Chapel of the Souls, Porto - Portugal

In Portugal you can see tiles everywhere, houses, fountains, train stations, churches, parks.... This chapel in Porto is a beautiful example of how beautiful it is to use tiles to decorate builtings. 

The 1st card was bought by me in Porto and the 2nd was sent by Carlos not so long ago. 

Chapel built at the beginning of the eighteenth century. From the same period is the image of Nossa Senhora das Almas (Our Lady of the Souls), which is inside.

www.edigpostal.com

In 1929, the entire exterior was covered with tiles representing scenes from the life of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Catherine. Those tile panels were recovered in 1982. - in: http://www.visitporto.travel/visitar/paginas/viagem/DetalhesPOI.aspx?POI=1247

Nazaré's widow costume - Portugal

Paula's contribution to my elderlies collection. 

Âncora

These Nazaré ladies are wearing the mourning costume, they're fishermen widows. The mourning costume is Nazaré's least known as it is becoming rarer and rarer. It's all in black, no lace or embroidery, and the low skirts are gray. Currently only older women continue to wear this costume.

Areeiro Peak, Madeira - Portugal

I've been to Madeira island a few years ago but I did not have the opportunity to go to Pico do Areeiro. It's one of the places I want to visit on my next visit to the island.

This postcard was sent around Christmas time by Joaninha.

www.visitmadeira.pt

Pico do Areeiro is the third highest peak on Madeira with an altitude of 1818 metres. The views all around are stunning with clouds floating over the beautiful mountainous rock formations. When the weather permits, the south coast, Curral das Freiras and even Porto Santo can be seen from here.

Pico do Areeiro is one of the most visited places on the island, due to its easy access, extraordinary views and well known nature paths to Pico das Torres and Pico Ruivo. - in: http://www.madeira-live.com/en/pico-arieiro.html

Monthly Fav. Surprise RR - January'17

I'm still joining this RR this year but I already missed February's, I didn't see on time that the RR was already open. No problem, I'll join the next months.

I've started the year getting cards from Lithuania, Ukraine, Spain, Taiwan and China. 

Author: Kestutis Kajatas

Raudondvaris Castle is a Gothic-Renaissance gentry residence, located in the eponymous town of Raudondvaris, Lithuania. 

First mentioned as a pagan keep by Teutonic chroniclers in 1392. When Samogitia was handed over to the Order, the Teutons built a small castle of Koenigsburg on this spot, housing 80 knights and 400 soldiers.

Between 1653 and 1664 Prince Janusz Radziwiłł ordered its reconstruction and refurbishment, which gave it its current form. 

After the November Uprising in 1831, the castle was devastated by the Russian army, however, it was rebuilt soon afterwards. The 1832-1855 renovation gave it the Gothic Revival shape, though some traces of earlier Renaissance and Gothic elements are still visible.

Between 1856 and 1860 the estate was slightly extended. 

Tyszkiewicz family held the property until World War I. The manor was known to house that family's extensive art collection including works by Leonardo da Vinci, Rubens, Caravaggio and Jan Matejko. After the war the manor was confiscated by Lithuanian authorities. The estate was divided onto individual plots, while the manor itself housed a school and then an orphanage.

The manor was badly damaged during World War II, but was rebuilt between 1962-1975. Currently it houses the Lithuanian Institute of Melioration, as well as a small museum devoted to both the Tyszkiewicz family and Lithuanian composer Juozas Naujalis born in the nearby village. - in: wikipedia

The card was sent by Vaida.

Yulia sent me a card from Kramatorsk, a city situated in the northern part of Donetsk region of Ukraine. It is an important railroad junction and one of the largest Ukrainian machine building centers.

This is the Palace of Culture and Technic of Novokramatorsky Mashinostroitelny Zavod.

