Thursday, May 31, 2018

International Postcrossing Meeting in Lisbon

Since 2018 started we had postcrossing meetings in Portugal almost every month. Portuguese postcrossers love meetings. I love them too but, unfortunately, I haven't been to many.
Earlier this month, an international meeting was held in Lisbon bringing together postcrossers from several countries. Besides the portuguese, there were postcrossers from Norway, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Greece and Germany.

Image courtesy of Pedro Neves * the postcrossing logo is a registered trademark
For this meeting it was designed this beautiful postcard and in addition, CTT, the portuguese mail service, made a special postmark to celebrate this meeting. Hallelujah CTT, it was about time to pay some attention to Postcrossing.
This postcard was sent by Gracinha. Ninocas and Inâs also sent the same postcard. Honestly, I don't mind that the postcard is the same, what really matters is their intention and friendship. 

Vitória also remembered me. Although trams are one of the most recognizable symbols of Lisbon, Vitória chose this postcard not because of the tram but because of the old lady :) Another card for my collection of old people.

© Layout & Design:EDITORIAL FISA - ESCUDO DE ORO, S. A.
The first postcard to arrive from this meeting in Lisbon was this postcard from Batalha, sent by Raquel. She came from Belgium, the postcard came from Batalha, was signed in Lisbon and came to the Guard.
Thank you all for the beautiful postcards.

Friday, May 25, 2018

PT RR - Group 105 * Surprise May

New month, new surprise postcards. This time the postcards came from Portugal and France.

© EU-EAC-Luc Dumoulin
Rui wrote this postcard on the 9th of May, day of Europe and sent this postcards issued by the EU on the "European Heritage Label - Europe starts in ..." And it seems that Europe begins with the Constitution of 3 May 1791. The Constitution of May 3 1791 was adopted by the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, to ensure more freedom and political equality on its territory and introduce the constitutional monarchy system.
It reflects enlightenment influences, which gave primacy to reason, law and freedom, as well as religious tolerance, and is considered as one of the first constitutions of its type in Europe. - in: https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/creative-europe/actions/heritage-label/sites/may-constitution_en

Fotógrafo: Alberto Ladeira
My first postcard from Oleiros, a town in the district of Castelo Branco in Portugal. 
This Roman bridge is composed by four arches of perfect turn, through which passes the Pero Beques river. The bridge is open to traffic. 
This card was sent by Tiago. 

Photo: André Rohmer 
I've never heard of Thann, but that's where Ana's daughter lives. The city is located in the department of Haut-Rhin, France.
Situated in the centre of the old town, the church known as the Collégiale is good example of the style of gothic architecture that flourished in the Rhine valley in the late Middle Ages. 
The building owes its name "La collégiale" to the college of monks who moved to Thann from the nearby town of Saint-Amarin in 1442. Construction of the collégiale took more than 200 years, from the end of the 13th Century through the 15th Century, and was completed in 1516 with the 78m tall spire. - in: wikipedia

© OVET
Paulo must be an excellent teacher, students even bring him souvenirs from their vacation. One of his students brought him this card from Paris. So I think I have to thank Paulo and his student.
The Cathedral of Notre Dame, a prominent example of Gothic architecture, is situated in a place where once a Roman temple existed. The construction of the famous Cathedral lasted more than 150 years, and was completed in 1330. 

Monday, May 21, 2018

Europe RR - Group 119 * Castles & Palaces

For this group of the Europe RR, Ferenc and Gerald sent me new palaces from Hungary and Germany. 

The Festetics Palace is a Baroque palace located in the town of Keszthely, Zala, Hungary. The building now houses the Helikon Palace Museum.
The palace's construction, started by Kristóf Festetics in 1745, lasted more than a century. During this time, the palace, built at first on the foundations of a ruined castle, was tripled in size in two subsequent building campaigns, most recently in the 1880s, to designs by Viktor Rumpelmayer, living in Vienna.
When Rumpelmayer died in 1885, the work was carried to completion by architects Gusztáv Haas and Miksa Paschkisch. The result is one of the three largest country houses in Hungary.
Unlike the surrounding area, the palace was not damaged during World War II. The palace has housed an independent museum (Helikon Palace Museum) since 1974; it is visited by 200,000 people each year. - in: wikipedia

Photography by Ulrike Romeis
Meersburg Castle in Meersburg on Lake Constance in Baden-Württemberg, Germany is the oldest inhabited castle in Germany. 
Parts of it do date back to AD 630 and its foundation by Dagobert I, last of the great Frankish Merovingian kings. Most of it, however, only dates back as far as the 12th century and from the 13th century on it served as a seat for the Prince-Bishops of Konstanz. 
The castle is privately owned. It has been open to the public as a museum since 1878.

Friday, May 18, 2018

Dubai Marina - UAE

In April Heidi travelled to Dubai to take part in an international para-badminton tournament. The tournament went quite well and she won a few medals. Heidi won medals and I won a postcard. 

In a city that’s full of awe-striking buildings, Dubai Marina stands out as the home to some of Dubai’s newest and most fascinating buildings and attractions where visitors can relax in comfort and luxury along the waterfront.

