My postcard collection

CN-510169

2012-02-10T18:51:00.004Z

I had to research a bit to discover the name of this chapel in Macau. This the Chapel of Our Lady of Penha, first built in 1622t on top Colina da Penha or Penha Hill, also known as Bishop Hill because of the bishop Residence.

CN-510169, sent by Danbo.

The first chapel was erected by the crew and passengers of a ship which had a narrow escape from the Dutch.

Later the chapel served as shrine for sailors embarking on often hazardous voyages.

The chapel today dates back to 1837 when it was completely rebuilt along with the Bishop's Palace.

The bell tower of the Church is very distinctive and can be seen anywhere from the harbor.

On one side of the large open courtyard fronting the church is a marble image of the Blessed Virgin Mary facing the border of China. - in: http://www.olamacauguide.com/penhachurch.html

Favorites from Slovenia

2012-02-10T14:36:00.004Z

When it comes to favorites, slovenian cards always have something to say, or better said, something really beautuful to show.

Like the last favs i've received from Slovenia, these were also sent by "lionheart2010".

Photo by: Marko Prezelj

Above the surface of Bled Lake rises the only real island in Slovenia. In a glacier hollow there is what remains of an Ice Age limestone moraine covered with trees. The island probably had a special meaning already in prehistoric times and our famous poet Prešeren praised its Slavic sanctuary.

Photo by Dorinka Mladenovic

One can come to the island by a special boat with a roof, called pletna. This boat, conducted by one rower with two oars, is known only in Bled. - in: http://www.slovenia.info/en/sakralna-dediscina/Bled,-Island-The-Church-of-the-Assumption-.htm?sakralna_dediscina=6304&lng=2

Favorites from Ukraine

2012-02-10T14:15:00.005Z

Some time ago i tagged on the "fast favorites tag" and in a short period of time i was tagged twice by ukrainian postcrossers. The cards arrived in the same day. The 1st was sent by Anna "Annabel_Lee" and the 2nd by Kate "darkboom".

The Sviatohirsk Lavra or the Sviatohirsk Cave Monastery is a historic Orthodox Christian monastery (a lavra) near the city of Sviatohirsk in Donetsk Oblast (province) of eastern Ukraine. The lavra is located on the right bank of the Seversky Donets River. The name comes from the hill on which it sits—Sviatohirsk or Holy Hill.

The first monks to settle the area were in the 14th-15th centuries. The first written mention of the monastery was in 1526. In 1624, the monastery was officially recognized as the Sviatohirsk Uspensky Monastery. During times of the Crimean Khanate, the monastery was invaded a couple of times.

In 1787, the government of Catherine II had paid for the restoration of the monastery. In 1844, it was once again restored, paid for by monetary donations from Aleksander Mikhailovich Potemkin and his wife Tatiana Borisovna. During the next seventy years until 1914, the monastery was one of the most important monasteries of the Russian Empire. In 1922, the monastery was rebuilt and converted into a residence.

Before its destruction, the Sviatohirsk Lavra complex consisted of: a worker's shop, windmills, various kinds of repair shops, and trading buildings. The lavra's main Dormition Cathedral was designed by Alexey Gornostaev, who included a traditional Byzantine tower.

Before World War I, the monastery was inhabited by approx. 600 monks. During the 1930s, the monastery was destroyed by the Soviets, along with other numerous religious attractions throughout the Soviet Union.

After the fall of the Soviet Union and the regaining of Ukrainian independence in 1991, the monastery was restored a year later. In 2004, the monastery was officially granted the status of a Ukrainian Orthodox Church lavra. Today, the monastery community consists of more than 100 people, which increases each year. - in: wikipedia

Saint Vladimir Cathedral is one of the most beautiful temples in Kiev. It was built in the 19th century to commemorate the 900th anniversary of Russian baptizing. Russian Emperor Nicolas I himself approved the project of the cathedral and ordered to collect money all over Russia. By 1859 more than 100,000 rubles were donated by people of different regions of the country. Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra donated one million bricks for the cathedral construction.
Original design of the cathedral was elaborated by Saint Petersburg architect Strom and Kiev eparchy architect Sparro. Later the project was completed by architect Beretti.
The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Prince Vladimir, who baptized Russia and made Christianity official state religion. Interiors and exteriors of the cathedral are designed in Old Byzantine style, which makes the cathedral similar to temples of Old Russia in the times of Saint Prince Vladimir. The cathedral topped with seven domes is 49 meters high. The door of the cathedral decorated with relieves is a masterpiece. Relieves depict Princess Olga, who was the first one in Russia to adopt Christianity, and her grandson prince Vladimir, who baptized Russia.
Saint Vladimir Cathedral was put up in 1862-1896. In 1896 it was solemnly consecrated at presence of Emperor Nicolas II and his wife Alexandra Fyodorovna.
Saint Vladimir Cathedral is world famous for its unique frescos and mosaics. Outstanding Russian artists, such as Vasnetsov, Vrubel, Nesterov and others, as well as Venetian masters, participated in the cathedral decoration. Salvation and symbolic history of Russian Orthodox Christianity is the main subject that unifies all the frescos and mosaics of the cathedral, including those treating the Gospel subjects, depicting martyrs, apostles and saints. - in: http://www.kiev.info/culture/vladimir_cathedral.htm

RU-680043

2012-02-10T13:57:00.004Z

I didn't receive many cards this week :( and i already had 2 of those that i've received. I believe next week will be better.

This official arrived last week and it shows the St. Peter and St. Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg.

RU-680043, sent by Natalia.
I already had a card of this fortress but not this view.

The Peter and Paul Fortress is the original citadel of St. Petersburg, Russia, founded by Peter the Great in 1703 and built to Domenico Trezzini's designs from 1706-1740.

The fortress contains several notable buildings clustered around the Peter and Paul Cathedral (1712–1733), which is a Russian Orthodox cathedral. It is the first and oldest landmark in St. Petersburg, built between 1712 and 1733 on Zayachy Island along the Neva River
The cathedral's bell tower is the world's tallest Orthodox bell tower. Since the belfry is not standalone, but an integral part of the main building, the cathedral is sometimes considered the highest Orthodox Church in the world. - in: wikipedia

FI-1322352

2012-02-04T22:33:00.004Z

The last card of the day is an official from Finland. It arrived yesterday and it shows a church in Rantsila.

Photo by: Hannu Konola

FI-1322352, sent by Pirjo.
Rantsila is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region.

The wooden cruciform church of Rantsila was completed in 1785 according the design of Simon Silvén-Jynkkä. The belfry originates from the previous church. The interior is covered with paintings of Mikael Toppelius. He has also painted the altarpiece triptych. - in: http://www.spottinghistory.com/view/684/Rantsila+Church/

NL-977260

2012-02-04T22:18:00.003Z

An official from the Netherlands sent by a 4 year old boy :D

NL-977260, sent by Finn.

Oostburg is a town in the south-western Netherlands. It is the largest town in the municipality of Sluis, in the province of Zeeland.

As of 1 January 2005, its population is 5,008. It received city rights in 1237. - in: wikipedia

Rotterdam old view

2012-02-04T22:14:00.003Z

A few days ago i tagged on the Portuguese Speaking Countries tag. Veerle tagged me back and sent me this card.

This a reprint of an old view of Rotterdam.

Viseu's Cathedral - Portugal

2012-02-04T21:54:00.003Z

Beatriz is a postcrosser in my city and she joined the forum a few days ago. I sent her a welcome card and she sent me this one in return.

Forways LDA

Viseu Cathedral is the bishopric seat of the city of Viseu, in Portugal. The church started being built in the 12th century and is the most important historical monument of the town. It is currently a mix of architectural styles, specially from the Manueline, Renaissance and Mannerist periods.

The cathedral is located on a large and harmonious square, beside the old Bishop's Palace (now the Grão Vasco Museum) and in front of the Misericórdia Church of Viseu. - in: wikipedia

Hangman

2012-02-04T21:47:00.004Z

Leninha is a teacher and the 1st school where she taught is located in Castelo de Vide. That was in 94/95 and that was when she bought this card.

She sent it was a prize for guessing her sentence on the hangmans game.

CA-215806

2012-02-02T18:04:00.003Z

The last time i've received an official from Canada was in May of 2010 :o It was about time to get a new one from there. This one shows the Saint Joseph's Oratory, is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and national shrine on the west slope of Mount Royal in Montreal, Quebec.

Photo by Tibor Bognar

CA-215806, sent by Zack.

In 1904, Saint André Bessette, C.S.C., began the construction of St. Joseph, a small chapel on the slopes of Mont Royal near Notre Dame College. Soon the growing number of visitors made it too small. Even though it was enlarged, a larger church was needed and in 1917 one was completed - it is called the Crypt, and has a seating capacity of 1,000. In 1924, the construction of the basilica of Saint Joseph's Oratory was inaugurated; it was finally completed in 1967.

Father Paul Bellot, an architect, completed the dome of Saint Joseph's Oratory (1937-39). The Oratory's dome is the third-largest of its kind in the world after the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro in the Ivory Coast and Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome, and the church is the largest in Canada.

The basilica is dedicated to Saint Joseph, to whom Brother André credited all his reported miracles. These were mostly related to some kind of healing power, and many pilgrims (handicapped, blind, ill, etc.) poured into his Basilica, including numerous Protestants. On display in the basilica is a wall covered with thousands of crutches from those who came to the basilica and were allegedly healed. Pope John Paul II deemed the miracles to be authentic and beatified Brother André in 1982. In October 2010 Pope Benedict XVI canonized the saint. - in: wikipedia

US-1441234

2012-02-02T17:46:00.005Z

This is my 1st official with the Statue of Liberty.

US-1441234, sent by Emily

The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi.

The statue, a gift to the United States from the people of France, is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law) upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue has become an icon of freedom and of the United States. - in: wikipedia

The Statue was completed in France in July, 1884 and arrived in New York Harbor in June of 1885 on board the French frigate "Isere" which transported the Statue of Liberty from France to the United States. In transit, the Statue was reduced to 350 individual pieces and packed in 214 crates. The Statue was re-assembled on her new pedestal in four months time. On October 28th 1886, the dedication of the Statue of Liberty took place in front of thousands of spectators. She was a centennial gift ten years late. - in: http://www.statueofliberty.org/Statue_History.html

Redwood National and State Parks - EUA

2012-02-02T17:35:00.004Z

I'm not getting a lot of new Unesco cards in these last days. The only exception is this one from the US and two others from Australia.

This card was sent by Dale from Canada but it shows a view of Women's Federation Grove in Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

Photo by: Carrie Grant

The Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) are located in the United States, along the coast of northern California. Comprising Redwood National Park (established 1968) and California's Del Norte Coast, Jedediah Smith, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Parks (dating from the 1920s), the combined RNSP contain 133,000 acres (540 km2). Located entirely within Del Norte and Humboldt Counties, the four parks, together, protect 45% of all remaining Coastal Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) old-growth forests, totaling at least 38,982 acres (157.75 km2). These trees are the tallest and one of the most massive tree species on Earth. In addition to the redwood forests, the parks preserve other indigenous flora, fauna, grassland prairie, cultural resources, portions of rivers and other streams, and 37 miles (60 km) of pristine coastline.

In recognition of the rare ecosystem and cultural history found in the parks, the United Nations designated them a World Heritage Site on September 5, 1980 and an International Biosphere Reserve on June 30, 1983. - in: wikipedia

Postcrossing Meetings in São Paulo - Brazil

2012-02-02T16:17:00.005Z

In less than a month, a few brazilian postcrossers had two meeting in São Paulo. The 1st took place on December 11th and the 2nd on January 15th. Both cards have been sent by Déa and also signed by (1st meeting): Adriana, Daniel, Heloísa and Renato; (2nd meeting): Adriana, Heloísa, Karla, Daniel and Fernanda.

Photo by: Cândido Mariano

The Octavio Frias de Oliveira bridge is a cable-stayed bridge in São Paulo, Brazil over the Pinheiros River, opened in May 2008. The bridge is 138 metres (453 ft) tall, and connects Marginal Pinheiros to Jornalista Roberto Marinho Avenue in the south area of the city.

The bridge deck is unusual due to its form, which is similar to an "X", crossing at the tower. The "X" is 76 meters wide at its base and 35.4 meters wide at the top.

It is the only bridge in the world that has two curved tracks supported by a single concrete mast. The two curved tracks, one at an elevation of 12 meters and the other at an elevation of 24 meters, have approximate lengths of 900 meters each.

At the end of December lights are put up on the cables and illuminated to create color effects like those on a Christmas tree. The bridge is also lit up on special occasions during the year and is often used for automobile advertisements on television. - in: wikipedia

Photo by: Roberlandes O. Coelho

Liberdade, (Portuguese for "Liberty", "Freedom") is the name of a district in the subprefecture of Sé, in São Paulo, Brazil. It is home to the largest Japanese community outside of Japan in the world and has been growing since the 1950s.
The entrance to Liberdade is marked by a nine-meter tall red torii (a Japanese arch that marks the entrance to Shinto temples) since 1974. This towering structure, situated on Rua Galvão Bueno, is a distinctive representation of the neighborhood.

