Salamanca's Cathedral - Spain

Last month's meeting  was not the first meeting between the Portuguese and Spanish in Salamanca. In October 2009 the city was invaded by a small group of Portuguese, myself included, and 2 Spanish girls, who mercilessly attacked all the souvenir shops with postcards in sight :) 

This year's meeting was on November 23rd, my birthday, and Miguel sent me a postcard of the beautiful cathedral to wish me a happy birthday. The other card, with the river view, was sent by me in 2009.

 

IMAGEN SA. 17 * Fotografia: Carlos Santiago

 

When we speak of the Cathedral of Salamanca in fact we are referring to two churches joined together. First, there is the old cathedral dating from the 12th-13th centuries; and then the new one from the 16th century. 

 The Old Cathedral is in the Romanesque style with the outstanding Gallo Tower. Inside this temple, the construction of which began at the end of the 12th century, is the San Martín or Oil Chapel. The main reredos, which dates from the 15th century and was created by several painters with Dello Delli at the head, is also worthy of note. 

 The mural painting which covers the vault is the work of Nicolás Florentino. In this great pictorial work it is possible to see the image of Christ at the Last Judgement. The Old Cathedral attracts the eye of the visitor due to the beautiful tombs of the bishops' and members of the nobility to be found inside. 

 

 The New Cathedral, built in the 16th century and completed in the 18th century by Churriguera, houses the image of the Virgin of the Assumption, carved in 1624 by the sculptor Esteban de Rueda. In the New Cathedral, the choir stalls designed by Joaquín Churriguera in 1727 are of particular notice. The temple's baroque choir screen is beautiful, featuring Renaissance images such as the Virgin of Loreto and those of Saint John the Baptist. - in: https://www.spain.info

Christmas Meeting in Salamanca - Spain

A month ago postcrossers from Portugal and Spain met in Salamanca to celebrate Christmas, postcards, postcrossing and the Iberian Peninsula.

 

The Postcrossing logo is a registred trademark * by pensilcard

I didn't attend this meeting but someone remembered me. Thank you Miguel.

Sado Gold Mine - Japan

 This may not be a typical postcard but, as I've said many times, one can not be too picky when it comes to UNESCO sites. It was sent by Rachelle. 

Sado Gold Mine is the newest Japan's site, added to the WHS list a few months ago. 

Sado Island is a remote island on the Sea of Japan, 45 kilometers west of Niigata City. The island has long been called The Island of Gold due to the existence of many mines. The gold dust began to be mined around the 12th century. A total of 78 tons of gold and upwards of 2,330 tons of silver were produced.

 

Sado Gold and Silver Mines is a general term for the gold and silver mines on Sado Island, one of which is the Aikawa Gold and Silver Mine. Full scale development began in 1601, and a large amount of gold and silver was produced for nearly 400 years until mining stopped in 1989. Here, everything from mining to koban coin manufacturing was carried out. Today, the site has been developed as a tourist facility, Historic Site Sado Gold Mine, where you can learn about the changes in mining technology and production methods while observing heritage sites such as the remains of mine shafts and ore dressing facilities. - in: https://www.japan.travel

CN-3842054

 Look how beautiful this natural reflection is. 

 

The Qiantang River is a river in East China. An important commercial artery, it runs for 459 kilometers (285 mi) through Zhejiang, passing through the provincial capital Hangzhou before flowing into the East China Sea via Hangzhou Bay south of Shanghai.

 

CN-3842054, sent by Xu.

The river is known, along with Hangzhou Bay, for having what is called by locals as the "Silver Dragon", the world's largest tidal bore, a phenomenon where the leading edge of the incoming tide forms a wave (or waves) that can rise to a height of 9 meters (30 ft) and travels up the river or narrow bay at top speeds of 40 km/h (25 mph; 11 m/s) against the direction of the river or bay's current, and can be seen from miles away. - in: wikipedia

Suzdal - Russia

Suzdal is one of Russia's oldest cities and dates back to 1024. It is often called a city-museum of the Golden Ring, as it has preserved its original appearance and boasts an abundance of historical monuments, ancient Russian art and architecture. The city's charm is so great that it was left untouched by the Soviet industrialization which destroyed so much of Russia's heritage. - in: https://www.travelallrussia.com

 

The Suzdal Kremlin is the oldest part of Suzdal that laid the foundation for the settlement.

 

RU-10246190, sent by Vladimir.

The heart of the Kremlin is the Nativity of the Virgin Cathedral (Rozhdestvensky), which stands right in the middle of the ensemble. The cathedral is considered the oldest preserved structure in Suzdal. It was originally built in 1222-1225 on the site of an earlier church erected by Vladimir Monomakh in the XI century. The earlier church was the first Christian church in Suzdal.
Only Cathedral’s lower part is original white stone, while the rest is 16th century brick. The walls of the cathedral are adorned with the ancient frescoes of the 13th – 17th centuries. The interior is famous for its golden gates (1230-1233). The gates are divided into squares with scenes of the life of Christ. - in: https://www.russiaeguide.com

The cathedral is one of the eight White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal, a UNESCO site since 1992.

St. Nicholas Church is located near the ramparts in the southeastern part of the Suzdal Kremlin. Built in 1720-1739 as a summer parish church and was transported there from the village of Glotovo in the 19th century.