Tuesday 29 April 2014

A little piece of France came to me ..

 

My great friend  Diane  who's blogs are many,
 
sent me this lovely card from
 
Rocamadour

whilst on a lovely Easter break to the

Lot Valley
 
 
Rocamadour  is a popular destination for pilgrims and tourists alike. The spectacular natural and religious site is perched high on a rocky plateau and receives 1.5 million visitors each year. 
For pilgrims the importance lies with the Shrine of Our Lady of Rocamadour, a complex of religious structures centred on a miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary and the tomb of an ancient saint.
Tourists go  for its religious interest, historical significance, beautiful architecture, and most of all, for the spectacular views. 



 

 The shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary is better known as the
 and was once one of the most famous
religious sites in the whole of Christianity.
216 steps lead to the top of the rocky plateau on
which the Chapel of Our Lady is located.
 As an act of penance, pilgrims would regularly
make the entire climb on their knees!!



 
Diane has  3 fascinating blogs with lots of photography and history. 
 
 
 
and
 
 
I do hope that you find time to go over and have a read,
you will enjoy them all.
 
Big thank  you Diane.
 

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Another post coming soon!

Friday 25 April 2014

Ever been to the IGUAZU FALLS?

My lovely long time friend
 
Marilyn and her husband Trevor
 
travel a lot..
 
and they have just been to
 
the
 
IGUAZU FALLS

on the border of Argentina and Brazil

Portuguese: Cataratas do Iguaçu
Spanish; Cataratas del Iguazú

Meaning "Big Water"

 
The semi-circular waterfall is  80 m high and 2,700 m in diameter and is situated on a basaltic line spanning the border between Argentina and Brazil. Made up of many cascades producing huge sprays of water, it is  said to be one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. The surrounding rainforest has over 2,000 species of vascular plants and is home to the wildlife of the region: tapirs, giant anteaters, howler monkeys, ocelots, jaguars and caymans. 

Don't they just look fascinating !!
 
This  is definitely another 1st for my collection..

 Legend has it that a god planned to marry a beautiful woman named Naipi who fled with her mortal lover Tarobá in a canoe. In rage, the god sliced the river, creating the waterfalls and condemning the lovers to an eternal fall. The first European to "find" the falls was the Spanish explorer  Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca in 1541.
 
 Click on the photo and it will enlarge.


The Iguazu Falls are arranged in a way that seems like a reverse letter "J". The border between Brazil and Argentina runs through the Devil's Throat. On the right bank is the Brazilian territory, which has just over 20% of the jumps of these falls, and the left side jumps are in  Argentine, which make up almost 80% of the falls.

I have found a super blog post on Google about the Falls and the Devil's Throat..

Around this world by Erik.
 
If you do want to go , there seems a lot of rules and regulations
regarding visas, car hire and injections too, and differing rules
for either side as part is in Argentina and the other in Brazil .



View Iguazu Falls in a larger map
 
 
I was also very impressed with the stamp ...!!!
 
Who loves dancing? ME.


A BIG thank you to Marilyn .
 
I think she needs to start
 
A BLOG!!
 
What do you think Marilyn??
 
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


Tuesday 22 April 2014

Postcards Galore - Amazing cards from an amazing friend,



My wonderful blogger friend Jackie
 
whose blog is
 
 
is always on the move ,
 
I just cannot keep up with her ...
 
They have been to  some fascinating places.
 
 
So a HUGE thank you Jackie for all
your amazing postcards , a sheer delight
to receive them ....
 
 
Below is Baja California Sur
which is surrounded by the waters of the Gulf of California – the Sea of Cortez – and the Pacific Ocean.  Baja California Sur is located in the northwest corner of Mexico and is a state that contrasts the soft and gentle landscape of the sea with the harshness of the desert.

Located in the southern part of the Baja California Peninsula, this state boasts beautiful, natural landscapes where visitors can do all sorts of activities that put them in contact with nature and its marvels.
 

