Connemara - Ireland

Beautiful scenic views from Connemara, Ireland.

They say when you visit Connemara you “experience the real beauty of Ireland”. It’s located in the north west corner of County Galway and is an area of desolate beauty, incredible scenery and some interesting attractions, which combine to make Connemara a really beautiful place and a place close to the hearts of Irish people and visitors alike. - in: https://www.galwaytourism.ie

Photo by E. Nägele, F. R. P. S

On the back of the card: "Connemara is an extensive region of mountain country between Galway Bay and lillari harbour. Rich is scenic grandeur, it remains a remote and unspoilt district of natural beauty. Among the scenic attractions scattered in profusion throughout the region, are lofty mountain ranges, lakes and stretches of moorland."

Tower Bridge

London's Tower Bridge is one of the most recognizable bridges in the world. Its Victorian Gothic style stems from a law that forced the designers to create a structure that would be in harmony with the nearby Tower of London.

 Plans for the Tower Bridge were devised around 1876 when the east of London became extremely crowded and a bridge across the Thames in that area of the city seemed a necessity. It would take another eight years - and lots of discussions about the design - before construction of the bridge started. 
The bridge, designed by city architect Horace Jones in collaboration with John Wolfe Barry, would eventually be completed in 1894. Five contractors and nearly 450 workers were involved in the construction of the 265 meter long bridge. It took 11,000 tons of steel to build the framework. At the time many people disliked its Victorian Gothic design, but over time the bridge became one of London's most famous symbols.

The proximity of the harbor and its location in the direction of the sea required for the bridge to allow the passage of large vessels. Hence the decision to create a moveable bridge which can be opened to accommodate boat traffic. The mechanism to open the bridge is hidden in the two towers. Until 1976, when the mechanism became electrified, steam power was used to pump water into hydraulic accumulators which powered the engines.

Each deck is more than 30 meters wide and can be opened to an angle of 83 degrees. When opened the bridge has a clearance of almost 45 meters. It used to open almost fifty times a day but nowadays it is only raised about one thousand times a year. - in: http://www.aviewoncities.com/london

Truro Cathedral - England

Even though one of these officials came from Belgium, they are both from the city of Truro, one of the smallest cities in the United Kingdom. Although small, it has a large and beautiful cathedral. It is one of the three cathedrals in UK with three spires.

Printed and published by J. Salmon Ltd - Copyright © 10/44/04/03

BE-688222, sent by Janien.

Truro Cathedral was one of the first 'new' Anglican cathedrals to be built in Britain since Salisbury Cathedral was started in 1220. It is built in the Gothic Revival architectural style fashionable during much of the 19th century. 

Construction began in 1880 on the site of the 16th century parish church (St Mary the Virgin) to a design by noted church architect, John Loughborough Pearson.

One particularly unusual feature of the cathedral is the fact that part of the original St Mary's Church was incorporated into it and now serves as the cathedral's Lady Chapel.

GB-100340, sent by Sophie.

Foundation stones were laid in 1880 and the first section of the cathedral was consecrated in 1887. The central tower was completed by 1905 and the building was completed with the opening of the two western towers in 1910. JL Pearson died in 1897 and the work of his architectural practice was continued by his son, Frank Loughborough Pearson. - in: https://www.explorechurches.org
On this card there's the cathedral, the west front window and a terracota panel of Christ on the way to the Calvary.

Ameland Lighthouse - Netherlands

Ameland lighthouse is located in Hollum, most populated village on the Ameland island.

NL-605742, sent by Wilma.

Ameland’s lighthouse was built in 1880 to a height of 55 meters, and served our county well for over 125 years. In 2005 the coastguard stopped using the lighthouse as modern technology took over its function.

After the coastguard abandoned their use of the lighthouse, they handed it to the Foundation Ameland Museums, which opened the lighthouse to the general public. They did a swell job converting it to a museum.

NL-1191820, sent by Roelof.
Before you reach the top floor and its gorgeous views, you first pass several floors with exhibitions on marine life, history of the tower, other lighthouses in The Netherlands and so on.
Nowadays, the lighthouse is an enlisted monument, though it still shines nightly and brightly. Its signal is a triple beam every 15 seconds. - in: http://www.travbuddy.com

Prinsengracht Canal - Netherlands

"Amsterdam has been called the "Venice of the North" for its more than one hundred kilometres of canals, about 90 islands and 1,500 bridges. The three main canals, herengracht, Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht, dug in the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age, form concentric belts around the city, known as the grachtengordel.

NL-492277, sent by Auke.

Alongside the main canals are 1550 monumental buildings. The 17th-century canal ring area, including the Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht, Herengracht and Jordaan, are put on the Unesco World Heritage List.

Prinsengracht (Prince's Canal) is the the longest of the main canals in Amsterdam. It is named after the Prince of Orange. Most of the canal houses along it were built during the Dutch Golden Age of the United Provinces.

