L'Ile de Ré, France

 

The Ile de Ré, a small island off the French Atlantic coast, near the city of La Rochelle, is lovingly nicknamed La Blanche (the White). There are several reasons for this nickname, the white beaches, the white buildings or the oleander that looks even a shade whiter here than elsewhere, but actually it is the salt that sponsored the name.

Salt and Fleur de Sel are still gathered in the salt marshes of the island by traditional methods. Until Roman times, Ile de Ré consisted of 3 smaller islands, but the space between them was constantly filled up by silting and also by gaining salt fields from the sea.

But the main attraction of the island is the unique charm and the serenity of its a bout 17.500 inhabitants. Tourists enjoy the beautifully preserved landscapes, with cypress and pine trees, the wonderful beaches and vineyards where wine, cognac and pineau are procuded. Pineau is a delicious apéritif, blended from wine and cognac.

The old city of Saint Martin, located within the citadel, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 along with 11 other Fortifications of Vauban, all across France.

In 1987 a bridge was built that connects the island to the mainland, until then visiting the Ile de Ré was done by roll-on-roll off ferries.

It is no longer an insider tipp, thousands of tourists come for a visit each year, but Ile de Ré still a perfect place to forget about the often hectic life, to unwind and enjoy the wine and fresh seafood in one of the many restaurants.

Thank you Dieter Pech for this wonderful postcard !!!

Viet Nam Mapcard

This beautiful mapcard of Viet Nam arrived in my mailbox sent by Manh, thank you very much !!

Egypt Mapcard

Holiday greetings via postcard are so delightful :)  This one was sent by my daughter and her family while on holidays in the beautiful country of Egypt. A few years ago I enjoyed a wonderful cruise from Luxor to Assuan, a dive into ancient history as well as a relaxing time on a great ship with company just as great. Last year I had the opportunity to visit the Pyramids and the breathtaking island named Giftun, an hour off the coast near Hurghada. So this mapcard brings back a whole lot of cherished memories.
Thank you Carina !

Latvia Mapcard

Colourful mapcard of Latvia, an independent republic in the Baltic region with Riga as its capital and largest city.. On May 1, 2004 Latvia joined the European Union.
Thank you Jolanta for this great addition to the mapcard section of my collection. !!

Peloponnese Mapcard, Greece

Peloponnese is a peninsula in southern Greece, separated from the mainlaind by the Isthmus and Gulf of Corinth. The name derives from the Greek mythology and means Island of Pelops. Pelops was king of Pisa, an ancient Greek town which included Olympia, and claimed to have conquered the whole peninsula.
Peloponnese is mainly known for Olympia, the place where the Olympic games were born, but, besides breathtaking landscapes and beautiful beaches,  there are many historic places to see on this peninsula. In the north, for example,  the Myceneans, who played a major part in developing classical Greek culture, founded a city which became one of the greatest cultural centres of their time, Mycenae.
Also Corinth, Sparta, Epidaurus and many more places known from ancient Greek history are found on Peloponnese.
This card I sent home for my collection during a cruise.

Venice Mapcard, Italy

I was really happy to receive this officical Postcrossing postcard from Monica, showing a map of Venice, Italy. I've been to that amazing city before, and cannot wait to get there again. So much history, so many awesome buildings. Thank you very much Monica for bringing back fond memories!

Massachusetts mapcard and Old State House, Boston, USA

I really love this postcard with map and facts and the Old State House in Boston. What a wonderful view of this historic building in the midst of the modern skyscrapers.
Thank you very much Crystal for sending it for the Postcrossing Favourites Tag.

Arkansas Mapcard, USA

A beautiful new mapcard of Arkansas for my collection sent by Brenda (KittyCatBee). Arkansas is the 25th state in the US. State capital and largest city of the state is Little Rock.
Thank you Brenda !!!

Nova Scotia Mapcard, Canada

Great new mapcard for my collection sent by Christine for a Postcrossing Round Robin. I also love the stamp, being a big Star Trek fan :)

Neusiedlersee Mapcard, Austria (UNESCO)

This card arrived here an official one via Postcrossing. It was sent by Cassandra and shows a mapcard of the area surrounding Lake Neusiedel. Together with the Hungarian National Park Fertö-Hanság, the Neusiedler See-Seewinkel National Park in Eastern Austria was inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritag List in 2001.

Palawan Mapcard. Philippines

Great mapcard of Palawan. Philippines, for my collection. It was sent by Christine for the Postcrossing March Round Robin.

Dresden, City Map, Germany

A new one for my City Map collection. Dresden is a beautiful city with so much history and culture. I've been there once, unforturnately in winter when it was icy cold. Sure, winter also has its charms, but it was way too cold to do proper sightseeing back then. I really want to go back in Spring or Summer.
The card was sent by Manuela Prell for the Postcrossing May 50 RR.

Mykonos Images and Map, Greece

I am absolutely in love with this small island and its beautiful white villages. It is nicknamed "Island of the Winds".
I sent this card from our recent Mediterranean cruise.

Louisiana Mapcard, USA

A new Louisiana map for my collection sent by Sheri Saperstein.

Bohol Mapcard, Philippines

A great new mapcard for my collection. It was sent by Rod Eime and shows the island province Bohol in the Philippines. The island is a popular tourist spot with beautiful beaches. The main attraction are the famous limestone formations called the Chocolate Hills.

Yorkshire Coast Mapcard, United Kingdom

Another great mapcard, this time showing the Yorkshire Coast with all the locations of important and historic sites and buildings. It was sent by Adam Binnington. Unfortunately the stamp wasn't cancelled the normal way :(

Alaska Map and Facts Card, USA

What an incredibly interesting and informative card about Alaska. I think it is one of my favourite mapcards of all time. It was sent by Kimi Sands for the Postcrossing Favourites Tag.

Prague Mapcard, Czech Republic

This mapcard showing Prague, Czech Republic, I received for a Postcrossing Round Robin. Prague is said to be one of the most beautiful cities of the world. Unfortunately I never made it there, so far. One place on my "to visit" list.

Majorca Mapcard, Spain

This adorable mapcard of the island of Majorca I found when visiting Palma during our cruise this year and just had to send it home for my own collection.

New York Map Card, USA

Wonderful new addition to my US map card collection. This one shows New York State and lots of beautiful images of this state including UNESCO World Heritage Site  Statue of Liberty.  I received this card as an official Postcrossing card sent by Samantha.