Wroclaw - Poland

What a nice day today. I'm really, really happy today because my best friend is back after 6 months working in Germany. She'll leave again, this time to Switzerland but we still have a month to catch up :) As my best friend off course she knows my addiction for cards and she brought me 14 cards from Germany and 4 from Switzerland...

I'm so happy that i had to share this with you but let's talk about my received card of the day. It's from Poland, a new unesco whs and it was sent by Ksenia "orange_dreamer". This card is just perfect from someone who likes photography, the picture is so great. Thanks Ksenia for such a great card.

This is the Centennial Hall in Wroclaw.
"The Centennial Hall, a landmark in the history of reinforced concrete architecture, was erected in 1911-1913 by the architect Max Berg as a multi-purpose recreational building, situated in the Exhibition Grounds. In form it is a symmetrical quatrefoil with a vast circular central space that can seat some 6,000 persons. The 23m-high dome is topped with a lantern in steel and glass. The Centennial Hall is a pioneering work of modern engineering and architecture, which exhibits an important interchange of influences in the early 20th century, becoming a key reference in the later development of reinforced concrete structures." - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1165

Iława - Poland

2 polish cards sent by Sylwia from her hometown Ilawa.

Iława is a town in northeastern Poland, situated in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship.

The town was founded in Prussia in 1305. It was build on the Eylenz (Iławka) River between Lakes Geserich (Jeziorak) and Eylenz (Iławskie). This location makes it a popular vacation area.

On this card we can see a comercial street, Jeziorak Lake, a cafe and a gothic church.

And on this card there's a sport complex, the City Hall and 3 views of the Jeziorak Lake, the longest lake in Poland.

Pictures vs postcards IV

Today like yesterday there weren't any cards in my mailbox. I wanted to post something but i didn't know which cards to show, that's why i've deciced for a new pictures vs postcards post, the 4th one.

This time all show cards and pictures from Porto, one of my favorite portuguese cities.

This is a card from Porto but it shows 2 cities, Porto on the right side of the river and Vila Nova de Gaia on the left side. The river is the Douro river, one of the major rivers of the Iberian Peninsula. River Douro rises in Spain and flows more or less east - west across northern Portugal reaching the sea at Porto.

I wish this picture wasn't so dark, but the day was kind of dark too.

This card was published by the portuguese postal service. They published a few collections according to the portuguese regions and i've 3 of that collections. Here we can see Ribeira quarter. Ribeira spreads alongside the Douro river and used to be a centre of intense commercial and manufacturing activity since the Middle Ages. The narrow and winding streets, dark arcades, typical houses with colourful façades and animated night life, are some of the reasons why Ribeira is one of favorite spot for tourists in Porto.

I took both of these pictures 2 years ago. I was visiting a friend in another city and we deciced to go to Porto. It was a wonderful day and i took dozens of pictures and bought a lot of cards. In the next pictures vs cards will show more images from Porto.

Greetings from Malta

After receiving some many beautiful cards from Malta, i really would love to visit the country.

From top left clockwise: Malta Maritime Museum in Vittoriosa Luzzu; typical boat in Marsaxlokk; Marsaxlokk Church and Paradise Bay.

From top left clockwise: Ghajn Tuffieha Bay; Fishing village of Marsaxlokk; san Anton gardens in Attard; Portes des Bombes; St. Lawrence Church in Nirgu. On the main image there's the Grand Harbour.

Rio de Janeiro - Brazil

Today i've received these brazilian cards sent by Jefferson.

"Rio de Janeiro is the second largest city of Brazil. Commonly known as just Rio, the city is also nicknamed A Cidade Maravilhosa, or "The Marvelous City".

Rio is famous for its natural settings, its Carnival celebrations, samba and other music, and hotel-lined tourist beaches, such as Copacabana and Ipanema, paved with decorated black and cream swirl pattern mosaics known locally as "pedra portuguesa".

