Historical Legacy of Oman!

Asalam daykum! This postcard arrived from a distant wonderful country Oman. Johann, a teacher, lives in Muscat, the capital of the Sultanate of Oman. He finds Oman a very nice country to live and work in. He himself has been working here since August.

Oman is a country in Asia. The capital is Muscat. The population is about 2,967,717. Official language is Arabic. Oman is the oldest Arab state. The Sultanate of Oman long served as a hub on the Indian Ocean trade routes, and it has ancient ties that reach from Pakistan to the island of Zanzibar.  Today, Oman is one of the wealthiest nations on Earth. Oman is known for its oil reserves, agriculture and fishing. Oman's low-rise towns retain their traditional charms and Bedouin values remain the same.

Enjoy the anthem:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIqy7Kz_cSI

Thanks a lot for the great postcard, Johann!

"Traveller's palm" from Martinique!

This postcard with the view of Martinique I received from France. A charming sender, Patricia, has been living in this place since 11 years and she loves it! She likes to share the beauty of her country throughout the world.

So, what do we know about Martinique? Martinique is a special territory in North America. The capital is Fort-de-France. The population is about 432,900 habitants. Official languages are French and Creole patois. This country in the Caribbean combines a distinctly French air with West Indian warmth. The island is dominated by Mount Pelee. In the South of the island, there are many beautiful beaches, in the North, the rain forests and the black sand beaches are spectacular. Sights include La Pagerie, birthplace of Napoleon's Empress Josephine, and Diamond Rock, a 600-foot pinnacle, once registered as a British warship.

The anthem is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ-ptcdxYOg

The tree, depicted in the postcard, is called Ravenala madagascariensis, or traveller's tree or traveller's palm. It is called "traveller's palm" (though it is not a real palm) because the sheaths of the stems hold rainwater, which supposedly could be used as an emergency drinking supply for travellers. Another possible reason for its name is that the fan tends to grow on an east-west line, providing a crude compass.

And the stamps depict gourgeous flowers by my favourite French impressionists - Gustave Caillebotte and Edouard Manet!

Thank you so much for the beauty, you shared with me, Particia!

Comeback!

Hello, world! I'm very sorry for my long absence, I was too busy and I had no time to share my postcards with you. During 2 months I received a lot of wonderful postcards from wonderful people all over the world. I decided to make my blog more, so to say, personal. I will write less bare facts, but more my emotions. I hope you will enjoy reading my stories again!

P.S. In the photo you can see my beloved wonderful pet. It is a girl-degus named Gesundheit (which means "health" in German). She is going to help me in writing my posts:)