Claus tagged me on "portuguese speaking countries tag" and he knows i'm addicted to unesco cards, that's why he sent these 3 new unesco places. Like most of the tags, it was supposed to send 1 card but sending 1 card is never enough for Claus. He sent cards from Japan, Australia and Israel.

Vielen Dank.

"Hōryū-ji is a Buddhist temple in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Its full name is Hōryū Gakumonji (法隆学問寺), or Learning Temple of the Flourishing Law, the complex serving as seminary and monastery both.

The temple's pagoda is widely acknowledged to be of the oldest wooden buildings existing in the world, underscoring Hōryū-ji's place as one of the most celebrated temples in Japan. In 1993, Hōryū-ji was inscribed together with Hokki-ji as a Unesco World Heritage Site under the name Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area. The Japanese government lists several of its structures, sculptures and artifacts as National Treasures.

The temple was originally commissioned by Prince Shotoku; at the time it was called Ikaruga-dera (斑鳩寺), a name that is still sometimes used. This first temple is believed to have been completed by 607. Hōryū-ji was dedicated to Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of healing and in honor of the prince's father." - in: wikipedia

"The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney, NSW, Australia. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jorn Utzon, who, in 2003, received the Pritzker Prize, architecture's highest honour.

The Sydney Opera House was made a Unesco World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007. Currently, it is the most recently constructed World Heritage Site to be designated as such. It is one of the 20th century's most distinctive buildings and one of the most famous performing arts centres in the world.

Contrary to its name, the building houses multiple performance venues. As one of the busiest performing arts centres in the world, hosting over 1,500 performances each year attended by some 1.2 million people, the Sydney Opera House provides a venue for many performing arts companies including the four key resident companies Opera Australia, The Australian Ballet, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony, and presents a wide range of productions on its own account. It is also one of the most popular visitor attractions in Australia, with more than seven million people visiting the site each year, 300,000 of whom take a guided tour." - in: wikipedia

"With over half a million visitors a year, the Bahá’í Gardens in Haifa and ‘Akko are among the most popular sites in the Middle East. Their unique design, combining geometrical shapes and exquisite detailing with loving conservation of natural and historic landscape features, leaves an indelible impression on visitors.

In July 2008, the Bahá’í Gardens in Haifa and ‘Akko were inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, in recognition of their “outstanding universal value” as holy places and places of pilgrimage for the followers of the Bahá’í Faith.

The Bahá'í Gardens in Haifa, located in the heart of Haifa, comprise a staircase of nineteen terraces extending all the way up the northern slope of Mount Carmel. The golden-domed Shrine of the Báb, the resting place of the Prophet-Herald of the Bahá’í Faith, stands on the central terrace, looking across the bay towards ‘Akko.

While different parts of the gardens offer a variety of experiences, they speak in a common language of graveled paths, hedges and flower beds groomed and nurtured by dedicated gardeners. The gardens frame panoramic views of the city, the Galilee Hills and the Mediterranean Sea." - in: http://www.ganbahai.org.il/en/

St. Justa Lift - Portugal

When i arrived from Rome i've stayed in Lisbon for 1 night to meet some portuguese postcrossers. It was St. Anthony Feast and i wanted to see the street festival and the parade. I didn't see much of the parade but had the change to be a tourist in my capital and went to some of the most touristic spots in the city.

This was kind of a postcrossing meeting so we had to buy and sign cards.

I've sent this card to myself and it was signed by Ana "ninocas" and her husband Ricardo, Paula "geminiscp" and Susana "susanaportugal". Carla and Joana "joaninha" didn't signed the cards but they were also with us.

The St. Justa Lift was one of the Lisbon's attractions we've visited.

"The Santa Justa Lift also called Carmo Lift, is a lift in the city of Lisbon situated at the end of Rua de Santa Justa. It connects the lower streets of the Baixa with the higher Largo do Carmo (Carmo Square.)

