My postcards will get caught up soon!

Keep checking back for more postcards. College classes are taking priority right now but the semester ends this week! 


:) Leanne

Postcard #9 - Taiwan

My next postcard again arrived from the country of Taiwan. That's two postcards in a row! The sender shared she is a high school student and has a teacher from the USA. I told her to be nice to her teacher and she will learn a lot. I am not sure what is on this postcard. If you know, please let me know.

5 more interesting facts about Taiwan

1. Taiwan ranks first in gender equality in Asia.                                   Equality is the soul of liberty; there is, in fact, no liberty without it.  -Frances Wright
2. Taiwan reuses or recycles 58% of its waste.
3. Taiwan's national sport is baseball. I hope they like the Oakland A's like I do! 
4. Taiwan has had twenty-six distinct native languages. Many are extinct or close to extinction. 
5. Taiwan competes in the Olympic games as Chinese Taipei. This goes along with its absence from the UN. It's a heated debate and I won't go on about it.

Postcard #8 - Taitung, Taiwan

Here is my first 3D postcard. It is adorable and makes me a little dizzy! It comes from Taitung, Taiwan. Taitung, known as Taiwan's Treasure, is on Taiwan's southeast coast on the Pacific Ocean. Mild temperatures, high mountains, a rift valley, and ocean make it a wonderful place to live or visit. 

5 interesting facts about Taiwan

1. Taiwan was given the name "Ilha Formosa" (meaning "beautiful") by the Portuguese in the 16th century.
2. Taiwan's official name is Republic of China or ROC. Taiwan is not part of the United Nations because of this association.
3. Taiwan, the first country in Asia, to have a democratic form of government where leaders are elected by the people.
4. Taiwan is hit by several typhoons every summer and are considered an important water source.
5. The largest parade of bicycles (multiple venues) Guinness World Record is held by Taiwan. 

Postcard #7 - Hämeenlinn, Finland

Here is a postcard from Hämeenlinn, Finland. The sender is very fond of bicycling and riding trams as alternative modes of transportation. She also made note of the stamp included on the postcard. The Finnjet was a large and luxurious ferry with all passengers having access to their own cabins. The Finnjet operated between Helsinki, the capital and largest city of Finland, and Travemünde, Germany, from 1977 until 2008. 

The stamp that was used on my postcard 

is the lower one on the left. So cool!

5 interesting facts about Finland

1. Telecommunications giant, Nokia, is based in Espoo, Finland and employs people in 120 countries. 
2. Finland is known as the land of a thousand lakes because it has over 180,000 lakes. The largest lake being Saimaa which is found in southeastern Finland.
3. Finland is well known for its saunas which are found in almost every household.
4. The world’s largest biogas plant is located in Vassa, Finland. The plant is designed to reduce fossil fuel use and coal emissions.
5. Finland has a 100% literacy rate. Finnish students have a 93% college graduation rate and education is fully funded by the state.

Postcard #6 - Vilnius, Lithuania

Here is a postcard I received from a Postcrosser now living in Šiauliai, Lithuania. She wrote that she moved from Vilnius for love. I can think of no better reason to relocate. Vilnius is the largest city and capital of Lithuania. Vilnius Historic Centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the beautiful preservation of its historical architecture dating back to the 13th Century. 

5 interesting facts about Lithuania

1. The government of Lithuania is a parliamentary republic and is a member of the European Union.
2. Nemunas River is the longest River in Lithuania. Many Lithuanian companies use the river's name in their names. 
3. Lithuania is the only country in the world known to have a national perfume, “Lietuvos Kvapas,” roughly translated to “The Scent of Lithuania."
4. Electricity was a major export until the closure of Lithuania's nuclear plant in 2009.
5. Lithuania was considered one of The World’s 10 Best Ethical Destinations by Ethical Traveler in 2013 .

Postcard #5 - Limbach-Oberfrohna, Germany

This multi-view postcard came from Limbach-Oberfrohna found in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Part of eastern Germany, Saxony lies to the east of Poland, and the Czech Republic lies to the south. The capital is Dresden.

