Laguna Verde - Bolivia

No more favorites today but i'm waiting for some new ones.

This last week i've only received 3 cards, i really hope to get more in the next few days, that includes favorites, unesco and official cards.

This is one of my favorite favorites ;) Look at all the green water, really great. Laguna Verde, Green Lagoon, is located in Bolivia but the card was sent from Finland by Helena "pihka".

"Laguna Verde (Green Lagoon) is a salt lake in the southwest of the altiplano of Bolivia, in the Potosí Department, Sur Lípez Province, on the Chilean border at the foot of the volcano Licancabur. Visitors may find some flamingoes dancing in the salt.

Its colour is caused by sediments, containing copper minerals. It is elevated some 4,300 m (14,000 ft) above sea level.

The laguna verde is well known for its spectacular scenery and hot springs." - in: wikipedia

Favorites from Spain

I've been tagging a lot on the favorites tags and i've a lot of favorites from Spain. Sonia "soniasadin" sent me these two, the 1st from the community of Navarra with the Javier Castle and the 2nd from La Rioja with the Yuso Monastery, a Unesco WHS.

"The Javier’s castle rises upon a rock in the midst of the locality with the same name, Navarra province, limiting with Zaragoza province. This castle was built in the 10th century; it was reformed in the 12th and 13th centuries and later in the 15th century. The castle was partially destroyed in the year 1516 and this was ordered by Cardinal Cisneros, due to the continuous uprisings taking place there. In the year 1223 the castle belonged to the king of Aragón and in 1236 it went over to the hands of the king of Navarra. In the 16th Century, father San Francisco Javier owned the place and San Francisco Javier was born here, that was a cofounder together with San Ignacio de Loyola, from the Company of Jesus. Javier is a much visited region since the Jacobea Route is very near. The tradition of providing accommodations to pilgrims goes back centuries ago, since the lords of the castle sheltered non residents from the Camino de Santiago (Santiago’s road). The so called “Javieradas” are held in March these are pilgrimages being made up to this place Navarra. People from all ages and from any region of the geography come here, through the roads and paths which are plenty in this peninsular area." - in: http://www.spaincastles.es/navarre/javier%E2%80%99s-castle-san-javier-castle.html

San Millán de Yuso is one of the two monasteries situated in the village of San Millán de la Cogola, La Rioja, Spain. Both monasteries, Yuso and Suso, have been designated a World Heritage Site in 1997.

"The monastic community founded by St Millán in the mid-6th century became a place of pilgrimage. A fine Romanesque church built in honour of the holy man still stands at the site of Suso. It was here that the first literature was produced in Castilian, from which one of the most widely spoken languages in the world today is derived. In the early 16th century the community was housed in the fine new monastery of Yuso, below the older complex; it is still a thriving community today.

The Committee decided to inscribe this property considering that the Monasteries of Suso and Yuso at San Millán de la Cogolla are exceptional testimony to the introduction and continuous survival of Christian monasticism, from the 6th century to the present day. The property is also of outstanding associative significance as the birthplace of the modern written and spoken Spanish language." - in: www.whc.unes.org/en/list/805

Ljubljana - Slovenia

I was in Ljubljana back in 2007, the 1st day of the year. It was night and the city looked really pretty with all the Christmas decorations.

I really would love to visit the city with more time. Till then, is always great to receive cards from there. The 1st was one of my favorites and it was sent by Minna "flora1".

"Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, is a central European city lying between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, in a basin where the Ljubljanica river flows into the Sava. It has all the facilities of a modern capital, and yet it has preserved its small-town friendliness and relaxed atmosphere. It is a vibrant city full of surprises. Its surrounding areas, packed with natural beauty and cultural sights bearing witness to the city's dynamic history, are renowned for their walking, hiking and cycle trails and a wide variety of culinary delights." - in: http://www.visitljubljana.si/en/ljubljana-and-more/

This card shows a view of the Ljubljana Castle from The Three Bridges, one of the symbols of Ljubljana.

