GTKY Christmas Cards RR VIII

And the 8th Christmas card from the GTKY gang is here. This one, i mean, these ones, were sent by Relie.

I don't know exactly why but i really like this card. It's very artistic. Is it because of the black?? Maybe!!

This is the 1st card Relie made. She used the photoshop. It's great too but i prefer the 1st one. Can you read the verse?? I hope so. Forgiveness, tolerance, heart, service, charity, good examples and respect - these are some presents that we all should have every Christmas.

Not 1, not 2 but 3 cards from Relie. This one is from Thailand.
"Wat Phra Mahathat is the most important temple of Nakhon Si Thammarat and southern Thailand. It was constructed at the time of the founding of the town, and contains a tooth relic of Buddha. The 78 m high chedi is surrounded by 173 smaller ones. While the chedi is now in Sri Lankan style, it is said to be built on top of an earlier Srivijaya style chedi." - in: wikipedia

Concha Beach - Brazil

And another card from Brazil. This is a lottery card i've won on the portuguese community. Karina "kazinhobueno" got married on november and went on honey moon to Itacaré, Bahia state. When she returned she organized the lottery and i was one of the lucky winners.

Concha Beach is the most frequented beach in Itacaré. It has calm waters without waves and lots of coconuts trees. At the end of the beach there's a lighthouse, the best place to see the sunset.

Unesco WHS from Philippines

These are my 1st unesco cards from the Philippines. Many thanks to Ritzval "ritz".

"The Paoay Church is included in the Unesco World Heritage list.
Construction of the church started in 1704 and was completed in 1894. It is probably the best-known “earthquake Baroque” church in the Philippines. Large coral stones were used for the lower level while bricks were used for the upper levels of the church. The walls are 1.67 meters thick and are supported by 24 carved and massive buttresses.
The Church is a unique combination of Gothic, Baroque and Oriental designs.The bell tower near the church, dating from 1793, served as an observation point of the “Katipuneros” during the Philippine Revolution in 1896 and again by the guerrillas during the Japanese occupation." - in: http://www.pinoytravelblog.com/roadtrip/334/paoay-church-paoay-ilocos-norte

"Established in the 16th century, Vigan is the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. Its architecture reflects the coming together of cultural elements from elsewhere in the Philippines, from China and from Europe, resulting in a culture and townscape that have no parallel anywhere in East and South-East Asia.
Justification for Inscription
Vigan represents a unique fusion of Asian building design and construction with European colonial architecture and planning. Vigan is an exceptionally intact and well preserved example of a European trading town in East and South-East Asia." - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/502

Cards from Brazil

Three Brazilian cards sent by Luana! We arranged a swap in October, she sent me her cards but they got lost. She kindly resent them and she even sent an extra card and a flyer about some forts in her region.

Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.

Barra da Tijuca, a quarter in Rio de Janeiro.

Santa Cruz fortress was the 1st fortress built on Guanabara Bay. It dates from 1555 and the current constraction dates from 1870. It consists of 41 casemates distrbuted along 2 floors where secular cannons can be seen. It also can be seen the St. Barbara Chapel, a marble sun dial built in 1820, colonial prisons, firing squad execution place and a former magazine.

Unesco's WHS in Bulgaria

This is another bulgarian card sent by Stefka. These are all the Unesco whs in the country. I only cards from Nessebar and i want to have cards from all of them.

From left to right: Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak, 4 - 3 b.C.; Srebarna Nuture Reserve; Rila Monastery, 10th century.
Madara Rider, 8th century; Thracian Tomb of Sveshari, 3rd century; Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo.

Ancient City of Nessebar; Pirin National Park and Boyana Church, 10-13 centuries.

Cards from Malta

After a few months, Jackie wrote me again and sent more 3 cards from her country! I've received them last wednesday. It was like a Christmas present.

On the back of the card: Looking for a bargain? Try your luck amongst these chattels.

Mosta Dome - "The Rotunda"

On the back of the card: This imposing and beautiful church with its enormus dome, 122 ft. in diameter, was erected between the years 1833 and 1863 and dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption.