Despite its charm and beauty, Rio is reputed to be one of the most violent cities in the world and motivated movies such as Bus 174, City of God and Tropa de Elite portraying severe social issues. Violent crime is concentrated in the slum areas known as favelas, which are located largely on the periphery of the City.

This is an aerial view of Ipanema and Leblon.

Ipanema is a neighborhood located on the southern region of the city of Rio de Janeiro. The beach at Ipanema became widely known by the song "The Girl from Ipanema", written by Antonio Carlos Jobim and performed by Jobim, João and Astrud Gilberto, and Stan Getz. The song reached the U.S. top 5 in the summer of 1964.
Leblon is another affluent neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, just west of Ipanema. It's very much like Ipanema but even more exclusive, being the home of very rich and affluent people. The beach is a bit more quiet and relaxed than the hip and trendy beach of Ipanema. The neighborhood has the highest land prices of Brazil and Latin America.

Several views of the Sugar Loaf.

"Sugarloaf Mountain (in Portuguese, Pão de Açúcar), is a peak situated in Rio de Janeiro on a peninsula that sticks out into the Atlantic Ocean. Rising 396 metres (1,299 ft) above sea-level, its name is said to refer to its resemblance to the traditional shape of concentrated refined loaf sugar.
A glass-paneled cable car capable of holding 75 passengers, runs along a 1400-metre route between the peaks of Pão de Açúcar and Cara de Cão every half hour. The original cable car line was built in 1912. So familiar is this peak, the mere sight of it in a film is sufficient to establish the setting as Rio de Janeiro." - in: wikipedia

"The Monastery of São Bento emerged on the hill, with a panoramic view of the Guanabara Bay, some twenty years after de foundation of the City of Rio de Janeiro, in 1565. The monastery, which has been compared to a museum, has a monastic simplicity making it one of the most beautiful architectural complexes in Brazil. The harmony amongst the various parts built at different stages in history resulted from the rule of the Benedictine school, which by tradition only uses artists and builders belonging to the Order. There is a surprising contrast between the austere purposefully simple appearance of the exterior and the richness of the interior highlighting gilded Baroque engravings with plants motifs and the exuberant Rococo style in the engraving on the high altar, cross vaulting and Chapel of the Santíssimo Sacramento". - in: http://www.rio.rj.gov.br/riotur/en/atracao/?CodAtr=1441

Pueblo Bonito USA

I've received this card today together with a nice letter and picture from Mesa Verde National Park taken by Carol "adobe". It was a great surprise envelope.

Pueblo Bonito, the largest and best known Great House in Chaco Culture National Historical Park, northern New Mexico, was built by ancestral Pueblo people and occupied between AD 828 and 1126. Built in stages, this pueblo in it's final form contained nearly 600 rooms, 40 kivas cerimonial structures) and rose four stories high.

Pictures vs postcards III

Voilá, here you've a new post with pictures and postcards and like the 1st one, this one is about 2 of the portuguese historical villages.

Well, Trancoso is classified as historical village but it is a city. The classification of historical village was given to places with significant historical and patrimonial value.The walled city of Trancoso still retains much of its medieval atmosphere, a past full of portuguese heritage. Trancoso is located in my district and this card shows its castle.

I want to take a picture like the card but there was a car parked next to the pillory.... i don't like to have cars in my pictures, specially when i taking pictures of historical buildings like castles or old churches.

This is a card from Belmonte, a town not too far from my city but belongs to Castelo Branco district. Here you can see a "castle from the 13century that was transformed into a fortified manor house in the 15th century by the family of Pedro Alvares Cabral, the discoverer of Brazil. Pedro was born inside, and the family's coat of arms is part of a Manueline window on one of the side walls. The interior has been remodeled and includes an amphitheater for shows and concerts." - in: http://www.golisbon.com/portugal/cities/belmonte.html

I took this picture 2 or 3 years ago when i went to Belmonte with my dad.
I was lucky that day because it was raining but when we went to the castle the rain stopped and i took some nice pictures.
Belmonte is known for beeing the birth place of Pedro Álvares Cabral, the discoverer of Brazil, but it's also known for having the largest Jewish community in Portugal.

