Monthly Fav. Surprise RR * September ´19

Today my postman came twice!! That is something out of normal. Usually he comes around 10 but today he also came in the afternoon. I saw the mail car leaving my street and checked my mailbox just in case... and found one card, a card from this RR. 

In September the sur+rise cards arrived from Germany, Scotland, USA and Belarus. 

The beaultiful St. Elizabeth Church in the 4 seasons. My favorite view is the winter snowy view. Nice card sent by Birgit. 

The Russian Orthodox Church of Saint Elizabeth was built on the Neroberg from 1847 to 1855 by Duke Adolf of Nassau on the occasion of the early death of his wife Elizabeth Mikhailovna, who died in childbirth. The architect was Philipp Hoffmann. - in: wikipedia

© copyright www.allanwrightphoto.com

Sabine keeps sending me great Scotish castle cards and I really appreciate that. 

St Andrew's Castle is a ruin located in the coastal Royal Burgh of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. The castle sits on a rocky promontory overlooking a small beach called Castle Sands and the adjoining North Sea. There has been a castle standing at the site since the times of Bishop Roger (1189-1202), son of the Earl of Leicester. It housed the burgh’s wealthy and powerful bishops while St Andrews served as the ecclesiastical centre of Scotland during the years before the Protestant Reformation. 

The castle's grounds are now maintained by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument. - in: wikipedia

The North Bridge, often colloquially called the Old North Bridge, is a historical site in the Battle of Concord, the first day of battle in the American War of Independence. The current wooden pedestrian bridge is a replica of the one that stood at the day of the battle. It and nearby sites are now part of the Minute Man National Historical Park of the National Park Service, an extremely popular tourist destination. - in: wikipedia

This historical card was sent by Jennifer.

I think this is the 1st time I received an animal card from this RR, a great one byt the way. I really like this Fauna of Belarus collection. Thanks to Natalia. 

The Fallow Deer (Dama dama) is a type of deer from the family Cervidae. The animal originally lived in Eurasia, but people have brought it to other parts of the world like Australia.

The male is called a buck, the female is a doe, and the young a fawn. They live for about 12–16 years. All of the Fallow Deer have white spots on their backs, and black tips at the ends of their tails. Only bucks have antlers, which are wide and shaped like a shovel.

They are grazing animals. They like to live in an area that is mixed woodland and open grassland. They try to stay together in groups of up to 150. - in: wikipedia

150 Years Meetings

According to the 150 years of postcards page, were held 58 meetings to celebrate the anniversary of cards. Wow, I had no idea they were so many. These cards are from meetings in Canada and Brazil. 

Postcard design: Flora Y. * Postcrossing logo is a registered trademark

This meeting in Toronto was a small one, only 4 but very entusiastic postcrossers. The card was, like every card I get from meetings in Toronto, sent by Marie. 

Postcard design: Valéria Formigoni & Luzia. * Postcrossing logo is a registered trademark

A few days after the meeting in Toronto and on the same day of the portuguese meeting in Mafra, some brazilian postcrossers got together in the Cultura Bookstore in São Paulo. This meeting had the participation of Mr. José Carlos Daltozo, who wrote a reference book about the history of picture postcards in Brazil.

This card was designed and sent by Valéria and Luzia. 

150 years of postcards

Last month was a month of celebration for those who like postcards. On the 1st of October postcards celebrated its 150th anniversary greeting cards and this occasion had special attention from the postcrossers. To celebrate this unique anniversary, several meetings, exhibitions and lecture were held all over the world, were creates postcards and special cancellations marks... so many initiatives to celebrate those pieces of paper that offer us so much joy.

Cards!! These were sent by Paula, Vanesa and Maria do Céu.

How and when did it all start? On the 150 years of cards  page, we can find some relevant dates to the history of the postcard.

Tracing back the origins of the picture postcard is difficult because postcards were not simply invented — instead, they evolved. Their history is inevitably linked with the development of the postal service, but also features innovations in printing and photography (...).