"The central of the three bridges forming the Triple Bridge has stood in its place since 1842, when it replaced an old, strategically important medieval wooden bridge connecting the north-western European lands with south-eastern Europe and the Balkans. Between 1929 and 1932, the side bridges, intended for pedestrians, were added to the original stone bridge to a design by the architect Jože Plečnik, who thus created a unique architectural gem of Ljubljana.

Plečnik removed the metal railings from the old stone bridge and furnished all the three bridges with massive stone balustrades and lamps. From each of the side bridges, two stairways lead to terraces situated just above the river, where poplar trees were planted to contribute to the overall appearance of the Bridge.

On the right bank of the river, the Bridge is enhanced by a small flower shop connected to the Ljubljana Central Market colonnade, and on the left bank by a kiosk. It has a key position on the crossing of Plečnik's two urban axes, the river axis and the axis running between the Rožnik and castle hills. In 1992, the Triple Bridge was thoroughly renovated." - in: http://www.visitljubljana.si/en/tours-and-excursions/sights/1821/detail.html

I didn't buy any cards in Ljubljana but just a few days later i've received this card from there. On this card there's the Preseren Square with the "Prešeren Monument, designed by the architect Maks Fabiani and the sculptor Ivan Zajc, was unveiled in the autumn of 1905. It depicts the greatest Slovenian poet, France Prešeren (1800-1849), and the muse of poetry holding a spring of laurel above his head. The poet's statue is symbolically faced by the statue of Julija Primic, his great love, mounted on the fasade of a building located across the square, in the Wolfova ulica street." - in: http://www.visitljubljana.si/en/tours-and-excursions/sights/1630/detail.html

Monteriggioni - Italy

This week i've only received 1 card so far. That's not normal! Maybe i'll find a bunch of cards in my mailbox tomorrow.

This wasn't the card i've received yesterday, this one arrived a few weeks ago. It was one of my favorites and it was sent by Gosia.

"Monteriggioni is a medieval walled town, located on a natural hillock, in the Siena Province of Tuscany - built by the Sienese in 1213 as a front line in their wars against Florence, by assuming command of the Cassia Road running through the Val d'Elsa and Val Staggia to the west.

The money Monteriggioni made went to make the town better. Very little has been done to Monteriggioni's walls or buildings since they were first erected. Monteriggioni's walls and the buildings that make up the town within are the best preserved example of their kind in all of Italy, attracting tourists, architects, medieval historians and archaeologists. The town appears to float above the valley at night due to the hillside walls and towers being lit from below with light.

The roughly circular walls, totalling a length of about 570 meters and following the natural contours of the hill, were built between 1213 and 1219. There are fourteen towers on square bases set at equidistance, and two portals or gates. One gate, the Porta Fiorentina opens toward Florence to the north, and the other, the Porta Romana, faces Rome to the south." -in: wikipedia

Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City

This card was sent from Germany but is a new unesco site from England, Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City, on the World Heritage Site list since 2004.

The card shows the Pier Head.

The Pier Head is a riverside location in the city centre of Liverpool. The historic site encompasses a trio of landmarks, known as 'The Three Graces': the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building.

"Six areas in the historic centre and docklands of the maritime mercantile City of Liverpool bear witness to the development of one of the world’s major trading centres in the 18th and 19th centuries. Liverpool played an important role in the growth of the British Empire and became the major port for the mass movement of people, e.g. slaves and emigrants from northern Europe to America. Liverpool was a pioneer in the development of modern dock technology, transport systems and port management. The listed sites feature a great number of significant commercial, civic and public buildings, including St George’s Plateau." -in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1150

Cerveteri - Italy

Gisela "protea" also sent a new italian Unesco site, Cerveteri, on the WHS list together with the necropolises in Tarquinia, since 2004.

Cerveteri is a town in northern Lazio, province of Rome. The town is famous for a large number of Etruscan necropolises.

