Sunday Stamps: Gardens or Forests

Left to right --

50th Anniversary of the Jardim Botanico Madeira

Issued in 2010 (Portugal)

Eero Järnefelt 150 Years Commemorative Stamp, Forest Landscape 

Issued in 2013 (Finland)

Nuuksio National Park

Issued in 2013 (Finland)

Singapore, my second home is a garden city. One of the most admirable features of this garden city is the lush greeneries lining the roadsides. Left to right --

Saga, Adenanthera pavonina

Issued in 2010 (Singapore)

Angsana, Pterocarpus indicus

Issued in 2010 (Singapore)

Rain tree, Samanea saman

Issued in 2010 (Singapore)

For Sunday Stamps: gardens or forests

~maria

Postcards for the weekend 33: Spring, flower buds & blossoms, green foliage

I'm here in Frankfurt Airport, hoping to publish this post before the announcement of the call for boarding to Malta. My Dutch mom was half-shocked half-surprised as to why I'm going to Malta at this time of the year. She mentioned that the landscape will be dry and brown. I guess it should be an interesting change of scenery for me in contrast with Singapore that's always green

But for my blog at least, I'm pretty pleased to share these postcards for this weekend's theme:

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sent from Finland
Sent 15 June 2014, traveled 9,171 km

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sent from Finland
Sent 15 June 2014, traveled 9,171 km

FI-1997790, Sent from Finland
Sent 28 Jan 2014, Traveled 8,938 km in 18 days

NL-3558074, Sent from Netherlands,
Sent 3 Sep 2016, Traveled 10,453 km in 14 days

DE-8778042, Sent from Germany
Sent 2 Dec 2016, Traveled 10,347 km in 14 days

I've mentioned on a previous post that nature always offer me peace & serenity. Work has been extremely overwhelming again (it still is and I've managed to make it to my outbound flight!). Stealing time and searching for these postcards while preparing for this weekend's theme simulated for me in a way that feeling of being surrounded by nature. It gives me the chance to get into that space for introspection and reflection during this season of Lent. 

Wishing a Happy Easter in advance and solemn weekend ahead of us,

~maria

Sunday Stamps: Flowers from India and Romania

These two flower stamps came with one of my most recently received postcards. Part of the Bouquet for Children issue of Chennai Post (India) in 3 September 2013, the sheet of 12 designs aimed to bring children in the cities the flowers that are mostly only seen in the villages and the forests. I really like that these two flowers allows us to see more inside into the flowers' anatomy.

These two stamps from Romania make me curious with the clocks featured alongside each. It made sense to me when I read that these two are part of a Flower's Clock. The time on the clock's face reveals the hour that the flower blooms. For sunflower is 9 AM and the viper's grass is 7 AM. Both of the clocks on these two stamps were manufactured in France in the 19th century -- a P. Bonnet and P. Pottier portico clock and a table clock, respectively. The rest of the stamps on this  25 January 2013 issue can be found here. 

For more flowers featured on stamps from around the world, check out the linky party @ See it on a postcard.

~maria

Stamps: Ukraine Flora - Trees

The theme for Sunday Stamps this week is fruits and nuts.

Here are a few Ukraine stamps, counterclockwise:

50K - Horse Chestnut, issued on 3 Feb 2012

40K - Walnut, issued 14 January 2012

5K - European rowan, issued 3 Feb 2012

3K - Small leaved lime, issued 24 Jan 2012

~maria

Say it with flowers

My penpal, Tuija from Finland is ever so sweet. She loves sending me matching stamps and envelopes since we started writing to each other back in 2011.

This envelope was received in 09 Sep 2011. The Lilac stamp on it was issued back in 1 March 2006. Lilac is a common garden plant; well-loved due to its attractive and fragrant flowers.

The flower featured on this envelope received in 22 June 2011 on the other hand is a rare plant. Mountain everlasting or pussytoes belongs to the sunflower family but thrives in cooler temperature. 

For more flowers seen on stamps, hover your mouse & click here.