In Austria-Hungary, Dr. Emanuel Herrmann (a professor of Economics from Vienna) wrote an article in the Neue Freie Presse pointing out that the time and effort involved in writing a letter was out of proportion to the size of the message sent. He suggested that a more practical and cheaper method should be implemented for shorter, more efficient communications. 

concept by postcardbazaar © 2019

His recommendations impressed the Austrian Post, who put them to practice on October 1st 1869, resulting in the Correspondenz-Karte, a light-brown 8.5x12cm rectangle with space for the address on the front, and room for a short message on the back. The postcard featured an imprinted 2 Kreuzer stamp on top right corner, costing half the price of a normal letter.

The postcard was born!

IL-64339

Is always a surprise to see in the mailbox, a card from a not so common country, espcially when it comes to Postcrossing official card. Today I received this wonderful card from Jerusalem. It like it not only for beeing from an unique place but also because it is a snowy view, which places the scene even prettier.

The Western Wall, or “Wailing Wall”, is the most religious site in the world for the Jewish people. Located in the Old City of Jerusalem, it is the western support wall of the Temple Mount. Thousands of people journey to the wall every year to visit and recite prayers. These prayers are either spoken or written down and placed in the cracks of the wall. The wall is divided into two sections, one area for males and the other for females.

Photography by S. Mendrea

IL-64339, sent by Avital.

King Herod built the Western Wall in 20 BCE during an expansion of the Second Temple. When the Romans destroyed the temple in 70 CE, the support wall survived. For hundreds of years, people prayed in the small area of the wall that could be seen. In 1967, following the Six Day War, Israelis dug below the ground of the wall, exposing two more levels of the wall. They also cleared the area around the wall to create the Western Wall Plaza that visitors see today. - in: https://www.touristisrael.com/western-wall/15946/

Citadel of the Ho Dynasty - Vietnam

Yay, I've cards from all the UNESCO sites in Vietnam!! Thanks to PV, I finally have a Citadel of the Ho Dynasty card. This site has been on the World Heritage list since 2011. 

The 14th -century Ho Dynasty citadel, built according to the feng shui principles, testifies to the flowering of neo-Confucianism in late 14th century Viet Nam and its spread to other parts of east Asia. According to these principles it was sited in a landscape of great scenic beauty on an axis joining the Tuong Son and Don Son mountains in a plain between the Ma and Buoi rivers. The citadel buildings represent an outstanding example of a new style of south-east Asian imperial city. - in: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1358/

Victoria Harbour - Hong Kong

Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong seen from "The Peak - Victoria Peak (552 m), the highest point on Hong Kong Island. 

Photo by Jacky Yeung

HK-102515, sent by KH.

"Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on the South China Sea was instrumental in Hong Kong's establishment as a British colony and its subsequent development as a trading centre. 

Throughout its history, the harbour has seen numerous reclamation projects undertaken on both shores, but still retains its founding role as a port for thousands of international vessels each year. 

HK-657973, sent by Dorothy.
Long famous for its spectacular views, the harbour is a major tourist attraction of Hong Kong. Lying in the middle of the territory's dense urban region, the harbour is the site of annual fireworks displays and its promenades are popular gathering places for tourists and residents." - in: wikipedia

Sheki Khans' Palace - Azerbaijan

The 43rd Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee was held in Baku, Azerbaijan and the country had Sheki Khans' Palace added to the WHS list. This is the third case of an Azerbaijani historical monument making its way onto the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

This is my 2nd Unesco card from Azerbaijan but my 1st written and stamped from the country. Thanks to Olga. 

At the crossroads of Europe and Asia, bordered by the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains, it was an important thoroughfare on the Silk Road, the ancient web of trade routes linking East and West.

By the 19th century, Sheki, on the Silk Road path through northwest Azerbaijan, was an international center for silk production.

Today, it's one of Azerbaijan's most picturesque towns, filled with cobbled streets and medieval architecture: a fresh, bucolic retreat from the more arid south.

It's largely been off most tourists' radar, but that could be set to change: In July 2019, its historic center and Khan Palace were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. - in: https://edition.cnn.com

A unique architectural monument of the khanate, the Sheki Khans' Palace was built in 1762 by Huseyn khan and sits shaded by huge chinar trees within the khan's fortress at the top of this charming Silk Road city. The palace windows are stunning examples of the ancient art of 'shebeke' – wooden lattices filled with stained glass and put together without glue or nails! - in: https://azerbaijan.travel/en/