Carol's cards - USA

This week i've only received 4 cards and that was monday. Well, apart of the lack of cards, i'm not in the mood to make any updates because i get home around midnight and i'd rather check the forum or talk to some friends by msn.

I've started to write this post last night but i was too lazy to continue and i'm still lazy today. But now that i've started i'll show these 2 cards Carol "adobe" sent me in 2 different occasions.

This beautiful sunset was the 1st card i've received from her almost 2 years ago.

On the back of the card - "Arizona offers many attractions to fill your days and evenings with education and fun. Some of these attractions include: the Grand Canyon, London Bridge, Monument Valley and the red rocks of Sedona".

And she sent this one with the valentines card. Riggs Lake is one of the most scenic lakes in the Graham Mountains of southern Arizona.

Thanks Carol :D

Unesco cards from India

Thanks to Abhishek "abhishek_b4u" my unesco wishlist from India is getting smaller ;) Today i've received 3 new cards.

"Humayun's tomb is a complex of buildings in Mughal architecture built as Mughal Emperor Humayun's tomb. It is located in, Delhi, India.
It encompasses the main tomb of the Emperor Humayun as well as numerous others. The complex is a World Heritage Site and the first example of this type of Mughal architecture in India.
The architecture of the mausoleum is similar to Taj Mahal.
The tomb of Humayun was built by the orders of Hamida Banu Begum, Humayun's widow starting in 1562. It took 8 years to build and had a Chahr Bagh Garden style in its design, which is a Persian-style garden layout and was the first of its kind in the South Asia region." - in: wikipédia

This is the Visvanatha Temple, one of the Khajuraho's Group of Monuments.
"One of the most popular tourist destinations in India, Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for their erotic sculpture.
The Khajuraho temples were built over a span of 200 years, from 950 to 1150. The Chandela capital was moved to Mahoba after this time, but Khajuraho continued to flourish for some time. Khajuraho has no forts because the Chandel Kings never lived in their cultural capital.
The whole area was enclosed by a wall with eight gates, each flanked by two golden palm trees. There were originally over 80 Hindu temples, of which only 25 now stand in a reasonable state of preservation.
Today, the temples serve as fine examples of Indian architectural styles that have gained popularity due to their explicit depiction of the traditional way of sexual life during medieval times. Locals living in the Khajuraho village always knew about and kept up the temples as best as they could. They were pointed out to an English man in late 19th century and the jungles had taken a toll on all of the monuments." - in: wikipedia

This is the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa.
"The basilica holds the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier. The church is located in Old Goa, which was the capital of Goa in the early days of Portuguese rule.
'Bom Jesus' (literally, 'Good (or Holy) Jesus') is the name used for the infant Jesus. The Jesuit church is India’s first Minor Basilica, and is considered as one of the best examples of baroque architecture in India.
This world heritage monument built in 1695 and has emerged as a landmark in the history of Christianity." - in: wikipédia

MAC - Brazil

Some time ago i came across with a weird, incredible, strange things site. You can find there, for exemple, the list of the 10 tallest men in the world, 30 world’s strangest inventions, 12 odd and bizarre fountains... On the top 10 strangest buildings in the world, you'll find the building on this card, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Niterói, Brazil. This is the site: http://villageofjoy.com/top-10-strangest-buildings-in-the-world/

The Museum of Contemporary Art (Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Niterói — MAC) is one of Niterói's main landmarks. It was designed by Oscar Niemeyer.
"A wide access slope leads to a Hall of Expositions, which has a capacity for sixty people. Two doors lead to the viewing gallery, through which can be seen the Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, and Sugarloaf Mountain. The saucer-shaped modernist structure, which has been likened to a UFO, is set on a cliffside, at the bottom of which is a beach." - in: wikipédia
The card was sent by karina "kazinhabueno".

Gdansk - Poland

Poland is 1 of those countries that i would love to visit. For a few days i thought it would be possible to go there by the end of the year but because of my work, that won't be possible :( :( I guess the only way to see Poland in the nearest future is by cards.