The Japanese presence in the neighborhood began in 1912.

Liberdade is a meeting spot for many groups, especially among young people who are interested in Japanese culture. - in: wikipedia

PT RR - Group 66 * Churches

2012-02-02T15:41:00.006Z

This RR was probably the last i joined last year but one of the cards only arrived this year. The 1st is from Brazil and the other two from Portugal.

Photo by: Sérgio Ricardo de Freitas

This time Giselly sent by a card from Ouro Preto. The city contains numerous churches, many famous for their religious art and baroque architecture. The card shows an interior view of the Our Lady of Pilar Church.

This is the richest and more exquisite church in the state of Minas Gerais. It was built between 1711 and 1733! To decorate the interior it were used more than 400 kg (880 pounds) of gold and silver powder.

Photo by: Fernando Guerra

Although i already have many cards from the Fátima Sanctuary, i didn't have this view yet, sent by Gracinha.

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary is a Roman Catholic Marian basilica in Fátima, Portugal. Its construction began in 1928 and it was consecrated in October 1953.

The basilica is built at the site of the Marian apparitions reported by three Portuguese children in 1917 and known as Our Lady of Fátima. The tombs of Blessed Francisco Marto, Blessed Jacinta Marto and Sister Lúcia, the three children, are in the Basilica. - in: wikipedia

Gráfica Bastos LDA

Vitória sent me my very 1st card from Mangualde, a town 54 km's from my city.
This is the Our Lady of the Castle Church.

Gibraltar

2012-01-28T01:14:00.005Z

This card was a great surprise. I had no idea Joaninha was planning to visit Gibraltar :o but she really went there a few days ago.

The Rock of Gibraltar dominates the entrance to the Mediterranean between the southern tip of Spain and the continent of Africa. Both famous and enigmatic, Gibraltar contains some of the most extensive military fortifications in Europe, spanning over 1200 years of Moorish, Spanish and British history. Tourists can enjoy some of the finest caves in Europe as well as the famous semi-wild Gibraltar apes. Many more attractions and activities make Gibraltar unique in terms of history, geography, geology, flora and fauna.

Volubilis - Morocco

2012-01-23T17:58:00.005Z

The last post of the day shows a new Unesco site from Morocco. The card was sent by Agata "ddonkey" from Croatia.
The Archaeological Site of Volubilis was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.

Maroc Infini

Volubilis is an archaeological site in Morocco situated near Meknes between Fez and Rabat. It features the best preserved Roman ruins in this part of northern Africa.

In antiquity, Volubilis was an important Roman town situated near the westernmost border of Roman conquests. It was built on the site of a previous Carthaginian settlement from (at the latest) the third century BC.
Volubilis was the administrative center of the province in Roman Africa called Mauretania Tingitana.
Volubilis contains essentially Roman vestiges of a fortified municipium built on a commanding site at the foot of the Jebel Zerhoun. Covering an area of 42 hectares, it is of outstanding importance demonstrating urban development and Romanisation at the frontiers of the Roman Empire and the graphic illustration of the interface between the Roman and indigenous cultures. Because of its isolation and the fact that it had not been occupied for nearly a thousand years, it presents an important level of authenticity. The archaeological vestiges of this site bear witness to several civilizations.
The site has produced a substantial amount of artistic material, including mosaics, marble and bronze statuary, and hundreds of inscriptions. This documentation and that which remains to be discovered, is representative of a creative spirit of the human beings who lived there over the ages. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/836

Sidi Bou Said - Tunisia

2012-01-23T17:52:00.002Z

This is another card sent by Déa and it shows the Cafe des Nattes, a typical Arabic coffee shop, located in the square at the top of the main street in Sidi Bou Said.

Sidi Bou Said is a town in northern Tunisia located about 20 km from the capital, Tunis.

The town itself is a tourist attraction as it is known for the extensive use of blue and white colors all over the town.

Marion Island - South Africa

2012-01-23T16:53:00.002Z

Last week i've received an envelope from Déa, my dear brazilian friend. She sent me 3 cards and one of them was this one showing a grotto in the rock, on the southeast coast of Marion Island, South Africa.

Photo by Miachel Kracke

Marion Island is one of the two islands of the Prince Edward Islands. They are two small islands in the sub-antarctic Indian Ocean that are part of South Africa.

The islands in the group have been declared Special Nature Reserves under the South African Environmental Management and activities on the islands are therefore restricted to research and conservation management. The only human inhabitants of the islands are the staff of a meteorological and biological research station run by the South African National Antarctic Programme on Marion Island. - in: wikipedia

ZA-20690

2012-01-23T16:39:00.010Z

This is only my 2nd official card with a South African ID. The 1st card was sent from South Africa but the card was from Namibia.

ZA-20690, sent by Stel.
The spectacular Swartberg Pass runs through the Swartberg mountains (black mountain in Afrikaans) which are a mountain range that runs roughly east-west along the northern edge of the semi-arid area called the Little Karoo in the Western Cape province of South Africa.
The Swartberg is amongst the best exposed fold mountain chains in the world, and the pass slices through magnificently scenic geological formations. Much of the Swartberg is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built using convict labour by Thomas Bain and opened on January 10, 1888. The drystone work supporting some of its picturesque hairpin bends is particularly noteworthy. The pass runs between Oudtshoorn in the south and Prince Albert in the north. The pass is not tarred and can be a little treacherous after rain, but offers spectacular views over the Little Karoo to the south and the Great Karoo to the north. The plant life along the pass is very interesting, many hundreds of species being found on the Swartberg. The pass is especially famous due to the spectacular geology that is exposed at its Northern end. The contortions in the rock display astonishing anticlines and synclines, and the vivid coloration of the surrounding Quartzite is remarkable. At the Northern end of the pass seven hundred metre high quartzite cliffs of the upper Table Mountain Group can be seen, and these are often tilted through 90 degrees (sometimes even more). - in: wikipedia

NZ-62159

2012-01-23T16:17:00.005Z

I don't even remember the last time i received a card from New Zealand but it was a long time ago. This an official with a beautiful landscape of Aoraki/Mt. Cook. The purple flowers are mountain lupins.

Kiwi Vista Company Limited

NZ-62159 sent by Annie.

Although wild mountain lupins have a harmful effect on New Zealand's natural environment, witnessing their blanket of brilliant colour, provides everlasting memories.

Maybe you don't know but the yellow legume seeds of lupins, commonly called lupin beans, are very popular in Portugal. Frequently served free of charge in bars alongside a glass of beer but can be quite tricky to consumer to a novice and there is a 'knack' to eating them.
Using you teeth you must tear the outer skin, bite down to 'pop' the bean out and into your mouth. Getting the hang of this can produce some amusing situations.

Kellie's Castle - Malaysia

2012-01-23T15:39:00.003Z

Kellie's Castle is located near Batu Gajah, and is about 20 minutes' drive from Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.

It was intended to be the hub of social life for the area's wealthy colonial planters and administrators. A grand mansion with a six-storey tower, wine cellar, stately columns. Moorish arches and walls embellished with Greco-Roman designs. There was to be a rooftop courtyard for parties and even an elevator, the first of its kind in the country. But the building was never to be completed. Work halted in December 1926 with the sudden demise of its owner, William Kellie-Smith. The estate on which it was situated was sold and the unfinished mansion soon surrendered itself once to the jungle.

Today, the rediscovered mansion, popularly known as Kellie's Castle, still stands, having survived the ravages of time. It reflects the pioneering spirit of the early colonialists and the romanticism of a bygone era. - in: http://www.perak.info/kinta/Kellie_Castle_Batu_Gajah.htm

The card was sent by Abu "ebreah".

Ancient City of Sigiriya - Sri Lanka

2012-01-21T21:38:00.002Z

Ancient City of Sigiriya is on the Unesco World Heritage List since 1982. The card was sent by Lídia and is my 3rd Unesco site from Sri Lanka.
The ruins of the capital built by the parricidal King Kassapa I (477–95) lie on the steep slopes and at the summit of a granite peak standing some 370 m high (the 'Lion's Rock', which dominates the jungle from all sides). A series of galleries and staircases emerging from the mouth of a gigantic lion constructed of bricks and plaster provide access to the site.

In the heart of Ceylon, the extraordinary site of Sigiriya, a lofty rock of reddish gneiss dominating, from a height of some 150 m, the neighbouring plateau, has been inhabited since the 3rd century BC, as attested by the graffiti which proliferate in the grottoes and the shelters of the Buddhist monks. The fame of the 'Lion Mountain' is, however, due to one single factor: during a short period in the 5th century AD, a sovereign established his capital there. King Kassapa I (477-95), son of Dhatusena, only came to power after he had engineered the assassination of his father and had, briefly, dispossessed his brother.

Justly fearing the vengeance of the latter, Kassapa had a fortified palace built on the rock of Sigiriya which was reputed to be impregnable.

However, it was there that he was defeated after a short but cruel battle in 495, following which he cut his throat. After the death of Kassapa, Moggallana returned the site of Sigiriya to the monks, thus condemning it to progressive abandonment. During the eleven years that Kassapa resided in Sigiriya, he created a residence of exceptional splendour and founded his capital there, impressive vestiges of which are still extant.

At the summit of the rock is the fortified palace with its ruined buildings, its cisterns and its rock sculptures. At the foot of the rock are the two quarters of the lower city which are defended by a massive wall: the eastern quarter (perhaps postdating the 5th century), which has not been sufficiently excavated, and the aristocratic quarter of the capital of Kassapa I, noteworthy for its terraced gardens embellished by canals and fountains, as well as for numerous monumental remains which have been disengaged from the forest which had invaded the ruins. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/202

Hiraizumi - Japan

2012-01-19T21:13:00.004Z

Another card from Japan and this one was also sent by Kenji. The card shows a lotus flower garden in the Chūson-ji, a Buddhist temple, one of the monuments listed in 2011 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a part of the Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land.

The site features vestiges of government offices dating from the 11th and 12th centuries when Hiraizumi was the administrative centre of the northern realm of Japan and rivalled Kyoto. The realm was based on the cosmology of Pure Land Buddhism, which spread to Japan in the 8th century. It represented the pure land of Buddha that people aspire to after death, as well as peace of mind in this life. In combination with indigenous Japanese nature worship and Shintoism, Pure Land Buddhism developed a concept of planning and garden design that was unique to Japan. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1277

PT x other countries RR - Special Group 11

2012-01-19T20:40:00.008Z

I believe is not hard to guess which was the theme of this special group, Yeap, castles, and these are from Japan, Poland and Ireland.

Kenji sent me this card of the Nagoya Castle.

Nagoya Castle was constructed on the orders of Ieyasu Tokugawa in order to secure an important position on the Tokaido road and to ward off attacks from the direction of Osaka. Construction was completed in 1612, and the castle is typical of those built on flatlands. Until the Meiji Restoration, Nagoya Castle flourished as the castle in which the Owari lineage of the Tokugawa family, the foremost of the family’s three lineages, resided.
In May 1945, during the air raids on Nagoya in the Second World War, most of the buildings including the main and small dungeons, and the Hommaru Palace, were burned down. Fortunately, however, three corner towers, three gates, and most of the paintings on the sliding doors and walls in the Hommaru Palace survived the fire, and have been handed down as Important Cultural Assets. - in: http://www.nagoyajo.city.nagoya.jp/13_english/index.html

Photo by W. Pawluczuk

This Balków Castle card was sent by Ryszard and Marlena "rs100". The castle is located in Balków, a is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland.
Above the town stand the ruins of Bolków Castle, built in the 13th century. Devastated in the Thirty Years' War it became a property of Grüssau Abbey in 1703, though restoration efforts did not begin until 1905. Since 1994 the ruin is the site of the annual "Castle Party" Gothic rock festival. - in: wikipedia

Photo by Willie Rooney

This is the 2nd castle card i've received in a few weeks sent by Brian "fishermen". This time he sent me this view of the Dalkey Castle & Heritage Center, which includes a 14th century fortified Town House, a 10th century church and graveyeard, a heritage museum and a Writers/Art Gallery.

Ravensca - Romania

2012-01-19T15:37:00.002Z

Ravensca is one of six Czech-inhabited villages in Romania's Banat. It is located on a hill at an altitude of ca. 750 m above sea level and about 7 km southeast of Şopotu Nou village. Of the six Czech villages in the Banat, Ravensca is located at the highest altitude and the best preserved Czech language is spoken there. Thanks to its considerable isolation, the language is not overly influenced by Romanian and Serbian.

Photo by Ivo Fík Dokoupil

Ravensca has the most scenic location of the Banat's Czech villages, making it a favourite destination of romantic travelers. However, life on the mountain range is very hard, particularly in winter, when the village is almost completely cut off from the rest of the world. This is perhaps the reason for the rapid decrease in residents.

