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Chocolate and strawberry pavlova, originally uploaded by CarolinaRen.

Also from Kerstin … YUM! Recipe is on the back; if you’re interested, let me know 🙂

Red currant and strawberry cheesecake tart, originally uploaded by CarolinaRen.

From my old pal Kerstin in England — “food as it should taste, direct from the producer to you at farmers’ markets, farm shops, pick-your-own farms and through farmers’ box schemes.” If you’d like the recipe, which is also on the back, send me a note and I’ll send it along 🙂 YUM!

St. Anna church, Sweden, originally uploaded by CarolinaRen.

This was sent to me by my penpal Aila in Finland. She picked the card up during her trip to Sweden, driving toward the Northland with her sister 🙂 Very pretty. The card says (according to Google Translate!) that it is a medieval gray stone church completed as the century turned from 1400 to 1500. Or something like that 🙂

The Gipping Valley River Path, originally uploaded by CarolinaRen.

Kerstin says that the River Path starts by the bridge and goes all the way to Ipswich (where she lives — 21 miles away), by Needham Market and Claydon. She also says that the old “maltings” on the right have been converted to a bar and restaurant.

Hawks Mill, Needham Market, Suffolk, originally uploaded by CarolinaRen.

Another reason why I love collecting postcards is for the EXTRA information many people share about the image on the front! Kerstin writes, “This Victorian mill stands by the Gipping Valley path at Needham Market. It used to be a mustard mill, grinding mustard seeds for the famous Colman’s Mustard Factory, still in business at Norwich. Today it has been converted into desirable living accommodations with a nice view over River Gipping.” And, as she also said, I wouldn’t mind one of those apartments!

John Constable and Flatford, originally uploaded by CarolinaRen.

Flatford is a tiny hamlet whose most impressive building is themill by the River Stour, which belonged to the Constable family. The famous painter John Constable was supposed to carry on with his father’s business, but was very relieved when his younger brother eventually took over — it meant that John could become a painter instead, much to his dad’s displeasure. Many of Constable’s most famous paintings show scenes of Flatford and the local area.

Dedham, originally uploaded by CarolinaRen.

“Another Stour Valley town associated with Constable and his paintings. They are all just a few miles apart, some 8-10 miles southwest of Ipswich. There are lots of popular signposted and picturesque countryside walks connecting Dedham with these other towns.” (Kerstin, these publishers ought to hire you to write the backs of their postcards!)

East Berholt Church, originally uploaded by CarolinaRen.

Here you can see the church’s interior — and the bellcage interior. Very interesting!

The Bellcage, East Bergholt Church, originally uploaded by CarolinaRen.

The cage, standing at the side of the church, was built in 1531 to house the bells originally intended for the church tower. It is unique in that the bells, on of which is dated 1450, are rung by swinging the wooden headstocks. Kerstin adds even more history: “Apparently the tower, which was never finished and is just a stump at the west end of the church, was being paid for by the famous Cardinal Wolsey personally. But when Wolsey died disgraced in November, 1530, Henry VIII confiscated his entire property and fortune for the crown, so no more money was forthcoming and building work stopped. The bells were ‘temporarily’ housed in the wooden bellcage the following year, 1531. But no one every finished the tower, so that’s where they remain to this day. The bells are rung by swinging them in a pit that was dug underneath them, by their headstocks.” Now THAT makes this postcard come alive!

Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, originally uploaded by CarolinaRen.

Multiviews of the lovely Rio