven" Dhareshwar Falls, Marleshwar, Maharashtra, India * Marleshwar, which literally means the ‘God of Marle village’, is a religious place located about 60 km from Ganpatipule, in Ratnagiri District. * This place is famous for Shiv Temple & the waterfall, this waterfall originates from the river Bav, this is known as Dhareshwar.

 The park is one of the last undisturbed tracts of South Western Ghats mountain rain forests and tropical moist evergreen forest in India.Plans for a hydroelectric project that threatened the park's high diversity of wildlife stimulated an environmentalist social movement in the 1970s called Save Silent Valley which resulted in cancellation of the project and creation of the park in 1980.  The first English investigation of the watersheds of the Silent Valley area was in 1857 by the botanist Robert Wight.The British named the area Silent Valley because of a perceived absence of noisy cicadas.

This is the second postcard postcard I've got from my friend from Ukraine. It literally made my day. To get a handwritten postcard is so much more pleasant than an ordinary message in Facebook. I'm very thankfull to her.   

 Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, is just 16 km away from Kovalam .Kovalam is an internationally renowned beach with three adjacent crescent beaches. It has been a favourite haunt of tourists, especially Europeans, since the 1930s. A massive rocky promontory on the beach has created a beautiful bay of calm waters ideal for sea bathing.