On the back of the card: The historic fortified town of Vittoriosa across the Grand Harbour, south of Valletta.

Christmas cards

After a few days without any post due to Christmas, i'm back with a few cards. This post is dedicated to Christmas cards.

This cute card was sent by Américo "valgadua" from Portugal.

This one was sent from Malta by Jackie.

And this one is also from Portugal, sent by Ana "ninocas."

Cards from India

Second post of the day to show the great indian cards Claus "elbe" sent me. he was only supposed to send me the 1st card but he sent me the 2nd one on behalf of Santa Claus - that's what he said :P

"Qutub Minar is the world's tallest brick minaret in Delhi, India. Construction commenced in 1193 under the orders of India's first Muslim ruler Qutb-ud-din Aibak and the topmost storey of the minaret was completed in 1386 by Firuz Shah Tughluq. The Qutab Minar is notable for being one of the earliest and most prominent examples of Indo-Islamic architecture.
It is surrounded by several other ancient and medieval structures and ruins, collectively known as Qutub complex. The complex is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Delhi.

The Qutub Minar is 72 meters high (237.8 ft) with 379 steps leading to the top." - in: wikipedia

"This is The Great Nandhi, one of the sub shrines of the Brihatheeswarar Temple in Tanjore (Thanjavur). Nandhi is the bull which Shiva rides and the gate keeper of Shiva in Hindu mythology.

The Brihadishwara Temple is a brilliant example of the major heights achieved by Cholas in temple architecture. It is a tribute and a reflection of the power of its patron RajaRaja Chola I. It remains as one of the greatest glories of Indian architecture. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Great Living Chola Temples"." - in: wikipedia

Cards from brazilian friends

Today was a good postcard day! I've received 4 cards, 2 of them surprise cards :) These 2 were sent by Déa and Tito, both from Brazil!

My "sister" Déa always sends me beautiful cards, this time she sent me this amazing cards from the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand!! I'm not a beach person but this place is so beautiful that i wouldn't mind to put my bikini on, go to swim and take some pictures :P

"The Phi Phi Islands are located in Thailand, between the large island of Phuket and the western Andaman Sea coast of the mainland.

Maya Bay is popular for diving, and has become even more popular after the 2000 movie The Beach was filmed there. According to the Lonely Planet's Thailand guidebook, the 2004 tsunami dramatically improved the look of Maya Bay. This was due to the fact that the high waves had cleaned up the beach and removed all the landscaping the Fox production team had added." - in: wikipedia

Another beach, but this one from Brazil. This is a RAS card sent by Tito "tito.garcez".
The card shows the Carapibús Beach in Conde - Paraíba state (north east). The beach is lined with cliffs, local vegetation, reefs and corals. Small bars with straw parasols, along rivers and fresh water lagoons, add charm to the landscape.

Zaragoza - Spain

I've already talked a bit about Zaragoza because of the Expo 2008 that took place in the city last summer. I was in Zaragoza 3 years ago and bought a lot of beautiful cards.

This is the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pilar. "The Basilica venerates Mary the mother of Jesus, under her title Our Lady of the Pillar praised as Mother of the Hispanic Peoples by Pope John Paul II. It is reputed to be the first church dedicated to Mary in history.
Local traditions take the history of this basilica to the dawn of Christianity in Spain attributing to an apparition to St James the greater, an Apostle who had brought Christianity to the country.

The architecture is of baroque style, and the present building was predominantly built between 1681 and 1872." - in: wikipedia

On this card we can see the tower of the San Pablo Church and the Basilica. San Pablo Church was built in 14th century, but tower can be an old minaret of the 11th century. The church is one of the Mudéjar monuments in the city classified as World Heritage Site.

Another example of the Mudéjar architecture is the Aljaferia Palace, also classified as World Heritage Site.