"The Etruscan Necropolis at Cerveteri is a uniquely haunting archaeological site. Built by this prosperous people between the seventh and the third centuries BC, the 'city' is still not fully excavated, but there are a remarkable number of stone tombs lining little streets, and you can easily spend several hours exploring.

The enigmatic Etruscans built cities and ports that have long since disappeared, but the care and industry they put into the homes for their dead has resulted in a lasting monument. The experience of clambering inside these tombs is unmissable... it's also rather eerie and feels faintly invasive. One hopes that, unlike the pyramids of Egypt, there are no curses here to blight the adventurer.

The Banditaccia Necropolis site, a short distance outside the small town of Cerveteri, is huge and surprisingly bare of visitors. You can wander as you please - and take a torch. The major tombs are signposted, have steps for access and lights for illumination, but the majority of interiors are accessible only to the intrepid. There are distinct types and ages of tomb. The majority contain stone 'beds' with carved pillows, some also provide what seem to be stone chairs. There are round tombs, square tombs, posh tomb development and streets of terraced tombs. Most are bare inside; although some coloured paint is visible in places. The Tomba dei Rilievi contains appealing painted reliefs.

The best finds from the archaeological digs are mostly in Rome, in the Villa Giulia Etruscan museum. But the smaller museum in Cerveteri is worth a look. It's in an old castle on the main piazza close to the bus stop. You may need to ring the bell for admittance. Entrance is free, and you can admire Etruscan art and artefacts found locally, including the contents of some of the tombs." -in: http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/cerveteri.html

Cape Floral Kingdom - South Africa

Another unesco card from Africa, Cape Floral Region Protected Areas, a south african unesco site since 2004.

The card was sent by Gisela "protea".

"A serial site – in Cape Province, South Africa – made up of eight protected areas, covering 553,000 ha, the Cape Floral Region is one of the richest areas for plants in the world. It represents less than 0.5% of the area of Africa but is home to nearly 20% of the continent’s flora. The site displays outstanding ecological and biological processes associated with the Fynbos vegetation, which is unique to the Cape Floral Region. The outstanding diversity, density and endemism of the flora are among the highest worldwide. Unique plant reproductive strategies, adaptive to fire, patterns of seed dispersal by insects, as well as patterns of endemism and adaptive radiation found in the flora, are of outstanding value to science." -in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1007

Unesco cards from Tunisia

I usually don't contact people asking for certain cards but i did it in order to get these 2 new unesco cards from Tunisia, Medina of Tunis and Dougga. I proposed Judit "helgamano" a unesco trade and she sent me the cards i picked from her album. This was in February something and she still didn't receive my cards :o I really hate when this happen, especially because it was me that contacted her in first place and i don't have more copies of the cards she wanted me to send her. I'll wait till the end of next week and if she doesn't receive the envelope till then, i'll send her new cards.

"Under the Almohads and the Hafsids, from the 12th to the 16th century, Tunis was considered one of the greatest and wealthiest cities in the Islamic world. Some 700 monuments, including palaces, mosques, mausoleums, madrasas and fountains, testify to this remarkable past.

The Medina of Tunis has exerted an outstanding influence on the development of architecture, sculpture, and connected arts, and of urban planning. This group of buildings is rare, as most historic Islamic centres have suffered grave destruction and reconstruction over the centuries, whereas Tunis still preserves its homogeneity." - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/36

"Dougga or Thugga is an ancient Roman city in northern Tunisia, included in a 65 hectare archaeological site.

Unesco qualified Dougga as a World Heritage Site in 1997, believing that it represents “the best-preserved Roman small town in North Africa”. The site, which lies in the middle of the countryside, has been protected from the encroachment of modern urbanisation, in contrast, for example, to Carthage, which has been pillaged and rebuilt on numerous occasions.