The village was founded in 1827. - in: wikipedia

Buchlov Castle - Czech Republic

2012-01-19T15:25:00.003Z

A few weeks ago i've sent an official card to Evelina. When she wrote me her thank you message she said she had seen this blog and would like to send me a card. I sent her my message, send her another card and she sent me this beautiful card.

The Buchlov castle is a royal castle in Moravian Slovakia, which is a region in south-eastern Moravia, Czech Republic.

The castle was built approximately in the first part of the 13th century, but archaeological finds suggest that the area around Buchlov castle was settled in the oldest periods of civilization. The function of the castle was defensive, agricultural and administrative as well.

Although the castle was a permanent possession of a king until the 16th century, it was often given in pawn to aristocratic clans.

A family museum came into existence in the castle thanks to the brothers Leopold I Berchtold and Bedřich Berchtold. In the half of 19th century the museum was opened to public. In the year 1945, the castle became ownership of Czechoslovakia and was added to a list of national cultural monuments. Nowadays it is open to public. Day and night visits with many cultural programmes and actions are held during the year. - in: wikipedia

Ledeč nad Sázavou - Czech Republic

2012-01-19T15:10:00.002Z

Almost a week without any updates but i'm back and i'll continue with czech cards. This is another one sent by Emerich.

Ledec nad Sazavou is the third largest town in the Havlickuv Brod region. The local castle is the dominant here. Its history is close-nit to the town history. The castle has been established at the first half of 13th century.

Photo by Ivan Rillich

Right opposite the castle, on the left Sazava river bank, there is a church from 14th century sacred to St. Apostles Petr and Pavel. Above the castle there is another point of interest- the Thune’s villa from 1685- 1694. It used to be a summer residence of archbishop Arnost from Thun. Beside this there are many others place to see- significant municipal houses, the cemetery church of “Holy Trinity” from 1585, the synagogue from the year of 1739 and the Jewish cemetery established in 1601- one of the eldest in Czech Republic. - in: http://ledec-nad-sazavou.czech-mountains.eu/

Český Krumlov - Czech Republic

2012-01-13T21:07:00.003Z

This is my 2nd card from Český Krumlov. Like most of my last czech cards, this one was also sent by Emerich.

Photo by Jirí Suttner

Český Krumlov is a small city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, best known for the fine architecture and art of the historic old town and Český Krumlov Castle. Old Český Krumlov is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992.

Třebíč - Czech Republic

2012-01-13T20:39:00.004Z

Třebíč was one of the last Unesco cards i've got from Czech Republic. It took me awhile to get the 1st card and now i've a few from there. Two of these cards were sent by Emerich and the last one by Emanuel "sapic12" from Portugal.

Photo by Ivan Rillich

Třebíč is one of the oldest and most important centers of Jewish settlements. The pictoresque Jewish quarter was anaturally-evolving urban structure, complete with every element typical of a Jewish ghetto .
Squeezed in between the Christian town and the lord´s estate , maximum use of the available space made further evolution of its buildings impossible. You find here both the dark passages and melancholy streets.
There were built two synagogues the Front one and the Rear one, a town hall, rabbinate, school, hospital, poorhouse and a large cemetery outside of town.

The Jewish community reached its maximum population in 1835 , when the Jews made up a quarter of the town´s population . During the Nazi genocide in 1939-1945 280 people were send to the concentration camps and only 10 persons survived.

In the former Jewish quarter today there are 123 numbered houses aside from the synagogues, from the old original hostoric district only five houses have been lost . It is the best preserved original Jewish quarter in Europa. - in: http://jewish.tourstoprague.com/main/trebic-polna/

Photo by Ivan Rillich

St. Procopius Basilica is a Romanesque-Gothic Christian church in Třebíč, Czech Republic. It was built on the site of the original Virgin Mary's Chapel of the Benedictine monastery in 1240-1280.

Photo by Libor Teplý

The basilica together with the Jewish Quarter in Třebíč were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.
The basilica is the parish church of Třebíč castle, by which it is owned. The basilica is preserved in its original style to this day. - in: wikipedia

Polish cards

2012-01-13T17:47:00.004Z

Poland, Poland, Poland... that's the only thing i've been thinking in the last few days. Why?? Because i'm going to Poland next March :D Well, that's not 100% sure yet, that depends on the holidays meeting at work next week, but i'm confident that i'll get my holidays in the 2nd week of March. I'm crossing my fingers.

I won't visit any of these cities though. The main idea is to go to Warsaw, Krakow and Auschwitz but i'll probably visit other places too.

Photo by Dariusz Krakowia

Brama Młyńska (Mill Gate, also called "Harbor Gate" and "Water Gate") is an old city gate of Stargard Szczeciński, in Poland, which functioned also as a watergate. In medieval times the watch lowered a portcullis into the river for the night, which secured Stargard harbour, situated behind the fortification (an exception in this area), from intruders. Today the Mill Gate is the seat of Stargard's Society of Fine Art Lovers.

Photo by Dariusz Krakowia

Białystok is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship.
Branicki Palace is a historical edifice in Białystok. It was developed on the site of an earlier building in the first half of the 18th century by Jan Klemens Branicki, a wealthy Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth hetman, into a residence suitable for a man whose ambition was to become king of Poland. The palace complex with gardens, pavillons, sculptures, outbuildings and other structures and the city with churches, city hall and monastery, all built almost at the same time according to French models was the reason why the city was known in the 18th century as Versailles of Poland and subsequently Versailles of Podlachia.

Branicki Palace suffered from bombing and fires caused by the Germans, with damage totaling approximately 70%. It was restored after World War II as a matter of national pride.

The Medical University is housed in the Palace. - in: wikipedia

Photo by Dariusz Krakowia

Wrocław, situated on the River Oder, is the main city of southwestern Poland.

This is a view of the Market Square with the Town Hall, a late gothic building from the 14th century.
These cards were sent by Emerich.

Favorites from Germany

2012-01-12T22:25:00.003Z

These german cards were both my favorites and both have been sent by Bine.

Photo by W. Kraatz

Erlangen is a city in Bavaria. The card shows the Erlangen Castle, built in 1700-1704, is home to a large part of the Erlangen-Nuremberg University administration.
The university was founded in 1742 in Bayreuth by Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, and moved to Erlangen in 1743. The monument in front of the castle, which was built to mark the 100th anniversary of the university (1843), depicts Margrave Friedrich.

Photo by J. Knobloch

Helgoland is a small German archipelago in the North Sea, located 46 kilometres (29 mi) off the German coastline and consists of two islands: the main island Hauptinsel to the west and the Düne to the east.
Northwest of the island proper Heligoland's famous landmark is found: The Lange Anna ("Long Anna" or "Tall Anna") which is a free standing rock column (or stack), 47 metres (154 ft) high and weighing about 25,000 tons. - in: wikipedia

DE-1187261

2012-01-12T18:32:00.007Z

This was the 1st official i received this year. I nice one i must say!! A night view of the Market Square in Bremen, with the Town Hall and St. Petri Cathedral.

Photo by Okon

DE-1187261, sent by Piet.

The Marktplatz (Market square) is dominated by the opulent façade of the Town Hall of Bremen. The building was erected between 1405 and 1410 in Gothic style, but the façade was built two centuries later (1609–12) in Renaissance style.
In July 2004, along with the Bremen Roland, the building was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. - in: wikipedia
The impressive St. Petri Cathedral was built in the13th century.

NL-967262

2012-01-12T18:27:00.005Z

Cards seem to be the only way i'm having snow this year. We haven't had any yet and i'm missing it. I want to go outside and take pictures. Maybe tomorrow, i'm crossing my fingers.

Editions Cellard

NL-967262, sent by Patrick.

Neolithic flint mines of Spiennes - Belgium

2012-01-11T21:44:00.004Z

With this card of Neolithic flint mines of Spiennes, sent by Gilles, i'm only missing 1 Unesco site from Belgium, the Lifts on the old Canal du Centre!!

The Neolithic flint mines of Spiennes are Europe's largest and earliest neolithic mines, located close to Walloon village of Spiennes, southeast of Mons, Belgium. The mines were active during the mid and late Neolithic (4400-3000 BC). The site and its surroundings were added to the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 2000.

It is well known for its flint mines, which are on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2000. The entry on the list describes them as "the largest and earliest concentration of ancient mines in Europe" and cites the level of human technological development they demonstrate as justification for their inclusion.

The mines cover some 100 hectares of downland near Mons in Belgium and are interesting for showing the transition between opencast and underground mining for the flint nodules. The nodules were extracted using deer antler picks. The stones were then knapped into rough-out shapes of axes, and finally polished to achieve the final state.

The rough-outs were traded over a wide area, and were often polished at their destination. Polishing strengthens the final product, making the axe-head last longer. The axes were used initially for forest clearance during the early Neolithic period, and for shaping wood for structural applications, such as timber for huts and canoes. - in: wikipedia

Abbey of Fontenay - France

2012-01-11T21:28:00.002Z

Thanks to Fabienne "famalubel" from Spain, i've a new french Unesco site, Abbey of Fonteney. The card shows the church.

The Abbey of Fontenay is a former Cistercian abbey located in the commune of Marmagne, near Montbard, in the département of Côte-d'Or in France. It was founded by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux in 1118, and built in the Romanesque style. It is one of the oldest and most complete Cistercian abbeys in Europe, and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981.

Photo by Henri Gaud

The abbey church was dedicated by Pope Eugene III in 1147. Located in a small forested valley 60 kilometres northwest of Dijon, it achieved great prosperity in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Fontenay enjoyed the protection of the Kings of France but was plundered in the Hundred Year's War and the Wars of Religion. Later, its fortunes declined, and the refectory was demolished by the monks in 1745. The abbey was closed in the French Revolution, and became a paper mill until 1902, owned for most of its period of operation by the Montgolfier family. In 1905 the abbey was bought by Édouard Aynard and restored.
The church of the abbey was built from 1139 to 1147 in the prevalent Romanesque style, and marked by the austerity typical of Cistercian architecture.
Apart from the demolished refectory, the abbey retains almost all of its original buildings: church, dormitory, cloister, chapter house, caldarium or "warming room", dovecote and forge, all built in Romanesque style, with later abbot's lodgings and infirmary. Today the abbey buildings are set in modern manicured parterres of lawn and gravel. - in: wikipedia

Greenland

2012-01-11T21:14:00.003Z

Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe (specifically Norway and later Denmark) for more than a millennium. Greenland is, by area, the world's largest island that is not a continent. With a population of 56,615 (January 2011 estimate) it is the least densely populated dependency or country in the world.

Photo by Alena a Jaroslav Klempírovi

Greenland has been inhabited, though not continuously, by Inuit peoples via Canada for 4500-5000 years. In the 10th century, Norsemen settled on the uninhabited southern part of Greenland. In the 13th century, the Inuit arrived, and in the late 15th century the Norse colonies were abandoned. In the early 18th century contact between Scandinavia and Greenland was re-established and Denmark established rule over Greenland.

Greenland became a Danish colony in 1814 after being under the rule of Denmark-Norway for centuries. With the Constitution of Denmark of 1953, Greenland became a part of the Kingdom of Denmark in a relationship known in Danish as Rigsfællesskabet (Commonwealth of the Realm). In 1979 Denmark granted home rule to Greenland, and in 2008 Greenland voted to transfer more power from the Danish royal government to the local Greenlandic government. This became effective the following year, with the Danish royal government in charge of foreign affairs, security (defence-police-justice), and financial policy, and providing a subsidy of DKK 3.4 billion, or approximately $11,300 per Greenlander, annually. - in: wikipedia

Lousã Castle - Portugal

2012-01-11T21:06:00.005Z

Another portuguese card and this one shows one of my missing castles. I've never seen before any cards of this castle. I'm got it thanks to Vitória, another great surprise from her :D

Photo by Oswaldo Santos

This 11th century castle, 3 km southeast of Lousã, is more correctly known as the Arouce Castle after the village of that name, abandoned around 1513. Legend has it that a King Arouce fled from a barbarian invasion of the Roman town of Conimbriga and took refuge here with his daughter and a horde of treasure. The castle played an important part in the battles against the Moors, but all that remains today are the keep, a wall and turrets, all built of the local stone, Silurian schist, except for the door decoration which is of white gritstone. - in: http://www.aportugalattraction.com/portugal-attractions/lous-castle.htm

Portugal x World RR - Group 17

2012-01-07T14:55:00.006Z

Time now for portuguese cards. These are from Barcelos, Sines and Lisbon.

Guia Turístico do Norte

I've only been to Barcelos once and that was a long time ago. I wanted to visit it agin last year but it wasn't possible. Miguel "leugim" knows that and sent me this card from there.

Barcelos is a city in northern Portugal. Its famous symbol is a rooster, the Rooster of Barcelos.

No rooster on this card though. It shows the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança, destroyed by an earthquake in 1755, now an open-air museum and the medieval bridge, built between 1325-1328.

Some of the 1st cards in my collection are from my Sines but this is the 1st card i received from there by postcrossing. It was sent by Gracinha.

