The postcard we
sent to María, Dimitri and Alexandra from Belarus featured Rafael Cachaldora's
view of Rúa dos Fornos:
Here you have an image of this street:
Rúa dos Fornos. Photo courtesy of Pilar Rodríguez
Rúa dos Fornos is
located at the heart of Ourense's old town. Its name means "bakeries
street" and derives from the fact that decades ago this street was home to
many bakeries. Nowadays it is one of the most popular streets to "go for
tapas", that is to say, visiting various bars and snacking in each one
until you have had your meal.
Watch this video to know where to go for tapas in Ourense!
Minsk is the capital
and largest city of Belarus, situated on the Svislach and Nyamiha rivers. It
has a population of 2,002,600.
Location of Minsk
WHAT IS MINSK FAMOUS FOR?
Minsk is the
administrative and economic capital of Belarus. It has developed industrial and
services sectors which serve the needs not only of the city, but of the entire
country. According to 2012 statistics, Minsk-based companies produced 21.5% of
electricity, 76% of trucks, 15.9% of footwear, 89.3% of television sets, 99.3%
of washing machines, 30% of chocolate, 27.7% of distilled alcoholic beverages
and 19.7% of tobacco goods in Belarus.
PLACES TO VISIT
Independence Square
Independence Square is over 7 hectares big, which
makes it one of the biggest squares in Europe. Here we can find the Government
headquarters, Belarusian State University and the Minsk metro headquarters.
Independence Avenue
One of the landmarks of Minsk is Independence Avenue,
which crosses the city from the center to the north-east. The avenue is 15km
long, which makes it one of Europe’s longest city thoroughfares. It passes
through the city’s biggest squares: Victoria Square, Independence Square,
October Square and Yakub Kolas Square.
Red Church
The Red Church was built in 1910 by order of a local
aristocrat. The church was named and consecrated in memory of his deceased
children, Simon and Helen. His daughter Helen had seen the future church in her
sleep and drafted its sketch.
National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus
Located in the city centre, this theatre is is one of Europe’s biggest theatres and the architectural landmark of Minsk. It is also famous for its talented performers, who play a great role in disseminating Belarusian music and ballet.
LIFESTYLE
Minsk is a multicultural city. Its ethnic groups
include Belarusians (75%), Russians (15.7%), Ukrainians (2.4%), Poles (2.1%)
and Jews (1.6%).Some more recent communities have developed as a result of
immigration. The most prominent are immigrants from Armenia, Azerbaijan and
Georgia, each numbering about 2,000 to 5,000. A small but prominent Arab
community.
If you want to know more about Belarus and its capital city, watch this video:
Our fifth postcard is travelling to Minsk, the capital and largest city of Belarus.
This time our recipent is a family with three members: Maria (mum), Dimitri (dad) and Alexandra (daughter). Would you like to know more about their city? Go to EXPLORING PLACES!
Hope the family likes this illustration by R. Cachaldora depicting Ourense's Rúa dos Fornos.
You can find more details about this popular street in our section DISCOVER OUR HOMETOWN.
This is the postcard sent to Jeef, from Holland. It features a night view of one of Ourense's emblems, A Ponte Vella or Ponte Romana (Roman Bridge).
TheRoman Bridge is a bit of a misnomer because Ourense's oldest bridge was built in Medieval times (1230) on Roman foundations. The most appropriate name isPonte Vella, Galician for “old bridge. It is a pedestrianised stone bridge spanning the river Miño and very often crossed by pilgrims following the Vía da Prata, the pilgrimage route that links Santiago de Compostela with Sevilla.
IJmuiden is a port
city in the Dutch province of North Holland and is the main town in the
municipality of Velsen. It is located at the mouth of the North Sea Canal to
Amsterdam. The IJmuiden name literally means “mouth of the IJ”, which indicates
the importance the town has for the Amsterdam harbour. Over 40,000 people live
in this city.
IJmuiden is
considered to be North Holland's gateway to the North Sea and it's at the head
of a canal that leads directly to Amsterdam. The area is also popular for its
beaches, sand dunes and pretty scenery, as well as for other maritime
attractions such as the country’s biggest fish market.
IJmuiden's city hall was designed by renowned architect W.M. Dudok. It was heavily damaged in WWII and was not completely reconstructed until 1965. In 1992 an extension as added to the City Hall.
The Bunker Museum allows you to walk through the wooden trenches as you discover the various bunkers. Some of these bunkers have been made into exhibitions, showing what life was like during one of the most dramatic events in world history.
IJmuiden's South Beach is divided into 4 zones: 2 for sunbathing and swimming and 2 for other activities. it's common to see surfers enjoying the waves.
