Mulhouse - France

 This is not my 1st card from Mulhouse but I don't know much about the city. Heidi has been to the city to play in a tournament, last June. I don't know if she had enough time to explore the city but she had time to send a few cards.

Mulhouse is a lively Alsatian town with a flourishing industrial and textile past: it boasts a beautiful historical centre and a number of museums second only to Paris.

 

Mulhouse in Alsace is often associated with the image of a grey industrial city due to its manufacturing and commercial importance. Instead, the city offers its visitors a beautiful historical centre full of old frescoed buildings, a series of magnificent museums, a street art itinerary and a lively and expressive cultural scene that sets it apart from other Alsatian cities. In addition, Mulhouse can be considered the ideal starting point for exploring the region: many even choose it as a base for visiting Alsace, thanks to its proximity to the main attractions in the area, its wide choice of cheap accommodation and its proximity to the airport. - in: https://www.franceguide.info

Poitiers - France

Poitiers is the capital of the Vienne department and also of the Poitou-Charentes region, in west-central France.  The centre of town is picturesque and its streets include predominant historical architecture, especially religious architecture and especially from the Romanesque period. 

In the heart of the cobbled streets of the city, is a true gem of Romanesque art: Notre-Dame-la-Grande Church.

 

Photo: Sénalf

Poitiers was a quick stop during a road trip all the way from the Netherlands to Portugal. Óscar only had time to have a coffee in front of this beautiful.

 Mentioned as early as the 10th centuryNotre-Dame-la-Grande was completely rebuilt in the 11th century and then consecrated in 1086 by the future Pope Urban II.
At the beginning of the 12th century, the building was enlarged and the famous facade carved takes shape. Since then, the church has survived the centuries, resisted conflicts and urban transformations, and has been beautified thanks to successive restorations. - in: https://www.visitpoitiers.fr

 

Cliché: Pierre Morisan

On this card sent by Damien is possible to see a detail of the west facade of the church.

When you approach the Church of Notre-Dame-la-Grande, the striking facade instantly catches your eye.
Carved in the XIIrd century, the facade reads like a picture book: The frieze above the arches of the portals illustrates the story of the Bible from the original sin with Adam and Eve, until the birth of Jesus. - in: https://www.tourisme-vienne.com

Biscarrosse - France

Every now and then I get cards from non-postcrosser friends. My friend Natália went to France two weeks ago to spend a few days with her cousin in Biscarrosse.

 

Biscarrosse is home to some of the most beautiful sites in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Bordered on one side by the ocean and on the other by two large lakes, this beautiful town enjoys an exceptional location offering easy access to beaches and activities.

 

Éditions d'Art

Dunes, pine forests, sandy beaches, crystal-clear lakes... Biscarrosse has it all. Biscarrosse is a lively town all year round, where you can discover the Landes way of life. There's plenty to do in the water, from cruising on Lac Cazaux-Sanguinet to lounging on Plage du Vivier and surfing the waves of the Atlantic Ocean...
The lakes in Biscarrosse are sublime. One of the must-sees is the Lac de Cazaux-Sanguinet. Surrounded by pine trees, this superb 5,600-hectare lake offers a change of scenery for nature walks.
The Lac de Biscarrosse-Parentis is also full of surprises, with its 3,400 hectares. It's the perfect place to take full advantage of all the water activities...
Opinions are unanimous: the beaches of Biscarrosse are among the most beautiful in the Landes. - in:https://www.slow-village.com

Alignments of Ménec - France

 I just got home from for a trip to Italy and of course I've brought a few new cards to my collection, not all from Italy, though. In Brescia I found a book fair and guess what I found there?! A box with cards. This was the perfect way to end this trip and the best of all is that I didn't have to pay for them, they're free!! Yay. I found a few interresting cards from hard to get countries, UNESCO sites, incluing cards from my missing list. I've the list saved in my head and when I saw this card, read that it was from Carnac, immediately knew it was from a French site classified this year. Megaliths of Carnac and of the shores of Morbihan, in Brittany, features a dense concentration of megalithic structures built during the Neolithic period (c. 5000–2300 BCE).