Sines is a coastal city in the district of Setúbal, in the Alentejo region. The card shows the castle,
initiated as protection from pirates in 1362 and the parish church.
Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer and the commander of the first ships to India; for a short time (in 1524) he was Governor of Portuguese India. He was born at the Sines castle where his father Estêvão da Gama was the local alcalde.

Photo by Jorge A. D. N. Costa

This was the 1st card Miguel "maique" sent me and i already had it. Ninocas sent me some time ago. It shows the 25 April Bridge and the Águas Livres Aqueduct in Lisbon.

Big Unesco RR - Group 41 II

2012-01-07T14:13:00.012Z

These are the other 4 cards i've received from the Big Unesco RR. They're from Russia, Poland, Germany and Brazil. I already had cards from these sites but these are different views.

Polina "poncha" sent me this card with the Assumption Cathedral, one of the structures of the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, the most important Russian monastery and the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church. The monastery is situated in the town of Sergiyev Posad. Architectural Ensemble of the Trinity Sergius Lavra in Sergiev Posad is on the Unesco WHS list since 1993.

It took 26 years to construct the six-pillared Assumption Cathedral, which was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible in 1559. The cathedral is much larger than its model and namesake in the Moscow Kremlin.
Near the north-western corner of the Assumption Cathedral there is a small structure with a hip roof. It is the burial-vault of Tsar Boris Godunov, his wife Maria, son Feodor and daughter Xenia.

Not so long ago i've received an official card with Krakow's Barbican and for this RR, "bodexs" sent me Warsaw's Barbican. This classical Gothic structure separates the Old Town district from the New Town.

In 1980 the Historic Town of Warsaw was classified as World Heritage Site and the Barbican is a major highlight in this part of the city.

The semi-circular Warsaw Barbican served as a fortified outpost for many years since being built in the mid-16th century.

Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities.
Speyer is dominated by the Speyer Cathedral, which was added, in 1981, to the UNESCO World Heritage List of culturally important sites as "a major monument of Romanesque art in the German Empire".

The cards was sent by Kerstin "schoolbag".

Luciano sent me my 5th Ouro Preto card. Ouro Preto a city in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, a former colonial mining town, designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980, because of its outstanding Baroque architecture.
Ouro Preto is a major tourist destination, for its well-preserved colonial appearance with old buildings and cobblestone streets.

Big Unesco RR - Group 41 I

2012-01-06T18:38:00.010Z

A few months ago i've joined this Unesco RR. I've been waiting for the last card but apparently, it got lost in the mail. Instead of 9 cards, i've received 8 and 4 of them were from new places.

Rita "rita_simões" sent this card of the Royal Palace of Caserta, a former royal residence in Caserta, southern Italy, constructed for the Bourbon kings of Naples. It was the largest palace and one of the largest buildings erected in Europe during the 18th century. In 1997, the Palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, described in its nomination as "the swan song of the spectacular art of the Baroque, from which it adopted all the features needed to create the illusions of multidirectional space". - in: wikipedia
Sara "zasa" from Switzerland, sent me one of my swiss missing sites, Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona, on the Unesco WHS list since 2008.
The Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona in the north-eastern part of the country covers a mountainous area of 32,850 ha which features seven peaks that rise above 3,000 m. The area displays an exceptional example of mountain building through continental collision and features .excellent geological sections through tectonic thrust, i.e. the process whereby older, deeper rocks are carried onto younger, shallower rocks. The site is distinguished by the clear three-dimensional exposure of the structures and processes that characterize this phenomenon and has been a key site for the geological sciences since the 18^th century. The Glarus Alps are glaciated mountains rising dramatically above narrow river valleys and are the site of the largest post-glacial landslide in the Central Alpine region. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1179

Photo by Keuning Photo

When Heather sent me this card, it was new in my collection, but a few days later i've received another one from one of my penpals in the US. I didn't realize immediately it was from the Mammoth Caves National Park. It was a nice surprise.

Mammoth Cave National Park, located in the state of Kentucky, has the world's largest network of natural caves and underground passageways, which are characteristic examples of limestone formations. The park and its underground network of more than 560 surveyed km of passageways are home to a varied flora and fauna, including a number of endangered species. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/150

This National Park was added to the Unesco list in 1981.

Photo by Erick Schnabel

Like the previous card, when i received this one from Zacatecas, Mexico, it was a card from a new site, but i was already waiting for another one, which i already posted here.

This one, sent by Steffi, shows the former Temple of San Francisco. It was founded in 1568 as first monastery in Zacatecas, the monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe, with the primary function of evangelization.It was inaugurated on 12 January 1707, but some parts of the buildings (such as the south tower) were not really completed until the nineteenth century. Today the monastery complex houses a museum but the church is in ruins. The vault of the central nave has fallen and many of its rooms and corridors are in ruins. - in: wikipedia

Christmas Cards

2012-01-06T18:30:00.002Z

This year i didn't send and receive as many Christmas cards as i use to. Like i said, the Christmas season is about to end and now is time to shows the cards.

These have been sent by (from bottom to top) Zé "pilotone"; Lurdes; Relie; Marie "renegade_cavalcade"; Carol "adobe"; Katja; Gracinha and the big red one is from my work.
Many, many thanks and a great 2012 to all of them.

Benedictine Monastery - Tucson

2012-01-06T18:13:00.003Z

The Christmas season is about to end. Carol sent me a Christmas card and this card from Tucson with the local Benedictine Monastery.

Photo by Sr. Lenora Black OSB

The Benedictine Sisters Monastery, in Tucson, Arizona, is a landmark church and working monastery for the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. The building is widely acknowledged as a classic of mission style architecture.

The Benedictine Sisters first came to Tucson in 1935 at the invitation of the local bishop, the Right Reverend Daniel Gercke. In 1940, they moved into the Spanish-Renaissance-style Benedictine Sisters Monastery, which was designed by architect Roy Place.

San Juan National Historic Site - Puerto Rico

2012-01-05T18:07:00.005Z

Lídia also visited Puerto Rico and brought me these 2 cards. I only had 1 Puerto Rico card and it was an old one of the San Cristóbal Fort. San Cristóbal and San Felipe del Morro forts are two of the features included in San Juan National Historic Site.

San Juan National Historic Site in San Juan, Puerto Rico, includes colonial-era forts, bastions, powder houses, and three fourths of the old city wall.

On December 6, 1983 the park was added to the list of World Heritage Site. Only 12 national park areas in the United States are considered World Heritage Sites. - in: wikipedia

Photos by Richard Spenceley & Angela Spenceley

El Morro, started in 1540, is the oldest European construction in the National Park Service. It is part of a massive fortification system developed on the island of Puerto Rico to help Spain control access and commerce into the Caribbean until the Spanish American War in 1898.

Photos by George Collazo

Projecting strength and power, Fort San Cristóbal dates back to the early 17th century. It defended San Juan from landward attacks and is the largest Spanish fortification in the New World.

Morne Trois Pitons - Dominica

2012-01-05T17:45:00.007Z

Dominica was one of the countries Lídia visited a few weeks ago. This is my 1st card from there and at the same time a card from a new Unesco site, the only one in this country, Morne Trois Pitons National Park. This park is a Unesco WHS since 1997.

Luxuriant natural tropical forest blends with scenic volcanic features of great scientific interest in this national park centred on the 1,342-m-high volcano known as Morne Trois Pitons. With its precipitous slopes and deeply incised valleys, 50 fumaroles, hot springs, three freshwater lakes, a 'boiling lake' and five volcanoes, located on the park's nearly 7,000 ha, together with the richest biodiversity in the Lesser Antilles, Morne Trois Pitons National Park presents a rare combination of natural features of World Heritage value. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/814

Bridgetown - Barbados

2012-01-03T21:50:00.002Z

I'm getting Unesco cards from a few very hard-to-get countries. I've traded again with Lídia and this time she sent me card from Barbados, Dominica, Puerto Rico and Sri Lanka.

This card is from Bridgetown, Barbados capital city, which was added to the Unesco World Heritage Site List last year.

Photo by Randall Banfield

Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison, an outstanding example of British colonial architecture consisting of a well-preserved old town built in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, which testifies to the spread of Great Britain's Atlantic colonial empire. The property also includes a nearby military garrison which consists of numerous historic buildings. With its serpentine urban lay-out the property testifies to a different approach to colonial town-planning compared to the Spanish and Dutch colonial cities of the region which were built along a grid plan. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1376

Colombian Coffee

2012-01-03T21:05:00.004Z

The Colombian coffee is considered by some as the best coffee in the world. Last year, the Unesco classified the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia as World Heritage Site.

An exceptional example of a sustainable and productive cultural landscape that is unique and representative of a tradition that is a strong symbol for coffee growing areas worldwide - encompasses six farming landscapes, which include 18 urban centres on the foothills of the western and central ranges of the Cordillera de los Andes in the west of the country. It reflects a centennial tradition of coffee growing in small plots in the high forest and the way farmers have adapted cultivation to difficult mountain conditions. - http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1121

Colombian Coffee-Growers Axis (Spanish: Eje Cafetero), also known as Coffee Triangle (Spanish: Triángulo del Café) is a part of the Colombian Paisa region which is famous for growing and production of a majority of the Colombian coffee, considered by some as the best coffee in the world. There are three departments in the area: Caldas, Quindío and Risaralda.

Armenia is the capital of Quindío, a department in Colombia. It's one of the three that forms the Colombian Coffee-Growers Axis. - in: wikipedia
Both cards were sent by "thebluemorpho".

Purmamarca - Argentina

2012-01-02T21:33:00.002Z

This card from Argentina, sent by Nicole, is another great Unesco acquisition for my collection. The card shows the Cerro de los Siete Colores, Seven Colours Hill, in Purmamarca, part of the Quebrada de Humahuaca, on the Unesco World Heritage List, for its cultural and historical and its stunning scenery, since 2003.

The word “quebrada” means deep valley or ravine. It’s famous for its multi-coloured mountains: each colour is the result of a different layer of sediments deposited over the last 600 million years. Successive tectonic plate movements gave them the shapes we see today.

One of the most important geomorphologic unit in Jujuy is EL Cerro de los siete Colores, located in Purmamarca. (The Seven Colours Hill) The Seven Colours Hill The multi-coulored sediments from the Mesozoic have been folded and eroded into strange shapes on this hill. Colour 1: light orange; composed with red clay, mud and sand; Age: 3 - 4 million years. Colour 2: white, composed with lime rock. Age: 400 million years. Colour 3: brown, purple and violet. The violet is composed with lead and the others are rich in calcium. Age: 80 – 90 million years. Colour 4: red, composed with clay & iron. Age: 3 – 4 million years. Colour 5: Green, composed with copper oxide. Colour 6: brown, composed by rock with manganese. Age: 1 – 2 million years. Colour 7: Yellow, composed with brimstone. Age: 80 – 90 million years. - http://www.quebradadehumahuaca.com/en

Island of Gorée - Senegal

2012-01-02T21:12:00.003Z

Today i've received 3 new Unesco sites and reached the great number of 632 Unesco sites. I'll try to reach 700 sites this year. That won't be easy but i still have 363 days to arrange nice trades, to tag and buy cards.

One of the great cards i've got in the last days, was this one from Senegal, sent by Marie Morlon, my 2nd from this country and the 1st Unesco site from there.

Island of Gorée is a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1978.

Photo by Y. Delacourt

The island of Gorée lies off the coast of Senegal, opposite Dakar. From the 15th to the 19th century, it was the largest slave-trading centre on the African coast. Ruled in succession by the Portuguese, Dutch, English and French, its architecture is characterized by the contrast between the grim slave-quarters and the elegant houses of the slave traders. Today it continues to serve as a reminder of human exploitation and as a sanctuary for reconciliation. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/26

Montagu - South Africa

2012-01-01T16:02:00.003Z

Montagu is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, about 180 km from Cape Town in western Kannaland. Montagu is a tourist destination, known for its hot mineral springs and scenic beauty. Nearby rock formations make it one of the country's major rock climbing venues.

Photo by Wicus Leeuwner

Aasvoëlkrans in the Cogman's Kloof is home to a pair of resident Black Eagles.

Maldives

2012-01-01T15:57:00.002Z

Happy 2012!! May this new year bring many new cards into our mailboxes :D I'm looking foward to see which cards i'll have tomorrow in my mailbox!! But for now, i still have lots of 2011 cards to show.

One of the last cards to arrived was this one from the Maldives, one of he many cards sent by Emerich.

Photos by Ismail

Maldives has deep blue seas, turquoise reefs, white sandy beaches and palm trees. It is also a place full of character, where its people have long spent their days languishing in the very essence of idyll living. While it is the perfect place to sit on a beach and watch a sunset with a cocktail balanced on your hand, it is also a geographical marvel, knowing that there are thousands of fish swimming around the vivid corals just a few feet away from where you sit. -in: http://www.visitmaldives.com/en/the-maldives/country-at-a-glance

Ayutthaya - Thailand

2011-12-28T22:13:00.003Z

Like Sukhothai, Ayutthaya is also a World Heritage Site.
Ayutthaya was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767.

