Last cards of 2007

These are my last cards of 2007.

"Santorini is a small, circular archipelago of volcanic islands located in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km south-east from Greece's mainland.
Santorini is essentially what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion, destroying the earliest settlements on what was formerly a single island, and leading to the creation of the current geological caldera. Its spectacular physical beauty, along with a dynamic nightlife, have made the island one of Europe's tourist hot spots". - in: wikipedia.

This beautiful card was sent by Eva "evaofadawn".

A nice RAS Card from Grad Prem in Slovenia, sent by Tina "Athena125".

"Mateus Palace is considered one of the jewels in the Portuguese Baroque with its beautiful gardens leading on to a huge estate. The interior of this Nasoni-designed masterpiece features worked wooden ceilings, furniture from a range of periods, 17th and 18th century paintings, and a library home to a rare edition of the Portuguese classic ‘Os Lusíadas’." - in: http://www.visitportugal.com/

Card sent by "zepombal".

Grand Mosque - Oman

"The Sultanate of Oman is a country in southwest Asia, on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders the United Arab Emirates on the northwest, Saudi Arabia on the west, and Yemen on the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the south and east, and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast". - in: wikipedia.

The construction of the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat started in 1995 and was inaugurated by Sultan of Oman on May 4, 2001.

The card was sent by Henry "silentcity".

Cards after Christmas

After 2 days without cards because of Christmas, today i received 9 cards. I'll show the 3 unesco cards i got from Brazil.

"Founded at the end of the 17th century, Ouro Preto (Black Gold) was the focal point of the gold rush and Brazil’s golden age in the 18th century. With the exhaustion of the gold mines in the 19th century, the city’s influence declined but many churches, bridges and fountains remain as a testimony to its past prosperity and the exceptional talent of the Baroque sculptor Aleijadinho."

"This sanctuary in Minais Gerais, south of Belo Horizonte was built in the second half of the 18th century. It consists of a church with a magnificent Rococo interior of Italian inspiration; an outdoor stairway decorated with statues of the prophets; and seven chapels illustrating the Stations of the Cross, in which the polychrome sculptures by Aleijadinho are masterpieces of a highly original, moving, expressive form of Baroque art."

"Diamantina, a colonial village set like a jewel in a necklace of inhospitable rocky mountains, recalls the exploits of diamond prospectors in the 18th century and testifies to the triumph of human cultural and artistic endeavour over the environment." - in: http://whc.unesco.org/ All these cards were sent by tito.garcez.

Encamp - Andorra

"Andorra officially the Principality of Andorra is a small landlocked country in western Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. Once isolated, it is currently a prosperous country mainly because of tourism and its status as a tax haven. The people of Andorra are currently listed as having the highest human life expectancies on Earth, at an average of 83.52 years." - in: wikipedia.

Almost Christmas

The 3 cards i got today, 2 from Portugal and 1 from Austria, were like christmas presents and i really liked all of them.

Sibylle "Robin67" sent me another beautiful card, this time a card from Tragöss, a municipality in the district of Bruck an der Mur in Styria.

From Ana "ninocas" a wonderful Monserrate Palace card, "an exotic palatial villa located near Sintra, the traditional summer resort of the Portuguese court. It was built in 1858 for Sir Francis Cook, an English baronet created visconde de Monserrate by King Luís. Monserrate turned to an English architect, James Knowles Jr., for designs. Though its Moghul-inspired details are unique in Portugal, its eclecticism is a fine example of the Sintra Romanticism, along with other nearby palácios, such as the Pena Palace." - in wikipedia.

Finally, from Zé "zepombal" a Porto de Mós Castle card. "This castle was conquered to the Moors by the first king of Portugal, Dom Afonso Henriques, in 1148, and successively rebuilt over the centuries until it reached its present appearance in the 15th century, with two turrets crowned by cone-shaped roofs of green tiles and a beautiful sculpted loggia." - in: http://viajar.clix.pt/geo.php?c=170&lg=es

Floating Kuala Ibai Mosque - Malaysia

Floating Kuala Ibai Mosque, sent by Newrule.

Monaco's Casino

"Charles Garnier, the architect of the opera house in Paris, built the Casino in 1878.
The “atrium”, paved in marble, is surrounded by 28 Ionic columns in onyx. It leads into the auditorium of the opera, called the “Salle Garnier”, which is decorated in red and gold, with a profusion of bas-reliefs, frescoes and sculptures. Here, for more than a century, outstanding international performances of opera, ballet and concerts have been staged."

