Sado Gold Mine - Japan

 This may not be a typical postcard but, as I've said many times, one can not be too picky when it comes to UNESCO sites. It was sent by Rachelle. 

Sado Gold Mine is the newest Japan's site, added to the WHS list a few months ago. 

Sado Island is a remote island on the Sea of Japan, 45 kilometers west of Niigata City. The island has long been called The Island of Gold due to the existence of many mines. The gold dust began to be mined around the 12th century. A total of 78 tons of gold and upwards of 2,330 tons of silver were produced.

 

Sado Gold and Silver Mines is a general term for the gold and silver mines on Sado Island, one of which is the Aikawa Gold and Silver Mine. Full scale development began in 1601, and a large amount of gold and silver was produced for nearly 400 years until mining stopped in 1989. Here, everything from mining to koban coin manufacturing was carried out. Today, the site has been developed as a tourist facility, Historic Site Sado Gold Mine, where you can learn about the changes in mining technology and production methods while observing heritage sites such as the remains of mine shafts and ore dressing facilities. - in: https://www.japan.travel

CN-3842054

 Look how beautiful this natural reflection is. 

 

The Qiantang River is a river in East China. An important commercial artery, it runs for 459 kilometers (285 mi) through Zhejiang, passing through the provincial capital Hangzhou before flowing into the East China Sea via Hangzhou Bay south of Shanghai.

 

CN-3842054, sent by Xu.

The river is known, along with Hangzhou Bay, for having what is called by locals as the "Silver Dragon", the world's largest tidal bore, a phenomenon where the leading edge of the incoming tide forms a wave (or waves) that can rise to a height of 9 meters (30 ft) and travels up the river or narrow bay at top speeds of 40 km/h (25 mph; 11 m/s) against the direction of the river or bay's current, and can be seen from miles away. - in: wikipedia

Suzdal - Russia

Suzdal is one of Russia's oldest cities and dates back to 1024. It is often called a city-museum of the Golden Ring, as it has preserved its original appearance and boasts an abundance of historical monuments, ancient Russian art and architecture. The city's charm is so great that it was left untouched by the Soviet industrialization which destroyed so much of Russia's heritage. - in: https://www.travelallrussia.com

 

The Suzdal Kremlin is the oldest part of Suzdal that laid the foundation for the settlement.

 

RU-10246190, sent by Vladimir.

The heart of the Kremlin is the Nativity of the Virgin Cathedral (Rozhdestvensky), which stands right in the middle of the ensemble. The cathedral is considered the oldest preserved structure in Suzdal. It was originally built in 1222-1225 on the site of an earlier church erected by Vladimir Monomakh in the XI century. The earlier church was the first Christian church in Suzdal.
Only Cathedral’s lower part is original white stone, while the rest is 16th century brick. The walls of the cathedral are adorned with the ancient frescoes of the 13th – 17th centuries. The interior is famous for its golden gates (1230-1233). The gates are divided into squares with scenes of the life of Christ. - in: https://www.russiaeguide.com

The cathedral is one of the eight White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal, a UNESCO site since 1992.

St. Nicholas Church is located near the ramparts in the southeastern part of the Suzdal Kremlin. Built in 1720-1739 as a summer parish church and was transported there from the village of Glotovo in the 19th century.

Milan - Italy

I've been to Italy 4 times and I visited Milan twice. First time was in December 2005 and then October 2019. 

These are 4 of the most famous Milan's attractions.

 

IT-688761, sent by Patrizia.

While Milan (Milano) may not be the first city a tourist thinks of when planning a trip to Italy, it has more than its share of attractions, not to mention history.
Consider that St. Augustine was baptized in a basilica that stood at what is now Piazza del Duomo; artists Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, the composer Verdi, the great tenor Enrico Caruso, and designer Giorgio Armani all lived and worked here; Toscanini conducted regularly at La Scala; Napoleon was crowned (actually, he crowned himself) inside the Duomo; Mussolini founded the Fascist party here; and the entire fashion world looks to Milan's catwalks twice a year for the season's fashions. - in: https://www.planetware.com

 

 In the center of the city and on the Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square) you will find the impressive Duomo di Milano, the cathedral of Milan. The construction of this Milan Cathedral started in the fourteenth century and the church was not completed until the middle of the twentieth century. All the details you see on the outside of the church, such as the baroque-style turrets and façade, have been added over the years.
The Milan Duomo is one of the largest cathedrals in europe (the largest being St. Peter's Basilica in Rome) measuring almost 12,000 square meters. As soon as you get close to the Duomo, you will notice how light the building actually is. This is due to the use of white marble. What you will probably notice first are the many pointed turrets (also called pinnacles) and the more than 2,000 statues. As an architecture enthusiast, you don't have to take binoculars with you for a closer look this time, because you can take the stairs or elevator to the roof terrace to carefully observe every small detail. When you get up to the roof, you will not only learn more about the Milan cathedral itself, but you will also enjoy the amazing view. 

