Tuesday's Cards

Almost 3 am, my eyes want to close but before going to bed i had to write a quick post to show the cards i got tuesday.

The 1st one is a Petrified Forest National Park card sent by Carol "adobe". This park was on my USA wishlist, i don't know if Carol knew that. Thanks Carol.

The 2nd card is from Turkey and it was sent by Gokçe.

"The name of the park, and its major reason for creation, is the rich collection of petrified wood found mainly in the south portion of the park. It is the most spectaclular collection of petrified wood ever found. In many areas large logs, stumps, and chunks of crystal may be found lying freelyThe petrified wood found in the park began its existence as large trees from an ancient forest some 225 years ago. After falling, the trees were washed downstream from as far as 50 miles away onto a flood plain which lay on the current area of the park. The logs were covered by volcanic sand and silt sometimes to a depth of 1100 feet. around the ground.

Over time, as water seeped toward the buried logs waterborne silica slowly replaced the wood, creating the petrified logs.

In some sections fairly large sections of trees can be found lying about. The largest is "Old Faithful", found in the Rainbow Forest in the southern section of the park. This specimen has a diameter of 9 1/2 feet.
In some cases the process of petrification duplicated the microscopic structure of the original tree, while in other cases the cell walls were dissolved in the process of petrification." - in: http://www.shannontech.com/ParkVision/PetForest/PetForest.html

"Perge was the capital of the then Pamphylia region, which is in modern day Antalya province on the southwestern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Today it is a large site of ancient ruins 15 km east of Antalya in the coastal plain. Located there is an acropolis dating back to the Bronze Age.
Perge is today an archaeological site and a major tourist attraction. Its ruins include a theatre, a palæstra, a temple of Artemis and two churches." - in: wikipedia

Cards of the day

Tomorrow i'll start the afternoon shift at work, that means i'll have less time to postcrossing. The good thing is that i've all morning to sleep and can check the mailbox when i get up. Today i got up, checked the mailbox and found these 2 cards, the 1st one from Malaysia and the 2nd from Romania.

A few days ago Lyan spent some days in Cameron Highlands, 214 km north of Kuala Lumpur, and she sent this card of a workers village at Sungai Palas Tea Plantation.

"The Highlands were named after William Cameron, a British colonial government surveyor who discovered the plateau during a mapping expedition in 1885. The fame of Cameron Highlands then grew during the colonial era when British planters realised the potential of its fertile mountain slopes for growing tea, then a prized commodity. Cameron Highlands is still home to many tea plantations, being Malaysia's largest tea-producing region. With its many farms the area is also known as a major supplier of legumes and vegetables to both Malaysia and Singapore, and is one of Malaysia's prime tourist destinations." - in: wikipedia

This is a special card. I had a Peles Castle card on my favorites album and Alexandra "alexiatego" contacted me saying she could send me a similar card. The card arrived today. On this picture we can see a night view of the castle but when i move the card we can also see a day view. This is my 1st card with this kind of effect.

"Located in Sinaia (44 km from Brasov), Peles Castle is considered by many one of the most beautiful castles in all Europe. It was the final resting place for several Romanian monarchs including King Carol I, who died here in 1914.The building of the castle began in 1873 under the direct order of the Viennese architect Wilhem Doderer and was continued in 1876 by his assistant, Johann Schultz de Lemberg. During 1877-1879 because of the war they abandoned work. That's why the castle was inaugurated only on October 7, 1883.

The castle was built in wood, stone, bricks and marble and comprises more than 160 rooms. The representative style used is German Renaissance, but one can easily discover elements belonging to the Italian Renaissance, Gothic, German Baroque and French Rococo style.

Peles is surrounded by seven terraces decorated with statues (sculptured by the Italian, Romanelli), stone-made-wells, ornamental vases and Carara marble. The architects used an abundance of wooden decoration, both for the exterior and for the interior of the castle, which confers a very special quality to the building." - in: http://www.brasovtravelguide.ro/en/brasov/surroundings/peles-castle.php

More Monaco cards

No cards today again :( Only 1 card this week!!! Better luck for next one.

