2. stamp Dear Claire, Iâm in Russia, the largest country in the world! The culture here is so vast. The architectural buildings are wonders. I was told that in Kievan Rus, churches were the first and best stone cathedrals to be built. Ballet is also a great skill the Russians have. Right now Russian ballet is thought to be the best in the world! Russia is rich in natural resources as well. Oil, fuel, metals and wood are abundant here, which is why factories are able to produce many cars and planes. The lifestyle in western Russia is quite like the one in America. People here work five days and have two days off. One day of the weekend, Russians do all of their household chores and the other day, they spend on entertainment. There are four main religious groups here; Russian Orthodox, Islamic, Jews and Buddhists. Though these four groups celebrate completely different holidays, the ones that are celebrated by all are; National day, Womenâs day, Victory day and Labor day. I wish you were here so you could see the culture of Russia as well. Image of countryâs flag Claire, 42 Vernon St. Newton, MA 02458 Best wishes, Muskaan
4. stamp Dear Hannah, Hannah 42 Vernon St. Newton, MA 02458 Iâm in France now! Every one speaks really fast in French, so itâs a kind of hard to understand. Also, I donât speak much French anyway! Yesterday we went to the Louvre. Itâs the largest museum in the world. While we were wandering around Paris, we got to see the oldest of 32 bridges in Paris, Pont Neuf. Did you know that 10% of French people work in the car industry? I didnât. The main religion here is Roman Catholic. No wonder there are so many churches! We went to Notre Dame today. They have really cool gargoyles. The food here is so good! We went to a crepe stand on the street and I got one with nutella in it. It was good and very large. Well, we are going to the alps tomorrow. Iâll write you from there. sincerely, Julia
8. stamp Dear Benjamin, Benjamin 42 Vernon St. Newton, MA 02458 Today Iâm in Madrid, the capital of Spain. Tonight Iâm going to a bullfight at 5:00. Bullfights always start right on time with men trumpeting or riding horses. The stadium Iâm watching the sport at is really big. It can hold more than 20,000 spectators. Iâve have learned that religion is very important. Most citizens in Spain are Roman Apostolic, a variation on Catholicism. All the national holidays have something to do with the Christian religion, and almost every party has something to do with their religion. Throughout my trip I have visited various art museums, some of the paintings I saw were painted by Dali and Picasso. Many of the buildings have something hand carved. Some of the other museums were about the history of Spain, like once in Spain's history every religion bedsides Catholics were allowed in Spain. Amazingly a couple decades ago Spain finally became a true democracy. I canât exactly understand castillian, a variation on Spanish, but I can pick some stuff up. French and Spanish are romance languages so itâs getting easier. I have to go to the bullfight now. Sincerely, Andrew
9. Resources cited http://www.danheller.com/images http://i55.photobucket.com/albums http://www.spain-flag.eu/photos http://4umi.com/image Spain by Stephen Chicoine Marshall Cavendish 1997 New York http://evarisfila.iespana.es/2008
12. stamp Dear Dante , Image of countryâs flag Dante 42 Vernon St. Newton, MA 02458 Hello my friend,how are you? Scotland is a beautiful and rich country,although it is a little wet. The history of Scotlandâs religions is fascinating. There was a âLord High Commissionerâ that represented the queen whenever she did not go to church. There are also a lot of sheep herders in Scotland. Scotland also has lots of castles and arts like pottery to offer. Scotlandâs government is Roman Civil Law unlike the United States which means court decisions derive legislation. The first mention of Scotland was in the first century! Thanks for listening you wee laddie. Signature, Eamon
14. stamp Dear_Eamon____________, Italyâs Daily Life is very much like ours . They watch t.v daily just like me and you and most people. What is like us to is in Italy the people listen to music in the car or when they are doing home work or when ever. Also what Italians do daily is have celebrations just like me I say they do it daily because there is always something going on birthdays church really any thing. Italyâs religion is g good Italians have parties for Jesus and mass every day. Also they are led in religion by the pope. Now I will tell you about the arts. Italians have a lot of painting I mean its what they do a lot . What Italians do a lot is and mosaic going on in Italy. Image of countryâs flag Eamon 42 vern6n st. Newton MA 02458 Signature, Your first name
17. stamp Dear Alex Horn, Image of countryâs flag Alex Horn 42 Vernon St. Newton,MA,02458 I donât know if you remember when I told you I was going to visit my good town Luxembourg. Well if you do, Iâm here in Luxembourg this very minute!!!! It is GREAT!!!! Their Economy is way better than the U.S.A âs Economy. Theyâre rich and there are many good jobs.There are also many Traditional meals. . .theyâre SOOOO good!! Well see you when I get back. . .Bye!!! Signature, Paulie
20. Dear Mom, Hello! I am in Austria, a Federal Republic. I am staying with a nice family, the Shtines, who offered to let me live with them instead of going to a hotel. Did you know that cooking in Austria has been influenced by Czechoslovakia, Germany, or Hungry? Well I didnât! Guess what? Theyâre electing a new governor, and citizens 19 and older can vote, so I canât. It was just âMay Dayâ here in Austria, and it was a big party. The family I am staying with told me about it. They said they have one every year on May 1st. The economy is great here. The principle products are: corn, barley, dairy products, oats, livestock, potatoes, rye, sugar beats, and wheat. The food is quite good, and I am so glad I stayed with this family. They told me about how Hitler invaded their country. They said it was scary. Oh, I have to go, Mrs.. Shtine is calling, and dinnerâs ready! Mrs.. Mary Kathryn F. 42 Vernon street, Newton MA, 02458 Signature, Jake Fallon
