A postcard from each corner of the World
List of countries I received postcards from.
Ghana is a country located in West Africa. It was the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain her independence from colonialism, which happened in 1957. Another cool fact: The currency unit in Ghana is called the cedi, which means cowry shell. Cowry shells (from sea snails) were once used as money in Ghana. Akwaaba – the word on the postcard – means Welcome, and the boy is wearing traditional clothes.
This week I received a very special postcard from Sovereign Military Order of Malta. The Order is based in Rome, so it actually came from Italy. The Order of Malta is a Roman Catholic lay religious order founded circa 1099 in Jerusalem. The Order maintains diplomatic relations with 106 states (Russia included). It has United Nations permanent observer status, enters into treaties, and issues its own passports, coins, and postage stamps. Its two headquarters buildings in Rome enjoy extraterritoriality, similar to embassies, and it maintains embassies in other countries.
Wow, the things you learn while postcrossing 🙂 Thank’s for the card, Irene!
Heiligenhafen is a small town in Germany of about 10000 people, located on the Baltic Sea coast. Tourism is a big part of town’s economy, with main attractions of Baltic Sea beaches, annual harbor festival, and the charm of the traditional German fishing town.
Located between Europe and Asia, Tbilisi – the capital of country of Georgia – is a very hospitable multicultural city. The city’s name means “warm place” and comes from the hot strings that are located in the area. Georgia has amazing cousine and great local wines, unique culture, beautiful people. Georgia is on my short list of countries I want to visit ASAP.
The Gambia is the smallest country in mainland Africa, and it is entirely surrounded by Senegal except for its coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. It gained its independence from the UK in 1965, but English remains the official language there. Interesting fact: The Gambia is one of only two countries whose self-standing short name for official use should begin with the word “The” (the other one being The Bahamas).
I recently learned about The Banjul Challenge, where participants starting in Europe on an ordinary road cars which are mostly at the end of their useful lifetimes, and drive through European countries, then through Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal and finally into the Gambia. Once the cars make it to Banjul in Gambia they are auctioned for, or donated to, charity. Sounds fun! 🙂
Gabon, a country along the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, is one of the region’s more stable countries. It gained independence from France in 1960. The country has significant areas of protected parkland. The Albert Schweitzer Hospital was founded by Dr. Schweitzer in 1913. Today it continues to serve as the primary source of healthcare for the surrounding region. The hospital’s research laboratory is one of five leading facilities in Africa engaged in scientific studies of malaria, the greatest killer on the African continent.
Thanks to the old Soviet cartoon from my childhood, I knew that Tahiti was somewhere very far away, and it must be really nice there… Tahiti is the largest island in French Polynesia. The average temperature ranges between 21 and 31 °C with little seasonal variation. So, yeah, nice 🙂 The island was part of the Kingdom of Tahiti until its annexation by France in 1880, when it was proclaimed a colony of France.
The Strawberry Poison-dart Frog, also called the Blue-jeans Frog, is one of the most ‘popular’ frogs in Costa Rica. Its brilliant red head and back and blue-to-purple legs comprise a coloration distinct from all other frogs. The frog’s bright colors warn off predators because the colors signal the toxicity for which the Poison-dart is named. The Strawberry Poison-dart frog is not known to be lethal to man, but its skin secretions may have unpredictable effects on humans.
The Spaceport in French Guiana – also known as the Guiana Space Center – is a French and European spaceport near Kourou in French Guiana. The strategically-located facility provides optimum operating conditions for Arianespace’s commercial launches with the European heavy-lift Ariane 5 rockets, Russian medium-size Soyuz rockets, and Italian-European lightweight Vega rockets.
I received this postcard in a beautiful envelope:
Pâté de pommes de terre is a speciality of the regions in Central France. This is basically a big potato pie. It can be served either as a side dish or as the main course. Its main ingredients are potato slices and crème fraîche, which are used to fill a puff pastry crust. The pie is then baked in the oven until the dish is covered with a golden-brown crust.