No cards in my mailbox but i still have a lot of cards in my postcard box. Today we've more 2 Monaco cards.

This is a view of the port and the palace. Is amazing the quantity of yachts at the port, i think some of them are bigger than my house :P

An aerial view with the Stade Louis II stadium. "It serves as a venue for both football, being the home of AS Monaco as well as the location of the annual UEFA Super Cup match, and athletics, where it plays host to the IAAF World Athletics Final.
The original Stade Louis II was opened in 1939 as the home of AS Monaco. The new stadium was built in the early 1980s, close to the site of the old stadium on land reclaimed from the sea, opening fully in 1985. It presently has a capacity of approximately 18,500 all seated, which is quite large relative to the population of Monaco (ca.32,000), making it possible to fit around 60% of the country's population, making Monaco the only country capable of such thing. The Stadium is named after Louis II, Prince of Monaco, who was the Sovereign Prince of Monaco when the original stadium was built. It features prominently in the early versions of Pro Evolution Soccer." - in: wikipedia

Charlotte's Unesco cards

This week i've only received cards yesterday but the week is not over yet, maybe i'll get something tomorrow.

One of the cards i got yesterday was a Canterbury Cathedral card sent by Charlotte, one of my dear GTKY friends. Not so long ago she sent me a Bath card. These 2 places are World Heritage Sites, both new in my collection.

"Bath is a city in the ceremonial county of Somerset in the south west of England. It is situated 97 miles (156 km) west of London.

The city was founded, among surrounding hills, in the valley of the River Avon around naturally occurring hot springs (the only ones in the United Kingdom, using the common definition of a spring with water above average human body temperature) where the Romans built baths and a temple, giving it the name Aquae Sulis. Edgar was crowned king of England at Bath Abbey in 973. Much later, it became popular as a spa resort during the Georgian era, which led to a major expansion that left a heritage of exemplary Georgian architecture crafted from Bath Stone.

As City of Bath the city became a World Heritage Site in 1987. The city has a variety of theatres, museums, and other cultural and sporting venues, which have helped to make it a major centre for tourism, with over one million staying visitors and 3.8 million day visitors to the city each year." - in: wikipedia

"Canterbury Cathedral is one of the oldest Christian churches in England and it continues to play a central role in English Christianity. Originally founded in 602 AD by St. Augustine, it still functions as the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Canterbury was an important spiritual center ever since Augustine, but it became a major pilgrimage destination after the martyrdom of St. Thomas Becket in 1170 (familiar to most as the subject of Geoffrey Chaucer's humorous Canterbury Tales).
The grandeur of the architecture reflects Canterbury's historic and religious importance, as does the magnificent collection of medieval stained glass windows depicting miracles experienced at Thomas' shrine, biblical scenes, prophets and saints." - in: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/england/canterbury-cathedral.htm

Raquel's cards

Today i've received these 2 cards sent by Raquel "ferro".

In 3 years of postcrossing this is my 1st poscard from Amsterdam :o i bought the other 1 i've from there!! Amsterdam is a beautiful city, i hope i can get more cards from there in the future.

This is the Rembrandt Square, one of the most import leisure centers in the city. There are cafes and eating places but this square is predominantly a quarter for night and stiptease clubs. "The square, in which the butter market used to be held, has always been a center of the social life. When fairs were held here it swarmed with people in search of the abundance of entertainments to be found in the booths and at the many stalls. When the butter market was discontinued in the mid-19th C. the square retained its atmosphere as somewhere to stroll and find amusement. It was then that it acquired its present name when the little park was laid out with its statue of Rembrandt." - in: http://www.planetware.com/amsterdam/rembrandt-square-nl-nh-remsqu.htm

"Brugge is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country. Along with a few other canal-based northern cities, it is sometimes referred to as "The Venice of the North".
The historic city centre is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO.
The Church of Our Lady dates mainly from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. Its tower, at 122,3 meters in height, remains the tallest structure in the city and the second tallest brickwork tower in the world." - in: wikipedia

CN-61989

Yesterday i got this official chinese card sent by Kaige Lee. This is my first Macau card, a former portuguese colony.

