Hollola looks like an outdoorsy person's dream. Lot's of activities to do year round. Cross country skiing, downhill skiing, tramping, golfing, camping, fishing, orienteering are just a few of the many activities. Hollola has about 23 000 residents. The tallest structure in Finland, the Tiirismaa TV-Tower. It is 327 metres and was built in 1967. 

This card is a photo of Garamon, a monster from Ultraman. Ultraman is a fictional superhero from a 1966 television series of the same name. Ultraman branched off into other series and character. The Ultras are technologically advanced beings from a planet with the M78 Nebula, three million light years from Earth.  Ultras live on many different planets and are almost impossible to kill. If killed, they can be revived by another member of their species. Most Ultras join the Space Garrison to maintain peace in the universe from alien invaders and monsters.  The card shows such a monster, Garamon.

Gau-Algesheim is a small town of just under 6900. It was first mentioned in 766, but it may have been there since the 500s. Documents mentioning Gau-Algesheim talk about crop raising, livestock raising, wine growing, fruit growing, and individual inhabitants' wealth. 

Fürstenfeldbruck is a small city of almost 36 000 in Bavaria. It is found alont the Amper River.  Fürstenfeldbruck has been the site of an air force base since 1936. The Luftwaffe used it before and during World War II. It was the Luftkriegsschule 4 (4th Air War School). Field Marshal Hermann  Göring is said to have modeled   Fürstenfeldbruck after the United States Army Air Forces training centre at Randolph Field, Texas. The Americans and British believed the base had little strategic importance so it largely escape bombing until later in the war.  The United States Air Force took possession of the air base in late April. It was a staging area for new troops arriving in Europe for a while. Other United States Air Force units housed at the base at some point included the 70th Fighter Wing, 306th Bombardment Group, and the 45th Reconnaissance Group. During the Berlin Crisis, B-29s were stationed at the base.  In August 1948, the United States Air Force decided to use  Fürstenfeldbruck

Siegburg is a small city of almost 40 000 found on the banks of the Sieg and Agger Rivers, and about 10 kilometers from Bonn.  Maarten has chosen a Paul  Cézanne card.  Cézanne (1839-1906) was a French post-impressionist painter. Matisse and Picasso apparently remarked that  Cézanne "is the Father of us all." The card doesn't mention what this painting is called, but it is in the collection of the Barnes Foundation in Merion, Pennsylvania. 

I really nice painting of Pottinger Street  砵典乍街  in Hong Kong. Pottinger Street (aka - Stone Slabs Street  石板街) was named after Henry Pottinger, the first governor of Hong Kong. He served from 1843-1844. It is a Grade I historic building (outstanding merits of which every effort should made to preserve it). The street itself is entirely covered by stone slabs.  In the 19th century the street acted as a boundary between the Chinese and European residents, who lived in different neighourhoods. 

I love these old type of postcards. They have so much character.  Cherry Hill is a township within Camden County. It is considered a suburb of Philadelphia and is a part of the Delaware Valley Metropolitan statistical area which includes Philadelphia, and has almost 6.3 million people as of 2020.  The hockey geek in me found that Cherry Hill was home to the Jersey Knights of the defunct World Hockey Association during the 1973-74 season. The Cherry Hill arena had a slope in the ice surface, which meant the visiting teams had to skate uphill for two of the three periods. The Knights finished the season with 32 wins, 42 losses, and 4 ties, good for last in the Eastern Division. The team was then moved to San Diego and rebranded as the San Diego Mariners, where they operated for three seasons, finishing in second place, third place, and third place again in the Western Division. The team folded as the new owners tried to move the team to Hollywood, Florida, but the deal failed. Three more

George Town (formerly known as Tanjung Penaga) is Malaysia's 6th most populous country with about 2.5 million people. It was established in 1786 has a port of the East India Company.  Penang F.C. competes in the Malaysia Super League. It was founded in 1920 and have one four Malaysia Cups. It finished in third place in the 2021 season. 

I always appreciate it when I get a bowling card - its usually someone who says they can't find a lawn bowls card, but hopes a bowling card will do. This card the sender wrote in 'lawn' just above a sign that says bowling. I love that. Olympia is the state capital of Washington. It is a city of almost 56 000 people and is the 23rd largest city in Washington.  Olympia is home to the Oly Rollers, the local women's flat track roller derby team. They were the 2009 national champions of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association in Philadelphia. 

Blair is a small town of almost 7800 people. It was named for railroad magnate John Insley Blair, who was credited with bringing the railroad to town in 1869. The town is in the Missouri River Valley and was severely flooded in 2011.

Cowberries are grown on small evergreen shrub. They are native to boreal forests and Arctic tundra. People collect the berries and are quite tart to eat. They are often cooked and sweetened and made into jams, juice, or syrup.  In Finland they are called puolukka.

The Rod Laver Arena is a multipurpose arena located in Melbourne. It is also the main venue for the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year.  Rod Laver is a former Australian tennis player. He won 11 Grand Slam titles, and won the Grand Slam twice - 1962 and 1969. He won the Australian Open three times; the French Open twice; Wimbledon four times; and the US Open twice. Rod Laver was given the honour of having the National Tennis Centre at Flinders Park named after him in 2000. The arena seats 14 820 for tennis.  The arena is also used for basketball, swimming, wrestling, eSports, and concerts. 