 5 interesting facts about Saxony

1. Toothpaste was invented in Dresden in 1907. 
2. The Dresden Elbe Valley was once a designated a World Heritage Site.
3. Johann Sebastian Bach worked as a cantor at St. Thomas Church (Thomaskirche) in the Saxon city of Leipzig. Bach's remains are located at the church.
4. Other famous composers such as Robert Schumann, and Richard Wagner are also from Saxony.
5. The Elbe River passes through Saxony. The Elbe runs from the Czech Republic through Germany to the North Sea outlet at Cuxhaven in Lower Saxony.

Postcard #4 - Balakovo, Russia

This postcard of a Linx arrived from Balakovo, Russia which is part of the Saratov Oblast. Balakovo is located in southwestern Russia, on the left bank of the Volga River, the longest river in Europe. The sender lives on a plain but shares that there are many rivers, coniferous forests, and low mountains in the area.

 5 interesting facts about southwestern Russia

1. The Olympic city of Sochi is located in southwestern Russia. Sochi is known as the "Russian Riviera."
2. The northern part of the Caucasus region, Ciscaucasus, contains the largest majority of the Greater Caucasus Mountain range. The range is located in Southwestern Russia and northern parts of Georgia and Azerbaijan.
3. Chechnya is a republic in southwestern Russia. Chechnya is located on the northern side of the Greater Caucasus range.
4. Mikhail Gorbachev, former president of the Soviet Union, was born in in the Krasnogvardeisky District near the Stavropol Territory of southern Russia.
5. One of the longest bridges in the world is located in the southwestern city of Saratov. The Saratov Bridge crosses the Volga River and it connects Saratov on the right bank of the Volga, with Engels on the left bank.

Postcard #3 - Linz, Austria

This postcard is of Linz, Austria's Altes Rathaus (Old City Hall). The Genesis City Museum (Stadtmuseum) and a Museum of Dentistry (Zahnheilkundemuseum) are located the in the hall's arcaded courtyard. Austria's capital city is Vienna. Linz is the 3rd largest city in Austria.

5 interesting facts about Austria

1. The world's largest emerald (2860 carat) is located in Vienna.
2. Vienna's Central Cemetery (Zentralfriedhof) holds the tombs of Beethoven, Brahms, Gluck, Schubert, Schoenberg and Strauss.
3. The Austrian Alps cover 62% of Austria's total land area.
4. The official language of Austria is German.
5. The Danube River travels through Austria and 8 other countries in Europe. The river played a vital role in the settlement and political evolution of central and southeastern Europe.

Postcard # 2 - Multnomah Falls, Oregon

My second Postcrossing postcard also came from within my home country. Multnomah Falls is a popular tourist attraction in Oregon and is located about 30 minutes outside of Portland.These falls do not dry up in the late summer season like waterfalls here in California tend to do.

5 interesting facts about Oregon

1. Crater Lake in Oregon is the deepest lake in the US and is formed in the remains of an ancient volcano. 
2. The Oregon Trail is the longest of the overland routes used in the westward expansion of the United States. (See also Postcard #1)
3. Armillaria ostoyae, the world's largest known organism, is found in Oregon. Just picture giant tree-like mushrooms. 
4. Oregon does not have self-serve gas stations. Full serve all the time. No pumping your own gas!
5. Oregon's state flag is the only state flag to carry two separate designs on front and back.

Postcard #1 - Omaha, Nebraska

Here is the first postcard I received when I began Postcrossing. This card hails from Omaha, Nebraska which is located in the Midwestern part of the USA. The sender recommended seeing Omaha's zoo.

5 interesting facts about Nebraska

1. Omaha, NB is the most populated city in Nebraska.
2. Hebron, NB is home to the World's Largest Porch Swing.   
3. Chimney Rock National Historic Site is located in Nebraska. It's a well-known point of the Oregon Trail. 
4. Fred Astaire was born in Omaha, NB on May 10, 1899.
5. Nebraska has had a unicameral (one house) legislature since 1937.