The cards shows the Feast of the Drunken Dragon. This year will be hold on May 2nd.

"Feast of the Drunken Dragon is an extraordinary festival compared with the other foremost Chinese festivals in Macau. Organized by the fishermen associations to honor the celestial dragon that mythically saved the people from plague, Feast of the Drunken Dragon begins in the morning at the Kuan Tai Temple near Senado Square. Men dressed with woodenheads and dragon tails perform a drunken dance. Then, they proceed in the direction of the Inner Harbor, visiting some shops and quay on the waterfront. At every stop they drink wine until they are not able to go on. The participants and spectators end the day with a grand dinner.
Feast of the Drunken Dragon dates back to the Kangxi Kingdom of the Qing Dynasty. According to the fables once the villagers were carrying a statue of the Buddha and praying intently to get rid of plague that annihilated their population saw a giant python leaped out of the river onto the bank and obstructed their path. A Buddhist monk cut the monster into three pieces that were then thrown back into the river. A massive squall and thunder stormed as the pieces writhed about, then they disappeared in to the sky. Later the villagers recovered from the disease. Believing that a divine dragon had saved them, the villagers carved its image. Each year during the Feast of the Bathing of the Lord Buddha they drank with passion and danced with the dragon." - in: http://www.asiarooms.com/travel-guide/macau/macau-festivals-&-events/feast-of-the-drunken-dragon.html

New cards, new places

Last tuesday i've received these 2 wonderful cards. They're not only beautiful but also from a new country and a new whs. This was only possible thanks to a private trade with Tham from Thailand. Thank you so much :)

This is a card from Laos' capital city Vientiane. On the card Lao buddhists pay respect to Phra Thad Luang at Thad Luang Festival.
"Pha That Luang (Great Stupa in Lao) is a Buddhist stupa. It was built in the 16th century under King Setthathirat on the ruins of an earlier 13th century Khmer temple. Relics of The Buddha are said to be contained here.
Pha That Luang was destroyed by the Thai invasion in 1828, which was heavily damaged and left abandon. A French explorer and architect came across the abandoned temple and made detailed sketches of the temple. It was not until 1900, when the French restored to its original design. The architecture of the building includes many references to Lao culture and identity, and so has become a symbol of Lao nationalism." - in: wikipedia

"The Sukhothai Historical Park covers the ruins of Sukhothai, capital of the Sukhothai kingdom in the 13th and 14th centuries, in what is now the north of Thailand.

The city walls form a rectangle about 2 km east-west by 1.6 km north-south. There are 193 ruins on 70 square kilometers of land. There is a gate in the centre of each wall. Inside are the remains of the royal palace and twenty-six temples, the largest being Wat Mahathat. The park sees thousands of visitors each year, who marvel at the ancient Buddha figures, palace buildings and ruined temples. The park is easily toured by bicycle or even on foot.
On December 12, 1991, it was declared a World Heritage Site, together with the associated historic parks in Kamphaeng Phet and Si Satchanalai." - in: wikipedia

USA Wishlist

USA Capital Cities:

Alaska - Juneau
Arizona - Phoenix
Arkansas - Little Rock
Colorado - Denver
Delaware - Dover
Florida - Tallahassee
Hawaii - Honolulu
Illinois - Springfield
Louisiana - Baton Rouge
Mississippi - Jackson
Montana - Helena
Nebraska - Lincoln
Nevada - Carson City
New Hampshire - Concord
New Jersey - Trenton
New Mexico - Santa Fe
North Carolina - Raleigh
North Dakota - Bismarck
Ohio - Columbus
Oklahoma - Oklahoma City
Oregon - Salem
South Dakota - Pierre
Texas - Austin
Vermont - Montpelier
Washington - Olympia
West Virginia - Charleston
Wisconsin - Madison
Wyoming - Cheyenne

USA National Parks:

Alaska - Denali
Alaska - Gates of the Arctic
Alaska - Katmai
Alaska - Kenai Fjords
Alaska - Kobuk Valley
Alaska - Lake Clark
Alaska - Wrangell - St Elias
American Samoa - American Samoa
Arkansas - Hot Springs
California - Channel Islands
California - Joshua Tree
California - Lassen Volcanic
California - Redwood
California - Sequoia
Colorado - Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Colorado - Great Sand Dunes
Colorado - Rocky Mountain
Florida - Biscayne
Florida - Dry Tortugas
Hawaii - Haleakala
Kentucky - Mammoth Cave
Maine - Acadia
Michigan - Isle Royale
Minnesota - Voyageurs
Nevada - Great Basin
New Mexico - Carlsbad Caverns
North Dakota - Theodore Roosevelt
Oregon - Crater Lake
South Carolina - Congaree
South Dakota - Badlands
South Dakota - Wind Cave
Texas - Big Bend
Texas - Guadalupe Mountains
US Virgin Islands - Virgin Islands
Utah - Arches
Utah - Bryce Canyon
Utah - Capitol Reef
Utah - Zion
Washington - North Cascades

USA Unesco WHS

- Redwood National and State Parks
- Mammoth Cave National Park
- Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Toledo - Spain

This week i've only received 1 card :( and because of the Easter holidays i won't receive mail until tuesday.

Even without new cards i wanted to make an update . I wanted to make a thematic update but came across with these beautiful cards and decided to dedicate this post to Toledo. I've been to Toledo 8 or 9 years ago on a school trip. Is one of those places that i want to visit again.

"Toledo is a municipality located 70 km south of Madrid. It is the capital of the province of Toledo and of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 for its extensive cultural and monumental heritage as one of the former capitals of the Spanish Empire and place of coexistence of Christian, Jewish and Moorish cultures.

The Puente de San Martín (English: San Martin Bridge) is a medieval bridge across the river Tajo in Toledo. The bridge was constructed in the late 14th century by archbishop Pedro Tenorio to provide access to the old town from the west, complementing the older Puente de Alcántara linking to the east. Both sides of the bridge were heavily fortified with towers, the more recent dating from the 16th century.
The Puente de San Martín features five arches, with the largest in the middle reaching an impressive span length of 40 m. Only very few bridges in the world had reached that mark until then.

The Cathedral of Toledo was built between 1226-1493 and modeled after the Bourges Cathedral, though it also combines some characteristics of the Mudejar style. It is remarkable for its incorporation of light and features the Baroque altar called El Transparente, several stories high, with fantastic figures of stucco, paintings, bronze castings, and multiple colors of marble, a masterpiece of medieval mixed media by Narciso Tomé topped by the daily effect for just a few minutes of a shaft of light from which this feature of the cathedral derives its name." - in: wikipedia

Tower Bridge

The last card of last week was from a GTKY friend and the first card of this week was also from a GTKY friend. This beautiful card from London was sent by Laura "laurarual".

Laura traveled to London last February and returned home with a few cards in her bag for her GTKY friends. I got this card last monday. The colors of the card are so beautiful. Dank je Laura :P
The Tower Bridge is one of London's most famous sights and the world's most famous and recognisable bascule bridge.

Friday's cards

Yesterday i've received 2 beautiful cards, 1 from Italy and the other from Brazil.

The 1st one is another card from Valerie "octabis". She spent a few days in Rome and sent a few cards to her GTKY friends. The card shows the St. Angelo Bridge and St. Peter's Basilica.

"This is one of the most famous bridge in Rome, built in the 239 AD. Large number of medieval pilgrims making their way to St. Peter's walked along it to cross the Tiber at Ponte sant'Angelo (with its Bernini Angels). Of the businesses sprang up to try to part the pilgrims from their money, the most enduring was the selling of rosaries, and the near street is still named after the rosaries (via dei coronari).
The street followed the course of the ancient Roman Via Recta (straight street) which originally ran from today's Piazza Colonna to the Tiber.
Making one's way through the vast trongh of people in Via dei Coronari could be extremely hazardous. In the Holy Year of 1450, some 200 pilgrims died, crushed by the crowds or drowned in the Tiber. Following the tragedy, Pope Nicholas V demolished the Roman triumphal arch that stood at the entrance to Ponte Sant'Angelo. In the late 15th century, Pope Sixtus IV encouraged of private houses and palaces along the street." -in: http://www.italyguides.it/us/roma/tiber_bridges_of_rome.htm

Another photo contest card. São José dos Campos is Lilian's "mizlilian" city, in São Paulo State. this building is the former city hall and today is the Municipal Office of Tourism.