Photo by Jatuporn Rutnin

Wat Mahathat is perhaps the most striking of all of the temples in Ayutthaya and is located the very heart of the city. The temple was built in the early days of Ayutthaya in the late 14^th century by King Borommaracha I. The temple was destroyed by the Burmese who also vandalised many of the Buddha images in Ayutthaya by lopping off the heads.

On this card novices pay respect to Buddha's head overgrown by a fig tree in Wat Mahatat.

Nobody knows for certain how the Buddha head became entwined in the roots of the tree. One theory suggests that the tree simply grew around the Buddha head during the period when the temple lay abandoned and overgrown. Another theory is that a thief moved the Buddha head away from the main temple to hide it. This may have happened in the early 1900s when it is known that one of the remaining areas of the temple collapsed and consequently led to treasure hunters digging in the area. After moving the stone Buddha head away from the ruined main temple, it is possible the thief never returned for his treasure or couldn’t move it any further beyond the walls that surround the temple. Instead, the stone Buddha head was abandoned by the wall not far from the entrance of Wat Mahathat where it can be seen today nestled in the tree roots which have grown around it. - in: http://www.thaizer.com/tourist-attractions/buddha-head-in-tree-roots-wat-mahathat-ayutthaya/

Sukhothai - Thailand

2011-12-28T21:44:00.002Z

As i said in the previous post, Emerich sent me 5 cards from Thailand. He has very beautiful cards from there to offer and it was difficult to chose the cards but i decided to get these 5. These 2 in the post are from Sukhothai, an early kingdom in the area around the city Sukhothai, in north central Thailand. The Kingdom existed from 1238 till 1438. The Historic Town of Sukhothai is a World Heritage Site since 1991.

Photo by Jatuporn Rutnin

Wat Mahathat is the spiritual focus of the city and the king. (The grassy area across the street is the site of the royal palace.) Founded by the first king, the royal temple was given its large central chedi by King Lö Thai in 1345. It was regularly expanded by successive rulers before being abandoned in the 16th century. Picturesquely surrounded by a lotus pond, Wat Mahathat now consists of ten viharns, one bot, eight mondops, one large chedi and 200 small chedis.

The central chedi was built in 1345 to house two relics of the Buddha brought from Sri Lanka by the monk Sisatta. The chedi's lotus-bud shape became the hallmark of Sukhothai architecture, imitated throughout the kingdom. Surrounded by eight smaller spires, it stands on a square platform decorated with stucco reliefs of 111 monks in prayer. The remaining chedis each contain the ashes of a nobleman. The most impressive among the other structures are the ruined viharns, with pillars leading the eye to serene Buddhas seated at the back. - in: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/thailand/old-sukhothai

With lotus in hands, a monk pays respect to Phra Atchana Buddha Image in Wat Sri Chum. This enormous Buddha image is the largest in Sukhothai. Made of brick and stucco, the seated Buddha measures more than 36 ft (11m) wide and almost 49 ft (15m) high. Draped over one leg is the Buddha's giant right hand, with elegantly tapered fingers and gold nail polish.

Phimai - Thailand

2011-12-27T21:56:00.002Z

Today i've received another envelope from Emerich. This time we swaped 20 cards and 5 of them are from Thailand.

This 1st one is from Phimai, an historical park which protects one of the most important Khmer temples of Thailand.

Photo by Jatuporn Rutnin

The temple marks one end of the Ancient Khmer Highway from Angkor. As the enclosed area of 1020x580m is comparable with that of Angkor Wat, Phimai must have been an important city in the Khmer empire. Most buildings are from the late 11th to the late 12th century, built in the Baphuon, Bayon and Angkor Wat style. However, even though the Khmer at that time were Hindu, the temple was built as a Buddhist temple, as Buddhism in the Khorat area dated back to the 7th century. Inscriptions name the site Vimayapura (which means city of Vimaya), which developed into the Thai name Phimai. - in: wikipedia

This place is on the Tentative Unesco List.

Unesco Sites from Vietnam

2011-12-27T21:42:00.004Z

Johnson went a few days ago to Vietnam and he was able to visit all the Unesco sites of the country. I was still missing 3 of them and he sent me these 2, Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long - Hanoi and Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.

Photo by Bùi Trung Hà

The Thang Long Imperial Citadel was built in the 11th century by the Ly Viet Dynasty, marking the independence of the Dai Viet. It was constructed on the remains of a Chinese fortress dating from the 7th century, on drained land reclaimed from the Red River Delta in Hanoi. It was the centre of regional political power for almost 13 centuries without interruption. The Imperial Citadel buildings and the remains in the 18 Hoang Dieu Archaeological Site reflect a unique South-East Asian culture specific to the lower Red River Valley, at the crossroads between influences coming from China in the north and the ancient Kingdom of Champa in the south. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1328
The Flag Tower of Hanoi one of the symbols of the city and part of the Hanoi Citadel. Built in 1812, the tower, unlike many other structures in Hanoi, was not destroyed during the French administration (1896-1897), being used as a military post.

In 2010 the citadel was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Phong Nha - Ke Bang is a national park in north-central Vietnam, about 500 km south of the nation's capital, Hanoi.
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is situated in a limestone zone of 2,000 km2 in Vietnamese territory and borders another limestone zone of 2,000 km2 of Hin Namno in Laotian territory. The park was created to protect one of the world's two largest karst regions with 300 caves and grottoes and also protects the ecosystem of limestone forest of the Annamite Range region in north central coast of Vietnam.
Phong Nha-Ke Bang area is noted for its cave and grotto systems as it is composed of 300 caves and grottos with a total length of about 70 km, of which only 20 have been surveyed by Vietnamese and British scientists; 17 of these are in located in the Phong Nha area and three in the Ke Bang area. After April 2009, total length of caves and grottoes are 126 km. Before discovery of Son Doong Cave, Phong Nha held several world cave records, as it has the longest underground river, as well as the largest caverns and passageways.
The park derives it name from Phong Nha cave, the most beautiful of all, containing many fascinating rock formations, and Ke Bang forest.
The plateau on which the park is situated is probably one of the finest and most distinctive examples of a complex karst landform in Southeast Asia.
This national park was listed in UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in 2003 for its geological values. - in: wikipedia

JP-220783

2011-12-27T21:30:00.002Z

An official from Gunma prefecture in Japan.

JP-220783, sent by "kinta".

Gunma Prefecture is located in the northwest corner of the Kantō region on Honshu island.

Many places in Gunma are famous for their hot spring resorts. The postcard shows the Shirane Spa.

Hvar - Croatia

2011-12-26T16:23:00.003Z

Exactly 5 years ago i was on my way to Zagreb, Croatia. It was a long bus trip but it was really worth it.

This is not a card from Zagreb. The cathedral on the card is the St Stephen's Cathedral and bell tower at the eastern end of the Pjaca (square). The card it was sent by Natasa "smile4u".

Hvar is a city and port on the island of Hvar, part of Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia.
The town is located in a small bay on the south coast of the island of Hvar, towards the western end. The surrounding land is karst hillside, rising steeply from the Adriatic Sea.
The Cathedral of Sv. Stjepan (St. Stephen) and the Bishop's Palace mark the eastern end of the Pjaca. This was the site of an earlier church and medieval Benedictine monastery, which became a Cathedral when the Bishopric of Hvar was moved from Stari Grad in the 13th century. The present Cathedral was built in stages during the 16th and 17th centuries, while the interior was not completed until the 18th century. It has a Renaissance-baroque style, and a façade with three-cornered gable and a Renaissance Bell Tower in Romanesque style from the 16th century. - in: wikipedia

From Slovenia

2011-12-26T16:12:00.003Z

The say after Christmas brought me 0 cards. No cards or any other mail in my mailbox today. No mail in the box but today i've been busy with my collection. I've been organizing my portuguese cards and now is time to make some updates and i'll start with these 2 cards from Slovenia, sent by Leonardo "lionheart".

Photo by Matjaz Krivic

Škofja Loka, a thousand-year-old city at the confluence of the Poljanska Sora and Selška Sora rivers, was the center of the Loka dominion owned for 830 years by the Bishops of Freising, who placed an indelible stamp on the city.
The old city core boasts numerous points of interest from the past, and the Loka Castle, built before 1202, reigns above the city.
Škofja Loka is considered the most beautifully preserved medieval city in Slovenia.
Its rich cultural heritage intertwines with unspoiled nature, earning the city the name “Gallery in Nature,” while the picturesque and colourful house facades fostered yet another: “Motley Loka.” - in: http://www.slovenia.info/?_ctg_kraji=2747&lng=2

Photo by Janez Skak

Typical house in the Zadnja Trenta Valley with Bavski Grintavec in the background.

LV-52641

2011-12-23T21:15:00.003Z

This is my last post before Christmas. This isn't my favorite time of the year but i hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, enjoy every moment with peace and happiness.

Back to the official cards. This one is from Latvia, my 2nd from there. It shows the flag and coat of arms of Latvia and the Freedom Monument in Riga.

LV-52641, sent by Oksana.

The Freedom Monument is a memorial located in Riga, honoring soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence (1918–1920). It is considered an important symbol of the freedom, independence, and sovereignty of Latvia. Unveiled in 1935, the 42-metre (138 ft) high monument of granite, travertine, and copper often serves as the focal point of public gatherings and official ceremonies in Riga.

The sculptures and bas-reliefs of the monument, arranged in thirteen groups, depict Latvian culture and history. The core of the monument is composed of tetragonal shapes on top of each other, decreasing in size towards the top, completed by a 19-metre (62 ft) high travertine column bearing the copper figure of Liberty lifting three gilded stars. The concept for the monument first emerged in the early 1920s when the Latvian Prime Minister, Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics, ordered rules to be drawn up for a contest for designs of a "memorial column". After several contests the monument was finally built at the beginning of the 1930s according to the scheme "Shine like a star!" submitted by Latvian sculptor Kārlis Zāle. Construction works were financed by private donations.

Following Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940 Latvia was annexed by the Soviet Union and the Freedom Monument was considered for demolition, but no such move was carried out. Soviet sculptor Vera Mukhina (who was born in Riga) is sometimes credited for rescuing the monument, because she considered it to be of the high artistic value. Soviet propaganda attempted to alter the symbolic meaning of the monument to better fit with Communist ideology, but it remained a symbol of national independence to the general public. Indeed, on June 14, 1987 about 5,000 people gathered at the monument to commemorate the victims of the Soviet regime and to lay flowers. This rally renewed the national independence movement, which culminated three years later in the re-establishment of Latvian sovereignty after the fall of the Soviet regime. - in: wikipedia

Saltaire - England

2011-12-22T22:03:00.004Z

Saltaire is a Victorian model village within the City of Bradford Metropolitan District, West Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1851 by Sir Titus Salt, a leading industrialist in the Yorkshire woollen industry.

In December 2001, Saltaire was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
This is the 1st card i've seen from this site missing in my list. It was sent by Eileen "gran".

Saltaire, West Yorkshire, is a complete and well-preserved industrial village of the second half of the 19th century. Its textile mills, public buildings and workers' housing are built in a harmonious style of high architectural standards and the urban plan survives intact, giving a vivid impression of Victorian philanthropic paternalism. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1028

DE-1164926

2011-12-21T21:28:00.005Z

This beautiful official card was sent by a forum member, Norbert also known in the postcrossing world as "Nordbaer". I've once received an official card from his cat and now, i've got a card from him.

Photo by Klaus Ender-Bergen auf Rügen

DE-1164926, sent by Norbert.

This is my 2nd card from the Hiddensee island and like the other card, this one also shows a lighthouse, the Dornbusch Lighthouse.

It was built in 1888, itt's tower was originally round. In 1927, the Lighthouse was strengthened by building the present 12-sided outer wall.

FR-177292

2011-12-21T21:22:00.003Z

A few days ago i've received this personalize official card from France!! This is so cool :D

Collection Popcarte ©

FR-177291, sent by Agathe.

My name written with clouds in the sky of Paris.

3rd Portuguese Christmas Meeting

2011-12-20T21:36:00.007Z

This year our Christmas meeting was in Coimbra. It's always a pleasure to visit Coimbra but this time the weather almost ruined the day. It rained a lot and is not good to buy cards when is rainning :(

Anyway, it was nice to see some of my friends again.

Forways, Lda

I've sent this card on December 1oth and it only arrived today :o, 10 days later!!

It was signed by me, Cristina "kryx87", Paula "geminiscp", Ana "ninocas" and her son Duarte, Leninha and her son Francisco, Flora, Susana "sunana_portugal and her boyfriend Diogo, and Miguel "leugim".

Hangman

2011-12-20T21:17:00.004Z

These are the last cards i've received after guessing two hangman sentences. The 1st card was sent by Leninha and the 2nd by Zé "pilotone".

Louca Paixão, Lda

A Lisbon watercolor with a few well known landmarks of the city, the 25th April Bridge, Christ Redeemer Statue and a yellow tram.