"The “gaming rooms” comprise a succession of numerous rooms featuring stained glass windows, admirable decorations and sculptures, allegorical paintings and bronze lamps." - in http://www.visitmonaco.com/.

I bought these cards last January.

Thursday cards

I got 2 nice cards today, an official card from France and a tag card from Portugal.

This is a "i want tag" from the portuguese community and it shows the Oceanarium in Lisbon. It was sent by Paula "geminiscp".

FR - 19399. My first official card from France :) Nice Strasbourg views on Christmas time from Cedric.

Royal Palace - Madrid

"The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the King of Spain, located in Madrid. King Juan Carlos and the royal family do not actually reside in this palace, instead choosing the smaller Palacio de la Zarzuela on the outskirts of Madrid. However, the Palacio Real de Madrid is still used for state occasions. The palace is owned by the Spanish state and administered by the Patrimonio Nacional agency."

"The palace is located on Bailén street, in the western part of downtown Madrid, east of the Manzanares River, and is accessible from the Ópera metro station. The palace is partially open to public, except when in official use." - in wikipedia.

I got this cards from a friend.

Singapore

Today i've received my first card from Singapore, a Ras card sent by Relie! On the back she glued a map so i can always remember where her country is :)

"Singapore is an island nation located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. It lies 137 kilometres (85 mi) north of the Equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At 704.0 km² (272 sq mi), it is one of the few remaining city-states in the world and the smallest country in Southeast Asia." - in wikipedia.

Nepal

Temple of Pasupati in Kathmandu. Sent by Roos.

Volcanos

"Mayon Volcano is an active volcano in the Philippines on the island of Luzon, in the province of Albay in the Bicol Region. Its almost perfectly-shaped cone is considered by some to be the Philippine equivalent of Mount Fuji in Japan.

Mayon Volcano rises 2462 m (8,077 ft) above the gulf of Albay. Mayon Volcano is the Philippines' most active volcano and considered as the world's most perfectly formed volcano for its symmetrical cone.

The most destructive eruption of Mayon occurred on February 1, 1814. Lava flowed but not as much compared to the 1766 eruption. Instead, the volcano was belching dark ashe and eventually bombarding the town with tephra that buried the town of Cagsawa—only the bell tower of the town's church remained above the new surface. Trees were burned; rivers were certainly damaged. Proximate areas was also devastated by the eruption with ash accumulating to 9 m (30 ft) in depth. 2,200 Albay natives perished in what is considered as the most lethal eruption in Mayon's history." - in wikipedia.

This card was sent by Jane "enajpostcards".

"Krakatoa or Krakatau or Krakatao is a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. The name is used for the island group, the main island (also called Rakata), and the volcano as a whole. It has erupted repeatedly, massively, and with disastrous consequences throughout recorded history. The best known eruption culminated in a series of massive explosions on August 26-27 1883.
The 1883 eruption ejected more than 25 cubic kilometres of rock, ash, and pumice, and generated the loudest sound historically reported: the cataclysmic explosion was distinctly heard as far away as Perth in Australia approx. 1,930 miles (3,110 km), and the island of Rodrigues near Mauritius approx. 3,000 miles (5,000 km). Near Krakatoa, according to official records, 165 villages and towns were destroyed and 132 seriously damaged, at least 36,417 (official toll) people died, and many thousands were injured by the eruption, mostly from the tsunamis which followed the explosion.
The eruption destroyed two thirds of the island of Krakatoa. Eruptions at the volcano since 1927 have built a new island in the same location, called Anak Krakatau (child of Krakatoa)." - in wikipedia.

The card was sent by "jetske".

Yesterday

These are the 3 other cards i received yesterday.

Arcos square - Atalaia Beach in Aracaju, Sergipe - Brazil.

Our Lady of Carmo Church in Diamantina, Minas Gerais - Brazil. The historic center of Diamantina is an Unesco whs. Both these cards were sent by Tito "tito.garcez".

A lottery card sent by Essi "hadassah". These are the high school graduates walking with the Finland flags outside the President's Palace.

Lyon - France

Last year in September i was in Lyon for 1 week. The city is really beautiful and i bought a lot of cards.

