Monthly Fav. Surprise RR - June '23

 It also took a few more months to get all the June's cards. One of them had to be resent.

 

Amami-Ōshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island is a Japanese UNESCO site added to the WHS list in 2021. I already had a card of the Okinawa Island and now Tomoko sent me this one with Amami-Ōshima and Tokunoshima Islands.

The islands have been separated from the continent and other landmasses for millions of years, and therefore harbor a significant number of endemic and rare animals and plants, including the Iriomote leopard cat, the Amami rabbit and the Okinawa rail.
Amami Oshima attracts with its beautiful beaches dotted along its coastline with white sand and clear, warm waters, as well as for its mangrove forest and several unique animals and plants.
Located south of Amami Oshima, Tokunoshima is visited for its relatively uncrowded beaches and its style of bullfighting, as well as the annual Tokunoshima Triathlon. - in: https://www.japan-guide.com

 

This is not my 1st card of this castle in Malaysia but this card, sent by Jessie, shows a much better view of the castle. 

Kellie’s Castle is perched on top of a hill in Batu Gajah, Perak. Built in 1915 by Scottish planter, William Kellie-Smith,  who arrived in Malaysia in 1890. Smith married his Scottish sweetheart, Agnes, and brought her to Malaysiaa in 1903, and they were blessed with a daughter named Helen and a son, Anthony. 

Workers were brought in from India to build the opulent mansion, and bricks and marbles were imported from the country as well. However, things began to take a tragic turn when Smith died of pneumonia in 1926, during a short trip to Lisbon, Portugal. Following his sudden death, the construction of the castle was suspended. Agnes eventually sold the castle to a British company, Harrisons and Crosfield. It was then abandoned and became a historical site years later. - in: https://www.malaysia.travel  

 

 Immagine de Giancarlo Gasponi

I've recently realized how slow Italian mail service can be. The cards that I've sent from Italy in the beginning of this month, took about 3 weeks to arrive to their destinations in Europe but for Susanna things were a bit worse. Some of the cards she sent in June got lost and she resent a few, including this one. I only noticed a few days after getting the card that she used a matching stamp. 

The ‘Spanish steps’ in Rome, built in Rococo style between 1723 and 1726, are the steps that lead from the Piazza di Spagna square to the French monastery church Trinita dei Monti (built between 1502–1587). There are 135 steps and three different terraces, referring to the Holy Trinity (the Trinità). The top of the stairs near the Egyptian obelisk offers a beautiful view. - in: https://romesite.com

www.papersisters.de

In June Lara visited the small country of Liechtenstein and sent this card that was still missing in my HP collection.

The Principality of Liechtenstein is a micro state in Europe, just covering 160 square kilometers. It is the smallest country in the world with two borders - in the East with Austria, in the West with Switzerland. Situated between the Rhine and the Alps, it is with its capital Vaduz well worth a visit! - in: https://www.papersisters.de

FOTW Liechtenstein

The last time I got a card from Liechtenstein was in 2012. This shows that getting a card from there is not that easy, so I'm quite happy to have this flag written and stamped from there, thanks to Sarah. 

© concept by Postcardsmarket.com

Liechtenstein has an area of 160 km², a population of 37.340 and its capital is Vaduz. 

Unique: 

* Economy - the highest gross domestic product per person in the world when not adjusted by purchasing power parity;

* The unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the world at 1.5%;

Famous:

* A land of true neutrality - Liechtenstein backs up its stance of being 100% neutral by not having an actively serving military at any given time;

History:

* Independence as a principality: 12 July 1806, Treaty of Pressburg. 1866, separation from the German Confederation;

* Early history: neolithic farming settlements were founded in the valleys of Liechtenstein around 5300 BC.

Balzers - Liechtenstein

Another card with one of my own pictures, this one taken in Balzers, a village in southern Liechtenstein. I didn't really visited Balzers, the picture was taken inside a bus on my way back to Switzerland.

Photo by Marta Cairrão

Gutenberg Castle bears no connection to the Gutenberg of printing press fame. It was built in the 13th century. The Gutenberg hill has played a central role in local cultural history ever since the Bronze Age, if not before. After many years of being in private ownership the Liechtenstein government acquired the castle in 1979. During summer cultural events are staged in the inner courtyard each summer. - in: http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/infra_anlagendetail.cfm?rkey=2773&instance=142925&art=Castle%20or%20large%20fortress

February Alternative RR (IV)

And that's it, all the 20 February Alternative RR cards are here. These last 5 are from Ukraine, Australia, France, Liechtenstein and Belarus.