23. stamp Dear Eamon, I am having a great time in England. There is so much to do. I took the tour bus and saw some great views. I also went to a rugby game. In England every Sunday for dinner I would have a roast beef, lamb, and some pie. They call this dinner a joint. Did you know that in 1834 a fire burned down the houses of Parliament? England is a part of the United Kingdom, along with North Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. The king is the head of state but does not actually rule the country. The best part was going to the Roman Bath restaurant and trying that hot water. It is very cool that the water has been there for about 2,000 years. Image of countryâs flag Eamon, 42vernon St. Newton,MA 02458 sincerely, Mike
26. stamp Dear Jeremy, Image of countryâs flag Jeremy 42 Vernon St. Newton , Ma 02458 I am in Ireland right now. Yesterday I came here and toured the government. There are two houses of law makers called the parliament. The two groups of parliament are called the house of deputies and the Senate. They also have a president and a prime minister. I then went to a hotel made out of bricks. they served me an Irish stew with some Irish whiskey. For dessert they served a potato cake. I talked to someone else and he said he worked in agriculture. Then I went to bed. The next day everyone came down for some bacon. I went around and asked people what they did for a hobby. One person said that they excelled at poetry there were also writers, talented painters and folk dancers. Before I left I visited my best friends pen pal. He worked on a farm in the country. He was fishing when I got there. He told me he also worked in the forest and in agriculture. So all in all Ireland is a nice place to live. From, Everett
29. stamp Dear Mr. Ezekiel B, Image of countryâs flag Ezekiel B 42 Vernon St. Newton, MA 02458 Iâm having a blast in Ireland I took the DART train which is the local transportation in Ireland. After my long train ride I went to a local school which I learned so much in. After my school day I went to watch a Gaelic football game which is a game like soccer which is a version of soccer where you can use your hands and your feet to score a goal. So after that I took a trip to Gaeltacht Ireland where they speak Irish which is kind of a dead language. Some people in West Ireland speak it too! Dancing is a big part of Irish custom. Irish dancing is like fast pace footwork called a jig. I also went to an Irish music concert where they had two big Irish instruments one called the bagpipe which is an instrument which you blow into. The second instrument is called a bodhram drum which is kind of like a big tambourine. There is a lot of historic stuff that happened in Ireland like in 3000 BCE when the first early farmers settled and the Vikings which attacked Ireland. Now you know some interesting facts about Ireland bye. Sincerely, Paul
32. stamp Dear Mike, I am writing from Spain.It is an amazing country.Thereâs beautiful weather here also great people and excellent food.Iâve already seen the great architecture and the art work is amazing.I came here thinking the main language was Spanish , well, I was wrong.The official language here is Castilian I thought the language was Spanish for a reason well, the countries name is Spain. They have excellent exports in Spain they have olives,citrus,grapes,wine and tobacco.I came with some money to spend I never thought that the US 1 dollar is 134.61 pesetas Spain. 99% of Spain's culture is Roman catholic. Iâve already traveled through some main cities like Barcelona , itâs so nice everybody is so friendly. I went through Seville also. Iâve already heard from people that evidence was found that Spain is 1/2 million years old.Wow! Image of countryâs flag Mike, 42 Vernon St Newton, MA 02458 Sincerely, Alex
35. stamp Dear Sarah, Image of countryâs flag Sarah H. 123 slideshow Ave. Houston Texas 12345 I am in Greece. Did you know that the first Olympic game originated in Greece? Itâs kind of hard to believe that, at the time, Greece was the only country in the games. The agricultural products of Greece are olives, lemons, grain, and corn. The livestock raised are sheep and goats. In Greece, only one-third of the country is accessible by train, which is the most popular form of travel. The rest of the country is traveled by donkey. The most popular religion in Greece is Easter Orthodox. Lots of the holidays are holidays for saints, for example, St. Peat. The old religion observed by Greeks involved the various Greek gods, like Zeus, Poseidon, and Aphrodite. The earliest history of Greece dates back to 5,000 B.C.E. More recently, Greek gained independence in 1924 when it became its own republic. I will bring you some bakalava, a sweet confection made of honey and phyllo dough. Wish you were here!! From Alex
38. stamp Dear Sam, Sam 42 Vernon St Newton,MA 02458 From , Raffaele Ciao! Iâm in Italy and it is awesome! The food here is the best. It is so warm and every one is friendly. Did you know that Rome started as a small farm village then become one of the largest empires in world history? Even the smallest churches are amazing. We saw the Vatican and the Pantheon and tomorrow we will see the Coliseum! Did you know than 95% of all Italians are Roman catholic? Wish you could be here! Ciao!
