November RR - VII

This month had a lot of posts, this will be the last one, i think. 

 

In 3 years of postcrossing, this is my 1st aurora borealis card and this was one of my favorite cards. I'm really happy that Paula "xpaula" sent it to me :)

"Auroras, sometimes called the northern and southern (polar) lights, are natural light displays in the sky, usually observed at night, particularly in the polar regions. They typically occur in the ionosphere. They are also referred to as polar auroras. In northern latitudes, the effect is known as the aurora borealis, named after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for north wind, Boreas, by Pierre Gassendi in 1621. The aurora borealis is also called the northern polar lights, as it is only visible in the sky from the Northern Hemisphere, the chance of visibility increasing with proximity to the North Magnetic Pole, which is currently in the arctic islands of northern Canada. Auroras seen near the magnetic pole may be high overhead, but from further away, they illuminate the northern horizon as a greenish glow or sometimes a faint red, as if the sun were rising from an unusual direction. The aurora borealis most often occurs near the equinoxes; from September to October and from March to April.

Auroras can be spotted throughout the world. It is most visible closer to the poles due to the longer periods of darkness and the magnetic field.

Its southern counterpart, the aurora australis or the southern polar lights, has similar properties, but is only visible from high southern latitudes in Antarctica, South America, or Australasia. Australis is the Latin word for "of the South." - in: wikipedia

 

"The Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, popularly known as the Beefeaters, are ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London. In principle they are responsible for looking after any prisoners at the Tower and safeguarding the British crown jewels, but in practice they act as tour guides and are a tourist attraction in their own right, a point the Yeoman Warders acknowledge. Yeoman Warders began guarding the Tower in 1485; today there are 35 Yeomen Warders and one Chief Warder. All warders are retired from the Armed Forces of Commonwealth realms and must be former senior non-commissioned officers with at least 22 years of service. They must also hold the Long Service and Good Conduct medal." - in: wikipedia "Lonar Lake, which was created by a meteor hitting the Earth during the Pleistocene epoch, is a saltwater lake in Buldana district, Maharashtra, India. The crater thereby formed is the only hypervelocity meteoritic impact crater on basalt rock. A lake that evolved in the resulting basaltic rock formation, is both saline and alkalie in nature. Geologists, ecologists, archaeologists, naturalists and astronomers have reported several studies on the various aspects of this crater lake ecosystem. Lonar Lake has a mean diameter of 1.2 kilometres (3,900 ft) and is about 137 metres (450 ft) below the crater rim. The meteor crater rim is about 1.8 kilometres (5,900 ft) in diameter. The circular depression bears a saline water lake in its central portion. The crater's age is estimated to be 52,000 ± 6,000 years (Pleistocene). It is the second largest impact crater in basaltic rock and is partially filled by a salt water lake." - in: wikipedia The card was sent from India by "yeuxnoisette".

November RR - VI

I'm almost done with cards updates this week. Today i didn't get any mail because of our local holiday. Next cards will arrived monday, i hope ;)

Yukie "yukina" from Japan sent this mapcard of the Okinawa Island. Okinawa Island is the largest of the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and is home to Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture. The 1st brazilian card of this RR is a card from Curitiba sent by "tarcício". Curitiba is the capital city of the Brazilian state of Paraná. The city has the largest population and also the largest economy in Southern Brazil. According to the American magazine Reader's Digest, Curitiba is the best place to live in Brazil. Also from the USA, is this Columbia card sent by Amanda "uscshameless". "Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina The population was 116,278 according to the 2000 census (2008 population estimates put the city at 127,029). Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into Lexington County. The city is the center of a metro area of 728,063. The city's name comes from a poetic synonym for America, derived from the name of Christopher Columbus." - in: wikipedia

NL-250795

This week i've only received this official card from the Netherlands.

NL-250795, sent by Mellody.

These are some lighthouses along the dutch coast.

