2276 - La Rochelle, France

Sandrine sent her card in an envelope. I'm usually not a big fan of getting cards in envelopes, but sometimes people put something like a coin in the envelope (not this time). Instead, Sandrine coloured a picture on the envelope. The stamp she used was also a sports related stamp of a pole vaulter.

Sandrine's city, La Rochelle, was hit hard by a big storm, named Xynthia. For three days the streets were flooded and Sandrine reports she was terrified.

La Rochelle has about 75 000 people and more than 1000 years of history. The Latin form of the name of La Rochelle was first used in 961, however, Gauls and Romans both lived in the areas centuries before that.

The Germans used La Rochelle as a submarine base during the Second World War. It was also the last French city to be liberated from the Germans on 7 May 1945. French soldiers entered the city the next day. The U-boat pens still exist and were used in the movie Das Boot and in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Comments

3227 - Mölln, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Mölln is a small city of about 20 000 located in northern Germany. The Elbe-Lübeck Canal flows through the town, and there are eight small lakes that surround the city. It was founded in the 12th century and was a part of the Old Salt Route. Salt that was produced in the salt mines of Lower-Saxony was shipped to the Baltic Sea. Till Eulenspiegel, a legendary trickster known for exposing vices and provoking thought, is said to have lived in Mölln the last year of his life. He apparently died of the plague in 1350, but his existence has never been proven. Mölln has several monuments dedicated to him.

3322 - Hamburg, Germany

Happy birthday to me! What a lovely handmade card from the sender. Beautiful penmanship. Am Rothenbaum is the site of the main court of the German Open Tennis Championships. The International German Open has been played at the Rothernbaum since 1892, making it Germany's longest running tennis tournament. The current stadium was built in 1999 and can hold 13 200 people.

3232 - Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States of America

The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal North Pierhead Light was built in 1882. There were nine keepers of the light until 1897. It was redesigned in 1903 and is 12 meters high. The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal was started in 1872 and wasn't opened for large-scale watercraft until 1890. The canal is 2.1 kilometers long that goes from Sturgeon Bay in Lake Michigan to Green Bay. There are no locks on this canal. The canal was sold to the United States government in 1893 and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains the canal.

Search This Blog