Olga "olenenka" from Ukraine sent me this card showing the Demirji Yayla, which is a plateau of the Crimean Mountains.
The Crimean Mountains is a range of mountains running parallel to the south-east coast of Crimea, Ukraine, between about five and eight miles (13 km) from the sea. Toward the west, the mountains drop steeply to the Black Sea, and to the east, they change slowly into a steppe landscape. - in: wikipedia

Photo © Neil J. Leed 1998

Another australian lighthouse, the Split Lighthouse, located in Aireys Inlet, a small town on the Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia.
Nicknamed "The White Lady" Split point Lighthouse was built in 1891 on what was originally called Eagles Nest Point. The rock of the coastline which can be viewed from this point is still called Eagle Rock. It opens up for viewing inside only 1 day of the year and is said to be haunted by those who operated its light to the sea which was converted to 4 automatic flashes every 20 seconds in 1919. - in: http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Australia_and_Oceania/Australia/State_of_Victoria/Aireys_Inlet-1880466/Things_To_Do-Aireys_Inlet-TG-C-1.html

Edition Mage

Another lighthouse, this one from France. The Cap Gris Nez Lighthouse is located in Cap Gris Nez, a cape on the Côte d'Opale in the Pas-de-Calais département in northern France.

It was built in 1837 and destroyed during the Second World War in 1944. The lighthouse as we see it today, was rebuilt in 1958.

Globetrotter GmbH

Grace "azzurri" from Switzerland sent me the Vaduz Castle in Liechtenstein, the residence of the ruling Price.

And this is the last card of this RR. I also had this one and the 1st card isn't unwritten!! Anyway, getting double cards is not something that happens that often.

The Mir Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage site in Belarus located in the town of Mir. The card was sent by Lena "skliu".

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

Liechtenstein

While i was in Switzerland i've visited Vaduz, the capital city of Liechtenstein. Lots of beautiful cards to buy. Too bad it was a bit foggy, not good for pictures. But i had a great time there.

"The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine microstate in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over 160 km² (about 61.7 square miles) and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz.

Liechtenstein is the smallest German-speaking country in the world, and the only alpine country to lie entirely within the Alps. It is also the only German-speaking country not to share a common frontier with Germany. It is a constitutional monarchy divided into 11 municipalities. Much of Liechtenstein's terrain is mountainous, making it a winter sports destination. Many cultivated fields and small farms characterize its landscape both in the north (Unterland, lower land) and in the south (Oberland, upper land). The country has a strong financial sector located in the capital, Vaduz, and has been identified as a tax heaven. It is a member of the European Free Trade Association but not of the European Union. Liechtenstein is the richest country in the world on a per-capita basis." - in: wikipedia

"Schloss Vaduz is the official residence of the Prince of Liechtenstein. The Palace is named after the town of Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein, which it overlooks from an adjacent hilltop.

The earliest mention of the castle can be found in the deed of the Count Rudolf von Werdenberg-Sargans for a sale to Ulrich von Matsch. The then owners - presumably also the builders - were the Counts of Werdenberg-Sargans. The Bergfried (12th century) and parts of the east-side are the oldest. The tower stands upon a piece of ground of about 12 x 13 m and has a wall density on the ground floor of up to 4 metres. The original entrance lay at the Hofzijde at an 11 metre height. The chapel St. Anna was presumably built in the Middle Ages as well. The main altar is late-gothic. In the Schwaben War of 1499, the castle was burned by the honorbound of Switzerland. The west-side was expanded on by Count Kaspar van Hohenems (1613-1640).

The Liechtenstein family acquired Vaduz Castle in 1712 when it purchased the countship of Vaduz. At this time, Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, combined the countship with the Lordship of Schellenberg, purchased by the Liechtensteins in 1699, to form the Principality of Liechtenstein.

The castle underwent a major restoration between 1905 and 1920 during the reign of Prince Johann II, and was expanded during the early 1930's by Prince Franz Joseph II. Since 1938, the castle has been the primary residence of Liechtenstein's Royal Family. It is not open to tourists." - in: wikipedia