Argentina

A direct swap from Argentina and my first card from that country.  This is of the Galerias Paciefico, in Buenos Aires.  This is a shopping mall located in a historic building in the city built with Italian influences.  

Germany

DE-.3246885

A card of a drawing of a women in a purple striped outfit feeding cats a saucer of milk or water.  

China

A direct swap from China.  The card is a printing from the 1920's of a women in a traditional costume, called a cheongsam.  The sender writes " I like cheongsam very much because it shows the figure of Chinese girl perfectly, don't you think so?" 

It is a beautiful card.

Taiwan

TW-1263268

A card of a cat with a drawing of a ball of yarn.  The card says:

Simple Life: Love is bringing our happiness into happiness of the others.

Germany

DE-3239513

A book cover design card of the Puffin book Avalanche! by the Dutch author Anna Rutgers van Der Loeff.  According to wikipedia, the book is about a group of students stranded in Switzerland and was written in 1958.

Finland

FL-2009181

A snowy scene with ski poles from Finland.

Canada

Vancouver, British Columbia

This card brought to us by Chanele, who just so happens to be celebrating her birthday today!  

Happy Birthday, Chanele!

Norway

A Norwegian Christmas postcard my Polish friend Karolina sent to me years ago when she was living in Norway.  Last I heard, she was living in London.

To all who celebrate it, hope you have a great Christmas this season and a happy holidays, no matter what holidays you celebrate during the holiday season!

Lithuania

LT-390742

A slightly risque pin-up card from Lithuania just in time for Christmas-time.

Ukraine

A direct swap card from Ukraine.  The card is almost entirely made up of golden Tryzub, or the Ukrainian trident symbol that you can see on their flag or coat of arms on a blue background.  The card has only one word on the front ПРИЄДНУЙСЯ! which apparently translates as "JOIN!"  This was sent during the April/May situation in Ukraine.

South Korea

Korean Traditional Wedding

The writing on the front of the card does say that it is of a Korean Traditional Wedding, but it is very hard to make out on the scanned image with the white lettering and the tan background of the card.  

United Kingdom

The Yorkshire Dales

A direct swap card of the Yorkshire Dales.  I've been told by a number of UK-based friends that this part of England is really quite beautiful and worth a visit.

Finland

FI-211749

The card is from Finland, but has German language on it.  The card apparently is of a poster championing people to visit "Lettland" (AKA the country of Latvia) in the 1940 Olympiad.  Of course, this would have been during the middle of World War II.

Russia

A direct swap card from Russia.  The woman in this winter scene wears a traditional Russian costume and carries a basket of apples and, apparently, a collection of evergreens.   

Turkey

Konya, Turkey

Pictured appears to be the Mevlâna Museum in Konya, Turkey.  The prominent turquoise tower in the photo marks the burial location of the famous Persian poet Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī, more commonly known in English simply as Rumi (30 September 1207 – 17 December 1273).

This awesome card and beautiful stamps brought to us once again by my friend at The Postcard Blog.

Poland

A direct swap card from Poland.  The design is in the style of Polish paper cuttings, known as Wycinanki.  

United Kingdom

A direct swap card from the UK  Keep Calm and Carry On over a Union Jack.  If you've seen these and similar posters/cards/images online, they're based on a mostly-unused British propaganda poster circa World War II that got a second life in the post-2008 economic collapse.  

Norway or Poland

I am told that all of these people on this card, plus my friend Karolina were singing me "Happy Birthday"  I got this back in December 2002.  I figured it would be a nice card to share today, on my birthday.

With this being my birthday week, all cards posted this week will be among my favorites!  I hope you enjoy!

USA - Ohio

An old card of the Dayton Art Institute in Dayton, Ohio.  It is a nice, little art institute worth the visit if you're in Dayton.

Czech Republic

CZ-456631

A card of an old-looking drawing of the Karluv most / Charles Bridge - Lesser Tower Bridge Towers, in Prague, Czech Republic.  The bridge is wonderful and I'd highly recommend a visit!

Russia

A direct swap from Moscow, Russia.  The scene is a beautiful display of fireworks over Red Square.  The center building is mentioned by the card's author as "the most beautiful Cathedral - Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed;" though most of us in the West probably know it better as St. Basil's Cathedral!

France

FR-392505

The village of Roussillon in Provence, France

Russia

A direct swap from Russia.  This card is of the Sloboda Endurance Village for Sochi's 2014 Winter Olympic games.

Austria

AT-183523

A card of Strassenkreuzung am Stubenring, 1936, from Vienna, Austria.

Germany

DE-3174626

The Altstadt (old city) of Schwarzenberg

Belarus

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A card of Viennese Refrain sent from Belarus.

Poland

Torun, Poland

A direct swap card.  The statue in the upper right hand of the card is the Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus.

Germany

DE-3148189

A card of the Olympiastadion in Berlin

South Korea

A direct swap card from South Korea.  The card reads, Keep Calm and Eat Kimchi.

Australia

A card mailed from my friend Catherine on her long trip to Australia.  The card shows a "Wally" the Maori Wrasse on the Great Barrier Reef.  The card even was postmarked from the GBR, as shown below!

United Kingdom

A direct swap entitled "You can't beat good old-fashioned REAL mail" and talking about getting that perfect postcard to send someone.