Travel Souvenirs

Postcards from Brazil and Milan

4 Apr 2014 | From Rogerio of Brazil

POSTCROSSING FRIEND

Rogerio got the dino card from a recent field trip in some dinosaur museum in Brazil. I think it may be the Uberaba Dinosaur Museum. He shared that as a teacher, he really enjoys visiting museums.

The postcard set is from Milan (9-postcard set). Rogerio visited Milan some years ago. He told me some of his friends are not fond of Milan, but he stressed that it is actually a nice place to visit.

Along with the postcards is a Brazilian 5-Reais banknote.

A walk in the park

Maringá, Parana

29 Nov 2013 | From Davi of Brazil

FACEBOOK SWAP

Maringá is a city and municipality in southern Brazil. It is the third largest city in the state of Paraná. Located in north west of Paraná and crossed by the Tropic of Capricorn it is a regional centre for commerce, services, agro-industries, and universities, including the State University of Maringá.

The postcard shows the Parque do Inga in Avenida Sao Paulo, Maringa, State of Parana, Brazil. It is a native forest park that is open to the public, and ranks as one of Maringa's attractions. The pink flowers shown in the card is known as Ipê-rosa, a tree typical in this region.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Leblon and Ipanema Beaches

21 Nov 2013 | From Rogério of Brazil

The postcard shows Leblon, which to Rogério's opinion is the best beach in Rio de Janeiro and one of the best in Brazil. You can always find a good spot to lay down, and the sand is very clean and soft.  

Leblon is the most affluent neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Neighboring Ipanema is regarded as the second most affluent area in Rio de Janeiro. It is also the name of the local beach. The neighborhood is located in the south zone of the city, between Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, Morro Dois Irmãos and the Jardim de Alá channel, bordering the Gávea, Ipanema, Lagoa and Vidigal neighborhoods. It is regarded as having the most expensive price per residential square meter in Latin America

Leblon is similar to Ipanema but even more exclusive, being the home of rich and famous people. The beach is quieter and more relaxed than the hip and trendy beach of Ipanema.

About the stamp, Rogério shared that it is called "Olho de Boi", or Bull's eye. It is a replica of the first stamp ever to be produced in Brazil in 1843. There are three denominations for the stamps: 30, 60, and 90 Reis. A pack of stamps with all three denominations would amount to $770,000.00.

The town of Rio Quente

Rio Quente - Goiás Brazil

13 Aug 2013 | From Rogério of Brazil

POSTCROSSING FRIEND

Rogério, my pen-friend from Brazil, sent me this postcard while he was in Caldas Novas - Goiás with his wife, brother, and some relatives. He shared that there was a park (or some sort of a resort) called Hot Park. The park is with natural hot water because of some volcanoes surrounding it.

Rio Quente is a small town and municipality in the south of the state of Goiás, Brazil. It is the site of a hot water spa known all over the country.

Brazil's most important avenue

Avenida Paulista

1 Jul 2013 | From Adriano of Brazil

POSTCROSSING SWAP

Inaugurated in 1891, the Paulista Avenue went from elegant residential area to the financial center and a major cultural corridors of the Brazil's capital city. It is one of the most important avenues in São Paulo, Brazil.

Since the 1960s, the avenue has been identified as one of the main business centers in the city. Being one of the highest points in São Paulo, it is distinctively clustered with radio and TV stations antennae, such as Gazeta's. The road is served by a subway line and many major bus routes. The avenue, which was inaugurated in December 1891, is generally regarded as the most expensive real estate anywhere in Latin America.

Source: Wikipedia

Catedral Metropolitana de São Paulo

Vista Aerea da Catedral da Se

1 Jul 2013 | From Adriano of Brazil

POSTCROSSING SWAP

Adriano sent me another set of postcards showing the beautiful city of São Paulo.

Catedral Metropolitana de São Paulo is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of São Paulo, Brazil. As of 2013 the Metropolitan Archbishop of the archdiocese was Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer. Its construction, in Neo-Gothic style, began in 1913 and ended four decades later. It was ready for its dedication on the 400th anniversary of the foundation of the then humble villa of São Paulo by Chief or Cacique Tibiriçá and the Jesuit priests Manuel da Nóbrega and José de Anchieta. Despite having a Renaissance-styled dome, the São Paulo Metropolitan Cathedral is considered by some to be the 4th largest neo-gothic cathedral in the world.

São Paulo, Brazil

Museu Paulista - Vista Aerea do Museo do Ipiranga

1 Jul 2013 | From Adriano of Brazil

POSTCROSSING SWAP

São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city proper in the southern hemisphere, in the Americas, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among the ten largest metropolitan areas in the world. São Paulo is the capital of the state of São Paulo, Brazil's most populous state. It exerts strong regional influence in commerce, finance, arts and entertainment and a strong international influence. The name of the city honors Saint Paul of Tarsus.

Popularly known as "Ipiranga Museum", the first monument built to preserve the memory of the Independence of Brazil, opened on September 7, 1895, with the name of Museu de Ciências Naturais (Natural Science Museum). In 1919, it became a history museum. Reflecting the architectural influence of the Versailles Palace in France, the Ipiranga's collection, with approximately 100,000 pieces, comprises works of art, furniture, clothing and appliances that belonged to those who took part in Brazilian history, such as explorers, rulers and freedom fighters. Its facilities house a library with 100,000 books and the "Centro de Documentação Histórica," Historic Documentation Center, with 40,000 manuscripts.

Meaning behind the name

Big Waters

2 May 2013 | From Adriano Lubini

POSTCROSSING SWAP

The name "Iguazu" comes from the Guarani or Tupi words "y", meaning "water", and "ûasú", meaning "big". Legend has it that a god planned to marry a beautiful woman named Naipí, who fled with her mortal lover Tarobá in a canoe. In rage, the god sliced the river, creating the waterfalls and condemning the lovers to an eternal fall.

Iguazu Falls as a Heritage Site

Iguazu National Park

2 May 2013 | From Adriano Lubini

POSTCROSSING SWAP

Iguazú National Park and its sister World Heritage property Iguaçu National Park in Brazil conserve one of the largest and most spectacular waterfalls in the world

Located in Misiones Province in the Northeastern tip of Argentina and bordering the Brazilian state of Parana to the north, Iguazú National Park, jointly with its sister park Iguaçu in Brazil, is among the world’s visually and acoustically most stunning natural sites for its massive waterfalls. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1984.

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The Iguazu Falls

Foz do Iguaçu | Cataratas do Iguaçu

2 May 2013 | From Adriano Lubini

POSTCROSSING SWAP

For this swap, Adriano sent me three beautiful postcards of the Iguazu Falls.

Iguazu Falls, Iguazú Falls, Iguassu Falls or Iguaçu Falls are waterfalls of the Iguazu River on the border of the Brazilian state of Paraná and the Argentine province of Misiones. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. The Iguazu River rises near the city of Curitiba. The river flows through Brazil for most of its course, although most of the falls are on the Argentine side. Below its confluence with the San Antonio River, the Iguazu River forms the boundary between Argentina and Brazil.

My first postcard from the South America!

Praia de Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro

30 Apr 2013 | From Rogério of Brazil

POSTCROSSING SWAP

My first postcard from South America came from Rogério of Brazil. We even decided to keep sending each other postcards or letters.

Copacabana is a bairro (neighbourhood) located in the South Zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is known for its 4 km balneario beach, which is one of the most famous in the world.