Lunenburg - Canada

A new unesco card from Canada, Lunenburg, sent by Trupti. 

 

"Lunenburg is a Canadian port town in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia.

Situated on the province's South Shore, Lunenburg is located on a peninsula at the western side of Mahone Bay. The historic town was designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1995. This designation ensures protection for much of Lunenburg's unique architecture and civic design, being the best example of planned British colonial settlement in North America." - in: wikipedia

Angel Falls - Venezuela

Angel Falls, in Venezuela, is the world's highest waterfall and this card shows how high it is. Nice view.

The card was sent by Jorge.

The waterfall drops over the edge of the Auyantepui mountain in the Canaima National Park, a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1994.

Sighişoara - Romania

Sighişoara is a romanian city in the historic region of Transylvania. The historic centre of the city is an Unesco World Heritage since 1999 and this card, sent by Daniela, shows the Clock Tower.

This city was the birthplace of Vlad III the Impaler, believed to have inspired the association of his name to that of the vampire Count Dracula in Bram Stoker's's 1897 novel "Dracula".

"Founded by German craftsmen and merchants known as the Saxons of Transylvania, Sighişoara is a fine example of a small, fortified medieval town which played an important strategic and commercial role on the fringes of central Europe for several centuries.
Sighisoara is an outstanding testimony to the culture of the Transylvanian Saxons, a culture that is coming to a close after 850 years and will continue to exist only through its architectural and urban monuments. Sighisoara is an outstanding example of a small fortified city in the border region between the Latin-oriented culture of central Europe and the Byzantine-Orthodox culture of south-eastern Europe. The apparently unstoppable process of emigration by the Saxons, the social stratum which had formed and upheld the cultural traditions of the region, threatens the survival of their architectural heritage as well." - in: www.whc.unesco.org/en/list/902

Sikhote-Alin - Russia

Sikhote-Alin is my 20th unesco site from Russia, which means i still need 4 sites from there.

Olya "reddew" sent me this card and this is how i got it. Every postcrosser receives a damaged card every now and then. In this case is a bit sad because this is kind of an hard to get unesco site but these things happens and this won't be a problem.

I just don't understand what happened to the stamps. This label in a croatian address, was covering the stamps. Olya said that the stamps also represented the Sikhote-Alin and this label was really annoying me. How is this possible? Fortunately, i was able to remove the label and saved the stamps.

"The Sikhote-Alin is a mountain range in Primorsky and Khabarovsk Krais, Russia, extending about 900 km to the northeast of the Russian Pacific seaport of Vladivostok

Sikhote-Alin comprises one of the most extraordinary temperate zones in the world. Species typical of northern taiga (such as reindeer and the Ussuri Brown Bear) coexist with tropical species, the Amur leopard, Siberian tiger, and the Asiatic Black Bear. The region holds very few wolves, due to competition with tigers. The oldest tree in the region is a millennium-old Japanese yew.

In 2001, UNESCO placed Sikhote-Alin onto the World Heritage List, citing its importance for "the survival of endangered species such as the Chinese Merganser, Blakiston's Fish Owl, and the Amur tiger"." - in: wikipedia

Dambulla Cave Temple - Sri Lanka

More than a week without posting!! This must be a record but i really didn't feel like posting in the last days. I've been receiving many cards and i've been tired and when i get home from work i just want to rest.

Now i'm back and with some new interresting cards, including this unesco card from a New Country, Sri Lanka. The card was sent by Trupti.

This is a 18th century cave painting in 1 of the 80 documented caves in the surroundings of the Dambulla Cave Temple, an Unesco WHS since 1991.

