Black Forest, Germany

DE-1676400 from Panagiota

This woman is sporting the traditional clothing of the Black Forest region of Germany. The Black Forest is located in the state of Baden-Württemburg in southwestern Germany. The moniker "Black Forest" is said to refer to the dense conifers which block out most sunlight from above. According to the sender, the pompom hat is called a bollenhut. Red pompoms are for unmarried women, and black ones for married women. These hats are very valuable because they are made by an ever-decreasing number of skilled seamstresses and milliners, and they are considered a symbol of the Black Forest. Such costumes are still worn for some cultural events in the Black Forest.

Thanks very much Panagiota for this great card!

No new stamp. Part of the postmark has also made it onto the front of the postcard, but since it doesn't obscure the picture I actually kind of like it. You can tell this card travelled and had some adventures on its way to me. :)

For a hot night

From nezzukka for the "will you send me..." tag. This is a card in a series of "Sheepworld," which is originally German, although I've also gotten ones in Finnish and Polish. I saw these cards when I was in Germany in August but unfortunately couldn't afford to buy very many of them, although I did spring for a Sheepworld calendar that I can enjoy for 12 more months.

A gift certificate for a hot night!
Candles: very hot
Chocolate: very hot
Me: extremely hot

From a 2011 set of five stamps celebrating the centenary of Finnish designer Kaj Franck.

Melbourne, Australia

Brighton Beach - AU-151930.

This is a good example of a "surprise" card (not on my wishlist) that I like. Bright colors, interesting idea.

"Painted bathing boxes, a legacy of nineteenth-century beach culture, provide a decorative backdrop at Brighton, one of Melbourne's most popular bayside suburbs," according to the back of the card. Bathing boxes, also known as beach huts, are shelters above the high-tide line where the owners can change clothes, store items, or even prepare food and hot drinks. The ones at Brighton have existed at least as far back as 1862!

Baby dingo!! From a 2011 set of 5 "Australian Bush Babies."

Portugal

I got this lovely map of Portugal from Ferro for the vacation RR. I think my favorite map cards are those that show the countours of the land like this one, like real maps. The various views show different things about Portugal, in fact a couple of them are pictures I have received as full-size cards. I've posted one of them here.

Om nom nom. One of a set of six stamps featuring Portuguese cheeses, issued in 2010. This one is São Jorge.

Altay, China

I got this card from ConEtoiles for the favorites tag. I've gotten a lot of beautiful cards from her and this is definitely one of my favorites. :) It shows Kanas Lake, among the Altai Mountains in the Xinjiang region of China. Many Tuvan and Kazakh people live in this area, keeping traditional agriculture and nomadic lifestyles alive. (According to Wikipedia.) A beautiful place I would love to visit someday.

I think this is a postal-issued card. The "stamp" on the right is the same image as the card and is preprinted. The one on the left is a takin (Budorcas taxicolor), or goat-antelope, native to the eastern Himalayas, issued in 2001.

I am totally confused as to Chinese postage rates. I've gotten cards from there sent with 3, 3.1, 3.2, 4.2, 4.5, 4.6, and 6 yuen in postage. 3 and 4.5 seem to be the most common. Are those economy and airmail rate differences?

Plzeň, Czech Republic

Plzeň, Czech Republic.

Plzeň is a town famous for its beer. It's an old town going back to the 11-12th century. Apparently the town celebrates its liberation by the U.S. army in 1945 each May, flying many American flags and displaying guns and tanks.

The card shows many sights of Plzeň including:
Church of St. Bartholomew
gateway to the Urquell brewery
former water tower
brewery museum
town hall
plague column
view from the Church of St. Bartholomew

 I don't think I would be particularly excited to visit this town, since I don't like beer...

Perhaps the coolest thing about this postcard is that it came with a stamp featuring the Plzeň water tower, issued in 2007.

Happy New Year

In Japan, instead of sending Christmas cards, it's tradition to send new year's postcards. Towards the end of December there are special mailboxes to put your new year's mail into, and it's all delivered on New Year's Day.

I try to send nengajo to my Japanese friends each year. This year I did manage it!

It's the year of the snake in the Chinese zodiac.