This is the St. Mary's Church in Gdansk. This is the extra card Ula sent with the GTKY valentine's card. For a cathedral lover, this card is perfect.

This cathedral is the largest brick church in the world, and one of the largest Brick Gothic buildings in Europe. It is 105.5 m long, and the nave is 66 m wide. Inside the church is room for 25,000 people.

The construction started in 1379 and finally finished after 1496. The church was severely damaged in World War II, during the storming of Danzig city by the Red Army in March 1945.

This was my 1st Gdansk card and it was sent by Sylwia. The card shows King Jan III Sobieski Statue. This bronze statue was built in 1897 in memory of King Jan III "who reigned in the 17th century and famously defeated the Turks at the gates of Vienna; thereby saving Europe from the Ottoman hordes. Originally displayed in Lviv, the monument was moved to Warsaw in 1950 before finally being shifted to Gdańsk in 1965. During martial law the monument became the starting point for several demonstrations and marches." - in: http://www.inyourpocket.com/poland/gdansk/sightseeing/monuments/venue/16190-King_Jan_III_Sobieski_Statue.html

Portuguese Statues

3rd day in a row without cards. I don't know about you, but after a few days without cards i get a bit cranky. Lets wait for tomorrow.

No cards in the mailbox but lots of cards in the collection, specially portuguese cards. This is a thematic post dedicated to statues, in this case, statues with some important figures of the portuguese history.

This is the statue of a very important portuguese in Guimarães, a city known as the birthplace of the portuguese nationality. "Afonso I of Portugal, more commonly known as Afonso Henriques was the first King of Portugal, declaring his independence from León. Afonso was the son of Henry of Burgundy, Count of Portugal and Teresa of León, the illegitimate daughter of King Alfonso VI of Castile and León. He was proclaimed King on July 26 1139, immediatly after the Battle of Ourique, and died on December 6 1185 in Coimbra.He spent his life in almost ceaseless fighting against the kings of León and Castile and against the Moors to increase his prestige and territories. He began to style himself king in 1139, the same year he defeated the Moors in the battle of Ourique; in 1147, he took Santarém by surprise attack and captured Lisbon. In 1143, Afonso placed his lands under papal protection and secured Castilian recognition of his title, which was confirmed by pope Innocent II." - in: http://www.timelineindex.com/content/view/1824

This is a card from my city with the statue od D. Sancho I, the 2nd king of Portugal between 1189 and 1191. He was the second but only surviving legitimate son and fourth child of Afonso I Henriques of Portugal. He founded my city in 1199.
"Sancho I dedicated much of his reign to political and administrative organization of the new kingdom. He accumulated a national treasure, supported new industries and the middle class of merchants. Moreover, he created several new towns and villages and took great care in populating remote areas in the northern Christian regions of Portugal, notably with Flemings and Burgundians – hence the nickname "the Populator". The king was also known for his love of knowledge and literature. Sancho I wrote several books of poems and used the royal treasure to send Portuguese students to European universities." - in: wikipedia

And now the Statue of Viriathus, in Viseu.
Viriathus (? - 139 BC) was the most important leader of the Lusitanian people that resisted Roman expansion into the regions of Western Iberia (as the Romans would call it), where the Roman province of Lusitania would be established (in the areas comprising Portugal, south of the Douro river, and Extremadura in Spain). Viriathus led the Lusitanians to several victories over the Romans between 147 BC and 139 BC before he was betrayed to the Romans and killed." - in: wikipedia

