#250

Received: May 29th, 2014
From: Andrea (Padua, Italy)
Depicts: Basilica di Santa Giustina (Padua, Italy)

I was really happy to get this card for many reasons - starting with the fact that is the 250th of my collection, which is awesome because I started it exactly 10 months ago today! Then, because the card came all the way from Italy, a country I love dearly, and also from a city where I spent two nights, six years ago! Andrea told me a few things about him and me, being the football nerd that I am, really liked knowing that he's a fan of AC Milan, which happens to also be my favorite team in Italy. And I loved the beautiful card, of course!

Postcard stamps:

I loved these beautiful stamps, especially getting one from the 2006 Winter Olympics!

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#249

Received: 28th May, 2014

From: Natallia (Chisinau, Moldova)

Depicts: "Milestii Mici" Winery (Milestii Mici, Moldova)

Natallia proposed this swap to me and sent me a postcard of what I initally thought to be a castle - just to find out it's actually Moldova's biggest wine cellars! Natallia was also very nice and told me a little about the country - they speak Romanian and Russian and she taught me how to say "Hi" ("Privet" in Russian and "Salut" in Romanian) and also "Bye" ("Poka" in Russian and "La revedere" in Romanian), which was very nice of her.

Postcard stamps:

I love cards with a lot of stamps!

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#248

Received: May 28th, 2014
From: Chiara (Naples, Italy)
Depicts: Old drawing (Prague, Czech Republic)

I was a little disappointed when I got this card because, since Chiara is from Naples and I still don't have a beautiful view from her city, I was really hoping to finally get one. But I didn't - instead, she sent me this old postcard from Prague, which is also nice, although it's a little ruined right in the middle. This image is funny, though, because it kind of reminds me of one of the avenues of the city where I currently spend most of the time in, Oporto.

Postcard stamp:

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#247

Received: May 28th, 2014
From: Dale (Kaunas, Lithuania)
Depicts: Views from Kaunas, Lithuania

I was really happy to get a second official card this week, and one from Lithuania - if I'm not mistaken, this is only my third card ever from there! And it shows three places in Dale's town, Kaunas: a panoramic view of a part of the city and the river, the Arch Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul and the Aleksotas Bridge. I really liked it.

Postcard stamp:

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#246

Received: May 26th, 2014

From: Gabriel (Lübeck, Germany)

Depicts: Holstentor (Lübeck, Germany)

Gabriel proposed a swap to me and I was happy to accept it - even happier when I got his card! It's so beautiful! This is Holstentor (or Door of Holsten), in Lübeck, where Gabriel studies, and is famous enough to even be in the back of a 2 Euro coin! I really liked it, plus it has a beautiful inscription in it: "Pulchra res est pax foris et concordia domi", which means, roughly, "Peace inside and unity outside are beautiful", which I really loved.

Postcard stamp:

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#245

Received: May 26th, 2014
From: Herta (Dorf Mecklenburg, Germany)
Depicts: "Alte Schwede" (Wismar, Germany)

I was a little disappointed when I first got this card because Herta had told me she was going to send me a postcard with the Neuschwanstein Castle, but oh well, I guess I'll have to keep waiting for that one to arrive from someone. This, instead, is the "Alte Schwede" (or "Old Swede"), the oldest building in Wismar, situated in the market place. It was built in 1380 and since 1878 serves as a restaurant.

Postcard stamp:

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#244

Received: May 26th, 2014
From: Marketa (Plzen, Czech Republic)
Depicts: Ariel (Disney Princess)

I was really happy when I got this card! First because it has one of the things I like the most - a Disney princess! And I still didn't have any cards with Ariel - or only her, at least - so this was even more amazing, and it's all pink, my absolute favorite color in the world. Plus it was an official Postcrossing card, which I always love to get because they seem to be so rare these days... In conclusion: I really loved it!

Postcard stamp:

The stamp was also so different and beautiful.

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#243

Received: May 23rd, 2014
From: Natalia (Kostroma, Russia)
Depicts: The family of Czar Nikolai II

I was so happy when I got this card! Natalia had proposed this swap when I favorited this card of hers and I couldn't be happier, because I really love royal families and this one in particular because it has a fascinating, mysterious story and I've read so much about it already and still it never stops to amaze me! So, there you have it, Czar Nikolai II's family: Anastasia (the famous!), Olga, Tatiana, the Czar himself, Maria, Czarine Alexandra and finally Alexis.