7000 years old, the megalithic alignments of Carnac are world famous and are one of the most important centres of European prehistory in existence. The singularity of the Carnac megaliths is their extrordinary alignments and their sheer numbers, this is the largest gathering of standing stones of this type in the world.
The stones are placed in descending order and each alignment ends on a megalithic stone circle, some more visible than others.
Why were these stones erected and aligned? There are many theories that attempt to explain the origin of the alignments, including that they were religious monuments, related to the worship of the moon or sun, or to the farming calender. One legend even has it that they were a Roman army turned into stone! But their origin continues to be a mystery. The remains of this prehistoric period suggest, however, that they had a sacred and funereal function.

 

Sites are divided into three fields of menhirs. The site of Ménec is located on the West of Carnac. It is the starting point of sites, where is the “Maison des Mégalithes”, reception and information centre of the megalithic sites. 

This group is constituted of 1050 stones lined up on 11 queues. A series of more or less parallel queues where megaliths are rather regularly spaced out. Menec site stretches over 1 km and is the most representative group of menhirs. 

The site starts with a cromlech composed of 71 blocks, where the village of Ménec was built. Toul Chignan is east of the field of Ménec and collides with a surrounding wall. - in: https://www.carnactourism.co.uk

FR-1816640

I've never heard about the Queyras before getting this card. This is a valley, also one of the 58 French Regional nature parks,  located in the Hautes-Alpes department in Southeastern France. 

The Queyras is one of the oldest mountain ranges of the Alps, and it was one of the last ones to be opened to public tourism towards the end of the 20th century, thus being relatively untouched by environmental destruction. 

For he hiking enthusiasts, it offers a multitude of trails to explore. One of the most popular hiking trails is the the Lacs du Malrif.

 

Photo: J. Sierpinski

FR-1816640, sent by Myriam.

The Malrif Lakes are a series of three glacial lakes located within a few hundred meters of each other. 

This 12-kilometer, 6-hour-30-minute hike begins in Aiguilles, offering breathtaking views of the lakes nestled between the mountains and lush meadows. 

The lake on the card is the Grand Laus lake, located at an altitude of 2,579 metres. It is the largest of the 3 lakes. 

Étretat - France

Normandy is one of the regions I'd like to visit in France and if I ever get to visit it, I'll definitely see the Étretat cliffs. Raquel has veen there and she sent me the 1st of these cards back in 2012. The other one is an official from Germany, received a few days ago.

Étretat is located in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.

Étretat is best known for its cliffs, including 3 natural arches and the pointed "needle".

 Photo by F. Godard

Formed millions of years ago beneath a sea that covered Normandy, the cliffs of Etretat are the result of the accumulation of limestone and flint by marine organisms, then raised by tectonic movements. Erosion by waves, wind and frost has sculpted the arches and needles we see today. The whiteness of the cliffs comes from the limestone, while the black bands are made of flint, once used to make fire. - in: https://cparici.com

 

Huber Images / Kamel

 DE-15634166, sent by Caro.

The Porte d’Aval (on the left when looking at the sea), a huge flint archway, was carved by the waves beating the end of the Falaise d’Aval. The 51-metre-high needle bears witness to the geological past of the cliffs of Etretat. It has become famous, gained a universal reputation and inspired many painters and writers. Is it hollow and did it shelter the treasure of the Kings of France discovered by Arsène Lupin, as recounted in Maurice Leblanc’s novel, L’aiguille Creuse. You can find out more about this enigma by visiting Le Clos Lupin, the property acquired by the novelist in 1919. - in: https://www.lehavre-etretat-tourisme.com

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 * June '24

 I've been waiting to get the last June's card of this RR and it finally got here. It was so worth to wait for it.

 

Photo: Wallis - C. Moirenc 2004

 

 Life got in the way and Juliette only was able to send this card last month. I was saw happy to see it in my mailbox. It was one of the many french card on my favorites wall and I like it so much.

Photo: Matti Karjanoja

Aerial view of Senate Square in Helsinki, sent by Flora.