This is the interior of a mill in the Luz Museum. Luz was a village, submerged beneath the waters of the Alqueva reservoir. A new village was built to replace the old settlement and the Luz Museum was created as a space in the new village for preserving the memory of a community and interpreting the unique process of the relocation of the village.

PT RR - Group 68 * I wish

2011-12-20T17:42:00.007Z

More cards from an "I wish" group of the portuguese RR. My wishes are always the same, Unesco, castles and churches. This time i've received a Unesco Intangible Heritage and 2 castle cards.

Fado, urban popular song of Portugal was a few weeks ago on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This card was sent by Gracinha.
In popular belief, fado is a form of music characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor. However, in reality fado is simply a form of song which can be about anything, but must follow a certain structure. The music is usually linked to the Portuguese word saudade which symbolizes the feeling of loss (a permanent, irreparable loss and its consequent life lasting damage). Amália Rodrigues, Carlos do Carmo, Mariza, Mafalda Arnauth, and Cristina Branco are amongst the most famous individuals associated with the genre. - in: wikipedia

Âncora

Leninha sent me this card with the gate and tower of the Castelo de Vide castle, built in the beginning of the 14th century.

Photo by Liam Blake

Brian aka fisherman, from Ireland, joined the RR and he even wrote in portuguese ;) He sent me this beautiful castle near Dublin.

Malahide Castle is one of those medieval palaces that are lost in mystery and legends. It is located near the Irish village of Malahide, 14 km from Dublin in the north of Ireland.
Malahide Castle is one of the oldest historic forts in Ireland. From 1185 to 1975 the palace was a private mansion and home of the Talbot family. This is one of the longest periods in the history of all Ireland, in which a family keeps for such a long period ownership of this castle.
The oldest part of the Malahide Castle dates from the 12th century.

Their family mansion has been so for 791 years, the only exception is for the period from 1649 to 1660, when Oliver Cromwell granted the palace to Miles Corbett, after the invasion in Ireland. After the death of Cromwell it was returned to the Malahide Talbots.

Today Malahide Castle visitors can see works of art that are part of the National Gallery collection. The palace is fully furnished with beautiful antique furniture dating from different periods. - in: http://travelinos.com/castles/n22-13409-Malahide_Castle

PT RR - Group 61 * I wish

2011-12-18T18:09:00.008Z

Another day, another update. Like in the previous post, these are cards from the RR in the forum's portuguese community. Two of the card are from Lisbon, Portugal, sent by Rita and Gracinha and the 3rd is from Londrina in Brazil, sent by Karina.

Photo by Gustav A. Wittich

The Carmo Convent is an historical building in Lisbon, Portugal. The mediaeval convent was ruined in the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake, and the ruins of its Gothic church (the Carmo Church or Igreja do Carmo) are the main trace of the great earthquake still visible in the city.

The Carmo Convent is located in the Chiado neighbourhood, on a hill overlooking the Rossio square and facing the Lisbon Castle hill. It is located in front of a quiet square (Carmo Square), very close to the Santa Justa Lift.

Nowadays the ruined Carmo Church is used as an archaeological museum (the Museu Arqueológico do Carmo or Carmo Archaeological Museum). - in: wikipedia

"Catimar"

The Estrela Basilica is a basilica in Lisbon, Portugal, built by order of Queen Mary I of Portugal, as a fulfilled promise for giving birth to a son (José, Prince of Brazil). Construction started in 1779 and the basilica was finished in 1790, after the death of José caused by smallpox in 1788. - in: wikipedia

Photo by Daniel Martinon

Londrina is a city located in the northern region of the state of Paraná, Brazil.
This is Londrina's Metropolitan Cathedral.

PT RR - Group 58 * Churches

2011-12-17T20:52:00.007Z

Let's continue the updates and now i've 1 card from Portugal and 2 from Brazil.

Photo by Dias dos Reis

I've been a few times in Aveiro but never found any decent cards of the cathedral. Vitória sent me this one.

The Church of Saint Dominic, now Sé Catedral de Aveiro, was founded in 1423 and was remodelled in the 16th and 17th centuries. The works executed in 1719 greatly altered its façade. It features examples of several religious architectural styles, namely mannerist (side chapels), baroque (high choir, vaults and cross) and modernist (transept and master chapel). - in: http://www.portugalvirtual.pt/_tourism/costadeprata/aveiro/ukcity.html

Photo by Sérgio Ricardo de Freitas

Luciano sent me this card with the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi in Pampulha district of Belo Horizonte, in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. It was designed by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer in the organic modern style. It is the first listed modern architectural monument in Brazil and consists of four undulating concrete parabolas with outdoor mosaics.
Despite its completion in 1943 and Kubitschek's call for its consecration, it was not consecrated until 1959. - in: wikipedia

Photo by Sérgio Mourão

Also from the state of Minas Gerais, Gisely sent by this card with the Our Lady of Conception in Carrancas, built in 1720.

Belver Castle - Portugal

2011-12-17T20:44:00.003Z

This beautiful castle card was also a birthday present and it was sent by Susana. It was one of the portuguese castles missing in my list.

Photo by Antero L. Santos

This beautiful well-preserved castle with a view over the Tejo river was erected by D. Afonso Pais in 1194 and rebuilt by D. Nuno Álvares Pereira in 1390. It still preserves the wall curtains, partly covered with remains of battlements. The entrance door dates back to the 15th century with a rounded arch. S. Brás Chapel, located inside the castle, has a worth highlighting Renaissance altarpiece. - in: http://en.lifecooler.com/lifecooleren/belver-castle-castles-and-forts-325667-1.html

Vila Praia de Âncora - Portugal

2011-12-17T20:31:00.004Z

Vila Praia de Âncora is a city in nothern Portugal. I believe this is the 1st time i'm posting cards from the place. The 1st card was sent by Miguel as a birthday present and the 2nd was bought by me a few months ago.

Forways, LDA

This city is quite influenced by the presence of seamen and their fishing boats and all the whirl that surrounds a typical fishing day.

Forways, LDA

One of the landmarks of the city is the Lagarteira Fort also known as Âncora Fort.

The fort was build in the 17th century to defend the coast from pirates attacks during the Portuguese restoration war.

Columbia Icefield - Canada

2011-12-16T22:01:00.002Z

On the card from Canada, also from the trade with Luis, we can see the Columbia Icefield and Athabasca Glacier.

The Columbia Icefield is an icefield located in the Canadian Rockies, astride the Continental Divide of North America. The icefield lies partly in the northwestern tip of Banff National Park and the southern end of Jasper National Park. It is about 325 km² in area, 100 to 365 metres (328 to 1,197 ft) in depth and receives up to seven metres (275 in) of snowfall per year. The icefield feeds eight major glaciers, including the Athabasca Glacier.

Photo by R. Kelly

The Athabasca Glacier is one of the six principal 'toes' of the Columbia Icefield, located in the Canadian Rockies. The glacier currently recedes at a rate of 2–3 metres (6.6–9.8 ft) per year and has receded more than 1.5 km (0.93 mi) in the past 125 years and lost over half of its volume. The glacier moves down from the icefield at a rate of several centimetres per day. Due to its close proximity to the Icefields Parkway, between the Alberta towns of Banff and Jasper, and rather easy accessibility, it is the most visited glacier in North America. The leading edge of the glacier is within easy walking distance; however, travel onto the glacier is not recommended unless properly equipped. Hidden crevasses have led to the deaths of unprepared tourists.

The glacier is approximately 6 km (3.7 mi) long, covers an area of 6 km2 (2.3 sq mi), and is measured to be between 90–300 metres (300–980 ft) thick. - in: wikipedia

USA cards

2011-12-16T21:50:00.004Z

Two cards from the USA, from two different states, Vermont and Virginia. Both cards were sent by Yvonne.

Vermont Illustrating LLC - Photo by Tom Narwid

Autumn colors frame the old Homestead.

The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.

Designed by the American architect George Bergstrom (1876–1955), and built by Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, general contractor John McShain, the building was dedicated on January 15, 1943, after ground was broken for construction on September 11, 1941. General Brehon Somervell provided the major motive power behind the project; Colonel Leslie Groves was responsible for overseeing the project for the Army.

The Pentagon is the world's largest office building by floor area, with about 6,500,000 sq ft (600,000 m2), of which 3,700,000 sq ft (340,000 m2) are used as offices. Approximately 23,000 military and civilian employees[3] and about 3,000 non-defense support personnel work in the Pentagon. It has five sides, five floors above ground, two basement levels, and five ring corridors per floor with a total of 17.5 mi (28.2 km) of corridors. The Pentagon includes a five-acre (20,000 m2) central plaza, which is shaped like a pentagon and informally known as "ground zero", a nickname originating during the Cold War and based on the presumption that the Soviet Union would target one or more nuclear missiles at this central location in the outbreak of a nuclear war.

On September 11, 2001, exactly 60 years after the building's groundbreaking, hijacked American Airlines Flight 77- a Boeing 757-223 was crashed into the western side of the Pentagon, killing 189 people, that were five hijackers, 59 others aboard the plane, and 125 working in the building. - in: wikipedia

Mexican Unesco cards

2011-12-16T21:35:00.006Z

From a trade with Luis, i've got these two mexican Unesco cards, one from a new site, Zacatecas and the other from Chichen Itza. I requested the Zacatecas card because it was from a new site and a few days after getting it, i've received another one from a RR in the PC forum.

Zacatecas is a city and municipality in Mexico and the capital of the state of Zacatecas. It is located in the north central part of the country. Today, the city center is a World Heritage Site, due to the Baroque and other structures built during its mining heyday and mining still remains an important industry.
The church of St. Agustine (ex-templo de San Agustín) was built by the religious order of San Agustín which arrived in the City of Zacatecas in 1575; was consecrated in 1617 and was refurbished and re-consecrated in 1782.
After the Reform Laws, the complex was sold to private buyers who turned it into a pool hall and hotel or apartments. In 1882, it was sold again, this time to the American Presbyterian Society, which demolished the main façade because it did not represent the concepts of that society. The Catholic Church regained possession in 1942 and it is now the Bishop's palace. Reconstruction efforts began in 1948 and continued sporadically until 1969. Only part of the monastery complex survives and is home to the Rafael Coronel Museum. The exquisitely beautiful right side façade of the church remains, worked in sculpted stone, with the scene of St. Agustine being converted to Christianity. Inside, the church has distinctive arches as well as a cupola and side portal. The sacristy contains some of the sculptures from the original main façade. It also contains a collection of colonial artwork and hosts exhibitions. - in: wikipedia

The Temple of the Warriors is one of the most impressive and important structures at Chichen Itza.
It might be the only known late classic Maya building sufficiently big enough for really large gatherings.
The temple consists of four platforms, flanked on the south and west sides by 200 round and square columns.
All square columns are carved in low relief, with Toltec warriors; in some places they are cemented together in sections, painted in brilliant colors and covered with plaster.
The Temple of Warriors is approached by a broad stairway with a plain, stepped ramp on either side, and each ramp has figures of standard-bearers to hold flags. Before the main entrance a chacmool reclined.
On the top, serpent columns which had S shaped supported wooden lintels (now gone) above the doorways. Astronomical signs and decorative features on the head of each serpent are carved over the eyes. - in: http://www.chichenitza.com/listingview.php?listingID=16

Belize Barrier Reef

2011-12-15T18:20:00.003Z

The Belize Barrier Reef is Belize's only Unesco site. This barrier is a series of coral reefs straddling the coast of Belize, roughly 300 meters (980 ft) offshore in the north and 40 kilometers (25 mi) in the south within the country limits. The Belize Barrier Reef is one of the largest coral reef systems in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the New Caledonia Barrier Reef. It is Belize's top tourist destination popular for scuba diving and snorkeling and attracting almost half of its 260,000 visitors, and is vital to its fishing industry. - in: wikipedia

Tony Rath/Naturlight Photography

This amazing card was also sent by Steffi. it shows the Great Blue Hole, a large submarine sinkhole off the coast of Belize.It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 70 kilometres (43 mi) from the mainland and Belize City. The hole is circular in shape, over 300 metres (984 ft) across and 124 metres (407 ft) deep. It was formed during several episodes of Quaternary glaciation when sea levels were much lower - the analysis of stalactites found in Great Blue Hole shows that formation has taken place 153,000, 66,000, 60,000, and 15,000 years ago. As the ocean began to rise again, the caves were flooded. The Great Blue Hole is a part of the larger Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a World Heritage Site. - in: wikipedia

Unesco cards from Panama

2011-12-15T18:03:00.005Z

These are my 2nd and 3rd cards from Panama and both from Unesco sites missing in my list. The 1st, sent by Steffi, shows the ruins of Old Cathedral in Panama Viejo and the 2nd the Teribe Indians in Bocas del Toro, where the La Amistad International Park is located. The 2nd card was sent by Yvonne.

Distribuidora Lewis, S.A.