Prostějov is a city of about 43 000. It was first mentioned in 1141. Today it is known for textiles. A tailor's guild was founded in  Prostějov in 1500. in the 1850s Europe's first clothing factory was build here. Over 12 000 people were employed at this factory in 1910.  Oděvní podnik Prostějov was the biggest textile company in the country and founded in 1964. When communism fell in Czechoslovakia, the company failed to restructure and adapt and when bankrupt in 2010. Several smaller companies now operate in  Prostějov. Prostějov has a professional hockey team that plays in the Czech 1.Liga.  LHK Jestřábi Prostějov was founded in 1913. They have been the Czech 2.Liga Champions three times - 1999, 2005, 2014 - and the Tatra Cup champion in 1932, 1946, and 1952. 

Žalec is a town of just under 5000 people. The primary economic activity is growing hops, which is a stability agent in beer. The Savinja River flows through  Žalec. Žalec is first mentioned in 1182. The local Catholic Church is dedicated to St. Nicholas and was built between 1903-1906 and built on the site of a 16th century building that had a walled enclosure to protect locals from Ottoman raids. 

Regine says she is a senior and loves metal music from the 60s - 80s. Berlin is, of course, well known for their vibrant music scene and Germany is well know for a long history with heavy metal. Germany is one of Europe's heaviest contributors to the metal scene.  There are large metal festivals that include the Wacken Open Air and the Summer Breeze Open Air.  Some of the early speed metal bands include Running Wild, Grave Digger, Rage, Warlock, and Stormwitch.  German bands like Blind Guardian, Helloween, Gamma Ray, Freedom Call, Iron Saviour, Avantasia, Edguy, and Primal Fear gained international recognition Neue Deutsche  Härte (New German Hardness) is a popular German variant of industrial metal. Industrial metal combines the sound of metal with elements of gothis and industrial music, as well as electronic samples and is sung in German. The shows are over-the-top with fire, pyrotechnics, stunts, and morbid or provocative themes and lyrics.  German also has medieval metal which

The writer of the card is from Stuttgart, but he attended a Postcrossing meeting in October 2021 celebrating the 800th anniversary of Ansbach.  Ansbach is in Bavaria. It wasn't damaged much during the Second World War so it retains its original historical baroque sheen. 

Ann from Spokane sends a  Haleakalā  National Park card.  Haleakalā is found on the island of Maui in Hawai'i. A dormant volcano is within the boundaries of the park. There is a visitor's centre at 2970 m. The  Haleakalā Observatory is also located near the visitor centre. It experiences excellent viewing conditions and very clear skies. One of the observatory's jobs is the Maui Space Surveillance  System, which tracks  satellites  and debris orbiting  the Earth. 

Ilmenau is a city with almost 40 000 people. It is historically a mining town of silver, copper, and manganese until the mines were depleted. In 1838, the town was established as a spa because of its beautiful surroundings, and that led to a robust tourist industry. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe spent a lot of time here enjoy the spa. Ilmenau is also home to the Technische Universität Ilmenau . There are 4900 students at this public research university. The University has a focus on engineering, computer sciences, mathematics, natural sciences, economics, and media studies. It's become an important hub in the area of technological research. 

Solingen is known as the "City of Blades" as it is renowned for the manufacturing of fine swords, knives, scissors, and razors. The swordsmiths of Solingen designed the town's coat of arms.  Solingen was first mentioned in 1067 by a chronicler who called the area "Solonchon." Blacksmiths' smelters, dating back to 2000 years, have been found around town. Swords made in Solingen have been found on the British Isles. 

Celle is an ancient German city first mentioned in 985 as Kiellu (fishing bay). Today it is a city of 71 000 people. It is a part of the German Timber-Frame Road, a German tourist route leading from the River Elbe to the Black Forest and Lake Constance in the south. There are 400 examples of timber-framed houses in Celle. 

A great cycling card from Leila. Even more interesting is the postage stamp of the 100th anniversary of baseball in Finland. Baseball in Finland? I didn't know either. It's not baseball in Finland, but Finnish Baseball, otherwise known as  Pesäpallo. Lauri "Tahko" Pihkala invented it in the 1920s and is based on other ball-batting teams games and North American baseball.  The offence tries to score by hitting a ball successfully and running through the based, while the defence tried to put the batter and runners out. The ball is pitched vertically, which makes hitting the ball, as well as controlling the power and the direction of the hit much easier. The offensive teams has more variety, speed, and tactics compared to baseball. This sounds a lot like what is called slopitch.  There is a Superpesis - the top professional  Pesäpallo league in Finland. Both the men and women's top division is called Superpesis. There are 13 men's teams, and 12 women's teams.

A nice card from Ostholstein on the Baltic Sea.  The writer has never been there but her sister visits there quite a bit.  Stuttgart is the 6th largest city in Germany and at 5.3 million people, is the fourth largest metropolitan area in Germany. It is a Beta-status global city on the Globalization and World Cities Research Network.  The Stuttgart Rebels EC is one of two major hockey teams in Stuttgart. They play in the Landesliga (4th tier). The Bietigheim Bissingen Steelers play in the second division of DEL.