Dubai Marina is a relatively new attraction in Dubai. It’s characterised by a dramatic skyline of skyscrapers and residential apartment blocks, and looks particularly impressive when illuminated at night. With many constructions still in development, Dubai Marina is changing all the time but there’s always something for visitors to explore and enjoy.
One of the best ways to see Dubai Marina is simply to walk around it. The marina area has been built with several kilometres of walkways (...). - in: https://www.jumeirah.com/en/destinations/dubai/dubai-attractions/dubai-marina/

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Rice Terraces - Philippines

The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras is an outstanding example of an evolved, living cultural landscape that can be traced as far back as two millennia ago in the pre-colonial Philippines. The terraces are located in the remote areas of the Philippine Cordillera mountain range on the northern island of Luzon. The inscribed property consists of five clusters of the most intact and impressive terraces, located in four municipalities. Batad is one of the five inscribed clusters. 
Contrary to popular belief, the Banaue Rice Terraces are not a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They were not included in the UNESCO inscription Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras due to the presence of numerous modern structures. 

PH-126869, sent by Gladdie.
The Banaue Rice Terraces are a National Cultural Treasure of the Philippines and are considered to be the 8th Natural Wonder of the World by many Filipinos.
The terraces are carved in the mountains of Ifugao and were most likely done by hand. The terraces were first constructed as a practical solution to the problem of growing rice on land that falls away in front of you at vertigo-inducing angles. 
The rice terraces here were declared in 2009 free from any genetically modified organisms. Farming in the area is carried out much the same way it was carried out hundreds of years ago.
The terraces can be visited anytime of the year but the best time for a visit is between February and March when the cleaning and planting time occurs and between June and July when the harvest occurs. - in: http://www.banaueterraces.com/

Batad is a remote village of around 1,500 people in Ifugao province. It’s said to be home to the best and most well-preserved rice terraces in the Cordillera region. These terraces are between 2,000-6,000 years old and have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995.
The Batad rice terraces clusters are considered an engineering marvel and a rare man-made landscape because of its amphitheater-like form and almost vertical ponds. 

Monday, May 7, 2018

CN-2420521

An official from China with a very greenish landscape in Ili Valley. 

Photo by: Bian Zhiwu
CN-2420521, sent by Ding.
The Ili Valley is located in the northwest part of Xinjiang, about 60 kilometers east of the Kazakhstan border. Endowed with a pleasant climate, breathtaking natural beauty and colorful ethnic customs, it has become one of the most popular tourist spots in Xinjiang. 
There is a saying in China that you don’t know how large the country is until you have been to Xinjiang. And there is a saying in Xinjiang that you don’t know how beautiful the place is without going to Ili. - in: http://www.china.org.cn/english/travel/46682.htm

Stetind - Norway

I love, love this card and was more than happy when Alex tagged me with it.

Foto: Frode Jenssen
Stetind or Stetinden is a mountain in the municipality of Tysfjord in Nordland county, Norway. The mountain has very smooth sides reaching all the way to the fjord. Stetind has an obelisk-shape which gives it a very distinct look. 
In 2002 it was voted to be the "National Mountain" of Norway by listeners of NRK. - in: wikipedia

Temppeliaukio Church - Finland

No, an UFO didn't land in Helsinki. That round structure is not an UFO, is not a bomb shelter, it is a church. It may be one of the attractions of the city but I'm a "the older the better" kind of person and all modern architecture don't attract me.

 FI-778971, sent by Outi.
Temppeliaukio Church is a Lutheran church in the Töölö neighborhood of Helsinki. The church was designed by architects and brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen and opened in 1969. Built directly into solid rock, it is also known as the Church of the Rock and Rock Church.

FI-116615, sent by Britta. 
Plans for the Temppeliaukio/Tempelplatsen (Temple square) began as early as the 1930s when a plot of land was selected for the building and a competition for the design was held. The plan by J. S. Siren, the winner of the second competition to design the architecture of the church, was interrupted in its early stages when World War II began in 1939. After the war, there was another architectural competition, subsequently won by Timo Suomalainen and Tuomo Suomalainen in 1961. Construction finally began in February 1968, and the rock-temple was completed for consecration in September 1969.

Photo by Kaarlo Valkonen
FI-1650793, sent by Eero.
The interior was excavated and built directly out of solid rock and is bathed in natural light which enters through the skylight surrounding the center copper dome. The church is used frequently as a concert venue due to its excellent acoustics. The acoustic quality is created by the rough, virtually unworked rock surfaces. 
The Temppeliaukio church is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city; half a million people visit it annually. - in: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temppeliaukio_Church

Sunday, May 6, 2018

Petäjävesi Old Church - Finland

 I've never thought about it, but maybe I should include Petäjävesi on my Finnish itinerary. I would love to finally see a wooden church.
The Old Wooden Church of Petäjävesi is a Lutheran church located in Petäjävesi, 31 kilometers west of Jyväskylä. It was inscribed in 1994 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The first card was sent by Merja and the other two are officials.

Built for a small Lutheran parish in central Finland, Petäjävesi Old Church is located on a peninsula at Lake Solikkojärvi and is surrounded by an agricultural landscape with lakes and forests, typical of the region.
Construction of this wooden church was led by a local master builder, Jaakko Leppänen. The bell tower was added to the western part of the church in 1821 by the master’s grandson, Erkki Leppänen.

FI-1385769, sent by Sabrina.
Petäjävesi Old Church is representative of the architectural tradition of wooden churches in northern Europe. The Old Church is a unique example of traditional log construction techniques applied by the local peasant population in northern coniferous forest areas. European architectural trends, which have influenced the external form and layout of the church, have been masterfully applied to traditional log construction.

FI-1835451, sent by Eija and signed by 8 other postcrossers.
In 1879, a new church was built on the other side of the strait and the Old Church went out of use. Repairs, restoration and conservation works started in the 1920s when the historical and architectural value of the Old Church was recognized. Today, the churchyard is still in use, while the church is used only in the summer. - inhttps://whc.unesco.org/en/list/584