The Santa Justa Lift was designed by Raul Mesnier de Ponsard, an engineer born in Porto to french parents, and apprentice of Gustave Eiffel. Construction began in 1900 and was finished in 1902; originally powered by steam, it was converted to electrical operation in 1907.

The iron lift is 45 metres tall and is decorated in neogothic style, with a different pattern on each storey. The top storey is reached by helicoidal staircases and has a terrace that offers views of Lisbon Castle, the Rossio Square and the Baixa neighbourhood. There are two lift cages, each with a wooden interior and accommodation for a maximum of 20 passengers.

The lift has become a tourist attraction in Lisbon as, among the urban lifts in Lisbon, Santa Justa is the only vertical one." - in: wikipedia

Delphi - Greece

Last week i've accomplished one of my postcards goals for 2010, getting cards from 400 unesco places. The Archaeological Site of Delphi in Greece was the place.

I didn't received it from another postcrosser i bought it last week when i was visiting Guimarães in the north of Portugal. I found a shop there with thousands of cards, some of them were old, used and not in very good conditions but i've found a couple of interresting ones. I bought this card from Greece, 1 from Ireland, 1 from France, 2 from Spain and 1 from Portugal.

"The pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Delphi, where the oracle of Apollo spoke, was the site of the omphalos, the 'navel of the world'. Blending harmoniously with the superb landscape and charged with sacred meaning, Delphi in the 6th century B.C. was indeed the religious centre and symbol of unity of the ancient Greek world." - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/393

On the card there's "Tholos at the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia, a circular building that was constructed between 380 and 360 BC. It consisted of 20 Doric columns arranged with an exterior diameter of 14.76 meters, with 10 Corinthian columns in the interior.

The Tholos is located approximately a half a mile (800 m) from the main ruins at Delphi. Three of the Doric columns have been restored, making it the most popular site at Delphi for tourists to take photographs." - in: wikipedia

May Overflow IX

I was waiting for the last may overflow card to post the last cards but that card is taking too long to arrive. Well, who knows, it may arrive tomorrow...

Two of the last cards were a new Unesco from Russia, Wrangel Island, sent by Julia "mad_madchen" and the Shanghai Confucian Temple sent by PRO.

Wrangel was not glaciated during the Quaternary Ice Age, resulting in exceptionally high levels of biodiversity for this region. The island boasts the world’s largest population of Pacific walrus and the highest density of ancestral polar bear dens. It is a major feeding ground for the grey whale migrating from Mexico and the northernmost nesting ground for 100 migratory bird species, many endangered. Currently, 417 species and subspecies of vascular plants have been identified on the island, double that of any other Arctic tundra territory of comparable size and more than any other Arctic island. Some species are derivative of widespread continental forms, others are the result of recent hybridization, and 23 are endemic. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1023

"The Shanghai Wen Miao, also known as Shanghai Confucian Temple, is an ancient temple and was built to pay homage to Confucuius. It is the main temple of Confucius in Shanghai, and is similar to renowned temples as those in Qufu, Confucius's hometown, and the grand Confucius Temple in Beijing; although the Shanghai Wen Miao is smaller than those two.

Shanghai Confucian Temple was first founded during the Yuan Dynasty, when Shanghai, once a small fishing village, got the status of county. It was also the most prestigious learning institution of the county, as in ancient times a Confucian Temple was typically a combination of temple and school. In the following centuries it was rebuilt several times. From 1851 to 1855, the temple was occupied by the Small Swords Society and became their headquarters. The temple was almost completely destroyed during the battle when government troops retook control of it. The government eventually decided to rebuild the temple at the present site." - in: wikipedia

Hrodna - Belarus

Hrodna also known as Grodno is a city in Belarus. Helena "helka" lives there and sent me this card with the Orthodox church of Sts. Boris and Gleb, which i picked from her albuns after she requested one of my cards as a private trade.

"Hrodna is located on the Neman River, close to the borders of Poland and Lithuania.