Finally the Statue of Vímara Peres in Porto, created by Barata Feyo in 1968.
"Vímara Peres, Count of Portugal (Galicia, circa 820 – Guimarães, 873) was a Christian crusading duke of the 9th century in west Iberia. He was a vassal of the King of Asturias, Léon and Galicia, Alfonso III, and was sent to reconquer and secure from the Moors in the west coastal fringe of Gallaecia, the area from the Minho River to the Douro River, including the city of Portus Cale, later Porto and Gaia, from were the name and political entity of Portugal emerged.
In 868 Count Vímara Peres established the First County of Portugal, after the reconquest of the region north of the Douro river. This was the earliest milestone in the history of the state of Portugal, although full Portuguese independence was not achieved until the 12th century.
He was able to expel the Moors and founded a fortified town under his own name Vimaranis (of Vimar) which later became Guimaranis, present day Guimarães." - in: wikipedia

GTKY Valentine's Day cards - Part I

Happy Valentine's Day!!

I don't have a boyfriend but i've received a lot of valentine's cards :P Beautiful cards from my Getting to Know You thread friends on the postcrossing forum! I haven't received all the cards yet but i know i'll love them too.

Thanks girls for the cards, the extra cards and gifts and above all, thanks for all the love and friendship!!

And the 1st card to arrive was from Ana from Portugal. Her friendship quote was: "may the sun bring you new energy by day. May the moon softly restore you by night. May the rain wash away your worries. may the breeze blow new strenght into your beeing. May you walk gently through the world and know it's beauty all the days of your life."

Katy sent this cute in love penguin.

"There are big ships, ther are small ships. But the best ship is friendship."

Essi made and sent this beautiful card.

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."

Black, red and golden, a perfect match from Relie.

"In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love".

Hearts with different tastes and smells from Ula.

"Sometimes waiting is already a love".

And more hearts from Charlotte with an Avril Lavigne lyric as friendship quote. "Won't you take by the hand, take me somwhere new, i don't know who you are, but i'm with you."

To finish this 1st part of valentine's cards, a card from Carol with a perfect and absolutely true quote. "Life is nothing without friendship."

Negril - Jamaica

To finish the postcard week, i got the beautiful jamaican sunset card, sent by one of my dearest postcrossing friends, Wendy.

Home to the worlds greatest sunset, Negril echoes thoughts of ever refreshed coronas, Rastafarian friendliness, and dreams finally answered. Negril is one of the most laid-back towns in the world, where locals see tourists as family. To the people of Negril you might be simply a distant cousin who hasn't been home in a while.

What a wonderfull place to be right now :P

Arizona - USA

I love, love these cards. They're so beautiful. I was really happy when I opened the envelope and saw them. Thanks a lot Peggy "ravenartsong".

"The State of Arizona is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona was the 48th and last of the contiguous states admitted to the Union on February 14, 1912. Arizona is noted for its desert climate, exceptionally hot summers, and mild winters, but the high country in the north features pine forests and mountain ranges with cooler weather than the lower deserts." - in: wikipedia

On the back of the card: every spring the desert comes alive with an abundance of wildflowers, including Mexican gold poppies.

On the back of the card: saguaro, seen shadowed here in the beautiful sunset, is the largest cactus in the United States. It needs very little water and is very resilient when it comes to heat and cold, which makes it perfect for the desert climate that it lives in.

On the back of the card: brilliant coloring in undoubtedly the most striking feature of Oak Creek Canyon. The rock strata throught which the gorge has been carved are mostly flat so the colors change layer to layer.

Genoa - Italy

This is one of the 4 cards i've received today from Peggy. Pallazzo Reale, Royal Palace in Genoa, Italy, a new unesco whs.