LIFESTYLE
IJmuiden is a place of sea-lovers! Being situated on the coast, it is a popular spot for water sports. Here you have a video about IJmuiden bunkers and the beautiful coastal area surrounding them:
Postcard 4 will go to...Holland! also known as The Netherlands. Jeef, our
addressee, lives in IJmuiden, a port city in the Dutch province of North
Holland.
Wanna know more about this coastal city? If so, visit our section Exploring Places!
Hope Jeef likes
the postcard we have chosen for him, a night view of our dear Ponte
Vella. Visit Discover our hometown
to find out more about this historic bridge.
The springs are located in the middle of the city,
very near the Plaza Mayor and the Cathedral. Water gushes out from three
sources: “Burgas de Arriba”, “Burgas do Medio” and “Burgas de Abaixo”. Water
temperature kis really high, between 64ºC and 68ºC.
Nobody knows for certain where these waters come
from... some people think it comes from a spring situated under the cathedral,
but others believe it comes from a subterranean volcano! In any case, “As
Burgas” water is one of Ourense's most treasured resources; it is used for
therapeutic purposes such as healing wounds and skin condition.
If you ever visit Ourense, As Burgas is a must-see!!
The map is not wrong, the Kent will talk about belongs to Washington State in the United States of America.
WHERE IS KENT?
Kent is a city located in King County, Washington, United States. Kent is in the heart of the White River Valley. It is located 29 kilometres south of Seattle and 29 kilometres northeast of Tacoma. Kent's population is 92,000, which makes it the sixth largest city in the state and third largest in the county.
KENT IS FAMOUS FOR…
Kent is the fourth largest manufacturing and distribution center in the United States. It has a vibrant and diverse economy; it is home to over 4,500 companies, including Boeing Defense, and approximately 78,000 jobs.
Kent's park system includes 73 parks, playfields, skateparks and picnic areas. They offer a wide variety of indoor and outdoor activities, classes, services and facilities for all ages.
Farmers’ Market is located at one of Kent’s Parks, “The Town Square Plaza” and opens each Saturday from 9am to 2pm June through September. It offers seasonal fruit, vegetables and flowers.
This museum promotes the study, preservation and dissemination of knowledge about Kent history. Its permanent exhibition includes a farming and agriculture display, kitchen and household chores displays, and the community room, showcasing Kent history.
LIFESTYLE
Named one of the "Best Places to Live" by Seattle Metropolitan Magazine, Kent is a culturally rich destination with award-winning parks and great schools, making it a fantastic place to live in the heart of the Green River Valley.
In the video below you can see some locals explaining what the Kent area has to offer!
Kent is the destination of our third postcard. But careful, it is not Kent in the United Kingdom, it is Kent in Washington State in the United States of America!
Find out more about this American
town by visitingExploring Placeson
this same blog.
Again, we have chosen an illustration by Rafael Cachaldora. This time it depicts one of Ourense's landmarks: As Burgas. You
can find out more about this magical place in our sectionDiscover our hometown.
Rúa Lepanto is one of the streets within Ourense's "zona de viños" (the wine quarter), an area in the old town where people gather to visit bars and have a wine and a snack in each of them. At one end of the street we can find one of the Cathedral's entrances; if we walk till the other end we will reach "Praza do Ferro" with its impressive Baroque fountain, a meeting point for the ourensanos.
Perm (Russian: Пермь) is a city and the administrative center of Perm Krai, Russia, located on the banks of the Kama River in the European part of Russia near the Ural Mountains. The Karma river is the fifth largest river in Europe after the Volga, the Dabube, the Ural and the Dnieper. The length of the Karma is 1805 km and it is the largest tributary of the Volga.
Perm's population is approximately 1000,000, which makes it the thirteenth most populous city in Russia. Perm has a humid continental climate, which means very cold winters and hot summers.
PERM IS FAMOUS FOR….
Perm is a major
administrative, industrial, scientific, and cultural center. The leading
industries include machinery, defence and oil production. During Soviet times,
Perm was a proper fortress because of the huge military industry in its region.
Nowadays, it is one of Russia's fastest growing cities because of its
prosperity.
Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre is one of the oldest theatres in the country. Its ballet company is one of the most popular in Russia and has performed most works by the country’s best known ballet composer, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
This gallery houses outstanding collections of art, including paintings from the 15th- to 18th-century art movements, and wooden sculptures from the region.
The Walking Bear is a sculpture in Perm which depicts a walking bear (the symbol included on the coat of arms of city). It is situated in the central part of city, at the Lenin Street and was opened in September 2009.
A beautiful natural spot to go for a walk or have an entertaining time in its attraction park.
LIFESTYLE
Perm has a well-trained and skilled young population. There are more than 30 research institutes such as the Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms, the Heart Institute. In the Soviet times Perm scientists contributed a lot to the development of rocketry and space engineering.