The oldest extant structure in Hrodna is the Kolozha church of Sts. Boris and Gleb. It is the only surviving monument of ancient Black Ruthenian architecture, distinguished from other Orthodox churches by prolific use of polychrome faceted stones of blue, green or red tint which could be arranged to form crosses or other figures on the wall. The church is a cross-domed building supported by six circular pillars. The outside is articulated with projecting pilasters, which have rounded corners, as does the building itself. The ante-nave contains the choir loft, accessed by a narrow gradatory in the western wall. Two other stairs were discovered in the walls of the side apses; their purpose is not clear. The floor is lined with ceramic tiles forming decorative patterns. The interior was lined with innumerable built-in jugs, which usually serve in Eastern Orthodox churches as resonators but in this case were scored to produce decorative effects. For this reason, the central nave has never been painted.

The church was built before 1183 and survived intact until 1853, when the south wall collapsed, due to its perilous location on the high bank of the Neman." - in: wikipedia

US-688540

An official card from USA and my 1st Amish card. This is a card from Illinois with an Amish buggy.

US-688540, sent by Tara.

The various Amish or Amish Mennonite church fellowships are Christian religious denominations that form a very traditional subgrouping of Mennonite churches. The Amish are known for simple living, plain dress, and reluctance to adopt modern convenience.

Other Languages RR - Group 138 *Countries*

This group of the "Other Languages RR" was dedicated to countries. I've learnt how to write some countries in czech, spanish and vietnamese.

Michaela "misa015" sent this Karlovy Vary card, a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic.

Some countries in czech: Germany - Německo; France - Francie; Italy - Itálie; Spain - Španělsko; Portugal - Portugalsko; Slovenia - Slovinsko; Slovakia - Slovensko; Croatia - Chorvatsko; Czech Republic - Ceská Republika; Hungary - Maďarsko; UK - Velká Británie; Poland - Polsko.

This card is so beautiful, i love the dunes. These are the Maspalomas Dunes in Gran Canaria,
an island of the Canary Islands, Spain.

The countries in spanish: Netherlands - Países Bajos; Spain - España; Scotland - Escocia; United States - Estados Unidos and Ivory Coast - Costa de Marfil.

The card was sent by Ave "madeincanarias".

Another great card, this one sent by Jo "joinHanoi".
Writing in vietnamese is not that east, specially without the right keyboard, but anyway, that's how Portugal, USA and UK are written: Portugal - Bồ Đào Nha; USA - Nuoc My; UK - Nuoc Anh Kê Bá Ái Nhi han.

Guimarães - Portugal

Yesterday i went on another trip, a short one this time. I went to Guimarães, a city in the North of Portugal. Of course i bought cards but these ones were sent a few days ago by a new portuguese postcrosser Emanuel "sapic12", who lives in Guimarães.

I've visited this place, the Penha Sanctuary, located on the Mount Penha .

Mount Penha a popular spot to visit in Guimarães; besides the sanctuary, people are attracted also by the lure of nature and by the fun activities it offers. Amongst the possibilities to explore are monuments, grottoes, observation points overlooking a vast countryside, a campground, mini-golf, an Equestrian Centre, a tourist mini-train, picnic areas and hiking trails.

One fun way to reach the top of Mount Penha is to take the Suspended Cable Car, a ride that affords a magnificent view of valley where Guimarães is located. I took the cable car... it was great :) This was the 1st suspended cable car in Portugal. It was inaugurated in 1995.

The Church of Our Lady of the Consolation , also known as Church of the Holy Steps or St. Gualter Church, was built by André Soares in the 18th century thanks to the Brotherhood of Our Lady of the Consolation and Holy steps. The church was erected on the same site where a small chapel has existed since the 16th century. The temple was completed when two towers were added in the 19th century. 

Western Qing Tombs - China

I've been waiting for some unesco whs from China. Besides this one, I'm still waiting for 6 more.

This Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties card was sent by Fabrice.

"The Western Qing Tombs are located some 140km (87 miles) southwest of Beijing in Hebei province near the town of Yixian. The Western Qing Tombs is a necropolis that incorporate four royal mausoleums where seventy-eight royal members in all are buried. These include four emperors of the Qing Dynasty and their empresses, imperial concubines, princes and princesses, as well as other royal servants.