US-365676

Today i've only received 1 card, an official from USA - US-365676, sent by Tami.

"The Tehachapi Loop is a .73 miles (1.17 km) long 'spiral', or helix, on the railroad main line through Tehachapi Pass, in south central California. The loop derives its name from the circuitous route it takes, in which the track passes over itself, a design which lessens the angle of the grade. A train more than 4,000 feet (1.2 km) long (about 85 boxcars) will thus pass over itself going around the loop.
The railroad line connects Bakersfield in the San Joaquin Valley to Mojave in the Antelope Valley. Hailed as one of the greatest engineering feats of its day (ca. 1876) as well as being the world's busiest single-track main, the line was built by Southern Pacific Railroad. Arthur De Wint Foote worked on it along with chief engineer William Hood.
It is now owned by Union Pacific BNSF also uses the loop under a trackage rights agreement. The area is considered to be one of the prime railfan areas in the country with its combination of frequent train traffic and spectacular scenery. A railroad museum with many historical rail artifacts is located in the small nearby city of Tehachapi." - in: wikipedia
It is one of the seven wonders of the railroad world.

Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle - France

A few days ago Valérie "octabis" spent a weekend in Alsace. Before leaving, she asking the GTKY gang members if anyone wanted cards from there and i said i'd would a castle. Yesterday i received this beautiful card from her. Thanks Valérie.

"Perched at a height of almost 800 m, this famous mediaeval fortress looks down majestically across the Alsatian plain. From the top of its towers, the castle offers an unbeatable view across the Vosges, the Rhine, the Black Forest and even across the Alps.

No introduction is really needed for the Haut-Koenigsbourg, which is one of France's most widely visited monuments attracting 600,000 visitors per year. The castle occupied a strategic position when it was built back in the 12th century. Its purpose was to protect the wine and wheat routes to the north, and the silver and salt routes running from west to east. It was reduced to rubble by the Swedes during the 30 War and abandoned. In 1899, Kaiser Wilhelm II decided to have the castle fully rebuilt with the aim of making this a museum and a symbol of Alsace's return to Germany. Although built relatively recently, the castle has remained true to the spirit of mediaeval architecture. Inside the building, the sheer refinement of the rooms is extremely impressive, with their wall paintings, Renaissance furniture and enormous cast iron stoves. A collection of mediaeval weapons is located in the basement including crossbows, swords and armour of all kinds." - in: http://www.tourisme-alsace.com/en/castles-alsace/castles-alsace-haut-koenigsbourg-.html

More photo contest cards

I'm still receiving cards related to the photo contest, i got these 2 yesterday. Aren't they great??! :P

Karina "kazinhabueno" from Brazil sent me this amazing card from the Pelourinho - historic centre of Salvador, Bahia state. This was one of the cards i had in my "favorites" album.

Known as Pelourinho, the historic centre of Salvador with it's colorful colonial buildings, cobblestoned streets and a sense of history, is a city within a city. "Nicknamed Pelo by residents this area is in the older part of the upper city, or Cidade Alta, of Salvador. It ecompasses several blocks around the triangular Largo, and it is the location for music, dining and nightlife.

Pelourinho means whipping post in Portuguese, and this was the old slave auction location in the days when slavery was common. Slavery was outlawed in 1835, and over time, this portion of the city, though home to artists and musicians, fell into disrepair. In the 1990's, a major restoration effort resulted in making the area a highly desirable tourist attraction. Pelourinho has a place on the national historic register and named a world cultural centery by UNESCO." - in: http://gosouthamerica.about.com/cs/southamerica/a/BraPelourinho.htm

This one is from the portuguese capital, Lisbon, sent by Ana "subtleLens".

On this card we can see a very typical Lisbon cable car and Jerónimos Monastery, an Unesco whs and one of the 7 wonders of Portugal.

Thanks Karina and Ana, i loved the cards.