~maria

Wordless Wednesday - Gigantic & Ancient Redwood Trees

Friendship Postcard, Sender: Terra
Sent: 18 Apr 2015 from Santa Cruz, CA
Received: 28 Apr 2015, Traveled 13,645 km in 10 days

Last month, I participated (and completed, wooohooo!!) the Blogging from A-Z April Challenge. I posted about Buildings and Structures on Postcards. I met Terra thru the challenge and she sent me a postcard! ;-)

~maria

Y is for Yakushima Forest, Japan

Postcard Swap, Sender: Mitsuyo
Sent: 27 May 2013 from Osaka, Japan
Received: 5 June 2013, Traveled 2,667 km in 9 days

Yakushima Forest was listed in the UNESCO WHS in 1993. The forest which can be found in almost round small island of Yaku, is of rich flora. In its greenery can be found sugi, an ancient specie of Japanese cedar.

~maria

Campuhan Ridge Hike

Postcard to be sent to Finland

Greeting all of you a sunny great week from the supposedly rainy Bali! 

I'm really happy and thrilled to share with all of you that it's Monday morning, but I'm here sitting by the pool and working on this blog entry from Ubud - the cultural center of Bali, Indonesia. I'm not supposed to start with my new job until Monday next week so the beau and I agreed that we should go for an extended vacation. We decided to come here to Bali despite the forecast of rainy days. Looking online for travel recommendations, there's so much to see and it's perfect that we have several days for this visit. Also it's low season so we are hoping for a budge trip.

We arrived Saturday night. Yesterday, Sunday was our first full day here. Motivated by the surprisingly blue skies, we agreed it's best to start with the rice terraces. We did the Campuhan Ridge hike to see the rice paddies. We started a bit late so the sun was scorching hot. It was really nice though while on top of Campuhan valley, the first part of the hike. Because it's elevated, we're able to enjoy cool breeze. Campuhan is a sacred place. It is where two rivers, Sungai Wos and Sungai Agung meet. During the hike, we went past quiet villages, traditional looking hotels and spas, and many little art galleries by the road. 

The rice terraces were nice but not as grand as that on the postcard. It was really nice to do the hike nonetheless. It made us energized and set the pace for our visit here.

During the hike, I made sure I snapped a few photos for Sally's Blue Monday. I hope Blue Monday blog hoppers will find them pretty, as well as the blue sky on this snap from the valley.

I better keep going now ... there are still a lot to discover and explore!

~ maria

Landscape from Mongolia, Altai, and Tuva

RU-884382, Sender: Irina
Sent: 30 March 2012 from Tomsk, Russia
Received: 17 June 2012, Traveled 5,575 km in 79 days

Yesterday, the lowest temperature of the decade was recorded here in Manila at 19 degree Celsius. The weather forecast said that the cold spell will last until around first week of February. With this weather, I'll be posting frosty-inspired postcards for this month of the year.

This postcard showing a landscape from Mongolia, Altai, and Tuva is in the list of my cards which took the longest time to travel. It is from Irina, a travel agent in Russia, living near Tomsk. She said:

Tomsk is beautiful and really interesting city. It was found in 1604 and called "The Siberian Athens" because of many universities here. Altai is situated not so far from Tomsk (and Seversk, of course). I visited Altai last month. And I think it's really an interesting place with great nature.

I agree with Irina, this landscape from Altai with the Karakol Lake in the foreground is really majestic! This is also a beautiful postcard. The uploaded image here in blogger doesn't give enough justice to the card but when viewed with MS Picture Manager, it looks like it is a 3D image with that reflection of the mountains in the water.

For more blue images, visit Blue Monday @ Smiling Sally.

~ maria

Wild Flowers

FI-1911627, Sender: Sokal
Sent: 30 Oct 2013 from Kuoio, Finland
Received: 7 Nov 2013, Traveled 8,736 km in 8 days

Not that I want to classify this pink flower as wild flower, but this pink flower that I can't identify very much describes my recent found love of wild flowers -- which I also can't identify!

On Thursday, I was junior tour guide to our foreign guests. As mentioned in my previous post, where I also have a photo in the entrance of one place we visited. They were here for an International Atomic Energy Meeting, hosted by the Philippines. Some guests left Thursday and Friday, some left only today. And earlier, prior to their flight, I was once again, a tour guide. Wow! I think I should probably consider changing profession.