Postcard stamps:

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#242

Received: May 23rd, 2014
From: Victoria (Baranovichi, Belarus)
Depicts: Stamps postcard

I love these stamps postcards and this one is really very nice, with warm colors and cute images. It shows a few of the traditional costumes of Belarus and I love to get more acquainted with other countries' cultures! Plus, Victoria is a very sweet person and it's always good to exchange cards with those kind of people.

Postcard stamp:

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#240

Received: May 22nd, 2014
From: Steffi (Greifswald, Germany)
Depicts: "God save the mouse" Postcard

I really liked getting the second official Postcrossing card in a week - I honestly don't remember the last time I've gotten two so close, and that's really nice, I hope it means the mail will be getting more "fluid" again, because these last few months have been terrible when it comes to "snail mail"; snail has been an understatement. Plus, this card is really original and funny and I love Disney and Mickey!

Postcard stamps:

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#241

Received: May 22nd, 2014
From: Óscar (Crans-Montana, Switzerland)
Depicts: The Matterhorn, Switzerland

I won this card through a game in the Postcrossing forum and really liked it, since I don't have many from Switzerland and I definitely didn't have any with so much snow, haha. Óscar told me his son was born in my hometown and that is so nice to know!

Postcard stamp:

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#239

Received: May 21st, 2014
From: Pedro (Castelldefels, Spain)
Depicts: Camp Nou Stadium (Barcelona, Spain)

This place exempts presentations of any kind - everybody knows this place. And if they don't, they definitely should! I still can't name a place more magical that I've ever been in than inside that stadium; and it wasn't even a game day! I think I'd die if I ever get that experience in my life. Anyway, Pedro was a sweetheart as always and this card made my favorites, obviously.

Postcard stamp:

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#238

Received: May 21st, 2014
From: Chema (Cardedeu, Spain)
Depicts: Carrer del Bisbe (Barcelona, Spain)

Oh, how I missed getting Chema's cards! They're always the most beautiful cards I get from Barcelona, my favorite city in the whole world. Chema told me he finds this spot one of his favorites in the city and one of the most romantic ones and I, having been there last Summer and having passed under that "bridge", in that exact same spot, couldn't agree more! I love this card.

Postcard stamps:

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#237

Received: May 21st, 2014
From: Rita (Kowloon Island, Hong Kong)
Depicts: Views from Hong Kong

I was really happy when Rita proposed a swap and told me she could send me this card, because I really like it, and it's definitely my favorite one from those I've got from Hong Kong! Rita told me a few facts about Hong Kong, and also told me that the trams (that you can see in the 'O' in Kong) have been working in HK island for over 100 years - I really like trams, since they're quite traditional here in Portugal too. To add to this, Rita made a little bunny in origami and pasted it in the back of the card and that was so sweet!

Postcard stamps:

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#236

Received: May 20st, 2014
From: Davide (Genoa, Italy)
Depicts: Porto Vecchio (Genoa, Italy)

As I've said many times before, I love Italy and it was wonderful to get a postcard from Genoa, because I still didn't have any! And this shows the Porto Vecchio, the old port of the city, which as you can see is really pretty. I actually spent part of a day in Genoa back in 2008, it was the first city where we stopped when we visited Italy, but I couldn't see much and it's always nice to get a little souvenir until I can go there again.

Postcard stamp:

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#235

Received: May 20th, 2014
From: Thomas (Vienna, Austria)
Depicts: "Spaziergang Mit Kuh" Postcard

This card holds another wonderful story I'll be able to tell about my experience in Postcrossing! So, Thomas and I have been exchanging card for a few months now, so I when I got this card and read his signature I didn't find anything special about the card - until I looked better and I found out this is not a direct swap, but an official postcard, with a Postcrossing ID and everything! It was such a fun coincidence that it became one of my favorite cards - plus, the image is so funny.

Postcard stamp:

I loved this stamp!

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#234

Received: May 20th, 2014
From: Jeanette (New York City, USA)
Depicts: Pongo and puppy, 101 Dalmatians

So this is another card from Jeanette, and the fourth and last of the US Postal Service collection she's  been managing to get me for a few months now - these are the others: here, here and here. This final one has Pongo from the movie 101 Dalmatians and one of his adorable puppies. As it always happens between me and Disney things, I loved it!

Postcard stamps:

So many cute stamps, I can't even choose which one I like the best!

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#233

Received: May 19th, 2014
From: Alberto (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Depicts: Copacabana beach's "calçadão"

Okay, so this was a very important and nice card for a few motives - firstly, it was the second card from Brazil that I got in the same week and that was really nice, since it had been a few months since the last one! And then this shows a place I really like - the famous Copacabana beach, that I've seen so many times in the Brazillian soap operas that my mom has been watching every night for years on end.