1. Schiermonnikoog, built in 1853.

2. Ameland, built in 1880.

3. Terschelling, built in 1593.

4. Vlieland, built in 1876.

5. Texel, built in 1863.

6. Den Helder, built in 1877.

7. Egmond, built in 1834.

8. IJmuiden, built in 1878.

9. IJmuiden, built in 1878.

10. Noordwijk, built in 1921.

11. Scheveningen, built in 1875.

12. Maasvlakte, built in 1974.

13. Ouddorp, built in 1947.

14. Haamstede, built in 1837.

15. Westkapelle, built in 1470.

16. Westkapelle, built in 1875.

German unesco whs

I few days ago i tagged Nicole "sternchen84" on the "You Choose - 3 UNESCO WHS in an Envelope Tag" and requested 3 cards, these two are new in my collection.

"The Messel Pit is a disused quarry near the village of Messel, about 35 km southeast of Frankfurt am Main. Because of its plethora of fossils, it has significant geological and scientific importance. After almost becoming a landfill, strong local resistance eventually stopped these plans, and the Messel Pit was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site on 9 December 1995. Significant scientific discoveries are still being made, and the site has become an increasing tourism site as well." - in: wikipedia

"The Imperial Abbey of Lorsch in Lorsch, about 10 km (6 miles) east of Worms, was one of the most renowned monasteries of the Carolingian Empire. Even in its ruined state, its remains are among the most important pre-Romanesque buildings in Germany. Its chronicle, entered in the Lorscher Codex compiled in the 1170s (now in the state archive at Würzburg) is a fundamental document for early medieval German history. Another famous document from the monastic library is the Codex Aureus of Lorsch. In 1991 the ruined abbey was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site." - in: wikipedia

Déa's birthday card

I've received new unesco cards, new national parks cards, new capital cities and i've also received a card from a new country as a birthday present.

This is a Guinea-Bissau card and it was sent by Déa, my dear friend from Brazil.

"The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a country in western Africa, and one of the smallest states in continental Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west.
Its size is nearly 37,000 square kilometres (14,000 sq mi) with an estimated population of 1,600,000. Formerly the Portuguese colony of Portuguese Guinea, upon independence, the name of its capital, Bissau, was added to the country's name to prevent confusion with the Republic of Guinea. Guinea-Bissau's GDP per capita is one of the lowest in the world." - in: wikipedia

This is the Cacheu river, also known as Farim river.

"Its total length is about 257 km and its headwaters are near the northern border of the country, north of Contobeul and close to a bend of the Geba River. It runs west, by the town of Farim and close to Bigenè, and broadens into an estuary on whose south shore the of Cacheu may be found.

It is navigable to large (2,000-ton) ships for about 97 km in, and to smaller vessels much further; it was an important route for commerce." - in: wikipedia

Américo's birthday cards

From Alentejo, a south-central region of Portugal, came this card sent by Américo.

Américo said, this traditional singing group was singing me a birthday song ;)

Chrissy's birthday cards

My american friends made me really happy this birthday :)

Chrissy sent me a great envelope with a birthday card and these postcards missing in my collection.

Thank you so much Chrissy.

The Rotunda and The Lawn at the University of Virginia. The Rotunda was built between 1823 and 1826 and is a half-scale interpretation of the Pantheon in Rome. This "temple of knowledge", as designer Thomas Jefferson called it, is the most majestic building in the Academical Village.

The university has an honor system which was created in 1842 after the murder of a professor by a masked student on The Lwan. Under the system, students pledge not to lie, cheat or steal.

Designed by Thomas Jefferson in 1785, the Virginia State Capitol was the 1st building in America constructed in the style of classical temple. It houses the oldest lawmaking body in the Western Hemisphere, the 1st in the world to function under a written constitution of a free and independent people.

Carol's birthday card

Carol also wanted to celebrate my birthday and sent me this card of the Saguaro National Park, also missing in my collection.

Carol had a knee surgery yesterday, i hope she's ok.

Get better soon and thanks Carol.

"Saguaro National Park, located in the state of Arizona, is part of the United States national park system.

