PHILIPPINES



Penafrancia Festival in Naga City, Bicol is held every 3rd Sunday in September in honor of the Virigin of Penafrancia, the Miraculous patron saint of the Bicol Region.  A nine-day novena is done in honor of the Virgin.  On the ninth day, the impage of the Virgin is paraded in a colorful fluvia procession on the river in downtown Naga.  When it reaches its destination, the devotees shout "Viva la Virgen!".

Thanks ginay for the card (PH-21367).

FINLAND

This is a view of Rauma, Finland.  The person this card is from said that the temperature typically gets down to about -27 oC.  Because it's near the sea, it's always windy and cold.  Rauma is known of its high quality lace (since the 18th century), and of the old wooden architecture of its centre (Old Rauma, Vanha Rauma), which is a Unesco world heritage site.

Thanks simppa for the great card (FI-977297).

GERMANY

This is a view of a village in Germany, Kirchhundem.  It is part of the Sauerland, a rural, hilly area spreading across most of the south-eastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, in parts heavily forested and, apart from the major valleys, sparsely inhabited.  I think this postcard is beautiful.  One of my favorites.  The stamps are great also.
Thanks Micha78 for the card (DE-788306).

TAIWAN

This postcard is actually hand drawn by the woman who sent it.  It's of Taiwanese food -- tofu, rice & meat dumplings, oyster omelet, oyster thin noodles, bubble tea, etc.  Iteresting card and well done drawings.

Thanks AprilPao for the card (TW-229502)

RUSSIA

I love the colors of the lights in this postcard and the great stamps.  This is a view of Vladivostok in Russia which is the largets port city on the Pacific Ocean in Russia.  Here is a link for some photos.
Thanks soulmate for the great card (RU-274184)

GERMANY

This is a beautiful view of a snow covered area in Germany.  The specifics of where it is not stated but the sender is from Bavaria.  It looks like a beautiful area, one I'd want to visit.
Thanks for the card funkastic (DE-779034)

GREAT BRITAIN

This looks like a very quaint place to visit.  This is a historic area of Brigton which has a lot of boutiques, anitque shops and pavement cafes.  Looks like a place I would enjoy having tea at.
Thanks butler for the great card (GB-187997)

SPAIN

This card has a lot photos of great things in Barcelona.  The card doesn't say what they are but given my previous travels to Barcelona (another great city!), I think the photos consist of, from left to right: Park Guell (Antonio Gaudi architecture), Casa Mila (Antonio Gaudi architecture), Columbus Monument, Las Ramblas, the port, La Familia Sagrada, another church that I don't recall the name of, the top of Casa Batllo, I think the next one is Camp Nou, the coast, and another view of the La Familia Sagrada.

Barcelona is a beautiful city with great people.  Worth visiting!

Thanks bolet for the great card (ES-96329).

CHINA

This is the Gate of Chinese (Zhonghuamen) during the early years of the Republic of China.  Once standing in the center of Tiananmen Square, it was one of three middle gates of Imperial City during the Ming and Qing dynasties and called Daming (Great Ming) and Daqing (Great Qing) respectively.  After the Revolution of 1911, it was renamed Zhonghuamen.  The gate has been demolished.  I have been to the site of this previous Gate in Tiananmen Square.  Beijing is a wonderful city and definitely somewhere I would recommend visiting.
Thanks tooxia for the card (CN-291856)

BELGIUM

This was a homemade card -- a photo he took that is laminated.  I'm not sure what it's a photo of as he didn't state.

Thanks for the card jeanmarie (BE-80512)

GERMANY

FINLAND

POLAND

This is one of my favorite cards!  I love the colors from the night views.  This card shows, clockwise from the upper left, 1) the Nowy Swiat Street, which is one of the main thoroughfares through Warsaw; 2) the Palace of Culture and Science, which is the tallest building in Poland and a gift of Stalinist Russia (and disliked according to the postcard writer); 3) The Great Theatre, the opera house of Warsaw; and 4) the Royal Castle, the official residence of the Polish monarchy.  Great postcard!

The postcrosser wrote in Polish:  "Wszystkiego Najlepszego" which I think means "All the Best" if I've looked up the translation correctly. :)

Thanks adamwidur for the great card! (PL-150361)