Monthly Fav. Surprise RR - May '25

 No, I didn't forget April's cards, one is still missing, so let's move on to May.

 

It may look centuries old but the White Mosque is a relatively new architectural monument in Bolgar. Built in 2012 near the city entrance, the grandeur of the building attracts visitors, and the mosque’s oriental design creates a fairy-tale atmosphere. Inspiration for the White Mosque came from some of the world’s best Islamic architecture. The mosque complex includes a prayer area with an elegant arcade of 88 oriental columns, refined minaret towers, and a main dome adorned with intricate stained glass. Inside, the prayer hall features tall columns with crescent-topped crowns, while the walls display verses from the Koran in elegant Arabic script.  - in: https://visit-tatarstan.com

Card sent by Yuliya. 

 This is not my 1st card of this church in Gierviaty. This one was sent by Anastasiya.

The Church of the Holy Trinity in Gierviaty was built at the beginning of the 20th century, on the site of a former wooden Catholic church of the 16th century.
5 Interesting Facts about the Church of the Holy Trinity:
* The church in Gierviaty is one of the top three tallest temples in Belarus.
 * A brick factory was specially built near the village for the construction of the structure, which supplied the material for the building erection.
 * No less than 70 people worked daily on the construction.
 * For enhancing the strength of the building mixture, raw chicken eggs, collected from local residents, were added.
  * The church has astonishing acoustics. Its walls house an antique organ from 1882, made by a Vilnius musical craftsman specifically for the acoustical capabilities of the church. Nowadays, organ music concerts are held here, which are attended by guests from Belarus and abroad. - in: https://en.belarus.travel

Not my 1st card of this church either. 

Mission San Xavier del Bac is a historic Spanish Catholic mission about 16 km south of downtown Tucson, Arizona. 

A National Historical Landmark, this mission was founded as a Catholic mission by Father Eusebio Kino in 1692. Construction of the current church began in 1783 and was completed in 1797. The oldest intact European structure in Arizona, the church's interior is filled with marvelous original statuary and mural paintings. It is a place where visitors can truly step back in time and enter an authentic 18th century space. 

Card sent by Karissa.

www.papersisters.de

I've said many times that I really like Happy Postcrossing cards but my favorites are definitely those of the countries. I was a lovely surprise to get this one from Lara, new to my collection. 

Eiffel Tower, Nimes, Pont du Gard, Mont Saint Michel, baguette and croissant, wine and champagne, etc, there's no doubt this is a french card.

Monthly Fav. Surprise RR - March '25

 A few moonths have passed since I last posted cards from this RR. That's only because a few cards are still missing but now started to arrive. One of these from China, only arrived 2 or 3 weeks ago. Better later than never.

 Pilsum Lighthouse is probably the only German lighthouse I can recognize immediately. The card was sent by Katharina.

The Pilsum Lighthouse  was built in 1889 in order to provide a beacon for the Emshorn channel on Germany’s North Sea coast.
It has guided ships through the narrow channel until 1915. In the First World War its light was extinguished in order that enemy ships could not navigate the route.  After that it was no longer needed, because the channel was changed.  The height of the structure is 11 metres  the height of the light about sea level is 15 metres. Today the tower is one of the best-known symbols of East Frisia. - in: https://www.thewanders.eu

Even though Tanya is from Belarus, she often sends Russian cards. This one depicts Ivan the Great Bell Tower and the Cathedral of the Assumption in Moscow's Kremlin. 

The Ivan the Great Bell Tower is a church tower inside the Moscow Kremlin complex. With a total height of 81 metres (266 ft), it is the tallest tower and structure of the Kremlin. It was built at the beginning of the 16th century by Italian architect Bon Fryazin, as the cent on Cathedral Square for the three Russian Orthodox cathedrals, namely the Assumption (closest to the tower), the Archangel and the Annunciation, which do not have their own belfries.  

The cathedral of the Assumption was originally constructed in 1326 under Ivan I. The cathedral was rebuilt between 1475 and 1479 at the behest of the grand prince Ivan III to a design by the Italian architect Aristotele Fioravanti. From 1547 to 1896, the coronation of Russian monarchs took place here. In addition, the cathedral is the burial place for most of the Moscow Metropolitans and Patriarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church; it also serves as a part of the Moscow Kremlin Museums. - in: wikipedia

 It took more than 3 months for this card to travel from China to may mailbox. I'm sure Mandy was a bit worried but it finally reached me. 

The Longhua Pagoda, located near the Longhua Temple in Shanghai, is celebrated as the best-preserved pagoda of a multi-story pavilion type from the Song Dynasty (960-1279) in the region. It was praised by Ming Dynasty poet Feng Qian as the "flying pagoda of a thousand years".

The seven-story octagonal pagoda stands over 40 meters high. Inside are four doors and four niches in the walls on each floor. - in: https://english.shanghai.gov.cn

 

Qian also sent a card of a pagoda.

Located on the top of the back mountain of Manfeilong Village, Menglong Town, Jinghong, Manfeilong Pagodas were originally built in 1203. It is composed of 9 pagodas – 1 big pagoda in the center surrounded by 8 small ones. They look like big bamboo shoots. They embody the style of Myanmar’s pagodas. - in: https://www.wendyweitours.com