Postcards from the World 2024

Greetings,

Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, adjacent to Chicago. It is the 26th-most populous municipality in Illinois, with a population of 51,631 as of the 2023 census. Oak Park was first settled in 1835 and later incorporated in 1902, when it separated from Cicero. It is closely tied to the smaller town of River Forest.

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright and his wife settled in Oak Park in 1889, and his work heavily influenced local architecture and design, including the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, pictured here. Over the years, rapid development was spurred by railroads and streetcars connecting the village to jobs in nearby Chicago. In 1968, Oak Park passed the Open Housing Ordinance, which helped devise strategies to integrate the village rather than re-segregate.

Today, Oak Park remains ethnically diverse, and is known for its socially liberal politics, with 80% or higher voter turnout in every presidential election since 2000. Oak Park has several public transportation links to Chicago with Chicago Transit Authority access via the Green Line and Blue Line "L" train lines, as well as the Metra Union Pacific West Line Oak Park station downtown.

Frank Lloyd Wright built many homes and the Unity Temple, his own church, in the village, before he left in 1911 to settle in Wisconsin. Oak Park attracts architecture buffs and others to view the many Wright-designed homes found in the village, alongside homes reflecting other architectural styles. The largest collection of Wright-designed residential properties in the world is in Oak Park. A distinct focus on historic preservation of important architectural styles began in the 1970s and continues, with many buildings marked as historically significant, and so far, three historic districts defined.

Some of my favorite Wright-designed residences can be seen HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Weekly prompt: Postcard

Photo captured April 14, 2023.

Greetings,

Estonia is renowned for its vast archipelago, featuring over 2,000 islands, each offering unique experiences and natural beauty. There are historical windmills and meteorite craters, lighthouses, and unspoiled forests. Smaller islands are famous for their rich cultural heritage and festivals, preserving the old Estonian islander lifestyle. Estonia's islands are a mosaic of natural splendor and cultural richness waiting to be explored.

This photo was taken in Saaremaa, Estonia's largest island.
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Saaremaa @ August 2015
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Weekly prompt: Postcard

Greetings,

The Roosisaare suspension bridge in Võru is the longest in Estonia, reaching 180 meters. It was built in 1998 and is one of the best-known views in my hometown. The bridge connects the beach promenade of Lake Tamula with the peninsula called Roosisaar (Rose Island), offering walkers beautiful views of the city of Võru and Lake Tamula. There is also a historical settlement in the Roosisaar, which dates back to the Stone Age about 5,000 years ago. Today, this bridge and Roosisaar are popular hangouts for locals and city visitors.
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Roosisaare 180 meetei pikkune rippsild Võrus on Eesti pikim. See ehitati 1998. aastal ning on kindlasti üks minu kodulinna tuntumaid vaateid. Sild ühendab Tamula järve rannapromenaadi Roosisaare nimelise poolsaarega, pakkudes jalutajatele kauneid vaateid Võru linnale ja Tamula järvele. Roosisaare läheduses asub ka ajalooline asulakoht, mis pärineb umbes 5000 aasta tagusest ajast. Sild ja Roosisaar populaarsed ajaveetmiskohad nii kohalike elanike kui ka linna külastajate seas.
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Võrumaa @ June 2024
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My other photos of this bridge here
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Weekly prompt: Postcard

Greetings,

La Rochelle

Les bateaux ( Hobie Cat ) de l'école de voile sur le parking au pied de la Tour de La Lanterne ( ou des 4 Sergents )

Greetings,

The weekly am3 prompt = Postcard
A holiday greeting from a flowery farm.

Greetings,

GREETINGS and have a fine and sunny summer.
I take a summerpause till 9 septembre.
Bye bye...and please stay health.

Greetings,

A seaside view at the Oregon Coast in the United States.

Greetings,

Nestled within the Monte Rosa massif, the Lys Glacier originates at the Lys Pass (4,248 meters) and descends to an elevation of 2,600 meters in the upper Lys Valley. Ranked among the most extensive glaciers in Valle d'Aosta, it also stands as one of the largest on the southern Alpine slope, spanning an impressive 3,920 square meters according to the latest easurements. The glacier is encircled by the majestic peaks of Lyskamm, Balmenhorn, Ludwigshöhe, and Piramide Vincent.
Due to its southern exposure, the Lys Glacier bears the brunt of solar radiation, resulting in a smaller size compared to the vast Grenz Glacier that graces the northern Swiss slope.