41. stamp Dear Benjamin, Benjamin 42 Vernon St. Newton, MA 02458 Today Iâm in Madrid, the capital of Spain. Tonight Iâm going to a bullfight at 5:00. Bullfights always start right on time with men trumpeting or riding horses. The stadium Iâm watching the sport at is really big. It can hold more than 20,000 spectators. Iâve have learned that religion is very important. Most citizens in Spain are Roman Apostolic, a variation on Catholicism. All the national holidays have something to do with the Christian religion, and almost every party has something to do with their religion. Throughout my trip I have visited various art museums, some of the paintings I saw were painted by Dali and Picasso. Many of the buildings have something hand carved. Some of the other museums were about the history of Spain, like once in Spain's history every religion bedsides Catholics were allowed in Spain. Amazingly a couple decades ago Spain finally became a true democracy. I canât exactly understand Castillian, a variation on Spanish, but I can pick some stuff up. French and Spanish are romance languages so itâs getting easier. I have to go to the bullfight now. Sincerely, Andrew
42. Resources cited http://www.danheller.com/images http://i55.photobucket.com/albums http://www.spain-flag.eu/photos http://4umi.com/image Spain by Stephen Chicoine Marshall Cavendish 1997 New York http://evarisfila.iespana.es/2008
44. Dear Mom and Dad, Image of countryâs flag Mom and Dad Their address, their house their town, their country Their zip code Lots of Love, Ruby I arrived in Switzerland on Monday and I just got over being jetlagged! I am staying at a small, family-owned hotel. I had fondue last night and it was delicious, for dessert I had rich dark-chocolate cake, yum! I was so full that I was about to explode! I went up to my suite to rest after all that food and I read through brochures and guide books for an hour! I read that over 30,000 years ago, Switzerland was covered in thick ice, then by 850 B.C. it was controlled by the Helvettii, a group of Celts. Two thirds of of people in Switzerland speak a type of German called, Schwyzertutsch! Today I am planning on going into town. There is a clock and watch shop nearby. Yesterday a man in town told me that LOTS of Swiss people are bankers, it is odd, but they are famous for banking! I am planning on doing some skiing soon too. The hotel owner told me that the presidential election was coming up. Did you know that Switzerland has one of the most democratic governments in the world. Their presidents are only in office for one year! Some people know about our president more than they know their own! The president can safely walk the streets with no guards, they arenât as big of a deal here! I have only a week here and there is SO much to do, skiing, eating, shopping, banking and maybe meeting the president! Ha-ha⊠Bye for now! ï
47. stamp Dear_Barack Obama__________, I am in Lithuania! This is a beautiful spot in Europe. It is amazing on how much potato is used here. Practically every dish is made with potato. Every day I go to my favorite store, The carvings shop. There is all types of wood carvings with animals! Iâm personally fond of the elephant sculptures, I bought one yesterday myself. Did you know that Lithuanian is the oldest language in Europe? Well, I have go now, I canât be late for the jazz festival! Image of countryâs flag Barack, Obama 44 The White House Washinton D.C 45624 Wishing you all the best, Jessica
50. Hi Ruby, Rudy 42 Vernon St. Newton, MA 02458 Iâm in Spain! Last week I visited Benillup, the insagnifagently small town my grate Grandma lived in when my dad was a kid. Most people there own summer houses there, but the people who live there 24/7 are farmers. They farmed olives, almonds and grapes (yum). The sheep herder comes by every day, the local villagers pay him to take their sheep to graze in the field. Tuesday was St. Laurence Day, the patron saint of Benillup. There was a band that played and people danced Valenclana Golea, the traditional dance of Valenclana(thatâs the region of Spain Benillup). Pancakes and sausage was served at some houses. Then at 7:00p.m. there was a huge procession, every house in the village had