The Senate Square and its surroundings form a unique and cohesive example of Neoclassical architecture. The square is dominated by four buildings designed by Carl Ludvig Engel (1778-1840): Helsinki Cathedral, the Government Palace, the main building of the University of Helsinki and the National Library of Finland. A statue of Alexander II (1894) stands in the middle of the Senate Square.
Helsinki Cathedral is arguably Finland's most famous and photographed building. The oldest stone building in Helsinki is the Sederholm House located on the southeast corner of the square. Today the building hosts the Helsinki City Museum. The Esplanade park and the Market Square are just a block away. - in: https://www.myhelsinki.fi

Photo: 2016 Anthony L. Iezzi

Nan always sends me great cards and I truly like this one. I really like old steam locomotives. This one, locomotive nº 89, is one of the Strasburg Rail Road locomotives. 

Strasburg Rail Road™ is America’s oldest operating railroad with a charter dating back to June 9, 1832. First used for passenger and freight transportation, the short line limped along for more than a century until in 1958, on the verge of abandonment, the railroad was salvaged and given new life as a tourist railroad.
Locomotive No. 89 ran on the Canadian National Railway for most of her life before being sold to the Green Mountain Railroad in New Hampshire. After just a few years on the Green Mountain RR, the locomotive was sold to the Strasburg Rail Road in late Spring 1972. Today, No. 89 is still an active locomotive at Strasburg and is often the locomotive of choice to pull smaller train consists. - in: https://www.strasburgrailroad.com

Even though Tanya is from Belarus, I believe that most of the cards she has already sent me, are from Russia. This a peak of the Bombai mountains.

Douamont Ossuary - France

 I'm happy to have this postcard from a UNESCO site that I was still  missing but I'd rather not have it. If there hadn't been the WWI, if there hadn't been the battle of Verdum, this place would have no reason to exist. We all know what happened and this ossuary is just 1 of the 139 funerary and memorial sites, 43 in Belgium and 96 in France, classified as UNESCO WHS last year. 

 Douaumont Ossuary is a majestic monument, which pays tribute to all the unidentified soldiers found on the battlefield of Verdun. All nationalities and all divisions are gathered there without distinction. The monument is a true symbol of peace and reconciliation.

 

 Cliché - Sylver Soles

At the end of 1918, thousands of bodies were discovered in Verdun. Charles Ginisty, Bishop of Verdun, decided to gather the bones of the unidentified soldiers in a place of remembrance. As a result, the building was inaugurated in 1932. Thus,130,000 soldiers from all walks of life are buried in the ossuary. In addition, 15,000 French soldiers were buried in the graves in front of the monument.
Today, inside the sanctuary, almost 4,000 engravings of the names of soldiers who died at Verdun cover the walls. From the top of the monument at nightfall, a light visible from 40km away watches over the thousands of soldiers who were not found on the battlefield. - in: https://www.landofmemory.eu

PT RR - Surprise Group * January '24

 Cards from different countries but all written in Portuguese.

 

Photo:@thisantors

The Archaeological Site of São Miguel Arcanjo is a complex of ruins from the ancient Mission of São Miguel Arcanjo, part of the so-called Seven Peoples of the Missions, and one of the main remains of the period of the Jesuit Missions of the Guarani. These ruins are located in the northwest of Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. 

The site, commonly called the ruins of São Miguel das Missões, has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, along with the 4 ruins on the Argentine side since 1983.
Construction was built in the 18th century, between 1735 and 1745. The Church was designed by the Italian priest João Batista Primolli and built entirely in sandstone. It was not finished, as the second tower, which would be the astronomical observatory, had yet to be built. 

The card was sent by Maria Eliza.

 Situated in the very heart of Montmartre, Place du Tertre, is one of the most famous squares of all of Paris. It is famous for its painters, cafés, and ambiance.

The hilltop village of Montmartre has an exciting past. Before it became a part of Paris, it was a quaint village covered in little farms, vineyards and windmills. During the Belle Époque, it became a haven for artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec, Maurice Utrillo, Van Gogh and Picasso thanks to its more affordable cost of living and cheap wine (it was exempt from Paris’s wine tax)! Here, an artistic community was formed, and a lively cabaret culture flourished, many of which you can still see standing today.
Fast-forward to the 21st century: its artistic heritage has lived on, along with the charming village-like feel. You’ll find artists covering every square inch of the Place du Tertre in the center of the neighborhood, selling their canvases and offering portrait sessions. - in: https://www.parisperfect.com

Card sent by Pedro.