Interesting sights along Prinsengracht include the Noorderkerk (Northern Church), the Noordermarkt (Northern Market), Anne Frank House, the Westerkerk (Western Church, Amsterdam's tallest church) with the Homomonument (Gay Monument)." - in: wikipedia

Chroma Publishing Zone © Sietske de Fries

NL-1713194, sent by Marian.
Filled with houseboats, cafés and locally-owned shops and galleries, Prinsengracht is by far the liveliest of Amsterdam's three main canals.
This particular western stretch is (roughly) the eastern border of the Jordaan neighborhood, originally built for workers and now a popular area for hip, young residents. The Jordaan is known for its dense collection of smaller canal houses, narrow streets and a distinctive bohemian feel.
On the southwest corner of Prinsengracht and Brouwersgracht (at No. 2) stands one of Amsterdam's oldest brown cafés, Café Papeneiland, which opened its doors in 1642. - in:  http://goamsterdam.about.com

DE-9127073

The village of Seefeld lies to the east of the Jadebusen bay, and together with the towns of Rodenkirchen and Schwei forms the municipality of Stadland, which is located in the Wesermarsch district of Lower Saxony.

DE-9127073, sent by Viola.

Seefeld mill was brought from Oldenburg to Seefeld in 1874

This mill is one of the last of around 120 mills in the Wesermarsch district. The mill was used commercially until 1986. It fell into disrepair after the Second World War. From 1978, however, it was extensively renovated by private individuals and later restored using public funds. It is now owned by the community and has become a well-known cultural and event center.

The local church, also seen on the card, was built in 1675. 

Museum Island - Germany

Besides the cathedral, which can actually be seen on the 1st of these postcards, on the Museum Island it is possible to visit, as the name suggests, a few museums: the Old Museum, the New Museum, the Old National Gallery, the Bode Museum and the Pergamon Museum. 

"Museum Island in Berlin, is the name of the northern half of the Spreeinsel, an island in the Spree river in the centre of the city. The island received its name for several internationally renowned museums: Old Museum - is the oldest of the museums; New Museum - located behind the Old Museum, was completed in 1859. According to plan, after the completion in 2009, it shall -- as before the war -- exhibit the collections of Egyptian and pre-history; Old National Gallery - was completed in 1876 to host a collection of 19th century art donated by banker Joachim H. W. Wagener. The collection was greatly expanded and is today one of the largest collections of 19th century sculptures and paintings in Germany; Bode Museum - located at the northern tip of the island and easily recognizable due to its copper-brown cupola. It houses the sculpture collections and late Antique and Byzantine art; Pergamon Museum - completed in 1930, which hosts original-size, reconstructed monumental buildings such as the Pergamon Altar, the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, and the market gate of Miletus, consisting of parts taken from the original excavation sites.

The collections that were united on Museum Island for the first time allowed a unified look at European art from the Antiques up to the 19th century, presented in buildings that display the history of museums in themselves over a course of a hundred years, which is why the entire ensemble was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1999." - in: wikipedia.

Berlin Cathedral - Germany

I've been at home for 6 days now and there's not much to do besides writing cards, letters and updating this blog. At home or at home, hope you all are safe and healthy. 

The Protestant Berlin Cathedral on Museum Island in the Mitte district is Berlin's largest church and one of the major sights in the city's centre.

 Photo by Jürgen Henkelmann

DE-1467816, sent by Martina.

Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom), completed in 1905, is Berlin's largest and most important Protestant church as well as the sepulchre of the Prussian Hohenzollern dynasty. This outstanding high-renaissance baroque monument has linked the Hohenzollerns to German Protestantism for centuries and undergone renewed phases of architectural renovation since the Middle Ages. 

© Global Guides .net * Photo by Bernardus Marinus Steenbeek - Gtafic design by Olivier Durand

DE-2348702, sent by Bine.

 First built in 1465 as a parish church on the Spree River it was only finally completed in 1905 under the last German Kaiser -Wilhelm II. Damaged during the Second World War it remained closed during the GDR years and reopened after restoration in 1993. - in: https://www.berlin.de/en

Speyer Cathedral - Germany

The Speyer Cathedral was  added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1981 as "a major monument of Romanesque art in the German Empire". 

 The imperial cathedral in Speyer, officially known as the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Stephen, is the town's most prominent landmark. Laid out in the form of a Latin cross, it is one of Germany's largest and most important Romanesque buildings, and was intended to be no less than the largest church in the western world when building work began in 1030.

Photo: Bavaria Luftbild Verlags GmbH

DE-2002357, sent by Uwe.

Speyer Cathedral in the Rhineland-Palatinate region has long since ceased to be the largest church in the western world. However, it is still the world's largest surviving Romanesque church. Construction began under Salian Emperor Konrad II, and the church was consecrated in 1061 under his grandson Heinrich IV. 

  Verlag Johannes Oefner

DE-2173601, sent by Sabine.

Its huge triple-naved vaulted basilica is the central element of a design that is thought to have greatly influenced Romanesque architecture in the 11th and 12th century. The mighty but eminently well-proportioned main building, consisting of the nave and transept with four towers in a symmetrical design, inspired many other important churches. A central attraction that strongly reflects the spirit of the time is the fully preserved crypt, which is the largest Romanesque columned hall in Europe. 