Cabo Frio - Brazil

This is the only card i've received today. It's from a tag on the portuguese community and it was sent by Jucielly "jucy".

"Cabo Frio is the biggest and most developed town in the Região dos Lagos (Lakes Region) of Rio. Cabo Frio means "Cold Cape"; this name comes from the low temperature of the sea water. This happens because there is a submarine stream coming from South Pole which emerges near the coast of Cabo Frio. There is a constant wind blowing from northeast, which has sculpted fine white sand into dunes. The combination of salty water and wind has made Cabo Frio to be the major producer of salt in the past (this activity declined much recently)." - in: http://www.v-brazil.com/tourism/rio-de-janeiro/cabo-frio.html

Ouchy - Switzerland

No cards today but i'm so bored that i needed to post something.

These are 3 cards my brother bought for me when he visited Switzerland a few years ago.

"Ouchy is a commune, port, and popular lakeside resort near the city of Lausanne in Switzerland, located at the south of the city, at the edge of the Lake Léman (Lake Geneva).

Very popular with tourists for the views of nearby France (Évian-les-Bains, Thonon), Ouchy is also a favourite area for rollerskating (Lausanne is considered a capital) and for skateboarding.

Once a fishing Village, Ouchy was incorporated into the City of Lausanne in the mid-19th century to serve as a port on Lake Léman. The incredible views of the lake and the Alps, and the cooler air in summer have made Ouchy a popular place especially in the summer months. There is a major cluster of hotels and restaurants around the port.
In Ouchy, on October 18, 1912 was signed between Italy and the Ottoman Empire the First Treaty of Lausanne, which concluded the Italo-Turkish War." - in: wikipedia

Bulgaria + Portugal

Today i've received 2 cards. 1 official from Bulgaria and 1 trade from Portugal.

BG-2239. My 1st official card from Bulgaria. It was sent by Ani and it shows the Old City of Nassebar, an Unesco World Heritage Site. Ani says Nassebar is called "the city of the 100 churches", but there aren't more than 40 nowadays.
PS - there's more informations about Nassebar in an older post.

One more card sent by Ana "ninocas" and this one shows the Seteais Palace in Sintra.
"The Seteais Palace is a neoclassical palace located in Sintra. The palace is nowadays a luxury hotel, restaurant and a tourist attraction included in the Cultural Landscape of Sintra, listed as World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The Seteais Palace was built between 1783 and 1787 for the Dutch consul Daniel Gildemeester. After changing hands several times, the palace was acquired by the Portuguese government in 1946. The Seteais Palace has been used as a luxury hotel since 1954 but its original characteristics have been preserved." - in: wikipedia

Missing countries and territories

Africa:
Benin; Botswana; Burkina; Burundi; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; Comoros; Congo; Congo (Dem. Rep.); Djibouti; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; Ivory Coast; Lesotho; Liberia; Madagascar; Malawi; Mali; Niger; Rwanda; Sierra Leone; Somalia; Sudan; Swaziland; Togo; Uganda; Zambia.

Asia:
Bangladesh; East Timor; Kazakhstan; Korea (north); Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Mongolia; Qatar; Sri Lanka; Tajikistan.

Europe:
Azerbaijan; Georgia.

North America:
Antigua and Barbuda; Bahamas; Barbados; Dominica; El Salvador; Grenada; Haiti; Trinidad & Tobago.

South America:
Guyana.

Oceania:
Fiji; Kiribati; Marshall Islands; Micronesia; Nauru; Palau; Papua New Guinea; Samoa; Solomon Islands; Tonga; Tuvalu; Vanuatu.