Dougga’s size, its well-preserved monuments and its rich Punic, Numidian, ancient Roman and Byzantine history make it exceptional. Amongst the most famous monuments at the site are a Punic-Libyan mausoleum, the capitol, the theatre, and the temples of Saturn and of Juno Caelestis." - in: wikipedia

Willemstad - Curaçao

This is also a card from a new Unesco site. It was sent by Dees and it shows Curaçao's capital city, Willemstad. The city center, with its peculiar architecture and beautiful harbour entry, has been made a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1997.

"Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao, which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao ("Little Curaçao"), is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Its capital is Willemstad." - in: wikipedia

"The people of the Netherlands established a trading settlement at a fine natural harbour on the Caribbean island of Curaçao in 1634. The town developed continuously over the following centuries. The modern town consists of several distinct historic districts whose architecture reflects not only European urban-planning concepts but also styles from the Netherlands and from the Spanish and Portuguese colonial towns with which Willemstad engaged in trade." - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/819

New chinese Unesco cards

A few weeks ago Ran proposed me a trade and i chose 3 cards from his albuns. 

"Qufu is a city in Shandong Province, China. Qufu is the hometown of Confucius, who is traditionally believed to have been born at nearby Mount Ni. Qufu contains numerous historic palaces, temples and cemeteries. Many of the major cultural sites in the city are all associated with Confucius, such as the three sites of the Temple of Confucius, the Cemetery of Confucius, and the Kong Family Mansion.

The Qufu complex of monuments have been listed as Unesco World Heritage Sites since 1994". in: wikipedia

"Temple of Confucius was built to worship Confucius (September 28, 551 BC – 479 BC), the Chinese thinker and social philosopher, whose teachings and philosophy have deeply influenced Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese thought and life by Chinese Feudal dynasty. It is a group of grand, majestic, oriental-featured ancient buildings. It is the second largest scale Chinese ancient buildings (the largest one is the Forbidden City in Beijing). The temple, now listed as China’s Top Three Ancient Buildings (the other two are: the Forbidden City in Beijing and the Summer Resort in Chengde) and played an important role in the world’s architecture history, was built at the site of Confucius’ former residence with a standard of ancient Chinese imperial palace.

Temple of Confucius was first built by Luaigong (the emperor of Lu) in 478 BC – the second year after Confucius’ death. Later on, the temple was rebuilt by many past emperors for expansion. The latest expansion was accomplished by Emperor Yongzheng of Qing Dynasty.

To seek the footprints and to feel the wisdom of Confucius - the great master of oriental philosophy, visitors should visit the Temple of Confucius as well as Cemetery of Confucius and Konf Family Mansion." -in: http://www.chinahighlights.com/qufu/attraction/temple-of-confucius.htm

"The steep hillsides of the Dazu area contain an exceptional series of rock carvings dating from the 9th to the 13th century. They are remarkable for their aesthetic quality, their rich diversity of subject matter, both secular and religious, and the light that they shed on everyday life in China during this period. They provide outstanding evidence of the harmonious synthesis of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism." - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/912

The Summer Palace is a palace in Beijing, China.
"In December 1998, Unesco included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List. It declared the Summer Palace "a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value." It is a popular tourist destination but also serves as a recreational park." - in: wikipedia

Jiuzhaigou Valley - China

And now the new unesco cards.

These two have a story. Back in December i tagged Scaret on the "you choose unesco tag" and chose a Jiuzhaigou Valley card. The card was sent immediately and arrived, 2 weeks ago, i think and that means..... 3 months later! Just a few days before i contacted Scaret saying that i've never received the card and she resent it. I guess none of us imagined that 3 months later the card would finally arrive. Last week arrived the 2nd card. Now i've two beautiful cards of the Jiuzhaigou Valley, an Unesco World Heritage Site since.

The 1st card shows the Five-color Lake and the 2nd the Sparkling Lake.

"It is said that if there should be wonderlands on the earth, Jiuzhaigou Valley must be one of them. There is no equal elsewhere that has sceneries and fables of dreamlike eloquence, or natural purities like a fairyland as Jiuzhaigou Valley.
Jiuzhaigou Valley is located in Nanping County, 450 kilometers (about 280 miles) to the north of Chengdu City. Its name is due to the existence of nine stockaded villages of Tibetan origin, and it is always regarded as a holy mountain and watercourse by the Tibetan people.

