Stari Most

Mostar was named after the bridge keepers (mostari) who in the medieval times guarded the Stari Most (Old Bridge) over Neretva river. The Old Bridge, built by the Ottomans in the 16th century, is one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. It was destroyed during the Bosnian War in 1993 and rebuilt in 2004. The reconstructed Old Bridge and Old City of Mostar, UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a symbol of reconciliation, international co-operation and of the coexistence of diverse cultural, ethnic and religious communities.

Vijećnica

The Vijećnica is the largest and most representative building of the Austro-Hungarian period in Sarajevo, and was purpose-built as the city hall. It was handed over to the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1949. During the Siege of Sarajevo in 1992, the building was hit by heavy artillery and incendiary bombs, burned out and largely destroyed, causing incalculable damage to the physical structure of the building and to the library holdings. It is currenty being repaired.

Mrkva

My friend Toni went to Bosnia and Herzegovina for a photography course during a week in the summer of 2009 and as usual, he only told me about this trip afterwards by postcard. These two amazing views of pre-war Bosnia came to my letterbox as a very pleasant surprise. On both cards, this pretty stamp from the 2006 series "Vegetables": 1.00 convertible mark featuring a watercolour of carrots.

This week's theme is food and drink.

I have this friend named Toni. He was born and raised in France from Spanish parents and came back home when he was a teenager. We sometimes have fun on him calling him Antoine (which is how he is called by his French friends). He is a very special person, different, traveller, a dreamer. We share our love for interesting and uncommon subjects, art, cinema,...  He and I remain single in a group of friends full of couples with children. Maybe because of all of this, we stay closer and keep in touch more often than we do with other friends. We also share a soft spot for artsy and representative postcards from any place we visit. He is the only one of those friends who always remembers to send me a few words on a card instead of calling me on the phone. Thanks to him, I started getting my first postcards from foreign lands a few years ago.

However, as a true bohemian artist (a photographer) Toni often forgets to sign his cards and never writes the date. I don't worry too much about that because his handwriting is so bad that I cannot mistake his postcards for another's. If I ever have to host a lottery or giveaway, scanning one of his texts and asking for a transcription would be the contest. Everytime I get a card from him I have a lot of fun. I sometimes need about 15 mins to understand what is written! It is part of the ritual.

He is not the tidiest person: his car is often full of all kinds of garbage, or what I think it should be garbage but it turns out to be useful stuff for something, his backpack contains many papers, notebooks, pens and -- well, you understand what I mean. I am afraid this pretty little postcard came so damaged not because of the post service but because it had been stored among his things for a while before he sent it. This is his most recent card -- I received it today. That tells me he is currently living in Madrid.

Viva Madrid

This is a tasca, a tavern located in the centre of Madrid. Viva Madrid is its name and they offer Wines (top left) and Meals (top right).  Above the doors we can read Jesus, this is delicious! (left) and The best in the world (right). The façade is decorated with 18th century style tiles, with the city's coat of arms and a view of Cibeles fountain on the central panel.

Viva Madrid

C/ Manuel Fernández y González, 7

28014 Madrid

Puerta de Alcalá

The stamp is a class A (our "Forever") stamp showing the Puerta de Alcalá, a Neo-classical monumental gate in Madrid, matching the postcard theme: 18th century Madrid.