FIFA World Cup Opens Today

2014 FIFA World Cup opens with music and dance in São Paulo, Brazil today. The official anthem and slogan is "We Are One".

However, a protest, against the money lavished on football stadiums instead of essentials for people and schools, broke out in the very morning and was met with police forces. Meanwhile, Fifa's decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar is under on-going scrutiny with allegations of corruption.

Brazil team won over Croatia with a 3:1 victory in the opening game. While the Brazilian players like Neymar did beautiful job on the field, they could not escape from the controversies such as the over-generous penalty call and the staged training session.

Nonetheless, as the month-long tournament starts, watched by millions of people around the globe, we hope that we can be united and find more consensuses in the end. The 2014 World Cup plays from June 12 to July 13, 2014. The featured postcard was made from a team sticker by Hyundai, an official sponsor.
  

#450511240 / gettyimages.com

Florida Perfume Water with Cabbage Roses

Expired Postcard US-2190474 to Croatia was sent on April 20, 2013 and reached its 365-day graveyard mark without being registered. The postcard shows a vintage Florida perfume label c1900. It features colorful pink and yellow roses with a pretty bottle at the bottom of label. A replacement card was sent but it appeared lost as well.

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

Postcard DE-2541857 from Germany shows a photo taken by the sender Lisa136 at the Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia. The national park, founded in 1949,  is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe. It is located in the mountainous karst area of central Croatia, at the border to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The important north-south road connecting the Croatian inland with the Adriatic coastal region, runs through the national park area. The protected area covers over 296.85 square kms  or 73,350 acres,  which makes it the largest national park in Croatia. In 1979, Plitvice Lakes National Park was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

Lakes of Plitvice

Postcard DE-2356456 from Germany arrived yesterday shows the national park Lakes of Plitvice located in the karst mountain range of Croatia. The park is famous for its lakes arranged in cascades. Currently, its 16 lakes result from the confluence of small surface rivers and subterranean karst rivers. The lakes are all interconnected yet separated by natural dams of travertine from moss, algae, and bacteria deposition and growth. Plitvice Lakes National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 among the first registered natural sites worldwide.