Postcards for the weekend 62: Books/reading/authors

DE-5984055, Sent from Saarbruecken, Germany
Sent 14 Feb 2017, Traveled 10.396 km in 7 days

This painting is called Der Philosoph (Der Leser im Park) by Carl Spitzweg. In English, The Philosopher (The Reader in the Park). I really like this postcard with the excellent lighting focused on the subject of the painting.

DE-5935734, Sent from Germany
Sent 29 Jan 2017, Traveled 10,423 km 5 days

Another painting for this weekend's theme. This painting is called Portrait of Maria Adelaide of France in Turkish Costume by Jean-Etienne. The lighting on this postcard is also very nice, coming from behind her.

I'm keeping this post short for now and I'm off to bury myself in the pages of my novel, Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.

Happy weekend,

~maria

Postcards for the weekend 61: Food & beverage

I have just returned from an overnight team building trip to Melaka, Malaysia. We were joking among ourselves that it was not a team building trip but a food marathon instead. Melaka is a foodie haven! I wish I found a postcard for a souvenir but I didn't! Too bad as I realized that it would have been nice to share a postcard with Melaka delicacies for this weekend's theme of food & beverage. 

Now, onto the main topic, postcards:

Postcard sent to self, sent from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Sent 26 June 2016, Traveled 2,678 km

One of the best things about Vietnam is food. My partner and I went to a cooking class where I learned how to properly wrap a fresh spring roll without creating tears through the rice paper. 

Postcard sent to self, Sent from Beaufortain, France
Traveled ~ 10,600 km

This slice of cheese is from my first trip to France this summer. I was taught to eat more varieties of cheese. For this Beaufort cheese, the affinage variety was said to be the best. That variety also costs twice as much compared to the rest. Thankfully, its strong taste didn't agree with my palate. I don't have to break my wallet whenever I have the craving!

Postcard kept as a souvenir

For a Christmas treat last year, my boss invited us for a high tea at the Fullerton Hotel here in Singapore. It was a very expensive experience that I most probably won't pay for by myself. As a souvenir, I took this postcard from the hotel shop. It features local Singapore dishes, that are served in the hotel. These dishes are a combination of Malay and Chinese dishes.

I hope I have your tummy full by the end of this post.

Happy weekend, 

~maria 

Postcards for the weekend 60: Reflections

CZ-1246132, Sent from Prague
Sent 10 Sep 2017, Traveled 9,856 km in 30 days

On this postcard, we have the Czech Republic's Konopiste Castle, reflected on the lake. I'm pretty sure this photo was taken during the autumn season, judging by the warm colors of the trees by the lake. 

CZ-1135433, Sent from Dobrnice Village
Sent 27 Feb 2017, Traveled 9,795 km in 17 days

Our second postcard is also from the same country as the first postcard. I love how the clouds are reflected on the water in the lower image. In 1995, this area of Cesky Raj was declared as the first ever nature reserve in the Czech Republic. 

AU-304867, Sent from Melbourne
Sent 2 Sep 2013, Traveled 6,325 km in 13 days

From the opposite side of Europe, we have this last postcard for this weekend's theme of reflections from Australia. Here we have the different buildings and bright lights reflected by the water. Melbourne is the state capital of Victoria, Australia.

Happy weekend everyone,

~ maria

Postcards for the weekend 59: Anything you wish

I'm delighted to share these two Niagara Falls postcards with you for our theme anything you wish. 

Postcard sent to self, Traveled 15,323 km

The Niagara Falls State Park consists of three falls - Horseshoe/Canadian, Bridal Veil, and American. From this aerial view, we have the Horseshoe or also known as the Canadian Falls. It is the largest among the three. A small portion of this falls belongs to the United States of America.

Postcard sent to self, Traveled 15,323 km

On this second postcard, we have the American Falls. It's the second largest among the three falls. On the foreground, we have a boat belonging to the company, Maid of the Mist. I had the chance for a ride, wearing pink raincoat instead of blue (shown here). The boat took us up close to the basin of the Horseshoe Falls. The experience was totally indescribable! Looking back, I felt like my world stopped while standing below the 18-stories tall thundering waterfall with 600,000 gallons/s of falling water. The billowing mist made me feel like I was only dreaming.

Here's a panoramic photo I took from the Observation Deck (American side), showing the three falls:

If you happen to visit the State of New York, do yourself a favor and visit the falls!

Happy weekend,

~maria