"Dambulla cave temple also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla is a World Heritage Site (1991) in Sri Lanka, situated in the central part of the country. It is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The rock towers 160 m over the surrounding plains. Major attractions are spread over 5 caves, which contain statues and paintings. These paintings and statues are related to Lord Buddha and his life. There are total of 153 Buddha statues, 3 statues of Sri Lankan kings and 4 statues of gods and goddesses. The latter include two statues of Hindu gods, the god Vishnu and the god Ganesh. The murals cover an area of 2,100 square meters. Depictions on the walls of the caves include the temptation by the demon Mara, and Buddha's first sermon." - in: wikipedia

Jongmyo Shrine - South Korea

Another unesco card from Asia, this one from South Korea. The card was sent by Claus and it shows the Ilmu, a line dance performed in Jongmyo Shrine.

"Jongmyo is a Confucian shrine dedicated to the memorial services for the deceased kings and queens of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. According to UNESCO, the shrine is the oldest royal Confucian shrine preserved and the ritual ceremonies continue a tradition established since the 14th century. Such shrines existed during the Three Kingdoms of Korea period but only the shrines for the rulers of Joseon remain. The Jongmyo Shrine was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1995." - in: wikipedia

Wudang Mountain - China

With this new unesco card from China, i've 30 of the 40 chinese sites. This card, of the Wudang Mountain, was sent by Twenty.

Situated in Hubei Province, Wudang Mountain is a famous mountain, sacred to Taoism and birthplace of the art of Wudang boxing. The scenary here is very beautiful. A lot of marks of long history and rich culture of the mountain can be found on the mountain, while the Taoist architectural complex, mostly built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), was inscribed on the World Heritage List. The main tourist spots are Xuanyue Gate, Yuanhe Taoist Temple, Yuzhen Palace, Zixiao Palace and Golden Hall.

Turkish Unesco sites

Recently i've arranged 3 trades to get 3 new turkish unesco sites. Pinar "pinuccia" and Nihan sent me these from Xanthos and Troy but i don't think i'll get the 3rd card :( i hope i'm wrong.

"Xanthos was the capital city of the Lycian Federation and its greatest city for most of Lycian history. It was made famous to the Western world in the 19th century by its British discoverer Charles Fellows. It is very old - finds date back to the 8th century BC, but it is possible that the site may have existed during the Bronze Age or during the first centuries of the Iron Age.

Xanthos and Letoon are often seen as a "double-site", since the two were closely linked and Letoon was administered by Xanthos. Letoon was the sacred cult center of Lycia, located less than 10 km to the south of Xanthos. Xanthos-Letoon is one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in Turkey. For this reason, it has been registered in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.

The Amphitheatre probably dates from the 2nd century AD and is thought to have been built in the same site as the earlier Hellenistic one. Only the upper rows of the auditorium are missing, having been used as construction material for the northern wall of the acropolis. The stage building is still partially standing and was once of two storeys and decorated with columns." - in: http://www.lycianturkey.com/lycian_sites/xanthos.htm

"Troy, with its 4,000 years of history, is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. The first excavations at the site were undertaken by the famous archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann in 1870. In scientific terms, its extensive remains are the most significant demonstration of the first contact between the civilizations of Anatolia and the Mediterranean world. Moreover, the siege of Troy by Spartan and Achaean warriors from Greece in the 13th or 12th century B.C., immortalized by Homer in the Iliad, has inspired great creative artists throughout the world ever since." - in: www.whc.unesco.org/en/list/849

Visby - Sweden

This card from Visby, sent by Merja, is the most recent acquisition for my unesco collection. The Hanseatic Town of Visby, on the Gotland island, Sweden, in on the Unesco WHS list since 1995.

"A former Viking site on the island of Gotland, Visby was the main centre of the Hanseatic League in the Baltic from the 12th to the 14th century. Its 13th-century ramparts and more than 200 warehouses and wealthy merchants' dwellings from the same period make it the best-preserved fortified commercial city in northern Europe.

Visby is an outstanding example of a north European medieval walled trading town which preserves with remarkable completeness a townscape and assemblage of high-quality ancient buildings that illustrate graphically the form and function of this type of significant human settlement. The urban fabric and overall townscape of Visby is its most important quality." - in: www.whc.unesco.org/en/list/731

Zagreb - Croatia

Mirna really made me happy by sending this card which was one of my favorites. Zagreb is one of my favorite cities and i would love to go there again.