Jiuzhaigou Valley is a great masterpiece of nature having dreamlike scenery and abundant natural resources. It combines blue lakes, waterfalls, verdant forests, snow-covered mountains, and the folk customs of the Tibetan and Qiang peoples.

This region covers more than 600 square kilometers (about 230 square miles), and includes areas such as Shuzheng Valley, Rize Valley, Zechawa Valley and Zharu Valley, etc. The main beauty spots such as calc-sinter lake groups, waterfalls, and other waterscapes, as well as 12 summits make Jiuzhaigou Valley a wonderful appearance.

Legend has it; that long, long ago the deity of mountain named Dago had a crush on the goddess Semo, and he gave a mirror that was made from wind and cloud to the goddess. However, the devil appeared and made trouble to Semo. Inadvertently, Semo broke the mirror into 108 pieces, which fell down to the earth and then turned to 108 colorful lakes. The lake is also called Haizi by local people." - in: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/sichuan/jiuzhaigou/page1.htm

CN-331502

Last official, for now. A nice card from China with the Tian'anmen Rostrum in Beijing.

CN-331502, sent by "tangxinliang".
"Tiananmen rostrum was first built in 1417 and named Chengtianmen (the Gate of Heavenly Succession). At the end of the Ming Dynasty, it was seriously damaged by the war. When it was rebuilt under the Qing in 1651, it was renamed Tiananmen, and served as the main entrance to the Imperial City, the administrative and residential quarters for court officials and retainers. The southern sections of the Imperial City wall still stand on both sides of the Gate.

The tower at the top of the gate is nine-room wide and five-room deep. According to the Book of Changes, the two numbers nine and five when combined, symbolize the supreme status of sovereign.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Tiananmen was the place where state ceremonies took place. The most important one of them was the issuing of imperial edicts.
On October 1, 1949, chairmen Mao Zedong proclaimed on Tiananmen Rostrum the founding of the peoples Republic of China. Since then Tiananmen hence been the symbol of China. Chairman Maos portrait is hung above the central entrance, flanked by two slogans Long live the peoples Republic of China and long live the Great unity of the peoples of the World. Today, the splendour of Tiananmen attracts million of visitors from all over the world.
The Rostrum on its top was opened in 1988 to the public for the first time in its history. It offers a panoramic view of the square and the city proper." -in: http://www.beijingservice.com/attractions/tian'anmensquare/tian'anmenrostrum.htm

FI-1014574

A finnish official card with globe-flowers.

FI-1014574, sent by Merja.

NL-580073

No mail today :( but at least, one of my cards was received.

Even with no cards today, i still have a pile of them to post here and store. Lets continue with some officials.

NL-580073, sent by Silvia.

"Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany (districts of Emsland and Bentheim) to the east.

Drenthe, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands, has been a sparsely populated rural area since medieval times. Except for some industry in Assen and Emmen, the lands in Drenthe are mainly used for farming.

Agriculture is an important employer, although industrial areas are found near the cities. The quietness of the province is also attracting a growing number of tourists.

Drenthe is known as the "Cycling Province" of the Netherlands and is an exceptional place for a cycling holiday, having hundreds of kilometres of cycle paths through forest, heath and along canals and many towns and villages offering refreshment along the way." - in: wikipedia

DE-852342

This is a german official card sent by a brazilian girl living in Mettingen. The card shows the local churches.

DE-852342, sent by Beatriz.
Mettingen is a municipality in the district of Steinfurt in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Michigan

I've received this Michigan card a few weeks ago. It was sent by Ashley.

On the back of the card: "The natural beauty of Michigan is a sight to behold. The spectacular colors and peaceful moments can be enjoyed in the forests and along the waterways. These delights of nature are enhanced all year long by the changing of the seasons."