Construction of the Western Qing tombs was initiated by the Yongzheng Emperor who broke with tradition and refused to be buried in the Eastern Qing Tombs. Some have speculated; though not proven; as Yongzheng had illegally usurped the throne by eliminating his brothers and his motives to relocate his tomb to the Western Qing tombs was that he did not wish to be buried alongside his father the Kangxi Emperor. Later on his son, the Qianlong Emperor decided that he should be buried in the Eastern Qing tombs and have dictated that thereafter burials should alternate between the eastern and western sites, although this was not followed consistently.

The first tomb, the Tai Ling, was completed in 1737, 2 years after the Yongzheng reign. The last imperial interment was in 1913, when the Guangxu Emperor was entombed in the Chong Ling." - in: wikipedia

The card shows the Tailing Mausoleum, Yongzheng Emperor's tomb.

US Nature

These are the 3 other cards i've traded with Ron.

A grand panorama of mountain peaks is unfurled to view from the popular ski slopes of Mt. Bachelor in the Central Range of Oregon. The Three Sisters and Broken Top mountains dominate this panoramic view.

An aerial view of Glaciar Bay National Park and Preseve. Pictured here is Riggs Glacier. Glacier Bay National Park offers some of Alaska's most spectacular glacier scenery. A cruise in Glacier Bay presents one with views of whales, eagles and other species of widlife. Ice caving from the glaciers is an additinal attraction of this majestic area.

Alabama Capitol Building - USA

I would like to have cards from all the US capital cities and when i can choose the cards, i like to have cards with the capitol buildings. Recently i've traded 6 cards with Ron "capitainSoul" and one of the card I picked was this one from Alabama.

"The Alabama State Capitol, also known as First Confederate Capitol, is located on Goat Hill in Montgomery, Alabama. The structure was built in 1851.
The first Capitol building in Montgomery, Alabama was built in 1847, and was destroyed by fire in 1849. The current State Capitol was built on the previous Capitol's foundations, and was completed in 1851.
The Capitol was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960. The building and grounds are maintained by the Alabama Historical Commission. One block west is the landmark Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King Jr. organized actions of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, in opposition to Alabama's government policies." - in: wikipedia

FI-820400

I should be sleeping by now but i wanted to make some updates because i'll be away till sunday. I've a bunch of cards to post and i guess i'll have even more when i get home, plus the card i'll buy in Rome. These holidays i'm planning to buy tons of cards :)

FI-820400, sent by Jorma.

This isn't just another Helsinki's Cathedral card. On this card the focus goes to the Ulrika Eleonora Snow Church.

"The church has very interesting history and it was built on the same place where the original church was built on 1727. Ulrika Eleanor was the queen of the Sweden-Finland and the church was named after her to get donations. But unfortunately the queen was stingy and the builders were unskilled and the building of the church failed. It was impossible to officiate the service when it rained, because the roof of the church leaked so badly.

The original church was demolished 1827. In 1995 the building contractor Pentti Moisio started to plan the snow version of the church. Building contractor Eero Väyrynen had the main responsibility of the constructing. The snow church is about 1/3 of the original, which was about 700 square metres and its inside height was 5,6 metres. But the quality of the snow church is definitely higher." - in: http://www.niksula.hut.fi/~mnikkane/linnat/ulrikaeng.html

Every winter this church is replicated in snow in the Senate square. The Snow Church has become a popular location for small weddings and services (if too much body heat is packed in, the snow begins to melt!).

Carpathian Wooden Churches - Slovakia

Joanna also sent me this unesco card from Slovakia, my 1st unesco card from this country.

"Carpathian Wooden Churches is the name of a UNESCO World Heritage Site that consists of nine wooden religious buildings constructed between the 16th and 18th centuries in eight different locations in Slovakia. They include two Roman Catholic, three Protestant and three Greek Catholic churches plus one belfry in Hronsek. In addition to these churches there are about 50 more wooden churches in the territory of present-day Slovakia mainly in the northern and eastern part of the Presov Region." - in: wikipedia

Church of Peace in Swidnica - Poland

My unesco collection from Poland is now complete with this card sent by Joanna.

