Artist Point, Lower Falls of Yellowstone National Park

America's first national park, Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872 and covers parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. Lower Falls is a very popular destination in the park. Viewed from Artist Point, there is a spectacular view of the falls and the canyon.

Surin Islands, Thailand

The Surin Islands National Park is known for the pristine reefs, lush jungles and remote location on the edge of the Andaman Sea. There are 5 Surin Islands - all uninhabited except for a small Sea Gypsy (also known as "Moken") village and the park Rangers. The remote location has preserved this tropical paradise. Located about 90 km Northwest of Khao Lak and 40 km west of Kuraburi, the Surin Islands are remote. It is best to stay in Khao Lak as Kuraburi has very little in the way of tourists infrastructure.



Thank you Pat for continuely send me postcards.

Florentine mosaic

Detail of Florentine mosaic The Senses of Touch and Smell.

The gem of the Catherine Palace.

Four of these contained compositions made in Florence in the 1750s from coloured stones using the Florentine mosaic technique. They were allegorical depictions of the senses designed by Giuseppe Dzokki: Sight, Taste, Hearing and (together) Touch and Smell.

The art of Florentine mosaic, an "intarsio" or inlay of hard stones called" Commesso", is unique in the world.

Russian tradition of mosaic had started in Ural Region in XVIII century. The first masters had used valuable but never blocked rock breeds (malachite, lazurite, Kushkuldin jasper). As a basic plate they'd used turner produced forms of cutter stone or plate. To decorate it's possible to use not only marble or jasper but also semiprecious stones of Ural such as charoite, agate, aventurine, amazonite, onyx, ophicalcite, rhodonite, serpentine, fluoride.
The art of Florentine mosaic is alive. Old traditions are developed by contemporary masters. Application of modern diamond tools and polishers makes possible to receive the quality of stone processing that was impossible before.

Amsterdam

View of center of Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands.

Its name is derived from Amstellerdam,indicative of the city's origin: a dam in the river Amstel.

Tags: Amsterdam |

Series of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park , Japan

Snow scene in Hakone

Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park (富士箱根伊豆国立公園) is a national park in Yamanashi, Shizuoka, and Kanagawa Prefectures, and western Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. It consists of Mount Fuji (3776m), Fuji Five Lakes, Hakone, the Izu Peninsula, and the Izu Islands.


A Prism Ensnared in a cloud Adrift



Morning at Lake Yamanaka



Dawn Ascends the Mountain



Reflection in Lake Shoji



Winter Stalking Mitsutoge



Summer Clouds gathering at the South Alps





Ray of Morning Across the Night Sky

Tags: Mount Fuji | Fuji Hakone Izu National Park

Wat Arun Rajawararam, Bangkok

The river-side stupas of the Temple of Dawn is sillhouetted against the gold of the tropical sunset.

Wat Arun ("Temple of the Dawn") in Bangkok is a Khmer-style Buddhist temple and major landmark on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. Wat Arun was built in the days of Thailand's ancient capital of Ayutthaya, and was originally known as Wat Makok ("Olive Temple").

In the ensuring era when Thonburi was capital, King Taksin changed the name to Wat Chaeng. The temple briefly hosted the revered Emerald Buddha after it was recaptured from Laos, but it was moved to Wat Phra Kaew in 1784.

King Rama II enlarged the central prang and changed the temple's name to Wat Arunratchatharam. The work was finished by King Rama III, and King Rama IV gave the temple its current full name of Wat Arunratchawararam

Moomin ~ Tasty Christmas Time

Beautiful Moomin postcard from Tampere.

Shirakawa-go (白川郷) , Japan

Shirakawago is widely-known as one of the most scenic places in Japan.
It is surrounded by pine tree covered mountains, and it is located along the picturesque Shokawa river.

Besides the beautiful scenery, the unique Japanese thatched-roof farmhouses are the center of attraction. There are approximately 180 thatched farmhouses, sheds, and barns, and most of them were built about 200-300 years ago.

The most popular village for visitors is Ogimachi which in 1995 was declared World Cultural and Heritage Site. They are famous for their traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses. Gassho-zukuri means "constructed like hands in prayer", as the farmhouses' steep thatched roofs resemble the hands of Buddhist monks pressed together in prayer.

Please note. All Minshuku (Japanese style farm house) only allow guests to stay a maximum of 1 night in each house. If you would like to stay 2 or more nights you will need stay each night in different houses.

Thank you to Sayaka for posting me this beautiful UNESCO postcard and also the New Year stamp ~ Rabbit.

Hong Kong's Peak Post Office

Postcard image credit to ©Keith Macgregor.

Friend of mine posted this postcard from the Peak Post Office whereby the Post Office offers visitors a unique service.
Send a postcard to a friend and will receive a special Peak chop mark to let everybody know you visited The Peak! .

Location : Shop P116, Level P1
Opening Hours : 10:30 am to 6:00 pm (Mon - Fri)
10:30 am to 2:00 pm (Sat)

St Dominic's Church, Macau

St Dominic's Church founded in 1587 by Dominican priests. It is the first church which the Dominican established in China. This church was originally built with wooden boards, and that is why the local residents call it 'Ban Chang Tang'. It is also named Rosary Church because of its connection to the Brotherhood of Our Lady of the Rosary.