Skellig Michael - Ireland

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

NL-817217 & NL-843143

I didn't get any cards today. That's not a good way to start the week! I didn't get cards but i still have a lot to update and not much time to do that.

Photo © Fotolia * Gaby Jacob

NL-817217, sent by Nien.
Beach scenes somewhere in the Netherlands or somewhere else.

NL-843143, sent by Tanja.
Kromme Waal.

DE-1078896

This card shows the Hercules monument, an important landmark in the german city of Kassel.

DE-1078896, sent by Mrs Claus.

Hercules is a copper statue depicting the ancient Greek demigod Heracles. The statue is located at the top of a Pyramid, which stands on top of the Octagon; the statue and the other parts of the monument were constructed at different times. Today "Hercules" refers not only to the statue, but the whole monument, including the Octago and Pyramid.
The Hercules statue was built in the years 1701 to 1717. The entire complex is the Northern-most part of the park and is an important baroque aspect of the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe.

For the first time the water features took place on the 3rd of June in 1714. Today during the summer (from May until October every wednesday and sunday afternoon) visitors can attend this event. Additionally, every first saturday of the months of june, july, august and september this event takes place during the evening with lights of different colors illuminating the water, the fountain and the different monuments. Every time about 350.000 liters of water are needed and visitors can follow the water's way starting from the Hercules monument and ending at the big lake of the castle Wilhelmshöhe. The water runs down the cascades, the Steinhöfer's waterfall, the devil's bridge, until it tumbles down the aqueduct before finally arriving at the lake of the castle where a fountain of about 50 meters ends the spectacle. This whole system is working on a natural basis with the help of natural pressure assured by several water reservoirs and underground pipelines whose locks are opened manually. Remarkably this way of working has been preserved for almost 300 years now. - in: wikipedia

Dinant - Belgium

Dinant is one of the belgian cities i want to visit in a future trip to Belgium. Raquel "ferro" says it's really worth a visit.

The skyline of Dinant, a small town cozied up against the Meuse River, is dominated by its two main buildings: the Citadel, which overlooks the town from a 100 meter cliff, and the Cathedral of Notre Dame, outsized against the surrounding structures and capped by a bronze onion dome. The Citadel, built during the Dutch occupation c. 1820, is the second fortress to sit atop the strategic crest -- an earlier fortification was destroyed by the French in 1703.

© Edit. Thill, S.A.

A famous native of Dinant is Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone. The Belgian monarch King Albert I perished near Dinant in 1934 when he fell while rock climbing. The commune of Dinant has 13,000 residents, and is 25 kilometers south of the city of Namur. There are three ways to ascend to this military fortress perched on the cliff above the city of Dinant: by highway from behind, by a steep cable car ride, or by a 420 step staircase carved into the rock. At the top is a Museum of Armaments, plus dioramas, a collapsed shelter cave -- and an absolutely spectacular view of the Meuse River. There is also a restaurant, a terrace, and a play area for children.

The current citadel was built in 1820 by the Dutch. It replaced the ruins of the original fortification, built 1051 on the orders of the Prince Bishop of Liege to defend the Meuse against invaders, and torn apart in 1703. - in: http://www.trabel.com/dinant/dinant.htm

DE-1092646

The ID of this card is german but the card is from France.

Editions Meridionales

DE-1092646, sent by Jessica.

Agde is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France that is the Mediterranean port of the Canal du Midi.
Agde is known for the distinctive black basalt used in local buildings, for example the cathedral of Saint Stephen, built in the twelfth century to replace a 9th century Carolingian edifice built on the foundations of a fifth century Roman church. - in: wikipedia

Sant Joan de Caselles - Andorra

Last september Joana "joaninha" went to Barcelona to participate in the Eurobilltracker meeting. Once there she and a few other friends went to Andorra. She didn't have time to send a card from there but she sent me this one when she got home. It was one of my favorites.

Sant Joan de Caselles, also known as the Church of Sant Joan de Caselles, is a fine example of Andorran Romanesque architecture. The church was built between the 11th and 14th centuries, and its three-story bell tower is the tallest church tower in Andorra. magnificent three-storied bell-tower. It has Lombard windows on three sides on the upper two levels.
The tower was built separately from the rest of the church and was later joined to the church by a body of stone. - in: http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Andorra/North/Canillo/Canillo/photo1052375.htm

Hangman

I finally have a weekend free of work. This would be a nice opportunity to go somewhere but i'm satying home instead. I've lots of postcrossing stuff to update and i'll start with this blog.

I've guessed two more sentences in the hangman's game and José "pilotOne" sent me these 2 cards, one from Vidago and the other from Porto.

Photo by Oswaldo Santos.

Vidago is a town located 12 kilometers south of Chaves in the district of Vila Real, Portugal. It is famous for its mineral waters and the Vidago Palace Hotel, once a favorite of the last Portuguese kings.
The church of Our Lady of Conceição was built in gothic revival style between 1940-1942.

Photo by H.Schlemmer.

The Rabelo boats are the symbol of the famous Port Wine and the trademark of the Port Wine Cellars.These boats were invented in the 9th century and were used for transporting the products from the farms of the Douro for centuries. 1964 was the last year in which these famous Rabelo boats made the last transport barrels of Port wine from the Douro to the caves located in Gaia
Nowadays there are many companies offering short cruises on a Rabelo and you can board on the Cais da Ribeira, or on the Vila Nova de Gaia side of the river. This is a unique experience which is recommended.