I have these 15-baht Thailand Post stamps and want to send a few regular postcards to Europe.
Does anyone know the current postage in 2026? Should I use 2 stamps (30 baht), 3 stamps (45 baht), or more?
Would especially appreciate confirmation from someone who has sent postcards from Thailand to Europe recently.
One of my favourite views of Rome, taken from the Pincian Terrace at Villa Borghese.
What I love about this viewpoint is how the city seems to be made almost entirely of rooftops, church domes and bell towers layered one behind another.
There are so many details to pick out. On the left you can even spot the low dome of the Pantheon, while far to the right, on the Janiculum Hill, is the Fontana dell’Acqua Paola.
I added two closer crops after the wide shot because it’s much easier to explore the skyline that way.
How many churches and landmarks can you identify?
Driving through Krabi and came across this view — jungle, limestone cliffs and an almost empty road disappearing into the distance.
Sometimes the drive itself ends up being one of the best parts of travelling around southern Thailand.
I wanted to share a frustrating experience with Etihad.
I booked Lisbon–Phuket in Business Comfort. I chose this fare partly because it included lounge access, and this fare option cost around €250 extra for two passengers. The original connection in Abu Dhabi was about 2.5 hours, so that benefit actually made sense.
Etihad later changed the schedule. The new flights were fine, so I accepted them, but the connection in Abu Dhabi became only 1 hour 10 minutes. In practice, that leaves no meaningful time to use the lounge on an international connection.
I contacted Etihad and explained that I was not asking to cancel or rebook. I only asked whether they could offer some goodwill gesture — miles, travel credit, or a partial adjustment — because a paid fare benefit became practically unusable due to their schedule change.
A case was opened on May 19, with an expected review time of up to 28 days. I finally received a reply on August 11, about 84 days later.
Their response acknowledged the delay, acknowledged that lounge access was part of why I chose the fare, and apologized. But there was no actual resolution: no miles, no credit, no refund, and no clear decision.
I understand that airline fare rules are strict, and I’m not claiming this is a huge issue. But it feels wrong when a paid fare benefit loses its practical value because of the airline’s own schedule change, and the only answer after almost three months is a polite apology.
Has anyone had a similar experience with Etihad or another airline? Is there any realistic next step, or is this usually where it ends?
Vittorio Emanuele II in the foreground, one of the winged quadrigas above, and layers of sculptures and decoration everywhere in between.
I’ve passed the Vittoriano countless times, but I still like stopping and looking at the details rather than the whole monument. There’s almost too much going on in a single frame.
These are my photos from April 21, 2014, when I was lucky enough to witness one of the Pantheon’s most remarkable light effects in person.
Every year around Rome’s traditional birthday, the beam of sunlight entering through the oculus reaches the main entrance around solar noon, illuminating the doorway.
It is often described as happening at 12:00, but by the modern clock it is actually closer to 1:00 pm, since Rome is already observing daylight-saving time by late April.
Back in 2014, admission to the Pantheon was still free and there were no ticket time slots. Today, seeing the alignment requires a little more planning, as entrance is ticketed and access can sometimes be affected by religious services or special events.
The crowd was enormous, but I am still very glad I had the chance to see it with my own eyes.
All photos are mine.
The first carving shows an episode from the Ramayana: Rama and Lakshmana meeting Vibhishana, the brother of the demon king Ravana, surrounded by monkey warriors from Rama’s army.
The other two photographs show devatas — idealized celestial female figures carved throughout Angkor Wat. They are often casually called apsaras, although apsaras are usually shown dancing. The devatas here stand still, with carefully varied crowns, hairstyles, jewellery and patterned clothing.
Angkor Wat was built in the early 12th century under King Suryavarman II and was originally dedicated to Vishnu. From a distance the temple is monumental, but up close much of its character is hidden in details like these.
The Vittoriano, Santa Maria in Ara Coeli, the rooftops toward the Jewish Ghetto, and even a few Roman pines catching the first light.
The photo looks peaceful, but it doesn’t capture the real Roman soundtrack: gulls screaming overhead and sirens echoing through the streets. One of those moments I never get tired of.
Not a landmark, just an ordinary balcony I noticed while walking through Venice. But these unexpected little details are often exactly why I travel — sometimes they stay with me longer than the famous sights.
I visited Su Nuraxi di Barumini while travelling around Sardinia, and it was one of the most unusual ancient sites I saw on the island.
These Bronze Age towers were built from huge basalt stones without mortar. From outside the complex looks like a dark mound, but inside it is a maze of narrow passages, chambers, towers and courtyards. Nuraghi are unique to Sardinia, which makes the site feel very different from the Greek and Roman ruins found elsewhere in Italy.
The view from the top really shows how large and complex the settlement was.
All photos are my own. Has anyone visited other Nuragic sites in Sardinia?
These were taken inside the Capitoline Museums. I love moments like this — standing almost alone in rooms this beautiful and having time to actually look, rather than being pushed along by a crowd.
The museum itself is worth visiting for far more than the famous sculptures. Some of the halls and paintings are spectacular, and the quieter atmosphere made the experience even better. Definitely recommended.
We ordered one safe classic and one purely because it sounded too unusual not to try. The Margherita was simple and familiar, while the other combined tomato, friarielli and small potato gnocchi.
It looked slightly chaotic, but the bitterness of the friarielli worked surprisingly well with the soft gnocchi and tomato. Sharing both was definitely the right decision.
Not the most obvious use for the 105mm Micro-Nikkor, but it worked really well here. From the Arc de Triomphe, the tighter framing pulled La Défense much closer and gave the whole scene a layered look that I wouldn’t have got with a wide-angle lens.
Nikon D700 + AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED
105mm · 1/125s · f/8 · ISO 1600
Still one of my favourite Nikon lenses. Sharp, beautifully built, and much more versatile than its “macro lens” label suggests. What do you mainly use yours for?
I stayed in La Défense about eight years ago (2018) and took this photo from my hotel room.
Back then it felt like a bit of a cheat code: the hotels were better value than in central Paris, but Line 1 made it very easy to get around and reach most of the main sights.
I’m thinking about staying there again, but I haven’t been back since. Is La Défense still a good base for tourists? Has the area changed much, especially in the evenings and at weekends?
I don’t mind the business-district atmosphere. I’m mainly interested in convenient transport, decent hotels and being able to return safely later in the evening. Any particular part of La Défense or hotel you would recommend now?
Most people see the Pantheon from the middle of a crowded Piazza della Rotonda. Early in the morning, it feels completely different — empty marble, long shadows and the sun breaking through the ancient columns.
The light lasted only a few minutes, but it was worth getting there early.
Whenever I’m in Singapore, I always stop by Evernew Book Store for a bit of “book fishing.” The place is packed floor to ceiling, and you never know what you’ll find.
This time I got very lucky and came away with four books:
Not bad for one visit. Which one would you pick up first?
Took this in Khao Sok after the clouds finally cleared.
The limestone mountains were almost completely dark, but the sky above them was unreal.
One of my favourite nights in Thailand.
One of the easiest ways to save money in Rome: order your coffee and cornetto at the bar, like most locals do.
This was €6 for a cappuccino, an espresso and two filled cornetti. Sit at a table, especially in a touristy area, and the same order can easily cost two or three times more.
For me it’s also part of the ritual whenever I’m back in Rome.