Territories, Colonies, and Dependencies:

- Under Australian Jurisdiction:
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Coral Sea Islands
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Norfolk Island

- Under Danish Jurisdiction:
Faroe Islands

- Under Dutch Jurisdiction:
Aruba
Netherlands Antilles

- Under French Jurisdiction:
Bassas da India
Clipperton Island
Europa Island
French Guiana
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Glorioso Islands
Guadeloupe
Juan de Nova Island
Mayotte
New Caledonia
Réunion
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Tromelin Island
Wallis and Futuna

- Under New Zealand Jurisdiction:
Cook Islands
Niue
Tokelau

- Under Norwegian Jurisdiction:
Bouvet Island
Jan Mayen
Svalbard

- Under UK Jurisdiction:
Anguilla
Bermuda
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Falkland Islands
Guernsey
Jersey
Isle of Man
Pitcairn Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands

- Under US Jurisdiction:
American Samoa
Baker Island
Guam
Howland Island
Jarvis Island
Johnston Atoll
Kingman Reef
Midway Islands
Navassa Island
Northern Mariana Islands
Palmyra Atoll
Wake Island

Moritzburg Castle - Germany

This is the card i've received today. I got it through the " "Send me a card from my album of favourites II" tag and it was sent by Jenny "mondfalke".

"Schloss Moritzburg is a Baroque German castle in the small town of Moritzburg in the German state of Saxony. It is located close to the city of Dresden.
It was built from 1542–1546 as a hunting lodge for Duke Moritz of Saxony.
Between 1723 and 1733, the castle was remodelled as a pleasure seat with formal park for Augustus II the Strong, elector of Saxony and king of Poland by the architects Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann and Longeloune.
The displays of many areas within the castle are dedicated to the courtly art of formal hunting. The collection of red deer antlers is considered to be the largest in the world. In the Monströsensaal ("Monstrosity Room") are 39 morbidly contorted antlers, one of them the famous 66-point antler." - in: wikipedia

More cards from Portugal

You're probably tired of so many portuguese cards, but i've so many and some of them are so beautiful, that i want to show them all. I still have a lot to show but tonight you'll see just 3 of the cards i got 2 or 3 weeks ago when i went to the north of the country to visit a friend.

© Michael Howard photography www.mikehowardphoto.com

I went to the north of the country but this is a card from the south of the country. This is a view of Ferragudo from across the river Arade, in Algarve. "Up until the late 20th century, Ferragudo was the home mainly of fishermen, who worked the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the estuary of the Arade and the river itself. Today its economic life is mostly tied to the tourist industry. Bordered on the west and south by the river and the Atlantic Ocean, Ferragudo is noted for its picturesque scenery, its good fishing and its beaches." - in: wikipédia

I've just stopped in Porto a few minutes to take the subway and the bus, it wasn't enough time to buy all the cards i wanted but i managed to buy a few. I already have a lot of cards of this city, all of them are great and i always want more because this city is wonderful. The historic centre of the city is classified by Unesco as a world heritage site.

"Porto is Portugal's second city. The city is located in the estuary of the Douro river in northern Portugal. The largest city in the region, Porto is considered the economic and cultural heart of the entire region.

One of Portugal's most internationally famous products, Port wine, was named after the city because it was originally shipped from the area or, more precisely, from Vila Nova de Gaia, a city just across the river which belongs to the same conurbation. The country was also named after the Latin name of this city, Portus Cale.
Porto is well known for its enterprising spirit, characteristic culture, people, and local cuisine." - in: wikipedia

"The Peneda-Gerês National Park, also known simply as Gerês, is the only national park in Portugal (although many Natural Parks, Protected Landscapes and Reserves exist across the nation). It is located in the Norte region, in the northwest of Portugal.It is in the districts of Viana do Castelo, Braga and Vila Real.
The park was created on May 8, 1971 due to its national and international scientific interest, with the aim to protect the soil, water, flora, fauna, and landscape, while preserving its value to the existent human and natural resources. Education and tourism are also goals of the park." - in: wikipedia

Pessegueiro Island - Portugal

This is a card from my portuguese wishlist, Pessegueiro Fortress on Pessegueiro Island and it was sent by Ana "ninocas".

