Wednesday, August 19, 2020

FOTW Slovenia

Thanks to Martin and a stadium card, now I've a new flag in my FOTW collection. 

© concept Postcardsmarket.com
Slovenia has an area of 20.273 km², a population of 2.063.077 and its capital is Ljubljana.
Unique: 
* "Baby Dragon" - Olm (proteus anguinus), cave dwelling species, pale skin, blind, can live 100 years;
* The oldest vine in the world still producing grapes. The old vine, over 400 years of age in Maribor;
Famous:
* Neanderthal Flute - possibly the worlds oldest known musical instrument;
* Lipica Stud Farm - home of the famous Lipizzaner horses, operating uninterruptledly since 1580;
History:
* Indepence Day - 25 de June 1991 from Yugoslavia;
* Freising Manuscripts - oldest surving document in Slovene and in any Slavic language. It consists of liturgical tests written around 1000 AD. 

Monday, August 17, 2020

GB-1259284

"The Meeting Place", often referred to as "The Lovers" or even just the "kissing statue", is a  9 metres tall bronze sculpture by Paul Day is on the Grand Terrace inside St Pancras station and is one of the first things you see when you get off the Eurostar.

© Sam Lane Photography
GB-1259284, sent by Richard.
The sculpture commemorates St. Pancras becoming St. Pancras International Station in 2007. Its base is encircled by a high-relief frieze depicting images of the rich history and characters of the tube and train. 

DE-9398305 & GB-1263485

Despite having been sent from different countries, both these cards are from south of England. 

Rannenberg & Friends
DE-9398305, sent by Ulrike.
Beachy Head Lighthouse is a lighthouse located in the English Channel below Beachy Head in East Sussex. It is 43 m (141 ft) in height and became operational in October 1902. It was the last traditional-style 'rock tower' (i.e. offshore lighthouse) to be built by Trinity House. - in: wikipedia

© Chris Howes/Wild Places Photography/Alamy Stock Photo
GB-1263485, sent by Mary.
The Roman Lighthouse at Dover, in the county of Kent, England, is across the English Channel. It was one of the two lighthouses marking the mouth of the port of Dover. It was probably commissioned by Caligula when the Tour d’Ordre was erected at about 50 A.D. It was built on the sheer white cliffs which dominated the port. Its strategic location made that in the Middle Ages it was used as a watchtower, thus becoming the origin of Dover Castle, of which it is part now. It is 62-foot high (18.6 m), of which only 43 (12.9 m) correspond to the Roman building while the rest corresponds to the refurbishment made during the reign of Henry VIII. For centuries, the derelict walls were used to build the belfry of the Chapel of St. Mary. - in: http://www.torredeherculesacoruna.com/index.php?s=80&l=en

Friday, August 14, 2020

NL-4695849

Official from the Netherlards with Scheveningen lighthouse. 

NL-4695849, sent by Anne.
Scheveningen Lighthouse was completed in 1875 and has the status of a national monument. If you don't mind to climb its 159, you'll be rewarded with one of the best views of the North Sea and surroundings!  

DE-9119260

Back in March Anne from germany sent me an official postcard but as it was taking too long to arive she decided to send me another one, which arrived in early May. In the first days of July, after almost 4 months, the postcard that she had sent in March arrived too. Never lose hope on your "lost" mail. 

© Schöning GmbH & Co. KG
DE-9119260, sent by Anne.
Bavaria is one of the most popular and most scenic travel destinations in Germany. For many, Bavaria means sausage, beer, and lederhosen, and although you’ll find all of that on your vacation, this part of Germany has much more to offer. - in: https://www.tripsavvy.com
Bavaria is filled with attractions and offers some of the country's most beautiful scenery, including spectacular mountain peaks, rolling hills, and lovely lakes. The Danube winds scenically through its center. Some of the most beautiful towns in Germany are in Bavaria, and the entire area is steeped in history. - in: https://www.planetware.com

Monday, August 3, 2020

DE-9393443

I had a card of this castle in my favorites for many, many years and now I finally got one. Many thanks Elaine. 

Lichtenstein Castle is located in the southwest state of Baden Wurttemberg, in Germany, overlooking the village of Honau.