Those tiles on the floor are actually originally Portuguese (from Portugal, to be clear!) and that was why I was saying this card was important for many motives. This boardwalk - we call it "calçadão" - was inspired in Lisbon's Rossio Plaza's one and was "built" in 1906, although it was "rebuilt" in 1970, and it's 4,15km long.

Postcard stamps:

I loved especially the stamp on the right, because it's an official one from this year's World Cup, from Porto Alegre! And as a big football fan, I couldn't have loved it more!

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#232

Received: May 19th, 2014
From: Jeanette (New York City, USA)
Depicts: Ellis Island (New York City, USA)

I can't tell how much I always love Jeanette's card - they're definitely at my Top of best cards ever. And it was really nice to get this beautiful card from Ellis Island, where the famous Statue of Liberty is located, because I didn't have one yet and I'm really curious to go there myself. Plus, as always, Jeanette was a doll and made me think once again that she's the best person ever. And I love the different texture and colors of the card!

Postcard stamps:

I love those stamps too!

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#231

Received: May 16th, 2015
From: Mariana (Belo Horizonte, Brazil)
Depicts: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

I loved this card when I found it in the Postcrossing gallery and was so happy when Mari proposed the swap to me, because I think this is only my fourth card from Brazil and I definitely didn't have one from Rio de Janeiro yet, let alone with this beautiful view! I'd really love to go there and see it for myself, especially this Summer during the World Cup, but oh well... I guess a postcard is better than nothing! Plus, it's always great to get a card written in Portuguese, and it came all the way from the other side of the ocean.

Postcard stamp:

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#230

Received: May 16th, 2014
From: Johanna (Kiel, Germany)
Depicts: "Can you find the love letter?" Postcard

I can't tell how much I loved this card, it's so funny and pretty and original! I love city views, but sometimes it's good to get different things and this was one of those times. And to add to the originality, you can actually find the love letter in the front and then in the back there was a little square that you had to scrape like you do in lotteries to get the correct answer - I found the love letter and it was so funny. Plus, Johanna told me she loves fairytales and that is another things we have in common - sometimes I suspect I'm still a big child, and I love it.

Postcard stamps:

How beautiful is the Hansel and Gretel stamp?

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#229

Received: May 14th, 2014
From: Delf (Butzbach, Germany)
Depicts: Butzbach, Germany

I've got so many postcards from Germany already that's it's always good to add new cities to my collection, and Butzbach was one I still didn't know about. How  pretty are those houses? Also, in what he said, Delf mentioned Barça and that always gets me!

Postcard stamps:

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#228

Received: May 14th, 2014
From: Hannah (Langerwehe, Germany)
Depicts: Views from Cologne, Germany

Although I'm not the biggest fan of Germany, as I've said over and over, the two cities I want to visit the most are Cologne and Berlin, and I was missing a card from Cologne... here it is now! And I really loved those images, it must be a lovely city indeed. Hannah told me about her trip to the famous "Roncalli" circus and that was fun too.

Postcard stamp:

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#227

Received: May 9th, 2014
From: Ilaria (Florence, Italy)
Depicts: Views from Italy

I proposed a swap to Ilaria because I saw that she lives in Florence, which is my favorite city in Italy (it really is magical and I miss it a lot)! And she sent me this beautiful, beautiful and exquisite card that actually shows four different places in bella Italia. In the top left we have "Il Cupolone", which is to say, the dome, "il Duomo", the biggest church in the city. I can't describe its beauty: you really have to go there and see for yourself because no words, pictures, drawings, postcards or whatever, will ever make it as beautiful as in reality! Then, on the top right, we have St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, another place where I was and that mesmerized me because of its immensity and its... I didn't want to say beauty again, but really, it's the right word. On the bottom left there's the famous Tower of Pisa - I was there too, but I didn't enter the tower, just watched it from outside and took that famous picture that everybody takes, "holding" the tower. Finally, on the bottom right, the only place of the four where I wasn't: the Piazza della Cisterna in S. Gimignano. It's quite famous and I bet it's as beautiful as people say it is.

Postcard stamp:

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#226

Received: May 9th, 2014
From: Beni (Budapest, Hungary)
Depicts: Views from Budapest

I was really excited when I got this card, not only because it shows many beautiful views from Budapest, but also because I had never gotten a card from Hungary before! Which means I have one more country to add to my list, and it's awesome to see it growing little by little! Budapest must be wonderful and I really want to go there, even more after getting this card.

Postcard stamp:

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