Otranto - Italy

 Of all the places Óscar visited in southern Italy, Otranto was the place he liked the most. He said I might like it too and he's probably right. I've never been to the south of Italy, I guess I need to put Otranto on my visit list if I ever get to visit this region.

Otranto is a coastal town, port and comune in the province of Lecce, right on the heel of the Italian boot. it is It is one of the I Borghi più belli d'Italia - The most beautiful villages of Italy.

 

© DEDALUZ2 EDIZIONI

The cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata is the most important place of Catholic worship in the city of Otranto. The cathedral, built on the remains of a Messapian village , a Roman domus and an early Christian temple , was founded in 1068 by the Norman bishop William. It is a synthesis of different architectural styles comprising Byzantine, early Christian and Romanesque elements. - in: https://www.orminatours.com

Bügeleisenhaus - Germany

 I've never heard about Hattingen before but after googling about it, I'm pretty sure I might like it. My kind of place, small but lots to see. 

Hattingen is a 600 years old town in North Rhine-Westphalia. Its 150 half-timbered houses and the small winding street, make it a town full of charm. 

The most famous half-timbered house is the Bügeleisenhaus, located at Haldenplatz. 

This beautiful card was sent by Kerstin.

 

© type art satz & grafik - dortmund

The 17th-century half-timbered house is a sight in itself: its façade is adorned with scrolled brackets, carved sun wheels, and fearsome "envy masks," while the interior also offers interesting exhibits for visitors. Cloth makers lived and worked here between 1771 and 1856, and a butcher's shop operated on the ground floor until 1907.

DE-16926328

 Königstein is a town on the river Elbe in Saxony in Germany.

 

DE-16926328, sent by Kerstin.

The city is home to the Königsstein Fortress, one of the largest mountain fortresses in Europe. On this card, we can hardly spot the fortress, on the top of the hill, but I've a different card, depicting it.

Northern Germany

My official cards are taking forever to reach their destinations, which is quite disappointing and frustrating, but on the other hand, I got a few cards these last days. These two are both from northern Germany.

© Schöning Verlag

DE-16914345, sent by Anneke.

Eckernförde is a small town, which is over 700 years old, in the northern part of Schleswig-Holstein. The town has a population of about 23,000 and is a popular tourist destination.

© Schöning Verlag

DE-16920876, sent by Svea.

Northern Germany is a fascinating area between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. It is characterised by diverse landscape, lush greens, rich history and unique culture. The region offers the best of picturesque coastal towns, historic cities and idyllic rural areas. Northern Germany is not only known for its impressive beaches and charming harbour towns, but also for its warm hospitality. The North German identity is reflected in traditional customs, a maritime way of life and a deep connection to nature – yet always curious and progressive. Whether you are exploring the vast plains and forests, the picturesque islands or the lively cities – Northern Germany has plenty to offer and will charm you with its culture and hidden gems. - in: https://www.visit-northerngermany.com/

Mont Saint-Michel - France

One of my next trips to France, has to be to this amazing place, Mont Saint Michel. These cards are sent to me in the last years by Ara, Hanna, Raquel, Valérie and also Van from China.

Éditions D'Art * Photo: H. Marcou

Mont-Saint-Michel is a rocky islet topped by a famous Gothic abbey, 1.6 km (1 mi) off the coast of Normandy in northwest France in the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel in the English Channel. The island, located 5 km (3 mi) from the shore during the Middle Ages, is now surrounded by water only two times a month. Its one cobblestone street climbs in three spirals from a great granite base to the towering Benedictine abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, an architectural masterpiece built in the 13th century, replacing the original abbey, which was founded in 708 by Saint Aubert, bishop of Avranches, but destroyed by King Philip II of France in 1203.

Its fortifications enabled the islet to withstand repeated English assaults during the Hundred Years' War. The abbey served as a prison during Napoleon I's reign. Restored after 1863, and connected to the mainland by a causeway (completed 1875), the abbey is preserved as a national historical monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of France's great tourist attractions. - in: http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Provinces/Normandy/Mont-St-Michel.shtml

 Mont St Michel lies in the heart of an outstanding setting. Mont St Michel Bay has the highest tides in Europe, up to 15 metres difference between low and hight water, which transform the surrounding landscapes twice a day.  During top of the spring tides, the sea goes out 15 kilometres from the coast and comes in again very quickly.

 Artaud Frères - Editeurs 

  The tides are caused by the action of the heavenly bodies, principally the sun and the moon. When they are in line with the earth (in syzygy) the attraction is multiplied, announcing spring tides, this corresponds with the period of highest tides ; on the contrary, if the sun and the moon form a right angle (in quadrature), the attraction is reduced and we are in neap tides, the period of lowest tidal movement.

 

CN-4354349, sent by Van.

 This phenomena are accentuated in Mont Saint-Michel bay, because with the rock being in the back of the bay, the sea doesn't reach the Mount during neap tides. On the other hand during spring tides, the sea reaches the Mount but only after 4 hours and 30 minutes after the start of the rising tide, about every fortnight. - in: http://www.ot-montsaintmichel.com/en/horaire-marees/mont-saint-michel.htm

Kairouan - Tunisia

Kairouan is a city in northern Tunisia, 50 km (31 mi) from the east coast and 184 km (114 mi) from Tunis. 