Pentax K30 - Sigma 17_70

Greetings,

Chicago is the most populous city in the State of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous city in the United States after New York City and Los Angeles. As the seat of Cook County, the second-most populous county in the United States, Chicago is the center of the Chicago metropolitan area, often colloquially called "Chicagoland" and home to 9.6 million residents.

Located on the shore of Lake Michigan, Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1837 near a portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watershed. It grew rapidly in the mid-19th century. In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed several square miles and left more than 100,000 homeless, but Chicago's population continued to grow. Chicago made noted contributions to urban planning and architecture, such as the Chicago School, the development of the City Beautiful Movement, and the steel-framed skyscraper.

Chicago is an international hub for finance, culture, commerce, industry, education, technology, telecommunications, and transportation. It has the largest and most diverse derivatives market in the world, generating 20% of all volume in commodities and financial futures alone. O'Hare International Airport is routinely ranked among the world's top six busiest airports by passenger traffic, and the region is also the nation's railroad hub. The Chicago area has one of the highest gross domestic products (GDP) of any urban region in the world, generating $689 billion in 2018. Chicago's economy is diverse, with no single industry employing more than 14% of the workforce.

Chicago is a major destination for tourism, including visitors to its cultural institutions, and Lake Michigan beaches. Chicago's culture has contributed much to the visual arts, literature, film, theater, comedy (especially improvisational comedy), food, dance, and music. Chicago is home to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, while the Art Institute of Chicago provides an influential visual arts museum and art school. The Chicago area also hosts the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and the University of Illinois Chicago, among other institutions of learning. Professional sports in Chicago include all major professional leagues, including two Major League Baseball teams.

Weekly prompt: Postcard

From the archives . . . Photo captured September 27, 2009.

Greetings,

© Gilles Daigneault 2024

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Havre-Aubert, Îles de la Madeleine, Québec, octobre 2023
Havre-Aubert, Magdalen Islands, Quebec, october 2023

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Greetings,

In Nederland doet men nog aan riet dakdekking… zeker in het noorden van nederland. Ik kwam deze rietdekker tegen bij de uitoefening van zijn ambacht in de Wieden.. Het riet wordt bij elkaar gebonden tot schoven en gaat op de vrachtwagen die levert in de hele wereld.

In the Netherlands straw roofing is still a craft. This man, the thatcher binds the straw together by hand. By truck it goes around the world.
I met him in the Wieden (Overijssel) where he was busy .

Straw roofing is not cheap this days but nice and isolating..

Greetings,

St. John's Day is a deeply rooted holiday in Estonia, celebrated around the summer solstice when the days are the longest and the nights are the shortest. It is a time when nature blooms and the sun sets late in the evening, leaving the earth in twilight. Midsummer has traditionally been an important agricultural holiday, marking the start of summer haymaking. On St. John's Saturday, June 23, (Midsummer Eve) Estonians do not think about work but devote themselves to celebrations. The Midsummer bonfire is the central element of Midsummer's Day, and preparations are made early, using collected trees and discarded wooden objects. On Midsummer's Eve, people sing, dance, jump over bonfires, and look for the mythical fern flower, which symbolizes love. The celebration of St. John's Day is a mixture of pagan customs and Christian influences, reflecting the diversity and historical depth of Estonian culture.
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Võrumaa @ June 2017
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Weekly prompt: Postcard

Greetings,

No longer living at the address indicated

Week's prompt: Postcard

Greetings,

Barolo, known as ‘the king of wines and the wine of kings,’ is the quintessential Italian wine made exclusively from Nebbiolo grapes. It originates in the heart of the Langhe hills, within the territory of 11 municipalities that form a picturesque landscape of rolling hills. These hills are meticulously shaped by human hands and guarded by imposing medieval castles, including the one in Barolo, which gave its name to the globally renowned wine. Barolo has a deep and intense garnet color, with a fragrance that combines fruity and spicy notes. Both on the nose and in the mouth, it evokes flavors of red berries, preserved cherries, and jam. Additionally, it offers hints of faded roses, violets, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, vanilla, and occasionally licorice, cocoa, tobacco, and leather. The wine must age for at least three years, including a year and a half in oak barrels, and only after five years can it be labeled as ‘Riserva.’ While it is already enjoyable after 4-6 years, it reaches its peak after a decade of aging and remains excellent even after 20 years or more.

