Península Valdés, Argentina

Whale-watching in Golf Nuevo, Valdes Peninsula

30 Mar 2015 | From Sue of Guernsey

POSTCROSSING FRIEND | POSTCARD SENT FROM GUERNSEY

Inside the Atlantic Patagonia, the city of Puerto Madryn stands out for the transparency of its waters in the Nuevo Golf - which is the starting point for a tour in Valdes Peninsula. The Valdes Peninsula is a peninsula on the Atlantic coast in the Viedma Department in the north east of Chubut Province, Argentina. It is an important nature reserve which was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The coastline is inhabited by marine mammals, like sea lions, elephant seals and fur seals. Southern right whales can be found in Golfo Nuevo and Golfo San José, protected bodies of water located between the peninsula and the Patagonian mainland.  The whales are born in the Golf Nuevo and San José do not necessarily return every year to the area of  Valdes Peninsula. They have well defined areas for their autumn migration and summer.

They travel thousands of miles in each migration. In the autumn, they move to the north, is the breeding season, up to parallel 20, further north which are often some groups is on the coast of Brazil in South America and between Mozambique and the island of Madagascar in Africa. They are also found in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Source: eco-lodge

An elephant in a hot-air balloon

Adventure Awaits

7 Jan 2015 | From Sue of Guernsey

POSTCROSSING FRIEND

The postcard is a Terry Fan illustration titled 'Adventure Awaits'. Terry Fan is an artist residing in Toronto, Canada. Her style is a blend of traditional and digital. She considers art as a multifaceted thing and have studied diverse creative disciplines such as illustration, design, sculpture, creative writing, photography and film.

She is currently working on her debut picture book entitled "The Night Gardener" in collaboration with her brother, Eric Fan. The story, which follows a boy, a mysterious gardener, and the awakening of a creative spirit, is scheduled for spring 2016 publication by Simon & Schuster.

Sue extended her Christmas greetings and wishes through this postcard. She was busy preparing for Christmas whilst writing the postcard (02 Dec 2015).

Beautiful people

I Am the Messenger. Markus Zusak

10 Oct 2014 | From Sue of Guernsey

SURPRISE POSTCARD

Here's another surprise postcard from Sue - the first was a postcard from Ireland. Sue and I swapped some postcards before. And she have sent me some lovely surprises from then on. This postcard is maybe from a collection of cards showing quotes - just like one of the first postcards she sent me.

A friend told me that this line is maybe from the book 'I am the Messenger' by Markus Zusak. The actual lone from the book goes like this:

“Sometimes people are beautiful.

Not in looks.

Not in what they say.

Just in what they are.”

But of course, the line might have been used somewhere even before the book was published. The Messenger is a 2002 novel by Markus Zusak. It was released in the United States under the name I Am the Messenger. It tells the story of a young man challenged by an unknown benefactor to become a better person by helping those around him. Through a series of assignments given to him on the aces from a deck of playing cards, Ed Kennedy learns to face his fears. He is able to rise above his feelings of incompetence as he helps others in areas where they need the help the most.

Round-the-Island-walks in Guernsey

The Grande Havre Bay from Chouet to The Rousse Tower

10 Sept 2014 | From Holly of Guernsey

POSTCROSSING SWAP

Grand Havre Bay is located in Rousse which is a town in Guernsey. It is popular for its Round-the-Island-walk and a spectacular rocky coastline. One of the famous island walks is the Grande Havre to L'Ancresse and back. This walk starts from Grande Havre, then passes Ladies bay to arrive at the popular bays of Pembroke and L'Ancresse, before heading back through quiet lanes and footpaths. Chouet is known for its Winter Walk. It involves trekking the island's largest gull flock to take a walk around Chouet headland.

The Rousse Tower is fully restored and accessible loop-holed tower was originally built in the 19th century to defend the island against the threat of a French invasion. The tower has been wonderfully maintained and is complete with replica cannons, making it a great place to stop off along your walk around Rousse headland.

Source: Visit Guernsey, Guernsey Walker

Sights and Scenes: Guernsey

Bailiwick of Guernsey

12 Aug 2014 | From Sarah of Guernsey

POSTCROSSING SWAP

St. Peter Port, St. Peter Port Harbour, St. Saviour's Church, Fort Grey, Breakwater and Harbour Light

Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey, is a possession of the Crown in right of Guernsey in the English Channel, off the coast of Normandy. The islands of Guernsey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy, which held sway in both France and England. Saint Peter Port is the capital of Guernsey as well as the main port. With its cobbled streets and Regency architecture, it is considered as one of the prettiest harbour towns in Europe.

Guernsey is well known for its natural beauty, and the island has an abundance of dedicated nature trails and reserves. It is a unique place in sense that it is not part of the UK but feels British, and because of its close proximity to France, it has this French touch.

The island's coast is its greatest draw. There are about 27 bays – some with long and popular stretches of sand, others hidden coves which rarely attract tourists. The beautiful south coast is lined with stunning cliffs for sightseeing. 

Be happy :)

The Guernsey stamp is happy too :)

6 Aug 2014 | From Sue of Guernsey

POSTCROSSING SWAP

Sue sent me another postcard with a "happy" advice in front. The stamp she used was the Guernsey Postcrossing stamp that recognises the online hobby website Postcrossing. The Guernsey stamp shows an outline of the island of Guernsey coupled with a smiley offering a "thumbs up" to the hobby website of Postcrossing.

The tiny island of Guernsey was the fourth country (or in this case, special territory) to have launched its own Postcrossing stamp. The Guernsey Postcrossing stamp was launched 28 May 2014. You can read more about it here. I hope the Philippines would also have its own Postcrossing stamps in the future (fingers crossed).

My first postcard from Guernsey

Guernsey Icons

6 Aug 2014 | From Sue of Guernsey

POSTCROSSING SWAP

With only less than fifty members (March 2014), last March I was lucky enough to be able to send an official postcard to Guernsey. I was really excited to have given that address in the official Postcrossing. Five months later, I was really happy to have found this postcard in my mailbox :) Sue even attached a lovely Guernsey map onto the postcard.

The postcard shows a lot of Guernsey's famous icons. There's the cow, which according to Sue, gives them delicious rich milk and cream; a statue of Victor Hugo, a French poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement, who lived in Guernsey in exile from France for several years; a fort by the sea built to guard the island of Guernsey many years ago; and old Guernsey doorways which shows their typical architecture.

The flag of Guernsey is shown at the center of the postcard. It was adopted in 1985 and consists of the red cross of St. George with an additional gold cross within it. The change was prompted by confusion at international sporting events over competitors from Guernsey and England using the same flag. It was designed by the Guernsey Flag Investigation Committee chaired by the then Deputy Bailiff Graham Dorey and first flew in the island on 15 February 1985. The gold cross represents Duke William of Normandy, who, it is claimed, had such a cross on his flag in the Battle of Hastings, given to him by Pope Alexander II. A red ensign with the cross in the fly is used as civil ensign.