Swiss cards

Thank God tomorrow is my day off and i'll finally have some time to sleep, clean and organize my cards. But soon i'll have lots of free time... i'll be on holidays in 21 days :D That means lots of mornings in bed and when i'm not in bed, i'll be probably travelling, which means, more cards!!!! Well, i guess i should that care of those i already have here first.

These two were also sent by Emerich and the 2nd one is from a new unesco site, the Lavaux, Vineyard Terraces, on the list since 2007.

"The Dents du Midi is a mountain chain situated in the Chablais Alps in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland. It is composed of seven distinct summits and reaches a height of 3257 metres (10,686 feet). Dominating the Val-d'Illiez and the Rhône Valley, to the south it faces the Lac de Salanfe, an artificial reservoir. Geologically it makes up a part of the massif Haut-Giffre." - in: wikipedia

"The Lavaux Vineyard Terraces, stretching for about 30 km along the south-facing northern shores of Lake Geneva from the Chateau de Chillon to the eastern outskirts of Lausanne in the Vaud region, cover the lower slopes of the mountainside between the villages and the lake. Although there is some evidence that vines were grown in the area in Roman times, the present vine terraces can be traced back to the 11th century, when Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries controlled the area. It is an outstanding example of a centuries-long interaction between people and their environment, developed to optimize local resources so as to produce a highly valued wine that has always been important to the economy." - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1243

Bratislava & Domica

Emerich also sent me cards from Slovakia. The 1st one is from Bratislava with the Devin Castle and the 2nd is also from the slovak capital city and it shows the St. Elisabeth Church. The 3rd is a new unesco card, Domica, which is part of Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst site.

On the back of the card: "Devin Castle (13-19th cent.) in a western suburb of Bratislava was built on the top of a 80m high rocky outcrop over the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers that constitute Slovakia's border with Austria.

Blown up by Napoleon's troops in 1809, Devin Castle offers breathtaking views into the surrounding countryside."

"Officially known as the Church of St Elizabeth of Hungary, but commonly referred to simply as 'the Blue Church' for obvious reasons, this is Bratislava’s most appealing art nouveau building. Its style, sometimes known as Hungarian Secession, is repeated in the nearby grammar school on Grösslingová Street. Both were designed by Budapest architect Edmund Lechner and built in the early twentieth century (the church was consecrated on 11 October, 1913).

Both the interior and exterior of the church are painted in shades of pale blue and decorated with blue majolica; even the roof is tiled with blue-glazed ceramics. The structure incorporates a 36.8-metre round tower." -in: http://visit.bratislava.sk/en/vismo/o_utvar.asp?id_org=700014&id_u=1613&p1=3996

"Domica is the biggest cave in the Slovak Karst in southern Slovakia. It is a part of the cave complex that continues into the cave Baradla (Aggtelek) in Hungary. It was discovered in 1926 by Ján Majko. Since 1932, 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) of the 5,140 metres (16,860 ft) are open to public. The cave is included in the Unesco World Heritage list since 1995 as a part of Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst site." - in: wikipedia

Polish cards

To continue, more cards sent by Emerich, this time polish cards from Zamosc with the Tenement Houses at the Great Market Square, Gdansk and its Wisłoujście Fortress and a lake in the Karkonosze mountains.

"Great Market is one of the biggest European squares dating back to the 16th century. At each side of the square there are eight tenement houses with arcades, which used to house merchant shops and wineries.
The tenement houses are decorated with friezes, false fronts, reliefs and frescos. They still have splendid portals as well as wooden ceilings and polychrome." - in: http://www.zamosc.wonder.pl/Monuments-Great-Market-en

Each house has it's own history and name. The 5 most exquisitely decorated houses are these on the card, known as Wilczka, Rudomicza, Pod Anołem, Szafirowa, Pod Madonną.