 

This theater in Milan is also called La Scala and when visiting the theater you will witness special neoclassical architecture. Teatro alla Scala was built to replace another theater, which was unfortunately completely destroyed by fire in the eighteenth century. Milan has therefore always been the location for opera; only a church had to make way for the new theater to be built. Famous operas have been performed here for the first time in this theatre, such as Verdi's Otello, Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Rossini's La Cenerentola and Bellini's Norma.
In World War II, the theater was heavily damaged during bombing raids in Milan. Fortunately, with the help of the few outer walls that survived, it was possible to restore it to its former glory. After that, the Teatro alla Scala underwent a major renovation at the beginning of the 21st century. Not only have the architecture and decorative elements been refurbished, but the theater is also completely up to date with regard to technological aspects. 

IT-140921, sent by Denis.

Of course, visiting this shopping center in Milan, you are first of all interested in what shops are located in it. But it is also important to know that this is the oldest shopping center in Italy, perhaps even in the whole world. The property has existed since 1877 and is named after the first king of the Kingdom of Italy. The main structure consists of two passages with glass roofs, which intersect in a central hall with a glass dome. The roof of the Galleria Vittorio Emaneule II is a special element of the shopping center in both day and night light and around the Christmas period it is even more decorated with thousands of lights and other attractive Christmas decorations. Don't just look at the roof and the windows of the luxury shops, because the mosaic floor is also unique.

 

The castle as you find it today, which you can visit for free, was built on the remains of a previously built castle, called Castello di Porta Giova. The Castle of Milan ('Castello Sforzesco') has been expanded and rebuilt several times and eventually it got its square design with the famous round towers at the corners. Restorations have also taken place after bombing and other destruction. With each renovation, the new owners or residents added their own ideas to Castello Sforzesco and architects and artists were hired to adapt and further expand the design of the castle itself, as well as the decorative elements. - in: https://milantips.com

St. Michael's Church - Hamburg

 "Michel" is the nickname of the St. Michaeliskirche, one of the main churches of Hamburg and one of the most beautiful baroque churches in Germany. After an eventful history - built three times between 1647 and 1912 and completely destroyed twice - the main church of St. Michaelis zu Hamburg is still one of the most impressive buildings in the Hanseatic city today.

  

DE-10113006, sent by Jan. 

Climbing the 452 steps of the church tower is rewarded with a wonderful panoramic view over Hamburg. From the platform of the 132-metre-high church tower you can overlook Germany's largest seaport as well as the historic Speicherstadt and the future-oriented HafenCity.

mauritius images / Wintzen

 

DE-14693697, sent by Martina.

The church was originally built in the 17th century, but it was repeatedly destroyed by fire, so that the building that is still preserved today was not completed until the beginning of the 20th century. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to visit the interior, which is completely decorated in white and gold and in which there is one of the biggest organs of the German-speaking area. - in: https://www.hamburg-travel.com

Formentor - Mallorca

 Last month I traveled to my 1st Spanish island, Mallorca. To be honest, the island was never on the top of my must visit list but it seemed a nice and a safe place for a solo trip. It was a good decision. I've been to some nice places but Formentor was definitely one of m favs, totally worth the 3 buses that I took to get there!!

 

Formentor is loctaed on the northernmost point of Mallorca.

To see this view you need to visit Es Colomer viewpoint. Located at 232 meters high, it is one of the best-known and most popular viewpoints in Mallorca. Throughout the viewpoint there are different paved paths that allow us to enjoy the best views. At the end of the main path, we will find a small esplanade with the best view of the Mirador des Colomer. Right in front of us we will see the beauty of the entire Formentor peninsula that extends to Cape Formentor.

World Postcard Day

World Postcard Day is celebrated on October 1st. Some lucky postcrossers attended meetings, like Gracinha and Luzia, some others only wrote and sent postcards, like Lurdes. On that day I was traveling and only had time to requested for addresses and so far, none of those postcards arrived to those addresses, well, none of these postcards were registered.

 

I think there were at least 2 meetings in Portugal to celebrate the WPD, one of them in Peniche, where Gracinha met 7 other postcrossers.