The palace is one of the Palazzi dei Rolli, mid-16th century Mannerist palaces built when the Republic of Genoa was at the height of its financial and seafaring power. "The Palazzi dei Rolli offer an extraordinary variety of different solutions, achieving universal value in adapting to the particular characteristics of the site and to the requirements of a specific social and economic organization. They also offer an original example of a public network of private residences designated to host state visits." - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1211

Other Languages RR - Group 27

Today i've received the last card of this group dedicated to the months. Thanks Ana, Ziga and Janek for these great cards :)

This is the card sent by Ana "BraveJ" with the beautiful St. Sava Church, "an Orthodox church in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, one of the largest in the world. The church is dedicated to Saint Sava, founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church and an important figure in medieval Serbia. It is built on the Vračar plateau, on the location where his remains are thought to have been burned in 1595 by the Ottoman Empire's Sinan Pasha. From its location, it dominates Belgrade's cityscape, and is perhaps the most monumental building in the city. The building of the church structure is being financed exclusively by donations." - in: wikipedia

This is an italian card but sent by Slovenia. Ziga "krepki" read that i like vulcanoes and sent me this Vesuvius card. "Mount Vesuvius is an active stratovolcano east of Naples. It is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last hundred years, although it is not currently erupting. Mount Vesuvius is on the coast of the Bay of Naples, about 9 kms (6 miles) east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is conspicuous in the beautiful landscape presented by that bay, when seen from the sea, with Naples in the foreground. Mount Vesuvius is best known for its eruption in AD 79 that led to the destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. It has erupted many times since and is today regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because of the population of 3,000,000 people now living close to it and its tendency towards explosive eruptions. It is the most densely populated volcanic region in the world." - in: wikipedia

And finally another card that fits my wishlist. This one was sent by Janek "ulvikaru". Pakri is a peninsula in Estonia that ends in the sea with a limestone cliff up to 25 metres high. The Pakri lighthouse is the highest lighthouse in Estonia with 52 metres.

New Mexico - USA

After 3 days without any update, here am I again and this time with 2 cards from the state of New Mexico in USA, both sent by famous Jocelyn "nowaglas".

"New Mexico is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. Inhabited by Native American populations for many centuries, it has also has been part of the Imperial Spanish viceroyalty of New Spain, part of Mexico, and a U.S. territory. The climate of the state is highly arid and its territory is mostly covered by mountains and desert. At a population density of 15 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth most sparsely inhabited U.S. state.

Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande." - in: wikipedia

This is New Mexico's state bird, the roadrunner. It was officially adopted in March 16, 1949, under the name of "Chaparral Bird". The comical roadrunners prefers running to fly and has been clocked at speeds of 24 km's (15 miles) per hour. They're appromately 55 cm's (22 inches) in length and their diet consists of insects, lizards, centipedes, mice and snakes.

Reims - France

This is my oldest card. I bought it in a street fair a few years ago. The card is from Reims in France and on it's from we can read "The cathedral burnt and bombarded by germans" during the First World War.

"Notre-Dame de Reims (Our Lady of Rheims) is the cathedral of Reims, where the kings of France were once crowned.
The cathedral was completed by the end of the 13th century, with the exception of the western front.
German shellfire during the opening engagements of the First World War burned, damaged and destroyed important parts of the cathedral. Scaffolding around the north tower caught fire, spreading the blaze to all parts of the carpentry superstructure. The lead of the roofs melted and poured through the stone gargoyles, destroying in turn the bishop's palace.
Notre-Dame de Reims cathedral, the former Abbey of Saint-Remi, and the Palace of Tau were added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1991." - in: wikipedia

Toscana - Italy

Italy is one of my favorite countries and is always great to receive cards from there! Today i've received 7 beautiful cards from Italy sent by Riccardo.

Tuscany (Toscana) is a region in Central Italy. The territory is two thirds hilly and one fourth mountainous. The regional capital is Florence.
Tuscany is known for its landscapes and its artistic legacy. Six Tuscan localities have been UNESCO protected sites.

Siena is 1 of that 6 Tuscan WHS. The card shows the Palazo Pubblico and the Torre del Mangia. The Palazzo Pubblico (town hall) is a palace and its construction began in 1297 and its original purpose was to house the republican government. The Torre del Mangia, built in 1325-1348, is a tower located in the Piazza del Campo, Siena's premier square, adiacent to the Palazzo Pubblico. When built it was one of the tallest secular towers in mediaeval Italy.