 

Photo: Gustav A, Wittich

I really love Porto and I especially like to cross the bridge to Gaia to enjoy the beautiful views of the historic center of Porto. This card was sent by Rui.

Cais de Gaia played a very important part in Porto's history due to Port Wine, as this was the place where the rabelo boats would dock and the barrels of wine were offloaded and taken to the cellars, but also because it was from here that Port Wine started to be exported and where the import trade of various other goods took place. 

Nowadays it is a tourist attraction with many restaurants, bars and cafés and the place where many  Douro River cruises depart from to admire the unique landscape of the Douro Valley, where Port Wine is produced. 

Maison Carrée - France

World Heritage fans had to wait a long time to get to know the new classified sites of 2022 and 2023. Last month we finally got to update our UNESCO lists with new 42 sites. France inscribed 3 sites. I was lucky to had 1 of them and Óscar kindly offer to send a postcard of the Maison Carrée of Nîmes, one of the best preserved Roman temple of the world. 

 

The Maison Carrée is a Roman hexastyle pseudo peripatetic Corinthian temple, built during the lifetime of Augustus between 10 BC and the very beginning of the 1st century AD, the temple consists of thirty nine-metre high columns, twenty of which are engaged and enclose the cella (the inner room), preceded by a pronaos (the space designating the vestibule or entrance) accessed by a 17-step staircase. The stone used for its construction is a beautiful limestone from the Lens wood. Raised on a podium with a frontal staircase, the Maison Carrée dominated its environment and was originally located on the Roman forum in the center of an esplanade surrounded by porticos now disappeared but whose precise statement we keep. 

Photo: Formica

The Maison Carrée de Nîmes is the only and oldest representative of the Augustan Corinthian order still in elevation, having preserved intact all its decor. With its exceptional frieze decorated with scrolls of acanthus leaves, it is also with the Pantheon in Rome, the best preserved temple in the Roman world making it one of the most important testimonies of the architecture and spread of imperial worship in the provinces of the Empire. 

The outstanding universal value of this property is based on the demonstration that the Maison Carrée  represents one of the oldest expressions, and best preserved of a Roman temple dedicated to imperial worship and that it is a monument of remarkable architectural quality which, by the historical circumstances of its creation, by the political importance of its consecration and the stylistic choices that presided over its construction, testifies to the values of lasting peace, harmony and prosperity that the Roman Empire promoted and sought to guarantee. in: https://lamaisoncarreedenimes.fr/

PT RR - Surprise Group * August

 I usually participate in this RR by sending 3 postcards and in return I receive another 3. I only have 2 here, sent by Ana Cláudia and Tiago but Nídia also sent me one, which I already had, the same windmill card that Paulo sent me in June 2019.

Photo by: François Kollar

This is a photo of a miner and his lamp, in a mine in Saint-Etienne, France, in 1931. 

The lamp was not only used for lighting, it was also used to detect the presence of methane which, in contact with oxygen, in closed environments, can form an explosive mixture that detonates easily in the presence of flames or sparks, and constitutes a great danger in coal mining. These safety lamps, in which the flame was protected by a metal screen, served as an indicator of the presence of the explosive mixture, as in this case the flame changed its appearance. The metal screen dissipated the heat of the flame so that the gases outside did not reach the necessary temperature to ignite.

Jaca is a small town in the Spanish province of Huesca and is known as the capital of the Aragonese Pyrenees. It is a tourist center that attracts visitors thanks to its historical heritage, the Camino de Santiago and winter sports.

Winner of the Month - May

 In the Portuguese speaking community of the PC forum we have this winner of the month game and last month I was the winner. The prize were these wonderful cards.

 

Fotografia: Fernanda Gonçalves

Just like me, Diana also seems to enjoy going to antiques and collectors fairs. Yesterday I went to one in my city, where I bought a few cards. She bought this one at the Espinho fair and I loved!! This picture was taken in Carção, Vimioso, northern Portugal.