Saguaro National Park is divided into two sections, lying approximately 20 miles (32 km) east and 15 miles (24 km) west of the center of the city of Tucson, Arizona. Total area in 2009 was 91,440 acres (37,000 ha) of which 70,905 acres (28,694 ha) is designated wilderness. There is a visitor center in each section. Both are easily reached by car from Tucson, but there is no public transport into either section. Both sections conserve fine tracts of the Sonoran Desert, including ranges of significant hills, the Tucson Mountains in the west and the Rincon Mountains in the east. The park gets its name from the saguaro cactus which is native to the region. Many other kinds of cactus, including barrel cactus, cholla cactus, and prickly pear, are also abundant in the park. One endangered animal, the Lesser Long-nosed Bat, lives in the park part of the year during its migration, together with one threatened species, the Mexican Spotted Owl.

The park was established as Saguaro National Monument on March 1, 1933, and changed to a national park on October 14, 1994.

Facilities in the park include 150 miles (240 km) of well marked and maintained hiking trails, and shorter walking trails with interpretative information available. Hiking is not advisable during the hot summer months." - in: wikipedia

Kentucky - USA

Ben asked me my address because he wanted to surprise me and he surprised me by sending this card missing in my USA collection.

Thanks a lot Ben.

I already had cards from Kentuchy but didn't have cards from its capital.
"Frankfort is a city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky that serves as the state capital and the county seat of Franklin County. The population was 27,741 at the 2000 census; by population, it is the 5th smallest state capital in the United States." - in: wikipedia

The cards shows the Vietnam Memorial, a floral clock and the State Capitol.

Charlotte's birthday card

Charlotte also sent a 2nd card for my birthday. Last summer she went to Italy on holidays and she sent me a card she brought from there.

Thank you Lotte :P

"Teramo is a city and comune in the central Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.

The city, 150 kilometres (93 mi) from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of Appenini and the Adriatic coast. It is indeed one of the few places where you can reach, both the sunny beaches of the Adriatic sea and the 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) covered by snow Appenine peaks, in less than half an hour from the city centre. The town is by the confluence of the Vezzola and Tordino rivers.

One of the main monuments of the city is the majestic Cathedral of San Berardo, built in 1158 by bishop Guido II, in Romanesque style. Noteworthy is the great portal in Gothic style, finished in 1332 by the Roman master Deodato di Cosma. It houses a precious silver paliotto by Nicola of Guardagriele (with 35 scenes of the life of Jesus) and a polyptych by the Venetian artist Jacobello del Fiore depicting the Incoronation of the Virgin. Annexed is a 50 m bell tower." - in: wikipedia

Valérie's birthday card

Besides the Paris Meeting card, Valérie also sent me this unesco card from Vietnam missing in my unesco wishlist. Valérie has been helping me a lot with this collection. Merci beaucoup :P

"Mỹ Sơn is a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu temples constructed between the 4th and the 14th century A.D. by the kings of Champa. The temples are dedicated to the worship of the god Shiva as he is known under various local names, the most important of which is "Bhadresvara."

Mỹ Sơn is located near the village of Duy Phú, in the administrative district of Duy Xuyên in Quảng Nam province in Central Vietnam.The temples are in a valley roughly two kilometres wide that is surrounded by two mountain ranges.

From the 4th to the 14th century A.D., the valley at Mỹ Sơn was a site of religious ceremony for kings of the ruling dynasties of Champa, as well as a burial place for Cham royalty and national heroes. It was closely associated with the nearby Cham cities of Indrapura and Simhapura. At one time, the site encompassed over 70 temples as well as numerous stele bearing historically important inscriptions in Sanskrit and Cham.

The Mỹ Sơn temple complex is regarded one of the foremost Hindu temple complexes in Southeast Asia and is the foremost heritage site of this nature in Vietnam. It is often compared with other historical temple complexes in Southeast Asia, such as Borobodur of Java in Indonesia, Angkor Wat of Cambodia, Bagan of Myanmar and Ayutthaya of Thailand. As of 1999, My Son has been recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site." - in: wikipedia

Birthday Cards

November 23rd is my birthday and like always, my postcrossing friends spoiled me. I've received a lot of cards to celebrate my birthday. It was great to check the mailbox and find greats cards from great friends all over the world.