"Lucca is a city situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plain near (but not on) the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Lucca. Among other reasons, it is famous for its intact Renaissance-era city walls (although the city has expanded beyond the wall's boundaries). The rectangular grid of its historical center preserves the Roman street plan, and the Piazza San Michele occupies the site of the ancient forum. Traces of the amphitheatre can still be seen in the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro." - in: wikipedia

The 13th century Massa Maritima cathedral, containing a Romanesque font (1267 with a cover of 1447) and a Gothic reliquary (1324) of Saint Cerbone, to whom the cathedral is dedicated.

"Volterra was a bishop's residence in the fifth century and its episcopal power was affirmed during the twelfth century. With the decline of the episcopate, Volterra was the subject of the interest of Florence, which defeated Volterra many times though rebellions sometimes took place." - in: wikipedia

"Greve in Chianti (the old name was Greve; in 1972 was renamed Greve in Chianti after the inclusion of that area in the Chianti wine district) is a town and comune (municipality) in the province of Florence. Sitting in the Val di Greve, it is named for the small, fast-flowing river that runs through it, is the principal town in the Chianti wine district." - in: wikipedia

Livorno is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany. "The Livorno lightouse was built in 1304. Livorno, now and in the past a very important harbour both for passengers and merchandises, is located on the Northern Italian coasts of Tuscany, on the Mediterranean sea. The new tower, erected using natural stones, is made of two embattled cylinders for a total heigh of 47 meters, it has 11 floors reachable by a spiral staicase, cut in the thickness of the inside wall itself. In 1944, during WWII, the lighthouse was completely destroyed by the withdrawing German forces and rebuilt in 1956 following the original design and using for the outside facing as many original stones as possible.This lighthouse is the oldest existing on the Italian coasts still in use and it has been declared a national monument." - http://www.cyberlights.com/lh/italy/livorno.htm

Alcalá de Henares - Spain

Another unesco card today. This one is from Spain and it was sent by Sabrina "exilkoelnerin".

The card is from Alcalá de Henares and shows the University, Málaga School patium, Magdalena Convent and a sculpture open air museum.

"Founded by Cardinal Jiménez de Cisneros in the early 16th century, Alcalá de Henares was the world's first planned university city. It was the original model for the Civitas Dei (City of God), the ideal urban community which Spanish missionaries brought to the Americas. It also served as a model for universities in Europe and elsewhere.
Alcalá de Henares was the first city to be designed and built solely as the seat of a university, and was to serve as the model for other centres of learning in Europe and the Americas. The concept of the ideal city, the City of God (Civitas Dei), was first given material expression in Alcalá de Henares, from where it was widely diffused throughout the world. The contribution of Alcalá de Henares to the intellectual development of humankind finds expression in its materialization of the Civitas Dei, in the advances in linguistics that took place there, not least in the definition of the Spanish language, and through the work of its great son, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra and his masterpiece, Don Quixote." - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/876

Monastic Island of Reichenau

1st card of the week :) This is a new unesco card from Germany, another beautiful card sent by Brigitte "apperveilchen".

"The island of Reichenau on Lake Constance preserves the traces of the Benedictine monastery, founded in 724, which exercised remarkable spiritual, intellectual and artistic influence. The churches of St Mary and Marcus, St Peter and St Paul, and St George, mainly built between the 9th and 11th centuries, provide a panorama of early medieval monastic architecture in central Europe. Their wall paintings bear witness to impressive artistic activity.
The remains of the Reichenau foundation bear outstanding witness to the religious and cultural role of a great Benedictine monastery in the early Middle Ages. The churches on the island of Reichenau retain remarkable elements of several stages of construction and thus offer outstanding examples of monastic architecture in Central Europe from the 9th to the 11th century. The monastery of Reichenau was a highly significant artistic centre of great significance to the history of art in Europe in the 10th and 11th centuries, as is superbly illustrated by its monumental wall paintings and its illuminations." - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/974