"Until the 16th century, when the growing Westerplatte peninsula finally separated it from the sea, Wisłoujście Fortress stood on the seashore and served as a lighthouse. It also served as a strategic point of defence for Poland, with about 40 bronze cannons and room inside for 1,000 men. The fortress was later seized by the Prussians and used as a prison." -in: http://www.inyourpocket.com/poland/gdansk/sightseeing/placesofinterest/Wisloujscie-Fortress_16191v

Wielki Staw is post glacial natural lake in the Karkonosze mountains, in western Poland. It is situated in the Karkonosze National Park.

With its area of 8.3 hectares, it is the biggest glacial lake in the whole range. Its depth reaches 25 m, the shores are covered in subalpine species.

Pag - Croatia

"Pag is the island of the North Dalmatian group with surface of 284,5 km2. Larger settlements on the island Pag are: Pag, Novalja, Stara Novalja, Lun and Caska. Southwest coast of the island is flat, and northeast coast is steep and high with Pag bay (with huge bay Caska) and Stara Novalja bay located here.

Climate on the island is Meditarranean, the biggest part of the island is rocky ground, while smaller part is covered by macchia. In the vallies and fields (Novaljsko, Povljansko, Vlašicko and Dinjsko) wines, vegetables and fruits are cultivated. The area of penninsula Luna is mostly planted with olive trees, so the manufacturing of oil is well developed. Inhabitants also breed sheeps, and make famous Pag cheese.
The tradition on the island is also making of the Pag lace, far knonb. Beside these, the island is also very famous by salt production. Main towns on the island are linked by road which is the extenstion of the Adriatic highway. Pag is linked to the mainland by bridge as well as ferry lines." - in: http://www.find-croatia.com/islands-croatia/pag.html

Orlické Mountains - Czech Republic

Like the previous czech cards, this lovely snowy view was also sent by Emerich.

"The Orlické Mountains are a mountain range located mainly in northeastern Bohemia in Czech Republic, forming a subgroup of the Central Sudetes. They follow the border with Poland for 25 miles (40 km). The mountains are mainly composed of crystalline rocks, consistent with the makeup of the northern rim of the highlands of Bohemia. The highest point in the range is Velka Destna, at 1,115 m (3,658 ft)." - in: wikipedia

Czech cathedrals

I've recently traded again with Emerich and this time we swaped 19 cards. Cards from different countries and 2 new unesco sites.

These three are from Czech Republic, with cathedrals in České Budějovice, Brno and Prague.

The Cathedral of St Nicholas was built as a church in the 13th century, rebuilt in 1649 and made a cathedral in 1784. It stands beside the Black Tower.

"The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Brno is located on the Petrov hill in Brno-Center. It is a national cultural monument and one of the most important architectural monuments of South Moravia. The interior is mostly Baroque, while the impressive 84m high towers were built between 1904 and 1905 by architect August Kirstein in the Gothic Revival style." - in: wikipedia

"For more than 600 years, the roofs of Prague Castle have been overlooked by the towers of St Vitus Cathedral. The cathedral, whose original name is St Vitus, St Wenceslas and St Adalbert Cathedral, is the biggest and the most important church in the Czech Republic. It’s the seat of the Archbishop of Prague and the place where saints, kings, princes and emperors of Bohemia are buried. The coronations of the kings of Bohemia were held there until 1836. It’s one of the best examples of Gothic architecture." -in: http://www.prague.net/st-vitus-cathedral

Chiang Mai - Thailand

"Chiang Mai is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand, and is the capital of Chiang Mai Province. It is located 700 km (435 mi) north of Bangkok, among the highest mountains in the country.

Chiang Mai has over 300 Buddhist temples (called "wat" in Thai). These include the Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, the city's most famous temple, stands on Doi Suthep, a hill to the north-west of the city. This temple dates from 1383. By tradition, its site was chosen by placing a relic of the Lord Buddha on an elephant's back and letting it roam until it trumpeted, then circled, and finally laid down and died. The temple's location provides superb views on a clear day." - in: wikipedia