This is the Evangelical Church of Peace in Swidnica, built in 1656-1657 and a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2001 together with the Jawor Church.

"The Churches of Peace in Jawor and Swidnica in Silesia were named after the Peace of Westphalia of 1648 which permitted the Lutherans in the Roman Catholic parts of Silesia to build three Evangelical churches from wood, loam and straw outside the city walls, without steeples and church bells. The construction time was limited to one year." - in: wikipedia

Fraser Island - Australia

Some weeks ago i've arranged a swap with Joanna from Poland. As i was looking for unesco cards, she offered 5 different one from 3 different countries. This one is from Fraser Island in Australia.

"Fraser Island, is an island located along the southern coast of Queensland, Australia, approximately 300 kilometres (190 mi) north of Brisbane. Its length is about 120 kilometres (75 mi). It was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1992. The island is considered to be the largest sand island in the world at 1840 km². Its resident human population was 360 at the census of 2006, of whom 11 were Indigenous Australians." - in: wikipedia

On the card there's the Cathedral Beach, a 24 km's beach of high coloured sand cliffs, providing the best coloured sand formations on the east coast.

Caruaru - Brazil

I won this card on the portuguese community. Anthony hosted a lottery to celebrate his city 153 anniversary. I was the winner and he sent this card with the Our Lady of Conceição Church.

"Caruaru is a city in Pernambuco, Brazil.

The city is famous, among other things for Mestre Vitalino's clay mini-sculptures inserted in Alto do Moura (Moura highhill) recognized by UNESCO as the largest center for figurative arts in the Americas; to have one of the biggest textile sector of the interior of Brazil; and to have one of the biggest Saint John's festivals (São João)." - in: wikipedia

Our Lady of the Conceição Church is the oldest in the city, it was built in the 18th century.

CN-204603

I've got this chinese official card today. A nice view of the Great Wall at Badaling.

CN-204603, sent by Helen.

"Badaling is the site of the most visited section of the Great Wall of China, approximately 50 miles (80 km) northwest of urban Beijing. The portion of the wall running through the site was built during the Mong Dynasty, along with a military outpost reflecting the location's strategic importance. The highest point of Badaling is Beibalou, approximately 0.63 miles (1,015 m) above sea level.

The portion of the wall at Badaling has undergone heavy restoration, and in 1957 it was the first section of the wall to open to tourists. Now visited annually by millions, the immediate area has seen significant development, including hotels, restaurants, and a cable car. The recently completed Badaling Expressway connects Badaling with central Beijing." - in: wikipedia

London Eye

This card is the result of a private trade with Andy "duplevista".

"Since opening in March 2000 The Merlin Entertainments London Eye has become an iconic landmark and a symbol of modern Britain. The London Eye is the UK’s most popular paid for visitor attraction, visited by over 3.5 million people a year.
A breathtaking feat of design and engineering, passengers in the London Eye's capsules can see up to 40 kilometres in all directions.
The London Eye is the vision of David Marks and Julia Barfield, a husband and wife architect team. The wheel design was used as a metaphor for the end of the 20th century, and time turning into the new millennium.
Back in 2000, the London Eye was known as the Millennium Wheel. At that time, British Airways was the main sponsor, and up until November 2005 they were joint shareholders with Marks Barfield Architects and The Tussauds Group. British Airways also privately funded the London Eye project from the early stages of conception." - in: http://www.londoneye.com/ExploreTheLondonEye/History/Default.aspx

LV-16618

I didn't received cards today (how is that possible?) but i still have a lot of cards to post here.

This card here is an official from Latvia, my 1st official from there and i love it. I really like the buildings, so beautiful.

LV-16618, sent by Ineta.

"House of the Blackheads is a building situated in the old town of Riga, Latvia. The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of the Blackheads Guild, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornamentations.

The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999." - in: wikipedia