© Verlag Hans-Jürgen Daubner
DE-9393443, sent by Elaine.
The “castle” is actually a hunting lodge, built on the ruins of a former castle, and the current structure was completed in 1842. It was built in a pseudo-medieval style, which was very en vogue in the 19th century.
In the novel Lichtenstein, author Wilhelm Hauff had described medieval life in the original castle so vividly that local ruler Wilhelm Graf von Württemberg felt inspired to have the fictional castle built in reality. Ruins of the original castle, built in the 1100s, can be found just outside the walls of the existing castle.
The most striking feature of the castle is that the outer wall is built on the edge of a cliff, which can be very intimidating for anyone with a fear of heights!
During World War II, an American tank passing through the valley below fired a shell, which directly hit the main tower. Fortunately, the shell failed to explode, saving the impressive building from destruction. However, a hole in the plaster where the shell struck remains to this day.
Fans of Super Street Fighter II may also recognize the castle, which provided inspiration for Cammy’s stage. - in: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lichtenstein-castle

Friday, July 31, 2020

Czech UNESCO sites

This year because of Covid, UNESCO decided that the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee, initially scheduled for 29 June - 9 July 2020 was postponed to a later date. The exact dates of the session are still not known. 
Until last year Czech Republic had the 12 sites depict on these cards inscribed on the UNESCO list. Publishers need to update them because there are two sites missing.  Last year Czech Republic added two sites to its list, Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region and Landscape for Breeding and Training of Ceremonial Carriage Horses at Kladruby nad Labem. The last one is also missing in my collection. 
In 2014 I visited a few os these 12 sites, Prague, Cesky Krumlov, Kutna Hora, Telc, Trebic and Pilgrimage Church of St John of Nepomuk at Zelená Hora.  

CZ-1706980, sent by Pavla.
* Historic Centre of Prague (1992) - Built between the 11th and 18th centuries, the Old Town, the Lesser Town and the New Town speak of the great architectural and cultural influence enjoyed by this city since the Middle Ages;
* Historic Centre of Český Krumlov (1992) - Situated on the banks of the Vltava river, the town was built around a 13th-century castle with Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements. It is an outstanding example of a small central European medieval town whose architectural heritage has remained intact thanks to its peaceful evolution over more than five centuries;
* Historic Centre of Telč (1992) - The houses in Telc, which stands on a hilltop, were originally built of wood. After a fire in the late 14th century, the town was rebuilt in stone, surrounded by walls and further strengthened by a network of artificial ponds;
* Pilgrimage Church of St John of Nepomuk at Zelená Hora (1994) - This pilgrimage church, built in honour of St John of Nepomuk was constructed at the beginning of the 18th century on a star-shaped plan, it is the most unusual work by the great architect Jan Blazej Santini, whose highly original style falls between neo-Gothic and Baroque;

CZ-463786, sent by Blanka.
* Kutná Hora: Historical Town Centre with the Church of St Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec (1995) - The Church of St Barbara, a jewel of the late Gothic period, and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec, which was restored in line with the Baroque taste of the early 18th century, were to influence the architecture of central Europe;
* Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape (1996) - Between the 17th and 20th centuries, the ruling dukes of Liechtenstein transformed their domains in southern Moravia into a striking landscape. At 200 km2 , it is one of the largest artificial landscapes in Europe;
* Holašovice Historical Village Reservation (1998) - Holašovice is an exceptionally complete and well-preserved example of a traditional central European village. It has a large number of outstanding 18th- and 19th-century vernacular buildings in a style known as 'South Bohemian folk Baroque', and preserves a ground plan dating from the Middle Ages;
* Gardens and Castle at Kroměříž (1998) - The gardens and castle of Kroměříž are an exceptionally complete and well-preserved example of a European Baroque princely residence and its gardens;
* Litomyšl Castle (1999) - Litomyšl Castle was originally a Renaissance arcade-castle of the type first developed in Italy and then adopted and greatly developed in central Europe in the 16th century;
* Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc (2000) - This memorial column, erected in the early years of the 18th century, is the most outstanding example of a type of monument specific to central Europe;
* Tugendhat Villa in Brno (2001) - The Tugendhat Villa in Brno, designed by the architect Mies van der Rohe, is an outstanding example of the international style in the modern movement in architecture as it developed in Europe in the 1920s;
* Jewish Quarter and St Procopius' Basilica in Třebíč (2003) - The ensemble of the Jewish Quarter, the old Jewish cemetery and the Basilica of St Procopius in Trebíc are reminders of the co-existence of Jewish and Christian cultures from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. - source: www.unesco.org