Ediciones Arribas

Yolanda from Spain, sent me a card from Santiago de Compostela with its world famous cathedral

For most pilgrims undertaking the Camino, the end of the journey is Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, (Saint James at Compostela). The cathedral lies at the heart of old Santiago – indeed, it forms the centre around which the medieval city took shape and grew into its present form. As the sacred monument housing the earthly remains of Saint James the Greater, the bringer of Christianity to Spain, its structure and embellishments express centuries of Christian faith, piety, and veneration. - in: http://www.caminoadventures.com/santiago-de-compostela/santiago-cathedral/

The Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum, previously known as the Buddha Memorial Center, is a Mahayana Buddhist cultural, religious and educational museum located in Taiwan's Kaohsiung City, Dashu District. The museum is affiliated with Fo Guang Shan, one of Taiwan's largest Buddhist organizations. The museum purportedly houses one of the tooth relics of Sakyamuni Buddha, the founder of the Buddhist faith. Construction of the museum began in 2008, and the museum was opened to the public in December 2011. -  in: wikipedia

Card sent by Ching-Ru.

The last card is from China and it was sent by B. R.

The Stone Forest or Shilin is a notable set of limestone formations about 500 km2 located in Shilin Yi Autonomous County, Yunnan Province.

The tall rocks seem to fall to the ground in the manner of stalagmites, with many looking like petrified trees thereby creating the illusion of a forest made of stone. 

Since 2007, two parts of the site, the Naigu Stone Forest and Suogeyi Village, have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites as part of the South China Karst. - in: wikipedia

Monthly Fav. Surprise RR - December'16

In December I´ve only sent 4 cards. The received cards arrived from Japan, Finland and Russia. 

Tomoko got to send me another card and she sent a card from an UNESCO site. The island was formally approved as a UNESCO World Heritage site in July 2015, as part of Japan's Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining.

Gunkanjima is a small island located about 20 kilometers from Nagasaki Port. Until 1974, the island served as a coal mine, and more than 5000 residents called the 480 meter long, 150 meter wide island home, resulting in the highest population density in history recorded worldwide.

To accommodate so many people in such a small area, every piece of land was built up so that the island came to resemble a massive battleship. In fact, "Gunkanjima" is a nickname that means "battleship island" in Japanese. The island's formal name is Hashima.

Managers, workers and their families all called the little island home. The residents of the island were able to live out a more or less typical life. Half of the island was devoted to the workings of the mine, the other to residential space, schools, restaurants, shops, a public bath and a hospital.

In April 1974, the mine was closed, and its residents had to leave Gunkanjima, abandoning the island with all its buildings. Over the years since then, direct exposure to typhoons has caused the residences and mining facilities to deteriorate, giving the island an eerie and haunting atmosphere. Due to the danger of collapsing structures, Gunkanjima was closed to the public, and for many years could only be seen from sightseeing cruises that circled the island. - in: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4414.html

www.tankar.fi

Tankar lighthouse is located on Tankar, an island situated 15 km north-west of Kokkola harbour. The lighthouse was built in 1889 and is still in use today.

The card was sent by Eve.

Another card from an UNESCO site, this one from Russia and sent by Vera.

The Putorana Plateau is a seemingly boundless basalt plateau, untouched by human activity. It is thought to have arisen 10–12 million years ago as a result of a strong earthquake that affected the greater part of the Eurasian continent and gave rise to big islands in the Barents and Kara Seas. - in: http://www.greenpeace.org/russia/en/campaigns/world-natural-heritage/putorana-plateau-2/

In July 2010, the Putorana Reserve was inscribed on the World Heritage List as "a complete set of subarctic and arctic ecosystems in an isolated mountain range, including pristine taiga, forest tundra, tundra and arctic desert systems, as well as untouched cold-water lake and river systems". - in: wikipedia

This a nice card but I already had it, no problem though, the other one was unwritten. This is the Kubovataya Ascension Church located in the Malye Korely" Open-Air Museum of Wooden Architecture. The church was built in 1669 and the bell tower in 1854; it was transferred from the Kushereka village.

The card was sent by Tanya from Belarus. 