"Pessegueiro Island is located on the coast of Alentejo Litoral, in the Municipality of Sines. It's a small island near Porto Covo, a small town with a famous beach. The island and the adjacent coast are part of Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park.
The island has a history of occupation going back to the Carthaginians. At the time of Roman conquest of Hispania, the island hosted a small fish processing centre, as evidenced by recently discovered remains of salt tanks. To help defend against privateers, the natural anchorage was extended at the time of the Iberian Union with an artificial rock barrier connecting the island of Pessegueiro to the coastline.
In 1590 began the construction of the Pessegueiro Fortress. The fort occupied a dominant position on the island, with the purpose of providing military support to another fortress on the mainland." - in: wikipedia

Unesco RR "ORC" - Group 112

Today i've received 4 cards, and 1 of them was this Upper Middle Rhine Valley, an Unesco whs in Germany. I've already received the Kinderdijk, from Netherlands a few months ago. It was worth waiting because is a great card and a new site in my collection.

The card was sent by Sabine "TG250607" and it shows the "Marksburg Castle above the town of Braubach in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the only medieval castle of the Middle Rhine that has never been destroyed. It is one of the principal sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley. The castle was built to protect the town of Braubach and to reinforce the customs facilities. It was built about 1117 and explicitly first mentioned in 1231.
The Upper Middle Rhine Valley, is a 65 km section of the River Rhine between Koblenz and Bingen in Germany. It was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in June 2002 for a unique combination of geological, historical, cultural and industrial reasons." - in: wikipedia

This Kinderdijk card was sent by Carolien "carolien25". Somewhere in older posts, there's information about this site, i guess i don't need to repeat it again.

Vila Nova de Milfontes - Portugal

3 cards sent by Américo "valdagua".

"Vila Nova de Milfontes is a parish in the Odemira municipality of Portugal. It is cornered between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mira River, in the Sudoeste Alentejano and Costa Vicentina Natural Park.

The village dates from the year 1468, founded by the King D. João II. The first inhabitants were prisoners sentenced by minor delicts and fifty years after the village establishment the population was no more than ten families.

Vila Nova de Milfontes means New Village of the Thousand springs. This is why it is known as "the three lies village", as it is not new, it was already know as "village" before being in fact a village, and it has no springs.
Vila Nova de Milfontes has a beautiful estuary that gives shelter to several species of birds and marine life. Moreover, wild boars and foxes can be found in the surrounding woods." - in: wikipedia

Abrantes - Portugal

These cards were sent by Helena "leninha". On my wishlist for some portuguese places i had the Abrantes Castle, she said she was going to send me 1 card but she sent 3 cards. Obrigada Helena :)

This is an aerial view of Abrantes, the city where Helena was born. I've only been to this city once.

"Located on a hillside overlooking the River Tagus, Abrantes had once a great strategic importance, namely during the Christian Reconquest (12th century) and the Peninsular War.

 The castle and fortress is a reminder of this historical role: built by the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques, it was used for military purposes until the 20th century." - in: http://viajar.clix.pt/geo.php?c=197&lg=es

Another view of the walls and some houses.

How do you store your cards??

This is how i store my precious cards.

For the normal size cards i've these albuns and these plastic sheets with pockets. Each one of them has 8 pockets. I've 2 of these albuns for the portuguese cards and 2 for the foreign cards but soon i'll need more. I separate the portuguese cards by districts and the foreign ones by countries.

For the bigger cards i've some photo albuns. These albuns are great to keep them in good conditions but i can't separate them as i wish.

A few days ago i've started to try a new method for the big cards. I used a bit of stationary tape to glue the cards into a piece of paper and then just put them in a normal plastic sheet. This way i can put them in the album for the normal size cards and separate them by districts or countries.

Finally, this is my beautiful card box where i keep them when i don't have plastic sheets or photo albuns. Right now i need to buy more plastic sheets.