candles lit in almost every window. Now Iâm back in Barcelona, the city my dad was born in. Most people in Spain live in town houses or apartments. Did you know the school starts at 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and they have a 2 hour lunch break! Iâve also bean touring some of Gaudies most fames sites of the biggest is The Holy Family Church. From the time of Gaudi to now, that church isnât even close to being finished! Itâs made from the richest to the poorest materials known to mankind! Tomorrow Iâm gong to visit Jardine de la Ciudadela, it has one of Gaudies most famous sculptures, the Dragon. Your friend from Spain, Maria
53. Dear Syd, I am in Italy, it is beautiful here.All over the town there are beautiful mosaics.you would love it here. I am getting a lot of help with my Italian they speak it so fluently here.The girls our age also play video games. Most kids play soccer as their sport. I can ât believe how many people live here and are visiting here.. I have herd that there are a lot of fountains and people are gathered around them throwing coins in them. People sing Operas here. You might think its funny but it is kind off cool. . The dollars here are not dollars they are euros. They are like dollars but it is what they use in Italy. See you when I get home. Image of countryâs flag Syd 42 Vernon St. Newton, Mass 02458 from Marina ï
56. Dear Mom, Mrs. Helen, V. 42 Vernon Street Newton, MA 02458 love Alexander I am having a great time in Germany. Did you know Germanyâs Government is a Federal Republic? It also has 16 states, but I have only been to 9 of them. The arts here are amazing, and they go back to 1471! Beethoven was one of the most successful musician in all of Germany. Many holidays Germans celebrate are just like ours such as Christmas. Another holiday is Oktoberfest. Itâs the largest holiday of beer! The airport here was huge! Itâs the largest airport in Europe. Yesterday I saw 15 little kids playing soccer. Its Europe's most popular sport! Hope you donât miss me to much, bye!
59. stamp Dear Ms.Levy, The population of Spain is 39,000,000.The languages that are spoken in Spain are Spanish,Basque,Galician, Catalan,and Catalan Spanish.The government is similar to ours.People over the age of 18 are allowed to vote.The formal head of state is King Juan Carlos I.Also, the head of the government is Premier Felipe Gonz Ă„lez.Major resources are Mercury, potash, uranium,copper, lead, iron, zinc, coral,and cork. Currency is peseta(1987:125 pesetas=$1.00 U.S.)The Roman Catholic religion is 95% and the other which is Jewish,Muslin is 5%The social groups of Spain are Suebi,Iberian,and the Carthaginians. Image of countryâs flag Your student,, Erika : ) Ms. Susan Levy 42 Vernon Street Newton, MA 02458
62. stamp Dear Dr Sir Alex. H Image of countryâs flag Alex H 48 Thomas St. Newton MA 09876 Signature, Thomas Hey Alex. Today I spent my day in Rome. I Spent a lot of lira on this new Italian auto- Mobile. Iâve had a great time in Italy, Iâve Visited Venice and Rome so far and hoping For more. Want to hang out when I get back? Iâve seen awesome festival with over 10000 People! I went to the Vatican also. Itâs an ancient building where the pope lives. Most Of the Italians visit church on Sunday so the Shops are mostly closed. Their president Giorgio Napolitano, is staying in the hotel Next to me. Well I have to go bye.
65. stamp Dear Alex H. Image of countryâs flag Alex H. 42 Vernon St. Newton, MA 02458 Over the past couple of weeks I have been visiting Luxembourg. It is very different here. One USA dollar is 31.3 franc, which is what they use for money. Almost everyone here is Roman Catholic. They are very religious here and go to church very often. There are foods here from all over the world. Itâs delicious. The first course of almost every meal they have here is bean soup. Yesterday, June 23rd, was Luxembourg's National Day. It is like their Fourth of July. Most people here speak Luxembourgish. It sounds like German but itâs not. Luxembourg has many beautiful museums. They look like they cost a lot of money. Also there is a symphony here and they sound really good. I canât wait to see you when I come back! See you soon. Best wishes, Zeke