An huge thank you to all of them.

These are some of the birthday postcards i've got the last 2 weeks and they have been sent by: Essi "hadassah" from Finland; Laura "lauraarual" from the Netherlands; Cristina "Kryx87" from Portugal; Chrissy "vagirl" from USA; Charlotte "purple_girl" from UK; Joaquim "kosta28" also from Portugal and Valérie "octabis" and the participants at the Paris Postcrossing Meeting.

It was great to turn 29 :D

November RR - V

This is the 5th group of cards from the November RR.

Katy "katyC" sent be this beautiful Colorado landscape, the scenic splendor of the Trappers Lake in the White River National Forest.

This is also a beautiful view. I love the autumn colors.
Rocky Board River at Chimney Rock, Blue Mountains Ridge.
The card was sent by Monica "atotalnobody".

These lovely 19th century windmills are located in Pyrohiv, originally a village south of Kiev, now a neighborhood in the southern outskirts of the Ukrainian capital city. It houses an outdoor Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine.

"Founded in 1969, the museum contains over 300 pieces of folk architecture brought here from all parts of Ukraine and carefully reassembled. The picturesque hill with several windmills is the museum centrepiece and the entire territory of the museum is divided into sectors, each representing the folk architecture and life of a specific Ukrainian region.

Commoner's homes, buildings of small trade, commerce and local administration, and old wooden village churches contain authentic items that represent the everyday lifestyle of Ukrainian villagers and townsfolk. Local volunteers and modern Ukrainian artisans selling their wares dress in old-style clothes and demonstrate the use of authentic everyday items to visitors." - in: wikipedia

The card was sent by Irina "mindanao".

Ari "AKS", from Finland, sent this card of Jean-Sibelius house in Järvenpää.

"Jean Sibelius (8 December 1865 – 20 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity.

The core of Sibelius's oeuvre is his set of seven symphonies. Like Beethoven, Sibelius used each one to develop further his own personal compositional style. Unlike Beethoven who used the symphonies to make public statements, and who reserved his more intimate feelings for his smaller works, Sibelius released his personal feelings in the symphonies. These works continue to be performed frequently in the concert hall and are often recorded.

In addition to the symphonies, Sibelius's best-known compositions include Finlandia, Valse Triste, the violin concerto, the Karelia Suite and The Swan of Tuonela (one of the four movements of the Lemminkäinen Suite).

Jean Sibelius married Aino Järnefelt (1871–1969) at Maxmo on 10 June 1892. Their home, called Ainola, was completed at Lake Tuusula, Järvenpää in 1903, and the two lived out the remainder of their lives there. They were married for 64 years and had six daughters: Iva, Ruth, Kirsti (who died at a very young age), Katarine, Margaret, and Heidi." - in: wikipedia

DE + AU

The 2 official cards i've received this week.

DE-463591, sent by Sandra.

Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hannover.

Osnabrück developed as a marketplace next to the bishop's see founded by Charlemagne, king of the Franks, 780. - in: wikipedia

AU-58016, sent by Jane.

"Sydney is the largest city in Australia, and the state capital of New South Wales. It is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, reflecting its role as a major destination for immigrants to Australia.

The site of the first British colony in Australia, Sydney was established in 1788 at Sydney Cove by Arthur Phillip, commodore of the First Fleet. The city is built on hills surrounding Sydney Harbour – an inlet of the Tasman Sea on Australia's south-east coast. It is home to the iconic Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge and its beaches. The metropolitan area is surrounded by national parks, and contains many bays, rivers and inlets.

The city is home to many prominent parks, such as Hyde Park, Royal Botanical Gardens and national parks. This is a major factor, along with Sydney Harbour that has led to the city’s reputation as one of the most beautiful in the world.

