Renae

St. Maria’s Cathedral, Finland, originally uploaded by CarolinaRen.

This is a medieval cathedral in Pohja — one of my penpal Aila’s favorites!

Cross of the Plain, originally uploaded by CarolinaRen.

This is inside the church — the view the priest sees when he is doing his priestly duties 🙂

Stained Glass, originally uploaded by CarolinaRen.

This is from the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Turku, Finland. My friend Aila tells me that the glass shows St. Henry and the Swedish King and St. Erick and the Holy Virgin Mary. St. Henry was a Finnish apostle. During the middle ages, every Swedish King used to travel around their lands to visit their kingdom. Love this stained glass!

Cross of the Plains Church, Seinajoki, Finland, originally uploaded by CarolinaRen.

This is not a postcard. Instead, it is from a brochure sent to me by my penpal Marja in Seinajoki, home of the famous architect Alvar Aalto. His work is beautiful! I especially love this church building! Marja sent this to me after my request for more information about it! This church is marvelous, inside and out. And although I know that God does not dwell in buildings made with human hands, I still am in awe of the talent He has given to man to create such wonders!

Provincial Farmhouse Museum, Finland, originally uploaded by CarolinaRen.

The farmhouse of Liinamaa. I just love how simple and beautiful this is. My penpal Marja tells me that the straw mobile hanging from the ceiling is a typical traditional orament.

Fishing Village, Estonia, originally uploaded by CarolinaRen.

Fishing nets are kept in these sheds in Altja, a fishing village in Estonia. Lovely!

The Beatles, originally uploaded by CarolinaRen.

Let It Be. Thanks to my sister Maria for this — it’s a real treasure in my collection 🙂 (I used to love the Beatles; bought my first Beatles album, The Red Album, the very night John Lennon was shot.)

Summer church, Umea, Sweden, originally uploaded by CarolinaRen.

How cute and quaint! I love to see the various places people gather to worship!

Healing Yakei, Tokyo, originally uploaded by CarolinaRen.

Another card from the series: “The night scene of seaside city in Tokyo. Ordinary, well-composed. Its shiny lights excites you.” 🙂

Icon of Christ and Mother, originally uploaded by CarolinaRen.

This is in the convent of Lintula, in northeastern Finland — from what my penpal tells me, the only Finnish Orthodox Convent.