My 1500th postcard sent - A Doll's House to America

On World Postcard Day, which takes place on 1 October annually, I dropped on to Postcrossing.com to get a random address to send a postcard to mark this special day. 

I got an address for a lady in Dallas, Texas in the United States of America. The profile of the recipient had an interesting hobby, miniature doll houses and other models. So I was able to send them a most appropriate postcard featuring a wooden model Georgian House. 

The postcard features a 1:20 wooden model made from scratch by Lionel Currie, 1992. It was generously donated to the Building of Bath Museum in Bath by Flower and Hayes Joinery. 

At the time of writing this post (2 November 2022), the Building of Bath Museum is temporarily closed for critical repairs and maintenance. You can find out more about the Building of Bath Museum at https://museumofbatharchitecture.org.uk 

This postcard was sent on 1 October 2022 and travelled 4,628 miles, arriving in Dallas on 20 October 2022. This postcard was the 1500th one that I sent officially via Postcrossing.com

Butterflies of Belarus!

I enjoy many things in life...fine wine, watching American Football, eating good Italian food, travelling to wonderful places around the UK with my partner Mark in our VW Campervan, exchanging postcards via Postcrossing.com. I also enjoy watching butterflies flap around in a meadow on a sunny day. So, getting this card from palinakr in Belarus was awesome! I received it on 7 August 2017, after it had spent 9 days travelling 1144 kms.

BY-2157315

The six butterflies and moths on this postcard are:

• Scarce Fritillary
• Small Emperor Moth
• Southern Festoon
• Willowherb Hawkmoth
• Hebe Tiger Moth
• Green-Underside Blue

Arizona State Map Card!

I love collecting map postcards and I particularly enjoy getting maps of American states in the mail! Today I got this one, US-4773950, from tilly30318, in the United States of America of her home state of Arizona.

US-4773950

So, three facts about Arizona:

• Their symbols of the state are Cactus Wren (bird), Palo Verde (tree) and Saguaro Cactus Blossom (flower).
• The capital is Phoenix, home to near 1.5 million people. 
• Their American Football team are the Arizona Cardinals and are the oldest continuously run professional football team in the United States of America. 

View of Road Harbour, British Virgin Islands!

It is not often now that you are surprised by getting an official Postcrossing postcard whose registration number is in the hundreds. However, today, I was the one who was surprised by receiving one such postcard in the mail! VG-228 was sent by Sharsharo on 31 December 2015 from Tortola in the British Virgin Islands and travelled for 11 days, reaching the United Kingdom on 11 January 2016.

VG-228 - a view of Road Harbour, Road Town in the British Virgin Islands.

3 facts about the British Virgin Islands:

• The capital is Road Town and home to about 10,000 of the total population of the Islands of 30,000. 
• The official currency in the US dollar.
• Their national symbols include the White Cedar tree and flower, the Turtle Dove bird and Fungi music.     

Sukhothai Historical Park

Today, I received a lovely Facebook swap card from Idaline Jane of Malaysia. She recently visited Thailand and went to the Sukhothai Historical Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was inscribed onto the list in 1991, #574.

Wat Mahathat at Sukhothai Historical Park

The postcard I received featured Wat Mahathat, one of the 26 temples in the park, of which it is the most important and also the largest. The temple was founded by Sri Indraditya, between 1292 and 1347 as the main temple of the city as well as the Sukhothai Kingdom. The design based on Mandala, representing the universe with main principal stupa, built in 1345 to enshrine relics of the Buddha, surrounded by smaller stupas in eight directions. The main stupa has the graceful shape of a lotus bud, which characterizes the Sukhothai architectural arts. Its base is adorned with 168 stuccoed sculptings of Buddhist disciples walking with their hands clasped together in salutation. The eight smaller stupas, of which the four at the corners are in Mon Haripunchai - Lannastyle and the four in between show Khmer influence. At both sides of the main stupa there are two 9 metre tall standing Buddha images called Phra Attharot. The temple also comprises assembly hall (vihara), mandapa, ordination hall and 200 subodinate stupas. 

'Farbtafel' by Paul Klee!

I adore getting art cards in the mail! Today, I received DE-4612706 from melon_tropic in Germany, following 22 days of travel. It is 'Farbtafel' by Paul Klee. I had seen the pattern and colours before but knew nothing of the artist...now I do! 

DE-4612706 - 'Farbtafel' by Paul Klee

Paul Klee (18 December 1879 – 29 June 1940) was born in Munchenbuchsee, Switzerland and is considered both a German and a Swiss painter. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. He was also a student of orientalism. Klee was a natural draftsman who experimented with and eventually mastered colour theory and wrote extensively about it. 10,000 paintings are attributed to him.

Sydney Harbour Bridge!

Today, I received a wonderful official Postcrossing postcard, AU-453336. It is an amazing view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge! Sent by Tigerblues in Australia on 12 October 2015, it took 7 days to get to me in the United Kingdom.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries trains, vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians between the Sydney Central Business District (CBD) and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic image of Sydney. The bridge is nicknamed "The Coathanger" because of its arch-based design or is simply called "the Bridge" by Sydney residents.

It is 1149 metres in length (3770 ft) with the summit standing at 134 metres high (440 ft) above mean sea level. The bridge was designed and built by British firm Dorman Long and Co Ltd of Middlesbrough Under the direction of Dr J.J.C. Bradfield of the NSW Department of Public Works,. Taking 9 years to build, it was opened on 19 March 1932 by Jack Lang, the Labor Premier of New South Wales. It was also the world's widest long-span bridge, at 48.8 metres (160 ft) wide, with 8 road lanes, 2 railway tracks along with a people and cycle crossing, until construction of the new Port Mann Bridge in Vancouver was completed in 2012.