Saturday, May 5, 2012

Saturday's postcards: Streets of Visby and a New Hampshire playground

First up today are a pair of postcards from Visby, Sweden, which was previously featured in last year's Fiskargränd postcard blog entry.


The above postcard shows Norra Murgatan1 in Visby. (Norra means "North" in Swedish.)

In the center of the photo, you can see part of the city wall of Visby ("Visby ringmur" in Swedish.) Construction on the ringmur, a medieval defensive wall, first began in the 13th century. Today, about 800 years later, 27 of its 29 towers remain.

Here are some links for additional photos of the ringmur:

And if you're interested in a European vacation and want to explore Visby and ringmur, Södra Murgatans bed and breakfast might be the place for you. Their English-language website states:
"If you want to live in the central of Visby with the ring wall as your neighbor and the shopping street Adelsgatan just around the corner you have found the right place to stay. An intimate B&B with great charm, cozy rooms, comfortable beds and good service. You can also stay in a little cottage placed in our yard with a patio at the stone wall vault."


The Svensk Tillverkning postcard pictured above has the following text printed on the back:

RIKSANTIKVARIEÄMBETET
Biskopsgatan med Domkyrkan, Visby.


Riksantikvarieämbetet is the Swedish National Heritage Board, a government agency responsible for UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Sweden and other national heritage locations.

Meanwhile, Biskopsgatan med Domkyrkan translates to "Bishop Street at the Cathedral" in English. The cathedral seen in the background is Visby Cathedral, also known as St. Mary's Cathedral. It dates to the 1100s. See more photos of it on this Panoramio page and this PlanetWare page.


Finally, here's a pre-1952 linen postcard2 that was printed by The Bisbee Press in Lancaster, New Hampshire.

The description of this picture, on the back of the postcard, is:

PLAYGROUND AND GOLF COURSE
WITH MOAT MOUNTAIN IN THE BACKGROUND
NORTH CONWAY, N.H.

North Conway is a census-designated place with a population of just over 2,000 in eastern New Hampshire.

If you're interested in additional postcard images of North Conway, which appears to be quite the photogenic vacation destination, CardCow.com has more than you can shake a stick at.

Footnotes
1. As opposed to "Norra to Murgatroyd".1
2. Stated on the back of the postcard is "PLACE ONE CENT STAMP HERE." The price of a postcard stamp rose from one cent to two cents on January 1, 1952.

Secondary footnote
1. Yes, I'm weird.

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