 
The distinctive landmark of Cabo San Lucas is El Arco (The Arch) rock formation that erupts from the sea at the tip of the Baja Peninsula. Also known as Land's End, El Arco is a popular tourist attraction and  a visit is one of the most popular things to do .

Viewed from a distance from nearly every vantage point in Cabo San Lucas, the image of El Arco is synonymous with Cabo San Lucas. It is called Land’s End because, as the crow flies, if you followed a line south from here, you would not touch land again until you reached the South Pole.


 
Above is the
San Xavier Mission also known as
"The White Dove of the Desert"
because of it's white limestone façade
A National Historic Landmark, San Xavier Mission was founded as a Catholic mission by Father Eusebio Kino in 1692. Construction of the current church began in 1783 and was completed in 1797.  This is the  oldest intact European structure in Arizona, the church's interior is filled with marvellous original statuary and mural paintings. It is a place where visitors can truly step back in time and enter an authentic 18th Century space.
The church retains its original purpose of ministering to the religious needs of its parishioners.

 
 
Charlotte has a rich history steeped in the discovery of gold and the pride of Scots-Irish settlers. The Queen City was founded in 1768 and named for Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III of England. Now the nation’s second leading financial center, Charlotte was originally built at the crossroads of two Native-American trading paths. The intersection of these two paths, now major streets, is known as the heart of Charlotte – “Trade & Tryon
 
The Charlotte region is composed of 16 counties, including four counties in South Carolina, with the city of Charlotte serving as the hub. Located in the heart of the Southeast and lies within the southern Piedmont of North Carolina, along the state’s border with South Carolina. Charlotte is the largest and most accessible city between Washington, D.C., and Dallas, Texas. Due to its mid-Atlantic location, getting to Charlotte is easy from anywhere in the country or the world, hence its nickname "the International Gateway to the South."

I have certainly learnt something here , I never knew we had a Queen Charlotte !!!
 
Very interesting cards , I hope that you have enjoyed them. If you have not read
Jackie's blog , please go and have a read, she blogs and blogs about everything :-)
 
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


Thursday 17 April 2014

Singapore and what it means to me..


As you know my lovely friends
send me cards from all over the world ,,

Singapore being one of the places , lovely to
receive cards but some can bring back memories.

What does

Singapore mean to me?
 
It makes me sad as it
was the last overseas place I was
ever with my dad.
We lived  there
1963 - 1966
when my dad was based at
Raf Tengah.
My dad at work !






After we returned to the UK , my dad was ill
and passed away 1967  at the age of 41 , the day after his Birthday .
Never forgotten , he was my life.


♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥





  Me on the left ..




After we returned to the UK , my dad was ill
and passed away 1967  at the age of 39 , day before his 40th Birthday .
Never forgotten , he was my life.




♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Thursday 3 April 2014

Two lovely cards with a newly discovered connection..



Two cards from different
parts of the world ,,

You will have to read to the end to see what the connection is!!!


My  lovely friend Krissa from the Philippines
 
sent me this  wonderful postcard from Singapore.
 
 
 
The flower on the front is
 
Heliconia Latispatha
(Golden Lobster Claw)
 
a native plant of Mexico and Central and South America
  
 
 I thought Krissa was  on holiday there.
 
NO , she has moved there for work!!

Her message on the card is very sweet..

"I have been away from my blog and postcard hobby,
but I make sure I remember the friends I have made" 

Wonderful to be thought of  from so far away
 
Big Thank you Krissa.
 
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

On Mother's day

I was given this beautiful
handmade card

 
and with it came this ...
 
 
Now you are really wondering what the connection is!!

Read below ...


Heliconias in the tropics rely exclusively on hummingbirds for pollination.
This accounts for their bright red, yellow and orange colors,
which attract hummingbirds.

Amazing what I learn when doing research for my fabulous cards.

♥  ♥ ♥  ♥ ♥