The city was founded by the Umayyads around 670. In the period of Caliph Mu'awiya (reigned 661–680), it became an important centre for Sunni Islamic scholarship and Quranic learning, and thus attracting a large number of Muslims from various parts of the world, next only to Mecca and Medina. - in: wikipedia

It is classified as UNESCO WHS since 1988.

The 1st of these cards was sent by Emerich and the 2nd and 3rd were both bought by me, in Expo 98 in Lisbon and at the collectors fair in my city a few days ago.

Carte d'Or

Kairouan is an important religious pilgrimage site and, for history lovers, one of Tunisia's star tourist attractions. This bustling city is jam-packed with some of the country's best examples of Islamic architecture, from grand mosques and tombs with ornate decoration to the Medina back alleys lined with candy-coloured houses.

Kairouan is also a major shopping destination and is famous for the quality of its carpets. When all the craning your neck at mosque minarets and admiring gorgeous tile work gets too much, it's time to hit the souks for a bit of bargaining with the town's many craftsmen. - in: http://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions-/kairouan-tun-kr-k.htm

The Mausoleum of Sidi Sahab, generally known as the Mosque of the Barber, is actually a zaouia located inside the city walls. It was built by the Muradid Hammuda Pasha Bey (mausoleum, dome and court) and Murad II Bey (minaret and madrasa). In its present state, the monument dates from the 17th century.

The mosque is a veneration place for Abu Zama' al-Balaui, a companion of the prophet Muhammad, who, according to a legend, had saved for himself three hairs of Muhammad's beard, hence the edifice's name. The sepulchre place is accessed from a cloister-like court with richly decorated ceramics and stuccoes. - in: http://www.travellino.net/places/866

 

The Great Mosque of Kairouan, also known as the Mosque of Uqba, is one of the most important mosques in Tunisia, situated in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Kairouan. Every city in Tunisia has a Great Mosque, but the Great Mosque in Kairouan is the most important of all.
It is the oldest Muslim place of worship in Africa and is commonly regarded as the fourth holiest site in Islam (after Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem). Established by the Arab general Uqba ibn Nafi in 670 AD (the year 50 according to the Islamic calendar) at the founding of the city of Kairouan, the mosque is spread over a surface area of 9,000 square metres and it is a model for all later mosques in the Maghreb.
For centuries, the Great Mosque of Kairouan has served as a pilgrimage destination for North Africans not able to make the long trip to Mecca. According to popular belief, seven trips to Kairouan was worth one hajj to Mecca. - in: https://www.alluringworld.com

Monthly Fav. Surprise RR - May '26

 I was hoping to get cards today but the mailbox was empty. 

May 's MFS RR cards from Germany, USA, Russia and Belgium.

 

www.papersisters.de

Nadine send this Happy Postcrossing card with a few inspiring German women. The ladies mentioned on the card are: Sophie Scholl (1921 - 1943), a student and anti-Nazi political activist, active in the White Rose non-violent resistance group in Nazi Germany; Elly Beinhorn (1907 - 2007), a pioneering female aircraft pilot; Maria Sibylla Merian (1647 - 1717), a entomologist, naturalist, and scientific illustrator; Melitta Bentz (1873 - 1950), inventor and entrepreneur known for revolutionizing the process of coffee brewing with her invention of the coffee filter; Margarete Steiff (1847 - 1909) , a seamstress who in 1880 founded Steiff, a maker of toy stuffed animals; Clara Schumann (1819 - 1896), pianist, composer, and piano teacher. She married the composer Robert Schumann; Marlene Dietrich (1901 - 1992), actress and singer; Paula Modersohn-Becker (1876 - 1907), Expressionist painter and draftswoman; Bertha Benz (1849 - 1944), automotive pioneer. She was the business partner, investor and wife of automobile inventor Carl Benz; Käthe Kollwitz (1867 - 1945), artist who worked with painting, printmaking (including etching, lithography and woodcuts) and sculpture..

How many of these women had you heard of before?

 

Photo by William Carr

A dreamy snowy view of Bryce Canyon in Utah. 

Bryce Canyon National Park in Southwestern Utah is famous for the largest collection of hoodoos—the distinctive rock formations at Bryce—in the world. It was declared a National Moument in 1923, and officially established as a National Park in 1928. - in: https://www.nationalparks.org

This card was sent by Nan.

 

This beautiful card of the Ipatiev monastery, was sent by Natasha.

Ipatiev monastery, founded around 1330, is a male monastery situated on the bank of the Kostroma River just opposite the city of Kostroma. 

According to the legend it was founded by the Tatar prince Chet, who adopted Christianity under the name of Zechariah. In 1613 the monastery was the place where Moscow boyars came to invite Mikhail Romanov to become the new ruler. As a result, the first prayer of thanksgiving was prayed in Trinity Church to mark the salvation of Russia from the turmoil the coming of the new ruling dynasty. After that event, the monastery became a holy place for the Romanov dynasty. There, for many years the Fyodorovskaya icon of the Mother of God, the patroness of the new royal family was kept. - in: https://www.advantour.com

And finally, Lara's card, of the beautiful city of Dinant. After my trip to Belgium a few years, I promised myself that I'd travel to the country again to visit this city.

 Dinant, a picturesque city located on the banks of the majestic Meuse river and surrounded by the scenic landscape of the Belgian Ardennes.