2329 - Taipei, Taiwan

Aka explains on his card about the naming of Taiwan "Formosa" by the Portuguese. This dates back to 1542 when Portuguese sailors sighted an uncharted island and noted it in their maps as Ilha Formost "Beautiful Island." Formosa remained in common usage by English speakers well into the 20th century.

In the 1600s the Dutch East India Company established a commercial port called Fort Zeelandia, where the modern day city of Anping is today. They called the area Tayouan, which Taiwan is derived from.

The official name of Taiwan is the Republic of China. However, the People's Republic of China sees Taiwan as a province of theirs, and not a separate country. Because of this and to keep the People's Republic of China happy, Taiwan uses Chinese Taipei at all international forums, organizations, and at sporting events. The PRC will not have diplomatic relations with countries who establish diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Only 14 countries and the Vatican have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Here's a video that might help explain the complicated relationship between China and Taiwan and the rest of the world:

I really like Aka's card. I'm in the middle of watching Peaky Blinders on Netflix right now and it reminds me of that show.

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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.

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