 

When I was on Terceira Island, Algar do Carvão was one of the places I wanted to visit but, at that time, it wasn't opened to visits in October. 

Algar do Carvão is an ancient volcanic chimney, formed around 3200 years ago, which opens into a volcanic cone around 45 meters deep. Its most striking feature is the presence of silica stalactites and stalagmites that we find throughout the volcanic rocks. At the bottom of Algar do Carvão, there is a lagoon of crystal clear water, fed by rain, which reflects the sunlight that enters through the upper opening, creating a magical light and shadow show.

 

design by Luzia Celeste

Every celebration needs a cake, why not brigadeiro? This is a traditional Brazilian dessert, made of condensed milk, cocoa powder, butter, and chocolate sprinkles covering the outside layer.

Monthly Fav. Surprise RR * September '24

 Here comes the 3rd post in a row with MFS RR cards.

 

 www.papersisters.de

Marena likes all kinds of music, especially 80's and 90's pop. I like music too, and I'd probably mention those 2 decades as my favorites but nowadays I'm mostly enjoying the silence.

 

www.papersisters.de

If I check the senders of my Happy Postcrossing cards, I think that Annerie is probably the person who sent me most of them.   

At over 450 kilometres long, the Dutch coastline is dotted with fantastic beaches.
Scheveningen is one of the most popular seaside resorts.
Noordwijk offers impressive beach views, with no less than 13 kilometres of sporting opportunities. Or how about Egmond aan Zee? It’s a popular family destination and a must for anyone who enjoys a slightly quieter day at the beach.
Zandvoort is one of the Netherlands' better-known seaside resorts. And not for nothing. It has vast sandy beaches, is dog-friendly and just 24 km from Amsterdam. Looking for a quiet beach? Consider the Wadden Islands. Part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, these pristine islands offer wide sandy beaches, unique dune landscapes and plenty of quiet family beaches. - in: https://www.holland.com

 

When I first saw this card, I thought for a few seconds that it was another Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius card. But no, Nataliya sent a beautiful snowy view of Tolgsky Monastery. The monastery was founded by the Rostov Bishop Prokhor in 1314 on the banks of the River Volga in the village of Tolga which has since been incorporated into Yaroslavl. It was founded on the site where an icon of the Virgin Mary and the infant Christ miraculously appeared. This icon is now known as the Our Lady of Tolga Icon and was said to be wonder-working. 

The monastery was closed in 1917.  All services were completely stopped at the monastery in 1928. During the Soviet era the former monastery was used as a children's colony and its buildings were left in ruins. In 1987 it was reopened, but as a convent rather than a monastery, and underwent large-scale reconstruction work. In 2003 the Our Lady of Tolga Icon was returned to the convent and has since became the largest convent in Russia and a popular place of pilgrimage in Russia. - in: https://rusmania.com

lookphotos / Konrad Wothe

All these cards are great but Beate made me super happy with this card of an UNESCO site in Lybia. It was a wonderful surprise.

Leptis Magna is one of Libya's crown jewels in terms of its ancient ruins and heritage sites. Located in the northwestern part of the country, it was once the largest city of the ancient region of Tripolitania. Leptis Magna was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982.
Originally founded in the 7th century BCE by the Phoenecians, it was later taken over by Carthaginians in the latter part of the 6th century BCE. With the natural harbor of Wadi Labdah, the city grew to become a major Mediterranean and trans-Saharan center of trade.
Leptis Magna later became a Roman colonia - a community with full rights and citizenship - with Leptis-born Emperor Septimius Severus (193-211 CE) conferring upon the city legal freedom from property and land taxes. Over the following centuries, Leptis Magna began to witness its decline due to increasing insecurities at the Roman Empire’s frontiers - ultimately leading to an incursion in 363 CE and further economic difficulties for the empire.
In 642 CE, the Arab conquest that swept across the Middle East and North Africa brought the final conclusion of Leptis Magna’s decline.
Today, Leptis Magna can attribute its preservation to being buried by sand until the early 20th century, where early Punic structures can be seen near the excavated amphitheater and forum - the heart of the Roman city during its height. Other well-preserved buildings include Roman baths, erected by Emperor Hadrian (117-138 CE), along with a circus (racecourse) - a popular venue for entertainment during the empire. These, among many other structures, paintings, and sculptures, are just some many examples of the grandeur of Leptis Magna. - in: https://www.embassyoflibyadc.org

Monthly Fav. Surprise RR * August '24

Lets go back to summer with these MFS RR cards that I've received in August. They're from Finland, Russia, Japan and South Korea.