This card shows the cathedral and the Ban Jelacic Square, "the main and biggest square in Zagreb and the place where everyone meets as it serves as a focal point for all social activities. It is always crowded, even in the middle of the night Ban Jelačić square is busy and full of young people. The main point of the square is the statue of Josip Jelačić who was an important figure in the 19th century in Croatian history, as an army general who defeated the Hungarians in 1848. The statue shows him riding a horse and holding a sword." - in: http://dirtcheapzagreb.com/attractions/ban-josip-jelacic-square/

3rd Swiss PC Meeting

The swiss, and not only swiss, postcrossers had a meeting 2 weeks ago in Bern. Grace "azzurri" was there and sent me this card showing the Gurtenbahn, a funicular that can be used to reach the summit the Gurten hill near Wabern, which is the southern suburbs of Bern.

Besides Grace, the other postcrossers that had the opportunity to enjoy a lovely sunny day in the swiss capital, were: emuster; jamie1972; egni; nissemoor; masito; giorgis; carolisha; linda70; s_unn_y; zasa; book; dardo; buebemami; seemeitli and fuecom.

NL-616538

This beautiful Amsterdam card is my 300th official card!!

NL-616538, sent by Peter.

It shows the Keizersgracht, the second and widest of the three major canals in the city centre of Amsterdam, in between Herengracht and Prinsengracht. It is named after Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor.

DE-879908

I bought a lot of cards in Germany and when i get home, i've found another one, an official from Berchtesgaden.

DE-879908, sent by Hannah.

Berchtesgaden is a municipality in the Germand Bavarian Alps. Berchtesgaden is often associated with the Mount Watzmann, at 2713 m the third-highest mountain in Germany, which we can see on the card!

FI-1058357 & FI-1064664

Two finnish official cards. FI-1058357, sent by Marjatta. FI-1064664, sent by Virpi.

This is the Iitti old parish church, which was voted the most attractive kirkonkylä ("church village") in Finland.

Iitti is a village located in the province of Southern Finland.

PT-173439

This is a portuguese official card and is rather special because it was sent by a 22 months old baby :) Her sister, an aunt and grandma are also postcrossers. A trully postcrossing family.

The card shows Porto cathedral.

PT-173439, sent by baby Leonor.

The Porto medieval Cathedral, built in 12th and 13th centuries is one of the oldest surviving structures of the city. The Gothic cloister was built in 14th century.

Porto Santo - Portugal

I'm back from Germany, now i've a lot to do and not much time because i'll travel again next friday.

I'll i was away i've received a few cards. One of them was this one from Porto Santo where Teresa "caracolinho" spent her holidays.

"Porto Santo is one long beach with a bit of an island attached. Along its nine kilometres of soft white sands, you’ll find just a handful of hotels and restaurants, making Porto Santo one of the last ‘undiscovered’ resorts in Europe.

Part of the Portuguese archipelago that includes the island of Madeira – in the Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of Africa – Porto Santo offers a superb chance to get away from it all. Its volcanic sands have long been held to have curative powers for all manner of aches and ills. Yet ‘getting away from it all’ need not mean ‘doing nothing at all’. The island boasts a first-rate international golf-course; the rugged interior is a fine setting for energetic walks, and there’s horse-riding, diving, game-fishing and all manner of other diversions to be found. There’s an intriguing touch of history, too, as Porto Santo's capital, Vila Baleira was once home to none other than Christopher Columbus." - in: http://www.porto-santo.com/

Caroline's RR - Castles

Carolines has a postcards group in FB and she hosts a few RR's. I've recently joined a castles group and i've received this cards. All of them arrived quite fast. The cards are from Portugal, Spain, Liechtenstein and Lithuania.

Ana sent a card from Sintra with the Moors Castle, which is located on a high hill overlooking the town, being one of its most important tourist attractions. It is part of the Cultural Landscape of Sintra, recognised as a World Heritage Site. "Originally, the Castle of Sintra was built by the Moors, possibly between the 9th and 10th centuries.