On these tours, I believe I literally "stopped and smelled the roses". Where in this case, are not roses but wild flowers. Here are two snap shots I got:

My thoughts wandered on those places damaged by the typhoon. I know rehabilitation will be an extremely long process, but I wish it won't take too long for flowers to bloom in those lands once again!

Lovely weekend to everyone!

~maria

PS. I'm linking with Beverly's Pink Saturday. Perhaps a blog hopper can help me identify what these flowers are ;-)

Fall Colors

US-1586397, Sender: Lori
Sent: 12 Mar 2012 from Salt Lake City, Utah
Received: 29 Mar 2012, Traveled 11,830 km in 17 days

I'm longing for vacation, I want to go hiking where the leaves are yellow, gold, orange, and red -- On a trail that would hopefully bring me into a surprising view at the end of the path. The Emerald Falls would have been perfect destination, only that it's on the other side of the world for me. At the back of the card, this view is described: Water cascades over a sandstone and shale shelf of at Zion National Park's Emerald Falls... The name 'Zion' meaning "place of refuge", was given to the canyon by Mormon pioneers.

JP-396140, Sender: Ichigo
Sent: 27 Apr 2013 from Kariya, Japan
Received: 9 May 2013, Traveled 2,771 km in 12 days

Another fanciful place to spend a leisurely walk around would be under these maple leaves in Kyoto. And yes, Japan is closer to where I am compared to the USA... But then, it's expensive to go to Japan! Perhaps in the future :) For now, I'm contented to dream about a picnic I'll have Saturday next week along East Coast in Singapore with my beau. Nature there won't be bathed in fall colors but at least there would be fresh air and my favorite scent of grass, leaves, and woods. I just can't wait! For now, I have to tackle another major exam, coming up next week (I'm fervently wishing it will be moved into a later date though!)

Have a good weekend everyone, whether you will be relaxing or still working (like me!)

~maria

Puijo Tower on a Finnish Autumn Card

Two days ago, I came home from a 5-day out of town work and found 22 postcards on my study table. Teehee!! Just the perfect stress-buster! One of the most interesting stamps that came with the cards is the Puijo Tower. It's an observation tower in Kuopio, Finland which boasts a revolving restaurant with 100 seats! Oh wow! That's one of a kind dining experience for sure. Now I really wanna go see Finland and will probably aim to go there during autumn when the place will be bathed in orange and red - my favorite color. Speaking of, this stamp came with this autumn postcard:

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sender: Tuija
Sent: 9 October 2013 from Kuopio, Finland
Received 18 October 2013, Traveled ~9,160 kn in 9 days

My penpal Tuija wrote: It's the international day of the stamp today [9 October 2013]! Many cities in Finland including Kuopio have published their own special stamp today and the postage stamp celebrates the day of the stamp as well and can be gotten only today. I hope you'll like them as well as the card. I chose you an autumn card as it's autumn now in Finland and it looks like in the card here now!

Tuija, know that I just didn't like the stamp and the postcard you sent me, I loved them!

~maria

PS. I'm sharing this for Viridian's Sunday Stamps where the theme for today is 'anything you wish'. Hop on to her page to check out more nice stamps :)

Inspiration from bluebells

FI-1858485, Sender: Paula
Sent: 10 Sep 2013 from Vaasa, Finland
Received: 20 Sep 2013, Traveled 9,032 km in 10 days

Life again is moving in a quicker pace than usual. In a more precise way of saying it -- I returned from an out-of-town work late in the evening of Saturday and in a few hours I'll be in the airport again for another assignment. Time check, 01:05 AM on a Monday. So far, I'm happy to have slept 5 hours since I was back. As to why I wasn't able to get more rest than I wish I could, well... there's tidying up of my stuff, laundry, and urgent documents for my clinical residency that needed much of my remaining energy and attention (not to mention the noisy neighbor).

I can really feel my body leaning down at its own already, like those bluebells on the postcard. I picked this card to gain inspiration. I really hope, like those bluebells hanging on their stems, I can still manage to be strong/not to fall down, to be able to do everything that has to be done, despite fatigue and this persistent flu. Yes I'm extremely tired (and sick) right now, in much need of more sleep and rest but I want to post this entry first for Blue Monday, with the thought that no matter how pressing the situation is, there's always a brighter way of looking at things and from there, positive energy pours in and you're able to carry on. Happy Blue Monday everyone!

~maria