 

A great tourist card from Seattle. The send lives in Redmond, which is about 24 kilometres east of Seattle. It is a city of about 73 000 people and is the home to Microsoft and Nintendo of America. Redmond is also know as the "Bicycle Capital of the Northwest." Washington's only velodrome is located here. 

Naho from Tokyo  東京  sends a card from the Astro Boy  鉄腕アトム manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka. It was created in 1952. Astro Boy is an android young boy with human emotions created by Umataro Tenma after Tenma's own son dies. He is sold to a robot circus, and then saved by Professor Ochanomizu. Astro Boy becomes Ochanomizu's surrogate son and he creates a robot family for Astro and helps him leve a normal, human boy life. Of course, Astro Boy goes on many adventures. 

A wonderful card of a Chinese junk in Victoria Harbour with the modern skyscrapers of Hong Kong in the background.  The postage stamp caught my eye. It is commemorating the Empty Fort Strategy. The Empty Fort Strategy involves using reverse psychology, and some luck, to deceive one's enemies into thinking that an empty location is full of traps and ambushes, and therefore induce the enemy to retreat. It is the 32nd of the Chinese Thirty-Six Stratagems, an essay used to illustrate a series of stratagems used in politics, war, and civil interaction. Its focus is on using cunning and deception both on the battlefield and in court.  Apparently this stratagem was employed in CE 195 by the war lord Cao Cao against his rival Lu Bu at Chengshi County. Lu Bu had 10 000 soldiers attack Cao Cao, but Cao Cao, who had very few soldiers, managed to set up an ambush and defeat Lu Bu.  Cao Cao had about 1000 men available to defend his base. He had women stand guard on the walls to give Lu Bu the

Ka'lani is part of a Ms Fullmer's class and one of their assignments are to improve their letter writing skills. What a better way to start than to write postcards.  Manteca is a city of about 84 000 people and is located in the Central Valley of California. The story goes that the town wanted to name themselves Cowell Station, but there was already a Cowell Station nearby. The residents instead wanted to name in Monteca, but was misspelled in the official paperwork as Manteca, which is Spanish for lard or butter. The misspelled version stuck. 

Chowjanya sent this card from India. He must have been visiting friends and/or family. The card is part of a "Women in Nature"series. Women in Nature highlights women of India and their contributions to Indian life and culture.  

 

Taiyuan  太原 is the capital and largest city of Shanxi Province  山西. It is an ancient city dating back more than 2500 years (497 BCE). In 453 BCE during the Battle of Jinyang, Zhi Yao, the ruler of Zhi, a vassal state of Jin, the flow of the Fen River was diverted in order to inundate the city. This caused significant damage to the city. Eventually the Zhi were annihilated by the Zhoa. Today the city is home to 5.3 million people. Shanxi produces a quarter of China's coal. Taiyuan is also considered a transportation hub in north China, as many of the major highways go through here. It is also a main national hub for the high speed rail system of norther China. In 2016, the city began converting its 8000 taxi fleet to electric vehicles. 

Cape Town is one of South Africa's three capital cities. Cape Town is the legislative capital, while Pretoria is the executive capital, and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital and home to the Supreme Court of Appeal.  Cape Town is considered a Beta City on the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. The Dutch India Company founded the town as a supply station for Dutch ships sailing to East Africa, India, and the Far East. Jan van Riebeeck arrived on 6 April 1652 and established the first permanent European settlement in South Africa.  Robben Island, located 6 kilometers from Cape Town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nelson Mandela is its most famous prisoner having spent 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment here. He, of course, went on to serve as South Africa's president from 1994-1999. Two other South African presidents also spent time on Robben Island as prisoners - Kgalema Motlanthe and Jacob Zuma. Mandela also went on the win the Nobel Peace Prize. The island ha

 It's always exciting to get a card from a country one doesn't get to see very often. Luxembourg is one of those countries.  Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in the world and one of the least populated countries in Europe. However, the growth rate is amongst the highest. Half of Luxembourg's population are foreign born. Grand Duke Henri is the constitutional monarch of Luxembourg and Luxembourg is the only sovereign grand duchy in the world.  Luxembourg is also unique for a country in Europe as its sports are not concentrated upon one national sport, such as football in France or Germany, or hockey in Canada. About 1 in 7 Luxembourgers are licensed members of one sports federation.  Cycling is Luxembourg's most succesful sport at the professional level, and is a main participatory sport amongst the general public. The Tour de Luxembourg is run annually as a prelude to the Tour de France. Football is the most popular team sport and the National Division is the

I love these old vacation cards from the 50s or 60s. CJ is from Rockville, Maryland, but the card is from Fenwick Island, Delaware.  Fenwick Island is in the south east corner of Delaware and is a coastal resort town of about 343 people. It is considered a quiet resort town. It was named after Thomas Fenwick, a planter who settled in the area from England.  In 1960, about when this postc ard was issued, the population of Fenwick Island was 48.