USA -

CZECH REPUBLIC - Špindlerův Mlýn

Thanks to postcrosser Vlasta for the card.

"Špindlerův Mlýn is a town in the Czech Republic in the Krkonoše. It received its name (which can be literally translated as Špindler's Mill) after a mill belonging to Spindler's family, where neighbours would meet. Nowadays it has about 1,300 permanent inhabitants.

The town is one of the most well-known and most frequented mountain resorts in the Czech Republic, with year-round use and with accommodation capacity of 10,000 beds. Špindlerův Mlýn is one of the most visited ski resorts in the Czech Republic, and has 20 runs, the most of all resorts in the country. During the winter season the area hosts the Europacup in freestyle skiing and SnowJam, a professional snowboarding event. In the surroundings there are many marked hiking, mountain biking and cross-country skiing trails."

IRELAND - Clonmacnoise

Clonmacnoise is one of the old holy site in Ireland. Thanks to postcrosser Nora for the card.

Clonmacnoise, Country Offaly, one of Ireland's most important monasteic sites is situated on the banks of the Shannon River.  Founded in A.D.545 by Saint Ciaran the site contains tow Round Towers, eight churches, three high crosses and Castle.

RUSSIA - Emperor Alexander III's Family

Emperor Alexander III with his wife Maria Feodorovna and their children.
Thanks to postcrosser Olysya.

"Alexander III, Russian in full Aleksandr Aleksandrovich (born March 10 [Feb. 26, old style], 1845, St. Petersburg, Russia—died Nov. 1 [Oct. 20, O.S.], 1894, Livadiya, Crimea), emperor of Russia from 1881 to 1894.

 Alexander became the Tsar of Russia after revolutionaries assassinated his father in March 1881 and was crowned in Moscow on 15 May 1883. Alexander was badly shaken by his fathers’ death and this caused a profound change in the political course of the country."

USA - A Legend of the Sand Dollar

A Legend of the Sand Dollar
This delicate shell is quite common along the southeast coast of hte United States. Other varieties are found in California, South Carolina, Florida and elsewhere.
Thanks to Monica for the card.

"Sand dollars — sometimes called sea cookies, snapper biscuits, sand cakes, cake urchins or pansy shells — are species of flat, burrowing echinoids that belong to the order Clypeasteroida. Sand dollars are related to sea urchins, sea cucumbers and starfish.

Sand dollars get their name, not from their value, but from their appearance. When the skeletons (called tests) of dead sand dollars wash ashore, they are usually bright white from being bleached by the Sun. Long ago, people who found these dead sand dollars thought they looked like old Spanish or American dollar coins, so they called them sand dollars

When sand dollars are alive, they live in shallow coastal waters along the sandy ocean floor. Unlike the white color of dead sand dollars, live sand dollars are usually green, purple or blue. Some people think live sand dollars look like fuzzy cookies!" Source

UKRAINE - Descent of the Holy Spirit Church, Rohatyn

Thanks to postcrosser Nina for the card.

"The Descent of the Holy Spirit Church is a wooden Christian church in Rohatyn, IvanoFrankivsk region, built at the end of the 16th century. Now used as a museum institution. In the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), held in Cambodia on June 21, 2013, the Descent of the Holy Spirit Church, along with other wooden churches of the Carpathian region was inscribed on the World Heritage List. "

RUSSIA - Golden Mountains of Altai

Thanks to postcrossser Anna for the card and the New Year stamp. I love it very much!

"Golden Mountains of Altai is the name of an UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of the Altai and Katun Natural Reserves, Lake Teletskoye, Belukha Mountain, and the Ukok Plateau. As stated in the UNESCO description of the site, "the region represents the most complete sequence of altitudinal vegetation zones in central Siberia, from steppe, forest-steppe, mixed forest, subalpine vegetation to alpine vegetation".[1] While making its decision, UNESCO also cited Russian Altai's importance for preservation of the globally endangered mammals, such as snow leopard and the Altai argali. The site covers a vast area of 16,175 km²."

BARBADOS - Cover

SAUDI ARABIA - Jizan Folklore Dance

This is my second card from Saudi Arabia, thanks to Ihsan for the swap. It shows the Jizan Folklore Dance at Janadriyah Restival, Riyadh. He wrote, people here traditionally use thub (whitecloth), ghutra/shemag (red-white) at head part and eghal (black circle at hear).  A weapon at man hold caller "Khanjar" is Arabian Dagger.

"Jizan is a province of Saudi Arabia. It stretches some 300km along the southern Red Sea coast, just north of Yemen. It covers an area of 11,671 km² and a population of 1,186,139 (2004 census). The capital is the city of Jizan. The province includes over 100 islands in the Red Sea."

BELARUS - Chrismas card

Thanks to postcrosser Olga for the carad.

KAZAKHSTAN - Silk Way Shopping Centre

Happy mailbox today,
This card from Kazakhstan cames from Nadia, thank you.

GERMANY - Old Town with Beautiful Doors and Windows

Thanks to postcrosser Ellie for the card.

RUSSIA - Empress of Russia, Catherine II

Thanks to postcrosser Innokas for the Ekaterina II, the Empress of Russia card.