 

Tiago usually posts photos of his sent mail on Instagram and FB and I saw this postcard in one of the publications. I immediately thought "Is this for me?" It really was and like Diana's postcard, it fits wonderfully in my elderlies collection.

 

Pedro sent me this postcard because he knows that I like churches but it could also have been because I really miss Madeira. 

Popularly known as 'Colégio Church', the Church of Saint John the Evangelist is an admirable example of 17th-century religious architecture. Considered one of the most beautiful monuments in Funchal, this temple marks the transition from international Mannerism to Portuguese Baroque. - in: https://visitmadeira.com

One more church, one more island. The postcard was sent by Isabel. 

Terceira was my first island in the Azores and in a few days I'll be there for a few hours but I won't be able to go to Angra to visit the Cathedral. 

The cathedral, Igreja do Santíssimo Salvador da Sé, is an imposing temple, considered the largest church in the entire Azores archipelago. It was built in 1568 to serve as the seat of the bishopric of the city of Angra.

 

 Fotografia: Henrique Ruas

There are still so many places that I've never visited, and others I haven't even heard about, in Portugal. Ana Cláudia introduced me to the Roman ruins of S. Cucufate in Vila de Frades, Vidigueira, Alentejo region. 

These ruins are made up of a mansion, spas, a temple and an agricultural production area. The villa is probably the largest in Portugal, and a unique example in the country, being integrated into the typology of an aulic villa.

The Roman occupation of the site probably began in the 1st century AD, and ended in the 5th to 6th centuries, during the barbarian invasions of the Iberian Peninsula. However, the site continued to be inhabited during this period, with the old Roman temple being converted into an early Christian basilica. The old Roman house was later occupied by two Christian monasteries dedicated to São Cucufate, founded at different times, and each with its own church, built in different places within the ruins.  

The archaeological remains were classified as a National Monument in 1947. 

This a community in Portuguese but we like to hear/read other languages too. In this case, Spanish. The card was sent by Maritere, whom I met many years ago in a meeting in Salamanca. 

Puentecillas is, perhaps, one of the places with the most personality and charm in Palencia. It is considered the oldest bridge in the capital, as its origins seem to go back to Roman times, most likely to the 1st century BC. However, the numerous reforms it has undergone since then have radically changed its current architectural bill. Of all these transformations, the most important was the one that lived at the end of the Middle Ages, around the 16th century, when its appearance and layout were adapted to those it exhibits today. It was a place of passage for the clerics who went to the Sotillo de los Canónigos and for the gardeners who cultivated the orchards located on the banks of the river. - in: https://turismo.aytopalencia.es

 Tânia likes to travel and visited Mount St. Michel on her last trip. I haven't visited it yet but I really want to go there.  

A few curiosities about this amazing place.

- The construction of the Mont Saint Michel Abbey started in 708 AD and was built over 1300 years by several generations of workers working and surviving in an inhospitable site;

-  The idea came from a dream of  Bishop Aubert of Avranches, who was visited in his dreams by Archangel Michel. The Archangel instructed him to build a church on the rocky island situated at the mouth of the Couesnon River; 

- The construction of the Mont Saint Michael represents the feudal hierarchy practised at the time. God is, of course, on top and after that comes the abbey and the monastery. The great halls are constructed below this and then comes the stores and the housing and at the bottom nearly outside the walls are situated the fisherman's and farmers’ housing;

- The strong fortifications & high tidal waves made it impossible for the English to capture and conquer Mont Saint Michel during the Hundred Years War;

- Mont Saint Michel was also a prison during the French Revolution in the 18th century;

- Mont Saint Michel is well known for being a tourist destination but it is also a very important pilgrimage site;

- William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy created a replica of Mont Saint Michel that was called St Michael’s Mount of Penzance and is situated on the English side of the channel;

- The iconic castle of the animated movie Tangled was inspired by the Mont Saint Michel. It was also the inspiration behind Minas Tirith, the capital city of Gondor in Lord Of The Rings;

- The tidal waves in Mont Saint Michel reach nearly 14 metres which is the highest in Europe;

- Mont Saint Michel and the surrounding bay have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979. - in: https://www.billets-montsaintmichel.fr