As the burial site for Salian, Hohenstaufen and Habsburg rulers and their wives, the crypt – and the cathedral itself – represent the ultimate symbol of medieval imperial power. The huge 'cathedral bowl' outside the main door is certainly worth a visit. With a capacity of 1,560 litres, it had to be filled with wine by every new bishop to keep the people happy. Perhaps these are the origins of the Cathedral Wine Fair in spring at which Palatinate vineyards present their wines against the stunning backdrop of the cathedral. - in: https://www.germany.travel

Monthly Fav. Surprise RR * March' 20

Last month the MFS RR cards came from USA, Netherlands, Finland and Germany.

Lianna sent me my 1st Jehovah's Witnesses temple card. This is the Assembly Hall in Salisbury, North Carolina. 

From the Netherlands, Carolien sent a card from her birth town. Oirschot is a town in the southern Netherlands. Some of the town's monuments are the gothic Sint-Petrus Church, built in the 15th- and 16th-centuries. It is is the biggest building in the town of Oirschot and the tower of the church is 73 meters high. The old town hall build in 1513 in the centre of town and the windmill. I can't identify the other two buildings. 

Foto: Mikko Sairanen

Great card sent by Flora. 

Olavinlinna Castle is one of the best-known sights in Finland. 

Olavinlinna Castle was founded in 1475 by Swedish nobleman Erik Axelsson Tott. Situated on a small island in Lake Saimaa it was one of the most modern fortresses of its time, consisting of a citadel, a bailey and five round cannon towers.

During the Great Nordic War (1700 – 1721) Russia conquered parts of southern Finland and in the Russo-Swedish War 1741 – 1743 Sweden tried to win back lost territories. Olavinlinna was captured by the Russians in 1742, and when peace was settled it became one in a line of Russian border fortresses and an army base, modernized under the surveillance of the famous Russian Generalissimo Alexander Suvorov.

After the Finnish War of 1808 – 1809 Finland became an autonomous part of Russia. The castle lost its strategic function and became a tourist attraction. - in: https://www.visitcastles.eu

The Römer is a medieval building in the Altstadt of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and one of the city's most important landmarks. The Römer is located opposite the Old St. Nicholas church and has been the city hall (Rathaus) of Frankfurt for over 600 years. The Römer merchant family sold it together with a second building, the Goldener Schwan (Golden Swan), to the city council on March 11, 1405 and it was converted for use as the city hall. The Haus Römer is actually the middle building of a set of three located in the Römerberg plaza.

The Römer is not a museum as it is occasionally used by the city for various purposes, for example as a Standesamt or civil registration office; the wedding rooms are located in the first and second floor of the Haus Löwenstein. - in: wikipedia

Card sent by Birgit.

Matthias Church - Budapest

Both these cards arrived in 2010 and 7 years later I finally got to see these beautiful church in Budapest. Matthias Church is the most visited Roman Catholic temple in the city. 

The Church of the Assumption of the Buda Castle, more commonly known as the Matthias Church is located in the Holy Trinity Square, in front of the Fisherman's Bastion at the heart of Buda's Castle District. According to church tradition, it was originally built in Romanesque style in 1015, although few references exist. The current building was constructed in the florid late Gothic style in the second half of the 14th century and was extensively restored in the late 19th century. It was the second largest church of medieval Buda and the seventh largest church of the medieval Hungarian Kingdom.

It is a historic building with an important history. Two Kings of Hungary were crowned within its walls: Franz Joseph I of Hungary and Elisabeth, and Charles IV of Hungary and Zita of Bourbon-Parma.

The church was also the location of the "Mary-wonder." In 1686 during the siege of Buda city by the Holy League a wall of the church collapsed due to cannon fire. It turned out that an old votive Madonna statue was hidden behind the wall. As the sculpture of the Virgin Mary appeared before the praying Muslims, the morale of the muslim garrison collapsed and the city fell on the same day. - in: wikipedia

In front of the church there's the Trinity Statue built in 1713.

Schönbrunn Palace - Austria

The cultural and picturesque Schönbrunn Palace is one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in Vienna and one of the most popular historical attractions in the city. 

AT-63008, sent by Thomas.

The former summer residence of the Habsburgs impresses with imperial ceremonial rooms and magnificent gardens. Maria Theresa, Emperor Franz Joseph, Empress Elisabeth and others once resided here. 
Schönbrunn Palace is one of Europe's most beautiful Baroque complexes and has been in the possession of the Habsburgs since 1569.

The wife of Emperor Ferdinand II, Eleonore von Gonzaga, had a pleasure palace built on the site in 1642 and called the property "Schönbrunn" for the first time. The palace and garden complex created from 1696 onwards following the siege of Vienna was complete redesigned under Maria Theresa after 1743. Today, due to its historical significance, its unique layout and magnificent furnishings, the palace is a UNESCO World Heritage site. - in: https://www.wien.info