"Catherine II, Russian in full Yekaterina Alekseyevna, byname Catherine the Great, Russian Yekaterina Velikaya, original name Sophie Friederike Auguste, Prinzessin (princess) von Anhalt-Zerbst (born April 21 [May 2, New Style], 1729, Stettin, Prussia [now Szczecin, Poland]—died November 6 [November 17], 1796, Tsarskoye Selo [now Pushkin], near St. Petersburg, Russia), German-born empress of Russia (1762–96) who led her country into full participation in the political and cultural life of Europe, carrying on the work begun by Peter the Great. With her ministers she reorganized the administration and law of the Russian Empire and extended Russian territory, adding Crimea and much of Poland."

and the stamp is of St. Ekaterina Order star.

GREECE - The Temple of Poseidon

"The temple of Poseidon was constructed in approx. 440 B.C., over the ruins of a temple dating from the Archaic Period. It is perched above the sea at a height of almost 70 m. The design of the temple is a typical hexastyle i.e. it had a front portico with 6 columns. Only some columns of the Sounion temple stand today, but intact it would have closely resembled the contemporary and well-preserved Temple of Hephaestus beneath the Acropolis, which may have been designed by the same architect. 

As with many Greek temples, the Poseidon building was rectangular, with a colonnade on all four sides. The total number of original columns was 36: 18 columns still stand today. The columns are of the Doric Order. They were made of locally-quarried white marble. They were 6.10 m (20 ft) high, with a diameter of 1 m (3.1 ft) at the base and 79cm (31 inches) at the top." Source

GREECE - Le Mont-Lycabette

From my travelling boss. Thank you!

"Mount Lycabettu, also known as Lycabettos, Lykabettos or Lykavittos (Greek: Λυκαβηττός,) , is a Cretaceous limestone hill in Athens, Greece at 300 meters (908 feet) above sea level. Pine trees cover its base, and at its two peaks are the 19th century Chapel of St. George, a theatre, and a restaurant. The hill is a tourist destination and can be ascended by the Lycabettus Funicular, a funicular railway which climbs the hill from a lower terminus at Kolonaki (The railway station can be found at Aristippou street)."

CRIMEA - St Elijah Cathedral

Happy mailbox today! Received an official card from Crimean peninsula, with Russian stamps and Ukraine ID! Thank you Viktor for the church card.

The card shows the Church of St. Elijah - Greek church, located on the embankment of Yevpatoria. The temple was built in 1911 - 1918 by the architect A Henry.

"Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Ukrainian: Автономна Республіка Крим, Avtonomna Respublika Krym; Russian: Автономная Республика Крым, Avtonomnaya Respublika Krym; Crimean Tatar: Qırım Muhtar Cumhuriyeti) was created on 12 February 1991 when the Crimean Oblast was upgraded to an autonomous republic within Ukraine following a referendum on 20 January 1991.

In March 2014, following the takeover of the territory by pro-Russian separatists and Russian Armed Forces, a controversial referendum was held on the issue of reunification with Russia; the official result was that a large majority wished to join with Russia.  Russia then annexed the whole of Crimea by signing a Treaty of Accession with the self-declared independent Republic of Crimea to incorporate the Republic of Crimea and the federal city of Sevastopol as federal subjects of Russia..

While Russia and six other UN member states recognize Crimea as part of the Russian Federation, Ukraine continues to claim Crimea as an integral part of its territory, supported by most foreign governments and United Nations General Assembly Resolution 68/262."

ENGLAND - Sissinghurst Castle, Kent

Thanks to postcrosser Laura for the card.

"The garden at Sissinghurst Castle in the Weald of Kent, in England was created in the 1930s by Vita Sackville-West, poet and gardening writer, and her husband Harold Nicolson, author and diplomat. Sackville-West was a writer on the fringes of the Bloomsbury Group who found her greatest popularity in the weekly columns she contributed as gardening correspondent of The Observer, which incidentally—for she never touted it—made her own garden famous A manor house with a three-armed moat was built here in the Middle Ages. In 1305, King Edward I spent a night here."

NETHERLANDS - Dutch Royal Family

This card shows the Dutch Royal family on the day that the become King and Queen.  Thanks to postcrossser Corrie for the card.

GERMANY - Owl

Thanks to postcrosser Florian for the owl card.

KELANTAN - Pasar Siti Khadijah

I joined Postcard United 12 days ago and received my first card from fellow malaysian postcrosser and it only took 3 days to arrived. Thank Mazz for the colorful market view. I wonder where I could find this card..

"Siti Khadijah Market (Pasar besar Siti Khadijah), as its name implies, is a local wet market. Its name after Prophet Muhammad's wife, whom is known for her entrepreneurial skill, as this market is mostly run by women. Apart from the usual fresh goodies like seafood, vegetables and wide variety of fruits, you can also find ready-to eat food like 'ayam percik', nasi ulam and a variety of noodle soups, all unique in flavors and taste of Kelantan, serves freshly for you. Not to forget to taste the local desserts like 'kuih muih' (cake sort of), tempeh and a glass of hot milk tea, which is the staple drink for Kelantanese.