Monthly Fav. Surprise RR - November'16

Time now for some monthly favorite RR cards. In November I've got cards from Germany, Spain, Estonia, Japan and Georgia. 

© Schöning GmbH & Co. KG

Some german lighthouses in the North Sea. Obereversand in Dorum; Arngast Lighthouse in Dangast; New Lighthouse on Wangerooge island; Roter Sand in the Weser estuary; Hamburger Lighthouse in Cuxhaven; Juist island lighthouse; Heligoland lighthouse; Geestemünde North Mole Light in Bremenhaven; Norderney island lighthouse; Pilsum Lighthouse; Borkum Großer Light and Wremen lighthouse. 

The card was sent by Steffi.

Yoland also sent a card with a lighthouse, Fangar lighthouse located in Ebro Delta. 

The Ebro Delta is located in Tarragona. It covers an area of 320 square kilometres, of which 80 comprise the Ebro Delta nature reserve. It has a great ornithological richness and is internationally important due to the presence here of over 400 species and some of the most important breeding colonies in the Mediterranean.

These flat lands give the Ebro Delta its unique landscape, which varies according to the season of the year. It is home to everything from market gardens and orchards to rice fields, while in the coastal area there are large lakes fringed by rush and reed beds. The area around this nature reserve is characterised by its saline soils, and extensive deserted sandy beaches with dune systems. . in: http://www.spain.info/en/que-quieres/naturaleza/espacios-naturales/parque_natural_del_delta_de_l_ebre.html

A new estonian castle in my collection thanks to Ella. 

Kuressaare Episcopal Castle, also known as Kuressaare Castle, was built in the 14th century. Today, the Castle houses Saaremaa Museum with its permanent exhibition and sundry temporary exhibitions. 

The convent building of the Kuressaare Episcopal Castle is the only surviving medieval fortification in the Baltic countries that has not been significantly reconstructed. - in: https://www.visitestonia.com/en/kuressaare-episcopal-castle

Tomoko got my address again and this time she sent me this Tofukuji Temple card with a view of the Tsutenkyo Bridge.

Tofukuji is a large Zen temple in southeastern Kyoto that is particularly famous for its spectacular autumn colors. The temple was founded in 1236 at the behest of the powerful Fujiwara clan. 

In autumn, people come from all over Japan to see Tofukuji's autumn colors. The most popular view is of the Tsutenkyo Bridge, which spans a valley of lush maple trees. The view from the bridge is equally spectacular, and the 100 meter long, covered walkway becomes extremely crowded when the colors reach their peak, usually around mid to late November. - in: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3930.html

Foto by Goga Chanadiri

Another bridge, Rkoni Bridge in Georgia. The card was sent from Ukraine by Yulia. 

Rkoni bridge is one of the best examples of medieval bridges in Georgia. It is located in the municipality of Kaspi, near the monastery complex of Rkoni. The one-hinged vault bridge dates back to the 12th-13th centuries. 

Kluane National Park - Canada

This beautiful card arrived from Canada last November and it was a new card for my UNESCO collection. It was sent by Jason.

Kluane National Park, plus neighbouring parks Tatshenshini in British Columbia and Wrangell-St. Elias and Glacier Bay in Alaska, make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site – the world's largest international protected area.

© 2015 Canada Post

The 22 000 square kilometre Kluane National Park is set like a jewel in the southwestern corner of the Yukon between northeastern British Columbia and the tidewaters of the Alaskan panhandle. Much of the park's 129 kilometre northern boundary is made up of the Alaska Highway and the Haines Road. The Alsek River, known for its big water rapids created by the tremendous volume of water it drains from the St. Elias Mountains, is so swift it appears that native people have entirely avoided using it for travel or trade routes. Lowell Glacier's immense and spectacular advances and retreats have periodically blocked the Alsek causing flooding that over the centuries has greatly affected the vegetation and wildlife in the low-lying valleys. - in: http://www.canadianparks.com/yukon/kluannp/index.htm