Founded in 1519 by the conquistador Pedrarías Dávila, Panamá Viejo is the oldest European settlement on the Pacific coast of the Americas. It was laid out on a rectilinear grid and marks the transference from Europe of the idea of a planned town. Abandoned in the mid-17th century, it was replaced by a ‘new town’ (the ‘Historic District’), which has also preserved its original street plan, its architecture and an unusual mixture of Spanish, French and early American styles. - http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/790

Distribuidora Lewis, S. A.

La Amistad National Park is located in the provinces of Chiriqui and Bocas Del Toro, and extends into Costa Rica. It covers approximately 511,000 acres of mountainous terrain in the Cordillera de Talamanca mountain range. The park is famous for its cloudforests, where the trees form a canopy that creates a cool, misty atmosphere on the forest floor.
Four different Indian tribes inhabit this property and the Teribe are one of those tribes.

Rapa Nui - Chile

2011-12-15T17:26:00.002Z

I finally have a card from the Easter Island. The island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people. It is a World Heritage Site, with much of the island protected within Rapa Nui National Park.

This is a new Unesco card in my collection and it was sent by Steffi.

Moai, monolithic human figures were carved from rock between the years 1250 and 1500. Nearly half are still at Rano Raraku, the main moai quarry, but hundreds were transported from there and set on stone platforms called ahu around the island's perimeter. Almost all moai have overly large heads three-fifths the size of their bodies. The moai are chiefly the living faces (aringa ora) of deified ancestors (aringa ora ata tepuna).The statues still gazed inland across their clan lands when Europeans first visited the island, but most would be cast down during later conflicts between clans.
The 887 statues' production and transportation is considered a remarkable creative and physical feat.
Ahu Tongariki is the largest ahu on Rapa Nui/Easter Island. Its moai were toppled during the island's civil wars and in the twentieth century the ahu was swept inland by a tsunami. It has since been restored and has fifteen moai including an 86 tonne moai that was the heaviest ever erected on the island. - in: wikipedia

CN-472535

2011-12-07T23:22:00.005Z

These are 2 chinese cards sent as official. Both cards show the same building in Shanghai.

CN-472535, sent by Jennifer.
In 1930 was known as Shanghai Sincere Company. Sincere Company was first established in Hong Kong in 1900 by an overseas Chinese. Shanghai Sincere first opened in 1917.

The same building in 2008 as Shanghai Fashion Company.

Anse Patates - Seychelles

2011-12-07T23:16:00.003Z

My 3rd card from the Seychelles Islands. Like the Iran card, this one was sent by Luis.

Photo by H. Espanet

On the northern most tip of La Digue, Anse Patates is close to Patatran Village and borders the longer beach of Anse Gaulettes. Blessed with soft white sand and calm seas, it is well suited for both swimming and snorkelling. - in: http://www.seychelles.travel/en/products/beaches.php?aid=12

Wadi Rum - Jordan

2011-12-07T23:08:00.003Z

Wadi Rum is the newest Jordan's Unesco site. It was added to the World Heritage List last June. Thanks to Rachel, I'm only missing one site from Jordan now.

The 74,000-hectare property, inscribed as a mixed natural and cultural site, is situated in southern Jordan, near the border with Saudi Arabia. It features a varied desert landscape consisting of a range of narrow gorges, natural arches, towering cliffs, ramps, massive landslides and caverns. Petroglyphs, inscriptions and archaeological remains in the site testify to 12,000 years of human occupation and interaction with the natural environment. The combination of 25,000 rock carvings with 20,000 inscriptions trace the evolution of human thought and the early development of the alphabet. The site illustrates the evolution of pastoral, agricultural and urban activity in the region. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1377

Persepolis - Iran

2011-12-07T22:55:00.002Z

I didn't post any Unesco card in the last days but i've received a few from new sites. This one is from Persepolis, my 2nd site from Iran. Perspolis is a World Heritage Site since 1979.

Now an archaeological site in Iran, the ancient city of Persepolis (Persian: Takht-e Jamshid or Takht-i Jamshid, "Throne of Jamshid") was founded by Darius I in 518 BC as the capital of the Achaemenid Persian Empire.
On an immense half-artificial, half-natural terrace, the great king created an impressive palace complex inspired by Mesopotamian models. Though evidence of prehistoric settlement at Persepolis has been discovered, inscriptions indicate that construction of the city began under Darius I the Great (reigned 522–486 BC). As a member of a new branch of the royal house, Darius made Persepolis the new capital of Persia (replacing Pasargadae, the burial place of Cyrus the Great).
Built in a remote and mountainous region, Persepolis was an inconvenient royal residence, visited mainly in the spring. The effective administration of the Achaemenian Empire was carried on from Susa, Babylon, or Ecbatana. This accounts for the Greeks being unacquainted with Persepolis until Alexander the Great's invasion of Asia.
In 330 BC, Alexander the Great plundered the city and burned the palace of Xerxes, probably to symbolize the end of his Panhellenic war of revenge. In 316 BC Persepolis was still the capital of Persis as a province of the Macedonian empire, but the city gradually declined in the Seleucid period and after. In the 3rd century AD the nearby city of Istakhr became the centre of the Sasanian empire. Today, relatively well-preserved ruins attest to Persepolis' ancient glory. - in: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/iran/persepolis.htm

Luzern - Switzerland

2011-12-07T22:15:00.003Z

Didn't i said that Paula is a dear friend??! Yes, she is! Just before Germany she was in Switzerland and from there she sent me this Luzern card. We were in Luzern last year in April and we both said we'd like to visit the city again. She did it without me but she said she wants to go there a 3rd time and i'd love to go with her, hopefully with much better weather conditions than our 1st time there.

On the card there's the famous Chapel Bridge with it's Water Tower. Chapel Bridge probably the oldest wooden bridge in Switzerland dating back to the middle of the 14^th century.

II International Bielefeld Meeting

2011-12-06T21:31:00.012Z

As some of you may know, a few days ago, took place in Bielefeld, Germany, the II International Postcrossing Meeting. It was an huge meeting with almost 60 postcrossers from 12 or 13 countries. I've received these 4 cards full of signatures.

Next year Portugal will receive an international meeting and Valérie, who sent this card, will try to be here, and i really hope she can make it because i'm looking foward to meet her.
This card shows the Marienkirche, the Old Market Square, St. Jodokus Church and Sparrenburg Castle.

Heidi doesn't miss a meeting and of course she was 1 of the 60 postcrossers in Bielefeld. On this card sent by her, is possible to see the Jahn Square, the Old Market Square, a panoramic view of the city and the Stadthalle.

Photo: Lool-foto/Florian Werner

A lovely snowy view sent by Anja.

design by Ana Campos

Ana Campos, postcrossing's "mom" is a talented girl. She created this postcard for the meeting and it's really nice. The card was created by Ana but it was sent by Paula, a not so talented girl but a dear friend ;).

DE-1136861

2011-11-28T22:12:00.003Z

This official from Germany is only one of the many cards i've received today. What a great way to start the week :D

DE-1136861, sent by Veronika.

Munich's Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall), at the northern part of Marienplatz, is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city. It hosts the city government including the city council, offices of the mayors and part of the administration. In 1874 the municipality had left the Old Town Hall for its new domicile.
It was built between 1867 and 1908 by Georg von Hauberrisser in a Gothic Revival architecture style. - in: wikipedia
The crowning glory of the Neues Rathaus is its world-famous "glockenspiel", the fourth largest in Europe. Each day at 11 am, noon, and 5 pm, the nearly life-size figures of the clock give a performance for the crowds who gather on the Marienplatz to watch. Guests can view two presentations - a re-enactment of the 1568 wedding of Duke William V and Renate of Lorraine, complete with a jousting match; or a rendition of a dance called the Schäfferltanz, first performed to mark the end of the plague in 1517. At night, guests will see a night watchman blowing his horn and the guardian angel of Munich bestowing a blessing on the city. - in: http://www.aviewoncities.com/munich/neuesrathaus.htm

Eltz Castle - Germany

2011-11-27T23:58:00.008Z

These are two beautiful views of the Eltz Castle in Germany. I've bought the 1st card last April in Koblenz and the 2nd was a birthday give from Paula.

The Eltz Castle lies in the West of Germany, between Koblenz and Trier. It is surrounded on three sides by a river and still owned by the same family that lived here in the 12th century, 33 generations ago. The Eltz Castle features a museum and has an impressive collection of original furniture and artwork on display. The Knights Hall has armor dating back to the 16th century, and the original treasure vault is worth a visit.

Some floors and walls still have strong medieval plaster, consisting of ox blood, animal hair, clay, quick lime, and camphor.
The Castle was only attacked once, but never taken.
The Eltz family lives in one wing of the castle. - in: http://gogermany.about.com/od/sightsandattractions/p/Eltz_castle.htm

Britanny - France

2011-11-27T23:42:00.004Z

Back to Europe with 2 french cards sent by Michelle "MICH29". Both are from Britanny, a large peninsula in the northwest of France.

Photo by V. Hache

La Vieille ("The Old Lady") is a lighthouse in the département of Finistère at the commune of Plogoff, on the northwest coast of France. It lies on the rock known as Gorlebella.
It is among the small class of lighthouses around the coasts of France carrying the moniker "hell", due to a remote position in rough seas.
Initial planning talks began as early as 1861, though the construction project was not confirmed until twenty years later. Fierce tides limited the period in which building work could take place to less than half of each year. After five years, construction was complete and its beam first shone in 1887. The light is occulting, with a range of 18 nautical miles (33 km); a foghorn was installed in the early twentieth century. - in: wikipedia

Éditions d'Art

Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Britanny in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon.

The card shows the aircraft carrier "Charles de Gaulle", the Recouvrance schooner and the city's castle.
Brest's castle is the oldest monument in the town, located at the heart of the roadstead of Brest, one of the largest roadsteads in the world. From the Roman castellum to Vauban's citadel, the site has over 1700 years of history, holding right up to the present day its original role as a military fortress and a strategic location of the highest importance. It is thus the oldest castle in the world still in use, and was classified as a monument historique on 21 March 1923.

Its structure has continually been rebuilt over the centuries to defend against all attacks by land and sea. Its heterogeneous architecture is thus the result of the defences' continual adaptation to new developments in siege warfare and armament. - in: wikipedia

Canyon de Chelly - USA

2011-11-27T23:30:00.003Z

Another american card but this one was sent as a birthday card by Carol.

On the back of the card: "Fall foliage and a silver ribbon of water flowing in Chinie Wash enhance the beauty of the red rocks seen from Tsegi Overlook. "

Photo by George H. H. Huey

Canyon de Chelly National Monument was established on April 1, 1931 as a unit of the National Park Service. It is located in northeastern Arizona within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation. Reflecting one of the longest continuously inhabited landscapes of North America, it preserves ruins of the early indigenous tribes that lived in the area, including the Ancient Pueblo Peoples (also called Anasazi) and Navajo. The monument covers 83,840 acres (131.0 sq mi; 339.3 km2) and encompasses the floors and rims of the three major canyons: de Chelly, del Muerto, and Monument. These canyons were cut by streams with headwaters in the Chuska mountains just to the east of the monument. None of the land is federally owned. - in: wikipedia

NL-880265

2011-11-24T22:29:00.003Z

This is an official from Netherlands but the card shows one of the volcanoes in Hawaii, USA.

Photo by Dorian Weisel

NL-880265, sent by Patricia.
Hawaii emerged from the sea millions of years ago, forged by the power of volcanoes. Today, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii's Big Island is one of the few places in the world where visitors can come face to face with an active volcano. This once in a lifetime chance to safely explore Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, makes Hawaii a destination unlike any other.

Unlike those steep, conical peaks, Hawaii's main volcanoes are "shield" volcanoes. Shield volcanoes produce generally fluid lava flows that form gently sloping shield-like mountains. A good example is Maunaloa, the most massive mountain on earth, deceptively covering half of Hawaii's Big Island.

There are currently three active volcanoes in Hawaii. On Hawaii's Big Island you'll find Maunaloa and Kilauea in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Maunaloa last erupted in 1984 and Kilauea has been continuously erupting since 1983. Loihi is located underwater off the southern coast of Hawaii's Big Island. Erupting since 1996, this emerging seamount may break the surface in about 250,000 years, adding a ninth island to the Hawaiian chain. Other notable volcano craters that you can hike and explore include Haleakala on Maui as well as Leahi (Diamond Head) and the National Memorial of the Pacific at Punchbowl on Oahu. - in: http://www.gohawaii.com/statewide/discover/essential-hawaii/volcanoes-of-hawaii

Chilean Patagonia - Chile

2011-11-24T22:06:00.009Z

These 3 cards, sent by Daniela "Annie_Hall" are trully beautiful. The Chilean Patagonia is the most famous region of Chile and offers all the dramatic landscape one would expect from the world's ultimate land's end. Here the South American continent falls away in a dazzling explosion of islands, glaciers, icebergs and mountains.

Torres del Paine National Park is, without doubt, one of the most spectacular national parks in the country. A world biosphere reserve, it has a huge variety of plant and animal species.

Declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1978, the Torres del Paine national park (situated in the Magallanes 12th region in Chile) is internationally recognized as one of the most beautiful, unique and uncontaminated places on the planet. It is a place of lakes, rivers, waterfalls, glaciers, forests and incredible wildlife, all of which make it an exciting destination.

Undoubtedly one of the main attractions of the park is the Macizo (Massif) of Paine, formed predominately from granite and whose origin dates back millions of years. The most famous peaks of the park are called the ‘Cuernos’ (horns) and ‘Torres’ (towers) of Paine. - in: http://www.gochile.cl/en/national-parks/parks/torres-del-paine.html

The Lake General Carrera (Chilean side) or Lake Buenos Aires (Argentine side) is a lake located in Patagonia and shared by Argentina and Chile. The lake has a surface of 1,850 km² of which 970 km² are in the Chilean Aisén Region, and 880 km² in the Argentine Santa Cruz Province, making it the biggest lake in Chile, and the fourth largest in Argentina.
The lake is of glacial origin and is surrounded by the Andes mountain range. The lake drains to the Pacific Ocean on the west through the Baker River.

The lake is known as a trout and salmonidae fishing destination, and also for its Marble Cathedral (marble cave) located at the centre of the lake. - in: wikipedia

Hwaseong Fortress - South Korea

2011-11-24T21:59:00.003Z

This card of the Hwaseong Fortress in South Korea, was one of the last Unesco cards i've received in the last days. It was sent from Estonia by "ossuusso".

Hwaseong, the wall surrounding the centre of Suwon, the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, was built in the late 18th century by King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty to honour and house the remains of his father Prince Sado, who had been murdered by being locked alive inside a rice chest by his own father King Yeongjo having failed to obey his command to commit suicide. Located 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Seoul and enclosing much of central Suwon including King Jeongjo's palace Haenggung, UNESCO designated the fortress a World Heritage site in 1997. - in: wikipedia

KR-25753

2011-11-18T22:16:00.005Z

This is my 2nd official from South Korea and like the 1st one, the card also shows the Chandeokgung Palace. On this card there's the Jangnangmum Gate, the Main Gate of Nakseonjae House.

Photo by Seo Heun-Kang

KR-25753, sent by "yunjeong"

Changdeokgung Palace is one of South Korea’s “Five Grand Palaces” built by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty sits within a large park in Jongnu-gu, Seoul. It is often referred to as Changdeok Palace as well as the East Palace due to its location. Like the other Five Grand Palaces in Seoul, it was heavily damaged during the Japanese occupation of Korea and only about thirty percent of the original structures remain. Construction of the palace ran from 1405 through it’s completion in 1412.
In 1997 Changdeokgung was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list as an outstanding example of Far Eastern palace architecture and garden design. - in: http://www.mostinterestingdestinations.com/landmarks/changdeokgung-palace-seoul-south-korea/

Nakseonjae was built by King Heonjong in 1847 for his concubine Kim Gyeongbin. It stands to reason that King Heonjong must not have been to infatuated with his wife considering he had this entire complex built for a concubine. Even the name Nakseonjae tends to indicate that the King preferred his concubine more than his wife because Nakseonjae literally means the “Mansion of Joy and Goodness”. This probably did not go over to well with his wife which might explain why the King died at age 22 only two years later in 1849.

Nakseonjae had been closed off to the public for decades because it had been used as the residence for the last remaining Korean princesses until 1989 when Princess Deokhye, the youngest daughter of King Gojang, the 26th king of the Joseon Dynasty passed away in 1989. Even after her death Nakseonjae didn’t open to the public until 2006. - in: http://rokdrop.com/2007/08/24/things-to-do-in-korea-nakseonjae-the-secret-garden/

West Lake - China

2011-11-18T22:10:00.004Z

This is a lovely autumn view of the West Lake in China, sent by Twenty. The West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou was added to the World Heritage List this year.

The West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou, comprising the West Lake and the hills surrounding its three sides, has inspired famous poets, scholars and artists since the 9th century. It comprises numerous temples, pagodas, pavilions, gardens and ornamental trees, as well as causeways and artificial islands.
These additions have been made to improve the landscape west of the city of Hangzhou to the south of the Yangtze river.

The West Lake has influenced garden design in the rest of China as well as Japan and Korea over the centuries and bears an exceptional testimony to the cultural tradition of improving landscapes to create a series of vistas reflecting an idealised fusion between humans and nature. - in: www.whc.unesco.org/en/list/1334

The Peter and Paul Fortress - Russia

2011-11-18T22:01:00.005Z

I've quite a few cards from St. Petersburg but this one, sent by Alena, is my 1st of the Peter and Paul Fortress.

When Peter the Great re-claimed the lands along the Neva River in 1703, he decided to build a fort to protect the area from possible attack by the Swedish army and navy. The fortress was founded on a small island in the Neva delta on May 27, 1703 (May 16 according to the old calendar) and that day became the birthday of the city of St Petersburg. The Swedes were defeated before the fortress was even completed. For that reason, from 1721 onwards the fortress housed part of the city's garrison and rather notoriously served as a high security political jail. Among the first inmates was Peter's own rebellious son Alexei. Later, the list of famous residents included Dostoyevsky, Gorkiy, Trotsky and Lenin's older brother, Alexander. Parts of the former jail are now open to the public...

In the middle of the fortress stands the impressive Peter and Paul Cathedral, the burial place of all the Russian Emperors and Empresses from Peter the Great to Alexander III. The Cathedral was the first church in the city to be built of stone (between 1712-33) and its design is curiously unusual for a Russian Orthodox church.

On top of the cathedrals’ gilded spire stands a magnificent golden angel holding a cross. This weathervane is one of the most prominent symbols of St Petersburg, and at 404 feet tall, the cathedral is the highest building in the city.

Other buildings in the fortress include the City History Museum and the Mint, one of only two places in Russia where coins and medals are minted. - in: http://www.saint-petersburg.com/virtual-tour/peter-paul-fortress.asp

PL-300693

2011-11-18T01:04:00.002Z

An official from Poland with Krakow's barbican.

Photo by Piotr Syryca

PL-300693, sent by Magdalena.

The Kraków barbican is a barbican – a fortified outpost once connected to the city walls. It is a historic gateway leading into the Old Town of Kraków, Poland. The barbican is one of the few remaining relics of the complex network of fortifications and defensive barriers that once encircled the royal city of Kraków in the south of Poland. It currently serves as a tourist attraction and venue for a variety of exhibitions.
Based on Arabic rather than European defensive architecture, this masterpiece of medieval military engineering, with its circular fortress, was added to the city's fortifications along the coronation route in the late 15th century.
The Gothic-style barbican, built around 1498, is one of only three such fortified outposts still surviving in Europe, and the best preserved. - in: wikipedia

Julian Alps - Slovenia

2011-11-18T00:51:00.006Z

The Julian Alps in Slovenia are definitely a must see place. These landscapes are so beautiful, that's why these were in my favorites. The 1st two were sent by Leonardo and the 3rd from Ivana.

Photo by Janez Skok

Bled is known for the glacial Lake Bled, which makes it a major tourist attraction. Perched on a rock overlooking the lake is the iconic Bled Castle.
A small island in the middle of the lake is home to the Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage Church; visitors frequently ring its bell for good luck. The island on Lake Bled has 99 steps. A local tradition at weddings is for the husband to carry his new bride up these steps, during which the bride must remain silent. - in: wikipedia

Photo by Peter Strgar

Photo by Igor Modic
Jalovec from Sleme.

Olympia - Greece

2011-11-18T00:42:00.003Z

A few days ago Rita spent a weekend in Athens and there she fond Olympia cards. She tagged me and now i've a new Unesco site from Greece.

The Archaeological Site of Olympia is an Unesco WHS since 1989.

Summer Dreams Editions

The site of Olympia, in a valley in the Peloponnesus, has been inhabited since prehistoric times. In the 10th century B.C., Olympia became a centre for the worship of Zeus. The Altis – the sanctuary to the gods – has one of the highest concentrations of masterpieces from the ancient Greek world. In addition to temples, there are the remains of all the sports structures erected for the Olympic Games, which were held in Olympia every four years beginning in 776 B.C. - in: www.whc.unesco.org/en/list/517

Carvoeiro Cape - Portugal

2011-11-13T00:11:00.004Z

I've only received cards twice this week. I've received this on tuesday. It was sent by Vitória and it shows the Carvoeiro Cape and it's lighthouse. Cabo Carvoeiro lie at the westernmost point of the Peniche peninsula, next to the Atlantic ocean, in Peniche. It faces the Berlengas archipelago, integrated in a natural terrestrial and maritime reserve.

The 25 m high Cabo Carvoeiro lighthouse was erected at that place, because of the numerous shipwreck occurring there. - in: wikipedia

9th Postcrossing Meeting in São Paulo

2011-11-13T00:04:00.004Z

At the beggining of last month some brazilian postcrossers had their 9th meeting in São Paulo. I believe i've received cards from all those meetings and like the previous ones, this was also sent by Déa. Valéria, Cinthia, Karina, Heloísa, Adriana, Renato and Daniel also signed the card.

The card shows some of the most famous brazilian locations, such us the Amazon, Rio de Janeiro, Iguaçu Falls, Brasília, Salvador da Bahía....

JP-208424

2011-11-10T21:35:00.004Z

My last update of the night is this oficial from Japan.

JP-2088424, sent by Maika.

Fugenzan Meigetsu-in is a Rinzai Zen temple of the Kenchō-ji school in Kita-Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan. Famous for its hydrangeas, it's also known as The Temple of Hydrangeas (ajisai-dera). The main object of worship is goddess Shō Kannon. - in: wikipedia

Yin Xu - China

2011-11-10T21:29:00.003Z

This is the last Unesco card i've to show... for now, i'm waiting for a few new ones! Like the previous cards, this is also a card from a new Unesco place, Yin Xu in China. The card was sent by Twenty.

The archaeological site of Yin Xu, close to Anyang City, some 500 km south of Beijing, is an ancient capital city of the late Shang Dynasty (1300 - 1046 BC). It testifies to the golden age of early Chinese culture, crafts and sciences, a time of great prosperity of the Chinese Bronze Age. A number of royal tombs and palaces, prototypes of later Chinese architecture, have been unearthed on the site, including the Palace and Royal Ancestral Shrines Area, with more than 80 house foundations, and the only tomb of a member of the royal family of the Shang Dynasty to have remained intact, the Tomb of Fu Hao. The large number and superb craftsmanship of the burial accessories found there bear testimony to the advanced level of Shang crafts industry. Inscriptions on oracle bones found in Yin Xu bear invaluable testimony to the development of one of the world’s oldest writing systems, ancient beliefs and social systems. - in: www.whc.unesco.org/en/list/1114

Ningaloo Coast - Australia

2011-11-10T21:23:00.002Z

Hayley from Australia sent me this Ningaloo card. Ningaloo Coast was added to the Unesco World Heritage List this year.

Photo by Benjamin James Knapinski

The 604,500 hectare marine and terrestrial property of Ningaloo Coast, on the remote western coast of Australia, includes one of the longest near-shore reefs in the world. On land the site features an extensive karst system and network of underground caves and water courses. Annual gatherings of whale sharks occur at Ningaloo Coast, which is home to numerous marine species, among them a wealth of sea turtles. The terrestrial part of the site features subterranean water bodies with a substantial network of caves, conduits, and groundwater streams. They support a variety of rare species that contribute to the exceptional biodiversity of the marine and terrestrial site. - in: www.whc.unesco.org/en/list/1369

Euphrasian Basilica in Porec - Croatia

2011-11-10T21:16:00.005Z

I almost have all the Unesco sites from Croatia. With this card of the Euphrasian Basilica, sent by Mirna "pierresurleciel", i'm only missing Stari Grad.
The Euphrasian Basilica is a basilica in Poreč, Croatia. The episcopal complex, including, apart the basilica itself, a sacristy, a baptistery and the bell tower of the nearby archbishop's palace, is one of the best examples of early Byzantine architecture in the Mediterranean region.

The Euphrasian basilica has for the most part retained its original shape, but accidents, fires and earthquakes have altered a few details. Since it is the third church to be built on the same site, it conceals previous buildings, for example the great floor mosaic of the previous basilica from the 5th century. Because of its exceptional value, it has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1997. - in: wikipedia

Skellig Michael - Ireland

2011-11-08T01:37:00.004Z

Ireland only has 2 places on the World Heritage List and thanks to Luca i've this card from one of them, Skellig Michael.

Photo by Liam Blake

Skellig Michael being founded in the 7th century, for 600 years the island was a centre of monastic life for Irish Christian monks. The Gaelic monastery, which is situated almost at the summit of the 230-metre-high rock became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. It is one of Europe's better known but least accessible monasteries.

Since the extreme remoteness of Skellig Michael has until recently discouraged visitors, the site is exceptionally well preserved. The very spartan conditions inside the monastery illustrate the ascetic lifestyle practiced by early Irish Christians. The monks lived in stone 'beehive' huts (clochans), perched above nearly vertical cliff walls. - in: wikipedia