Pentax K3 - 18_135

Greetings,

The beautiful sweeping mountain view of Emmental, Switzerland.

Greetings,

Riverside is arguably the first planned suburb (as opposed to a stand-alone community) in the United States, designed in 1869 by Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted. The village was incorporated in 1875. The Riverside Landscape Architecture District, an area bounded by 26th Street, Harlem and Ogden Avenues, the Des Plaines River, and Golf Road, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970. In 1863 the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was built heading southwest from downtown Chicago to Quincy, Illinois, passing through what is now the Near West Suburban area of Chicago in a western-southwestern direction. This new access to transportation and commerce brought about a significant housing and construction boom in what was once farmland far from the bustle of the city of Chicago.

In 1868, an eastern businessman named Emery E. Childs formed the Riverside Improvement Company, and purchased a 1,600-acre tract of property along the Des Plaines River and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad line. The site was highly desirable due to its natural oak-hickory forest and its proximity to Chicago. The company commissioned well-known landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and his partner, Calvert Vaux, to design a rural bedroom community. The town's plan, which was completed in 1869, called for curvilinear streets, following the land's contours and the winding Des Plaines River. The plan also accorded for a central village square (seen here), located at the main railroad station, and a Grand Park system that uses several large parks as a foundation, with 41 smaller triangular parks and plazas located at intersections throughout town to provide for additional green spaces.

Weekly prompt: Postcard

Photo captured May 28, 2023.

Greetings,

Greetings from La Rochelle

Greetings,

The tranquility of giraffes

Seeing kids and people
Looking from behind the windows
And taking photos

Giraffes not paying attention
To the bus of tourists made me take this photo from a distance abd from behind the windshield

Recording a moment of peace in the chaos of cars and people

Here is lunch
Toronto; Canada
Fereshteh
September ,2023
آرامش زرافه ها

دیدن بچه ها و آدم ها
که از پشت شیشه ها در حال تماشا
و عکس گرفتن بودند

توجه نکردن زرافه ها
به اتوبوس توریست ها
باعث شد که از فاصله ی دور و از
پشت شیشه
جلو ماشین این عکس را بگیرم
ثبت لحظه ی از آرامش در هیاهوی ماشین هاو آدم ها

:) بفرمایید نهار

تورنتو ؛ کانادا ؛

فرشته

Greetings,

Before text messages on smartphones existed, there were postcards. Usually, young lovers used them to write sweet words at the beginning of a love story and heartbreaking words to declare its end. In those words, there was a lot of Prévert and the longing for how we would have wanted to appear alongside the words delivered to our loves without being present.

Pentax K10D - SMC A f/1.4 lens

Greetings,

week's prompt, "Postcard"

Se croire encore à Cape Code aux cotés de Joel Meyerowitz :-)
Mes quelques photos des expositions de Joel Meyerowitz ICI

We all experience it. Those moments when we gasp and say, Oh, look at that. Maybe it's nothing more than the way a shadow glides across a face, but in that split second, when you realize something truly remarkable is happening and disappearing right in front of you, if you can pass a camera before your eye, you'll tear a piece of time out of the whole, and in a breath, rescue it and give it new meaning.
(Joel Meyerowitz)

Greetings,

Lac d'Allos is a glacial lake in France in the Mercantour National Park in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region. It is the largest high-altitude lake in Europe at 2230 meters (7316ft).

Greetings,

Postcard

Greetings,

Here we are at the top of the world, Mount Scott in the Wichita Mountains, Oklahoma. After driving up a 2400 ft (750m) mountain, you are treated to some of the best views in Oklahoma.

Greetings,

am3-prompt-202426 Postcard
I value your comments

Greetings,

Greetings from Ouddorp