According to the Mercer cost of living survey, Sydney is Australia’s most expensive city, and the 66th most expensive in the world. Sydney also ranks among the top 10 most livable cities in the world according to Mercer Human Resource Consulting and The Economist." - in: wikipedia

Paris Postcrossing Meeting

Another Postcrossing meeting card, this one from the Paris Meeting that took place last weekend. It was kind of an international meeting with postcrossers from 4 different countries. Valérie "octabis", "pazzolina", thatdee_calisson" and "becca" from France, Jetske, "missmaple" and "astrid1978" from the Netherlands, "goyesca" from Germany, "lotty" and "AOTR" from Belgium.

The card is from one of my must see places in France, the Loire Valley.

Thanks Valérie for sending this beautiful cards and everyone for signing it.

Postcrossing lunch

Last weekend a few portuguese postcrossers met and had lunch together in Lisbon. Like always, they sent cards to the other postcrosser friends.

The postcrosser at the lunch were: "gracinha", "valdagua", "simões", Carla, "ludovico", "anapmvaz" and "ferro".
On the card there's the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon.

New unesco cards

This week i've been receiving the November RR cards, birthday cards, meeting cards and unesco cards. These 2 cards are new unesco whs from UK and Thailand.

The 1st card was sent by Johnson and the snd by Apichati "chilipepper".

"The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to simply as Kew Gardens, are 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. It is an internationally important botanical research and education institution with 700 staff and an income of £56 million for the year ended 31 March 2008, as well as a visitor attraction receiving almost 2 million visits in that year. Created in 1759, the gardens celebrated their 250th anniversary in 2009.

The Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is responsible for the world’s largest collection of living plants. The organisation employs more than 650 scientists and other staff. The living collections include more than 30,000 different kinds of plants, while the herbarium, which is the largest in the world, has over 7 million preserved plant specimens.
In July 2003, the gardens were put on the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO." - in: wikipedia

"Khao Yai National Park is a national park in Thailand.

The park is the second largest in Thailand. It covers an area of 2,168 square kilometers, including evergreen forests and grasslands. Its altitude mostly ranges from 400 to 1000 m above sea level. There are 3,000 species of plants, 320 species of birds like red junglefowl and green peafowl and 67 species of mammals, including Asiatic black bears, Asian elephants, gaur, tigers, gibbons, Indian sambar deer, crab-eating macaque, Indian muntjac, dholes, and wild pigs. Its waterfalls include the 80 metre Heo Narok, and Haeo Suwat made famous from the film The Beach. Namtok Sarika is popular with the Thais.

On July 14 2005 the park together with other parks in the Dong Phaya Yen mountains was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name Dong Phaya Yen–Khao Yai Forest Complex." - in: wikipedia

November RR - IV

The November RR cards keep coming :P

This is a portuguese card sent by Joana "joaninha".

The Nossa Senhora dos Remédios Sanctuary, on Lamego, started to be built in 1750 to be finished in 1905. The access stairway, with 686 steps, has several platforms where can be found the kings of Israel and on the stairway basis are four images representing the four seasons of the year.

My 2nd card of the RR from Turkey. This Topkapi Palace card was sent by Gokçe.

"The Topkapı Palace is a palace in Istanbul, which was the official and primary residence in the city of the Ottoman Sultans for 400 years.

The palace was a setting for state occasions and royal entertainments and is a major tourist attraction today, containing the most holy relics of the Muslim world such as the prophet Muhammed's cloak and sword. Topkapı Palace is among those monuments belonging to the "Historic Areas of Istanbul", which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

Initial construction began in 1459, ordered by Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Byzantine Constantinople.

After the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1921, Topkapı Palace was transformed by government decree on April 3, 1924 into a museum of the imperial era. The palace complex has hundreds of rooms and chambers, but only the most important are accessible to the public today. The complex is guarded by officials of the ministry as well as armed guards of the Turkish military. The palace is full of examples of Ottoman architecture and also contains large collections of porcelain, robes, weapons, shields, armor, Ottoman miniatures, Islamic calligraphic manuscripts and murals, as well as a display of Ottoman treasure and jewelry." - in: wikipedia

A card from China sent by "Nommy".