In 1147, after the conquest of Lisbon by King Afonso Henriques, the Moorish garrison of the castle surrendered to the Christians without resistance. Afonso Henriques promoted the development of the region by granting a foral (letter of feudal rights) to the inhabitants of Sintra and its castle in 1154.

The decline of the castle began in the 15th century, when most of the population settled downhill, in today's old quarter of Sintra. In the 16th century, the castle lost all military relevance and was abandoned by its last inhabitants, the Sintra Jews.

In 1830, after a long period of ruin, King Ferdinand II started a profound renovation of the castle in the romantic spirit of the time." - in: wikipedia

This castle in Benalmádena, the Colomares castle, is probably one of the most recent castles built in the all world. It was "built by Esteban Martin and local bricklayers from nearby Mijas, between 1987 and 1994. This castle pays homage to Christopher Colombus and the discovery of America. This castle offers the visitor different architectural styles: Byzantine, Roman, Gothic and Mudejar. In the interior is what is believed to be the smallest church in the world, dedicated to St Elizabeth of hungary, and which features in the Guinness Book of Records." - in: http://benalmadena.costasur.com/sites/castillo-de-colomares/en/index.html The card was sent by Belem.

I already had this card, it was one of the many cards i've bought last year in Liechtenstein. But that card is unwritten, of course is more interresting to have a written and stamped from Liechtenstein, my 1st from there, than an unwritten one. It was sent by Caroline.

Vaduz Castle is not a castle that we can visit because the Liechtenstein's Royal Family lives there.

Rita sent me this card with the Trakai castle, major tourist attraction.

"Trakai Island Castle is located in Trakai on an island of Lake Galvé. The construction of the stone castle was begun in the 14th century by Kestutis, and around 1409 major works were completed by his son Vytautas the Great, who died in this castle in 1430. Trakai was one of the main centers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the castle held great strategic importance." - in: wikipedia

Dormition Cathedral - Moscow

A new favorite from Russia with another great cathedral, the Cathedral of the Dormition in Moscow. This beautiful card was sent by Olya "reddew".

"The Cathedral of the Assumption or Cathedral of the Dormition is one of several churches in Moscow's Kremlin. It was built between 1475 and 1479 AD by the Italian architect Aristotele Fioravanti. In the 14th century, Metropolitan Peter persuaded Ivan I (Ivan Kalita) that he should build a cathedral to the Holy Virgin in Moscow like the Cathedral of the Assumption in the capital city Vladimir. Construction of the cathedral began on August 4, 1326. In the following year, Moscow became the capital of the Vladimir-Suzdal' principality, and later of all Rus.

By the end of the 15th century the old cathedral had become dilapidated, and in 1472 the Pskov architects Kryvtsov and Myshkin began construction of a new cathedral. Two years later, the building was nearing completion when it suddenly collapsed because of an earthquake — an extremely rare event in Moscow.

Ivan III then invited Aristotele Fioravanti, a celebrated architect and engineer from Bologna, Italy, to come to Moscow and entrusted him with the task of building the cathedral from scratch in the traditions of Russian architecture. The cathedral in Vladimir was once again taken as a model for the building, and so Fioravanti travelled to Vladimir in order to study Russian methods of building. He designed a light and spacious masterpiece that combined the spirit of the Renaissance with Russian traditions.

The foundation for the new cathedral was laid in 1475, and in 1479 the new cathedral was consecrated by Metropolitan Geronty. The interior was painted with frescoes and adorned with many holy images, including Our Lady of Vladimir and the Blachernitissa.

In 1547 the coronation of the first Russian Tsar, Ivan the Terrible, took place in this cathedral, while from 1721 it was the scene of the coronation of the Russian emperors. The ritual installation of metropolitans and patriarchs of the Orthodox Church also took place in this cathedral, and their tombs are also to be found here. The patriarchate was abolished by Peter the Great and only restored after February Revolution of 1917.