"The Aljafería Palace is a fortified palace built during the second half of the eleventh century, as the residence of the Banu Hud dynasty during the era of Al-Muqtadir and reflecting the splendor attained by the kingdom of the taifa of Zaragoza at the height of its grandeur. The palace currently contains the Cortes (regional parliament) of the autonomous community of Aragon.
The structure holds unique importance in that it is the only conserved testimony of a large building of Spanish Islamic architecture of the era of the Taifas (independent kingdoms)." - in: wikipedia

GTKY Christmas cards RR VII

This week was the Christmas card week. These cards are the real presents of my Christmas!!

This is the only card i've received today and it was sent by Charlotte "purple_girl". The snowman and Santa Claus are very, very cute :P Thank you Lotte :D

GTKY Christmas cards V & VI

More Christmas cards today :) 3 and 2 from them from the GTKY girls, Carol and Valerie.

This is Carol's "adobe" card. I really like the stamps, very christmasy. Inside the envelope there's a few more things and details, like a beautiful picture of Mt. Graham, only 1 km from Carol's house. Thanks Carol for the card and for the words, you always know what to say :)

And this is Valerie's "octabis" card. This Christmas handmade RR has been revealing very talented girls. All the cards are beautiful and this card is another great example.

Valerie knew i wanted to have a card of the Conciergerie and she sent me this beautiful one. Here we can see the Pont Neuf (new Bridge) and the Conciergerie. The Pont Neuf is the oldes standing bridge across the river Seine in Paris and it was built between 1578 - 1607. The Conciergerie is a former royal palace and prison. Hundreds of prisoners during the French Revolution were taken from La Conciergerie to be executed on the Guillotine at a number of locations around Paris. Queen Marie Antoinette was one of the prisoners.

GTKY Christmas cards RR IV

Another great card from another of my dear friends on the "getting to know you thread".

Ula "ulpa", from Poland is the author of this card that i've received today. The card has a few more details on the back.

She also sent this nice winter card, my 1st ou 2nd snowy card from Poland. Borowice is a village in southwest Poland, where Ula spends her winter holidays.

Aranjuez - Spain

I've been to Aranjuez a few years ago on a school trip but i've only visited the bull fight arena. Back then, i didn't know that this place had very interresting things to see and i guess my teachers didn't know either.
 Rita "rita_simões" went to Spain and i asked her if she could try to find an Aranjuez card for me. She did a great job and sent me this beautiful card.

"The Royal Palace of Aranjuez is a residence of the King of Spain, located in the town of Aranjuez (province of Madrid). The palace is open to the public as one of the Spanish royal sites.
The huge gardens, built to relieve its royal residents from the dust and drought of the Spanish meseta using the waters of the adjacent Tagus and Jarama rivers, are Spain's most important of the Habsburg period. The Jardín de la Isla is on a man-made island bounded by the River Tagus and the Ria Canal. The Jardín del Principe contains a miniature palace (the Casa del Labrador, built for Charles IV) and the Museo de las Falúas Reales, housing the most important extant collection of Spain's royal pleasure barges.
The palace's important art and historical collections include the Museo de la Vida en Palacio, describing the daily lives of Spain's monarchs." - in: wikipedia

This Palace is on the Unesco list of the World Heritage Sites since 2001, under the name of Aranjuez Cultural Landscape.

The Rock of Monaco

More cards from Monaco and i still have more to show.

"The Rock of Monaco is a 141 meter (459 foot) tall monolith on the Mediterranean coast of the Principality of Monaco.

The Rock of Monaco was also the first conquest of the Grimaldi dynasty, the rulers of the country for more than 700 years, founded when the Guelf François Grimaldi disguised himself as a Franciscan monk in order to gain entry to the city and open the gates for his soldiers.

Today, the Rock is in the oldest of Monaco's four quarters, Monaco-Ville, which is also the location of Old Town, the oldest part of the city. This is not far from the Prince's Palace, home of the current monarch, Albert II and the princely family, the Cathedral, the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco. The Rock of Monaco is a popular tourist attraction to go see the palace or the changing of the guards." - in: wikipedia

2 new unesco cards

After a few days complaining about the mail, today was finally, a great day. Besides Katy's Christmas card, i've also received this envelope from Germany with these beautiful unesco cards from Germany and Russia. Thanks a lot Sabine "bine", they're perfect.

