Postcards for the weekend 41: Flags, with a flag(s)

FI-1422572, Sent from Vihti, Finland
Sent: 10 May 2012, Traveled 8,964 km in 25 days

Finland is the latest addition to the list of countries I've visited so far. I went there during the third weekend of April to meet my pen friend from Kuopio. It was a lovely meeting and I learned that Finland is celebrating its 100 Years of Independence this year. This card arrived with a matching stamp for the flag on the postcard. 

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sent from Boras, Sweden
Sent: 5 March 2017, Traveled 9,926 km

The trip to Finland was a side trip that I made as a part of my business trip to Gothenburg, Sweden. Less than a month prior to my trip, I received this card from Monica of Beyond the Lone Islands. Thanks to Monica's message at the back, I was able to properly select the clothes needed for the cold & wet northern European weather. It was so much colder in Gothenburg as compared to the April weather I remember from my first visit in 2015. And oh, my side visit to Helsinki gave me my first ever hail storm and wet snow fall experience! I finally saw snow! Some of you might remember that I was ranting about it in one of my posts after missing it from my Japan trip back in November 2016.

Thanks to these two cards, I learned that all Nordic countries except Greenland have adopted the Nordic Cross flag. 

Postcrossing Private Swap, Sent from Victoria, Australia, 
Sent on 13 September 2011, Traveled 6,185 km in 9 days

This postcard has appeared here in my blog 5 years ago. I noticed it in my scanned postcards folder while looking for postcards for our theme and decided to narrow down my search to flags with cross/crosses on it. There's a long article in wiki about this flag and it's quite an interesting read for those who are interested in their national and political history. 

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sent from Oxfordshire, UK
Sent: 13 Nov 2013, Traveled 10,777 km

As I'm sure most or all of us know, the Union Jack emblem exist on the National Flag of Australia, the country being a member of the Commonwealth. On the London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom card above, we have the widespread Union Jack, the flag of UK as a bright and beautiful backdrop. The Union Jack is a union of three historical crosses: Saint Andrew's, Saint Patrick's, and Saint George's.

The similarities of the Nordic country flags to that of the Union Jack has made me very curious. My research has landed me into a well-written article in Quora. Apparently, the Nordic cross gave rise to the flags of the British Isles, among which are the historical crosses that currently comprise the Union Jack. 

I learned so much while researching about the postcards I've chosen for the theme this weekend! Yay!

~maria

Postcards for the weekend 29: France

Private Swap, Sent by Ulla
Sent on 12 December 2012, Traveled 10,897 km

For our theme this weekend, I'm sharing postcards from France - one among the many countries that I wish to visit. This card is special as it was written and sent to me on 12.12.12. It shows the French tri-color flag and different UNESCO World Heritage Sites. France is 4th in rank in ascending order of Spain, China, and Italy for countries with the most number of world heritage sites.

Direct Swap, Sent from Lyon
Traveled 10,747 km in 6 days

Lyon, a city that is in the UNESCO WHS for culture has always been on my list of a specific city that I want to explore. My partner is from this place. It is in the south of France and the third biggest French city next to Paris and Marseille.

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sent by Wan
Traveled 10,747 km

This is a postcard he sent me from Lyon back in 2011 I believe. It was sent in an envelope together with stamps from his collection. On this card that I received from him 6 years ago when we're yet to be a couple, he wrote: Here is a postcard from Lyon, my parents' place as I promised ... I'm sure you'll get to visit it someday just like the French Riviera. And hopefully you'll have a nice guide (myself ;-) ) This year in the summer, we'll travel to France together. Reading about the historic places just in Lyon alone, I can't wait to board the plane for France!

Happy weekend everyone,

~maria

Koalas & Kangaroos

Allow me to welcome the cold 'ber' months by sharing direct swap cards I received from Australia in September and October last year. 

First here's a card with lots of koalas from Carrie. She wrote:

"...A few months ago, I actually got to hold a koala at a wildlife sanctuary -- they're so soft and fuzzy! I also got to see some wild ones on a hike I took up in the mountains on Magnetic Island, which is just off the coast of Townsville, where I'm currently studying..."

Postcrossing Private Swap, Sender: Carrie
Sent from Townsville, Australia, Sent on 9 October 2011
Received date flooded on card, Traveled 4,653.5 km

The next one is a maxicard of a baby koala, from Maddy. She shared that baby koalas sleep for 23 hours a day and that they only eat eucalyptus leaves. They can be aggressive if threatened or frightened. They are also very private and stay up in tree tops most of the time. They can walk though. 

Postcrossing Private Swap Sender: Maddy
Sent from Victoria, Australia, Sent on 13 September 2011
Received on 23 September 2011, Traveled 6,185 km in 11 days

Now here's a kangaroo card from Anne. I've always find kangaroos interesting for carrying and feeding their babies in their belly pouch. The more interesting thing for them is that they seem so heavy but they can stand on their two hind legs and leap around like a frog. Anne said they can be a pest. The kangaroo however, is a national symbol of Australia and it also appears on the Australian coat of arms and some of its currency.

Postcrossing Private Swap, Sender: Anne C.
Sent from Queensland, Australia Sent on 9 September 2011
Received on 21 September 2011, Traveled 5,852.3 km in 13 days

Aside from the koala card, Maddy also sent me a flag card of Australia. It came with a kangaroo stamp at the back. :D

Postcrossing Private Swap, Sender: Maddy
Sent from Victoria, Australia, Sent on 13 September 2011
Received on 21 September 2011, Traveled 6,185 km in 9 days

Happy Monday and have a Postcard PERFECT week everyone! :)

~ maria