 

Ruotsinpyhtää is a town in southern Finland, near Anna's childhood home area. The local church was built in 1771 from wood. It was renovated in 1898 to its current gothic revival appearance.

When I posted July's card, I've said that Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is probably one of the places / monuments in Russia that I've the most cards from. In August, Inesa sent me another card. 

The monastery ensemble includes over 50 buildings of different significance.  The largest building of the monastery is the Assumption Cathedral constructed in 1559-1585 by the orders of Ivan the Terrible to celebrate the annexation of Kazan and Astrakhan Khanates to Russian lands. This majestic cathedral is very similar to the Assumption Cathedral of Moscow Kremlin. Its white stone facades harmoniously contrast with the four bright-blue domes, which sparkle with golden stars. The fifth dome of the Assumption Cathedral is gold-plated. - in: https://www.advantour.com

Hirosaki Saisho-in five-story pagoda is considered to be the most beautiful pagoda in Tōhoku region. Tomoko wrote that five-story pagodas represent the Buddhist view of universe, which consists of five elements, earth, water, fire, wind and sky. 

The construction of this pagoda began in 1656 and was completed in 1667.  It was built during the Edo Period using a construction method with no nails. The pagoda is designated as a national important cultural heritage site.

This is a detail of a traditional Korean roof with Japsang figures. Japsang is a group of small animal-shaped statues made of clay and placed on top of the roofs, lined up on the edge of vertical ridges at the eaves. During the Joseon Dynasty (1392 CE – 1910 CE), which was under the influence of the Chinese Ming Dynasty (1368 CE – 1644 CE), Koreans began to place Japsang on top of the roofs of royal palaces.

Japsang is always installed in odd numbers, ranging from 3 to 11, and comprises different animals – dragon, phoenix, lion, giraffe, sea horse, haetae (a mythical unicorn lion), and monkey – considered sacred and becoming guardians to the building.

Japsang figures were used as decorative symbols to represent the authority, dignity, and grandeur of a building and as shamanic symbols to protect from and chase away evil spirits, harmful energy, and misfortune. Like the Chinese, it is believed that Koreans’ greatest fear was a fire during that time since most of the buildings were made of wood. Japsang, therefore, was believed to prevent fire in a shamanistic way. - in: https://www.rubensdelacorte.com

Card sent by "hellow0rld".

Monthly Fav. Surprise RR * June '24

 I've been waiting to get the last June's card of this RR and it finally got here. It was so worth to wait for it.

 

Photo: Wallis - C. Moirenc 2004

 

 Life got in the way and Juliette only was able to send this card last month. I was saw happy to see it in my mailbox. It was one of the many french card on my favorites wall and I like it so much.

Photo: Matti Karjanoja

Aerial view of Senate Square in Helsinki, sent by Flora.

The Senate Square and its surroundings form a unique and cohesive example of Neoclassical architecture. The square is dominated by four buildings designed by Carl Ludvig Engel (1778-1840): Helsinki Cathedral, the Government Palace, the main building of the University of Helsinki and the National Library of Finland. A statue of Alexander II (1894) stands in the middle of the Senate Square.
Helsinki Cathedral is arguably Finland's most famous and photographed building. The oldest stone building in Helsinki is the Sederholm House located on the southeast corner of the square. Today the building hosts the Helsinki City Museum. The Esplanade park and the Market Square are just a block away. - in: https://www.myhelsinki.fi

Photo: 2016 Anthony L. Iezzi

Nan always sends me great cards and I truly like this one. I really like old steam locomotives. This one, locomotive nº 89, is one of the Strasburg Rail Road locomotives. 

Strasburg Rail Road™ is America’s oldest operating railroad with a charter dating back to June 9, 1832. First used for passenger and freight transportation, the short line limped along for more than a century until in 1958, on the verge of abandonment, the railroad was salvaged and given new life as a tourist railroad.
Locomotive No. 89 ran on the Canadian National Railway for most of her life before being sold to the Green Mountain Railroad in New Hampshire. After just a few years on the Green Mountain RR, the locomotive was sold to the Strasburg Rail Road in late Spring 1972. Today, No. 89 is still an active locomotive at Strasburg and is often the locomotive of choice to pull smaller train consists. - in: https://www.strasburgrailroad.com

Even though Tanya is from Belarus, I believe that most of the cards she has already sent me, are from Russia. This a peak of the Bombai mountains.