This is the Place des Terreaux, a square at the center of the city. The showpiece of this square is a 19th century fountain with 4 horses sculped by August Bartholdi, the same sculptor of the Statue of Liberty. On the other side of the square we can see the Town Hall of Lyon.

"The Basilica Notre-Dame de Fourvière was built between 1872 and 1896, its unusual design draws from a variety of architectural influences. It features fine mosaics, superb stained glass, and a crypt of Saint-Joseph. Perched atop the Fourviere hill, the basilica looms impressively over the city and may be seen from many vantage points." - in wikipedia.

Cape Verde

A few years my cousins went to Cape Verde and they bought me a few cards from there.

"The Republic of Cape Verde is a republic located on an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean, off the western coast of Africa. The previously uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the fifteenth century." - in wikipedia.

This card shows 4 of the 10 islands of the archipelago: São Vicente, Fogo; Sal and Maio. The other 6 are: Santo Antão; Santiago; Santa Luzia; São Nicolau; Boavista and Brava.

Of these, only Santa Luzia and the five islets are uninhabited. Presently it is a natural reserve. All islands are volcanic, but an active volcano only exists on one of the islands, Fogo.

This is the "Pedra do Lume" sea salt field in Sal island.

Malbork, city and castle - Poland

"The town was built around the fortress Ordensburg Marienburg which was founded in 1274 on the east bank of the river Nogat by the Teutonic Knights. Both the castle and the town of Marienburg (rendered in Polish as Malbork) were named for their patron saint, the Virgin Mary. This fortified castle became the seat of the Teutonic Order and Europe's largest Gothic fortress. During the Thirteen Years War, the castle of Marienburg was pawned by the Teutonic Order to their imperial soldiers from Bohemia.
Under continuous construction for nearly 230 years, Marienburg Castle/Malbork, is actually three castles nested in one another. A classic example of a medieval fortress, it is the world’s largest brick castle and one of the most impressive of its kind in Europe. The castle was in the process of being restored when World War II broke out. During the war, the castle was over 50% destroyed. Restoration has been ongoing since the war. However, the main cathedral in the castle, fully restored just prior to the war and destroyed during the war, remains in its ruined state. The castle and its museum are listed as UNESCO's World Heritage Sites." - in wikipedia.

This cards were sent by Sylwia.

Australian Cities

Night views of Brisbane, Sidney and Melboune. Sent by Allison "blue1236".

PT2PT tag - Ervedal da Beira

Sent by Nuno "marklaro".

Luxembourg

"The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a small landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. Luxembourg has a population of under half a million people in an area of approximately 2,586 square kilometres.
Luxembourg is a parliamentary representative democracy with a constitutional monarchy, ruled by a Grand Duke. It is the world's only remaining sovereign Grand Duchy."

This card was sent by Manuela "vanilla_angel".

Chisinau - Moldava

The National Museum of History of Moldava in Chisinau.

Stefan the Great and Saint.

Both cards were sent by Marina "Maramelie".

More birthday cards

This week i received more 2 birthday cards from the portuguese postcrossers Zbarroso and Carla.

This one is from Carla. A b & w picture from the portuguese photographer Alfredo Cunha (Lisbon 1973).

Fronteira Palace, XVII century tile pannel, from zbarroso.

Honduras

"Honduras is a democratic republic in Central America. The country is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, and to the north by the Gulf of Honduras, a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea. The capital city is Tegucigalpa." - in: wikipedia.
The card was sent by Kasia "epril".

Today in my mail box

I got 2 beautiful cards today, i'm really glad with them. 

From a private trade with Sibylle "Robin67" a Vienna Opera House.

Elbe Sandsotone Mountains in saxony, Germany. Sent by Helga "Helga_NI" - tag within Europe.

Birthday cards

Yesterday was my birthday and these are the cards i received from some nice postcrosser friends.

Leiria Castle sent by "zepombal".

Benfica Stadium also sent by "zepombal".

A card from Finland sent by "minnasusanne".

Montezuma Castle in Arizona, USA, sent by Shain.

And a card from Netherlands sent by Bea.

Swiss landscapes

These are just 2 of a 30 card collection that my cousin Marco sent me from switzerland while he was working there. All the 30 cards are great.

Maranhão - Brazil

Today i received 3 postcards from Maranhão, Brazil.

This is the Gonçalves Dias Square in São Luís, capital city of the Maranhão State.

Governador Sarney Bridge also in São Luís.

Church of Alcântara and a pillary. All the cards were sent by Ana.