"Quedlinburg is a town located north of the Harz mountains, in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. In 1994 the medieval old town was set on the UNESCO world heritage list.

In the innermost parts of the town a wide selection of half-timbered buildings from at least five different centuries are to be found (including a 14th century structure one of Germany's oldest), while around the outer fringes of the old town there are wonderful examples of Art Nouveau buildings, mainly dating from the early 20th century.
Since December 1994 the old town of Quedlinburg and the castle mount with the collegiate church are listed as one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. Quedlinburg is one of the best-preserved medieval and renaissance towns in Europe, having miraculously escaped major damage in World War II." - in: wikipedia

I was so happy when i saw this card. It was 1 of the cards on the album of the cards i would like to have and i absolutely love it. This is the Maliy Semyachik volcano, one of the many volcanoes in the Kamchatka Peninsula.
"This is one of the most outstanding volcanic regions in the world, with a high density of active volcanoes, a variety of types, and a wide range of related features. The six sites included in the serial designation group together the majority of volcanic features of the Kamchatka peninsula. The interplay of active volcanoes and glaciers forms a dynamic landscape of great beauty. The sites contain great species diversity, including the world's largest known variety of salmonoid fish and exceptional concentrations of sea otter, brown bear and Stellar's sea eagle.
The Volcanoes of Kamchatka are one of the most outstanding examples of the volcanic regions in the world. The site contains a high density of active volcanoes, a variety of different types and a wide range of volcanic features. The Peninsula location between a large continental landmass and the Pacific Ocean also exhibits unique characteristics with major concentrations of wildlife." - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/765

GTKY Christmas cards RR III

Another Christmas card in my mailbox and this one is sooo cute :D It was sent by Katy "katts1985" from Estonia. I really love the little doll!
Well done Katy!!

Gstaad - Switzerland

I wasn't counting on posting today but the postcrossing forum isn't working and i'm quite bored right now. My friend left yesterday to Switzerland, where she'll work for 3 months and when she came to Portugal to spend a month of holidays, she brought me these cards.

"Gstaad is a village located 1050 m above sea level, in the German-speaking section of the Canton of Berne in southwestern Switzerland. Gstaad, part of the municipality of Saanen, is known as one of the most exclusive and expensive ski resorts in the world, and has also been the location of Institut Le Rosey's winter campus since 1916.

Gstaad is known for its extremely luxurious hotels and shopping, high-society nightlife, fine dining, excellent service, and international stars. It is also one of the largest ski areas in the Alps. The town is located in the Bernese Oberland in the Swiss Alps.
The middle of the village has been a carfree zone since 1997. Along the Promenade, there are numerous highly-exclusive shops, restaurants and hotels." - in: wikipedia

In this card you can see the hotel where my friend will be working at, is the one with white walls. So if you're planning a ski vacations in Gstaad, you may meet my friend ;)

Tarragona - Spain

A new unesco card from Spain, today in my mailbox, sent by Mari "marilavado".

"The Aqüeducte de les Ferreres (also known as Pont del Diable, English: Devil's Bridge) is an aqueduct in Spain constructed by the Roman Empire to supply water to the ancient city of Tarraco. The aqueduct is located 4 kilometers north of Tarragona, in the Autonomous Community of Catalonia. The aqueduct is part of the Archaeological Ensemble of Tárraco, which was added to the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 2000.
The aqueduct took water from the Francolí river, 15 kilometers north of Tarragona. It probably dates from the time of Augustus. The aqueduct has a maximum height of 27 m and a length of 249 m, including the ends where the specus runs on a wall. It was composed by two orders of archs: upper with 25 archs, lower with 11, all with the same diameter of 20 Roman feet (5,9m) with a variation of 15 cm. The distance between centres of the pillars is 26 Roman feet (7,95m)." - in: wikipedia