According to legend, in the winter of 1941, when the Nazis had reached the threshold of Moscow, Joseph Stalin secretly ordered a service to be held in the Assumption Cathedral to pray for the country's salvation from the invading Germans. In 1990 the Assumption Cathedral was returned to the Church, although a museum still operates within it." - in: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/russia/moscow-cathedral-of-assumption.htm

Novi Sad - Serbia

After a Unesco trade, i've traded again with Judit "helgamano". This time i've chosen two cards from her city, Novi Sad, Serbia's second largest city.

The cards show the Town Hall and the Name of Mary Church, both located in the Liberty Square, the largest central city square, built in the 18th century.

"The Town Hall was built in 1895th in Neo-Renaissance style, designed by architect George Molnar. The facade of the building is a striking Ionic and Corinthian columns. Facade stands out along the 16 Algerian figures that symbolize the various human activities and they are work of Julie Annika. At the top of the building is a tall tower in which there is a bell of St. Florian, patron of the city. Bell was called Matilda, by the name of the benefactress which donated the bell to the fire volunteer squad. Long time ago it served to announce by the number of hits ringtones, the position of the fire outbreak in the city." - in: http://www.visitnovisad.rs/Novi_Sad-guide.html

"The Name of Mary Church is a Roman Catholic Church named after Virgin Mary. The church was built on the foundation of an old Roman Catholic church, which was damaged during Revoluion of 1848. This church was not restored correctly, so Catholics from Novi Sad decided to build a new church. It was finished in the end of the 19th century, in 1894 by architect Georg Molnar. The church is a three-nave building, with gothic arches. The altar is made of carved wood from Tyrol, the windows with stained glass from Budapest and the roof tiles were made of Zsolnay ceramics. It is the highest church in Backa region and dominates the city center of Novi Sad." - in: wikipedia

German cards

I've got these cards after a private trade with Juliane "lucyp21".

Wolfsburg is another city in Lower Saxony.

"Wolfsburg was founded in 1937 as Stadt des KdF-Wagens (City of the KdF Car), a planned town around the village of Fallersleben in order to house the workers of the newly opened Volkswagen factories, which were built to assemble the Volkswagen Beetle "people's car" and remain there today, although Beetle production finished there in 1978.

In 1945, the city was renamed Wolfsburg after the castle of the same name located in the city, which was founded about 1300 on the bank of the Aller river. Today, there is another castle at the place, which was built after 1600." - in: wikipedia

The Bremen Musicians bronze statue by Gerhard Marcks, was erected in 1953. Touching the front hooves is said to make wishes come true.

"The Town Musicians of Bremen is a folktale recorded by the Brothers Grimm.

In the story a donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster, all past their prime years in life and usefulness on their respective farms, were soon to be discarded or mistreated by their masters. One by one they leave their homes and set out together. They decide to go to Bremen, known for its freedom, to live without owners and become musicians there.

On the way to Bremen, they see a lighted cottage; they look inside and see four robbers enjoying their ill-gotten gains. Standing on each other's backs, they decide to perform for the men in hope of gaining food. Their 'music' has an unanticipated effect; the men run for their lives, not knowing what the strange sound is. The animals take possession of the house, eat a good meal, and settle in for the evening.

Later that night, the robbers return and send one of their members in to investigate. It is dark and he sees the eyes of the Cat shining in the darkness. He reaches over to light his candle, thinking he sees the coals of the fire. Things happen in quick succession; the Cat swipes his face with her claws, the Dog bites him on the leg, the Donkey kicks him and the Rooster crows and chases him out the door, screaming. He tells his companions that he was beset by a horrible witch who scratched him with her long fingers (the Cat), an ogre with a knife (the Dog), a giant who had hit him with his club (the Donkey), and worst of all, the dragon who screamed in his voice from the rooftop (the Rooster). The robbers abandon the cottage to the strange creatures who have taken it, where the animals live happily for the rest of their days." - in: wikipedia