Pompeii - Italy

This is a new unesco card that I've got today. It is an italian whs sent from USA by Kristi "moxispilot".

"Pompeii is a ruined and partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania. Along with Herculaneum, its sister city, Pompeii was destroyed, and completely buried, during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning two days in AD 79.
The volcano collapsed higher roof-lines and buried Pompeii under 60 feet of ash and pumice, and it was lost for nearly 1700 years before its accidental rediscovery in 1748. Since then, its excavation has provided an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city at the height of the Roman Empire. Today, it is both one of the most popular tourist attractions of Italy, with 2,571,725 visitors in 2007 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site." - in: wikipedia

Unesco cards from China

I got 2 new chinese unesco cards today, Huanglong sent by Serena "serena_s" and Lushan National Park sent by "DJK".

"Huanglong is a scenic and historic interest area in Songpan County in the northwest part of Sichuan. This area is known for its colorful pools formed by calcite deposits, especially in Huanglonggou (Yellow Dragon Gully), as well as diverse forest ecosystems, snow-capped peaks, waterfalls and hot springs. Huanglong is also home to many endangered species including the Giant Panda and the Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey. Huanglong was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1992." - in: wikipedia

"Mount Lushan, in Jiangxi, is one of the spiritual centres of Chinese civilization. Buddhist and Taoist temples, along with landmarks of Confucianism, where the most eminent masters taught, blend effortlessly into a strikingly beautiful landscape which has inspired countless artists who developed the aesthetic approach to nature found in Chinese culture." - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/778
This property was classified because of it's cultural landscape of outstanding aesthetic value and its powerful associations with Chinese spiritual and cultural life.

Fountains Abbey - England

A new Unesco whs from UK. I still need a lot from there. This one was sent by Rachel "ihearpostcards".

"Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire, England, is a ruined Cistercian monastery, founded in 1132. Fountains Abbey is one of the largest and best preserved Cistercian houses in England. It is a Grade I listed building and owned by the National Trust. Along with the adjacent Studley Royal Water Garden, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The abbey operated for over 400 years, until 1539, when Henry VIII ordered the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The Abbey buildings and over 500 acres (2 km²) of land were then sold by the Crown, on October 1, 1540, to Sir Richard Gresham, the London merchant, father of the founder of the Royal Exchange, Sir Thomas Gresham." - in: wikipedia

Moon Kite - Malaysia

This is an unsual card and no, this isn't a pan shaped card, but a moon kite shaped card. Ilyani "imajica" hosted a lottery on the GTKY thread and i was 1 of the winners.

"Wau Bulan (Moon-Kite) is an intricately designed Malaysian moon-kite (normally with floral motifs) that is traditionally flown by men in the Malaysian state of Kelantan. It's one of Malaysia's national symbols. Unique to the east coast state of Kelantan, these waus or giant flying kites are often as big as a man, measuring about 3.5 metres from head to tail. It is the largest kite around and is capable of soaring to great heights. Not surprisingly, kite-flying here is a sport for men as some kites require at least two grown up men to handle. Most of the patterns are based on local flora and fauna like birds, animals and flowers.Kites are flown throughout the year but especially after the full moon harvest." - in: http://www.anjung.com.my/kelate_attraction_culture.php

Castles RR - Group 4

The old castles RR was inactive but Ana "ninocas" opened a new one a few weeks ago. I'm sure will join other groups in the future.

Lets start with the card sent by Jona "sugarbooger" from Canada, with Toronto's most glamorous landmark: Casa Loma.

"It took three years, $3,500,000 and more than 300 workers to build Casa Loma between 1911 and 1914. With stately towers, soaring battlements, secret passageways and sweeping terraces, the medieval style castle is a product of Sir Henry Pellatt's boyhood dreams. Some thought it was the most romantic thing to ever happen to Toronto, while others shared the opinion of one critic who called it a mixture of 17th century Scotland and 20th Century Fox." - in: http://www.digitalozone.com/casaloma/

And now a belgium card sent from Portugal by the portuguese Raquel "ferro".
"Het Steen (The Stone), in Antwerpen, is a castle at the river Scheldt. The castle has been renovated and adapted numerous times during its history. Most likely the castle was originally a part of the city wall and dating back from the 13th century.
In 1520 the castle was renovated and extended by architects Keldermans and De Waghemakere. For a long time (1549-1823) the castle was used as a prison.
In 1862 it became an archeological museum. When the castle was renovated between 1889 and 1890, they also added a wing in neo-gothic style. Since 1952 ‘t Steen is the location for the Maritime Museum." - in: http://www.vrantwerp.com/category/city-center/het-steen/

And finally the card sent by Janett "janiD" from Germany.
"Burghausen Castle is located in Bavaria in southern Germany, east of Munich and is situated on the west bank of the Salzach River, built atop a ridge. The castle stretches for over a full kilometre and is divided into six courtyards. It is also the longest castle in Germany and Europe.
Today the castle is home to two museums and a youth hostel." - in: http://www.guide-to-castles-of-europe.com/burghausen-castle.html

RAS Cards

One of the reasons why i'm so addicted to postcrossing is the people i've met. Whenever i'm down or sad, my good friends, always find a way to cheer me up. These last days i was complaining about the lack of cards (you know how sad this is, right??) but in last 2 days happiness is back in my mailbox. I got 2 great RAS cards from 2 great portuguese postcrossers: José "zepombal" and Ana "ninocas".

This the RAS card sent by José with the Our Lady of Conceição Church in Tomar.
This small basilica was built around 1530 on top of the mount where the Convent of Christ (an unesco whs) and the Castle of Templars are. "It is a small basilica of three naves, with columns of Corinthian order. Outside its appearence is severe and cold. Exterior simplicity, accents for contrast with the inside's beauty. This beautiful unit of the Renaissance architecture is benefited by the gradations of light that flows off of twelve small windows." - in: http://tomar2.com.sapo.pt/conceicao.html

And this is the RAS sent by Ana. The card is from Algarve, south of Portugal and it shows the Sagres Fortress. The construction of the fortress was ordered by Henry the Navigator on the 15th century, in order to provide some assistance to seamen in Sagres region.

Thanks Zé and Ana :P

Erhai Lake - China

This is 1 of my favorite cards from China and 1 of the 1st from there. I got it a long time ago from a private swap with "soffita1".

"Erhai Lake is an alpine fault lake in Yunnan province, China. Erhai Lake is situated at 1,972 m above sea level.
The lakeshore can be explored by hiking. Highlights include Erhai Lake Park and the Butterfly Springs on the Western bank. Islands on the lake are also available to visits (including Jinsuo Island (Golden Shuttle Island), Xiaoputuo Island, Guanyin Ge and Nanzhao Fengqing Island).
The lake is an important food source for the local people (Bais), who are famous for their fishing method: their trained cormorants catch fish and return them to fishmongers. The birds are prevented from swallowing their fish by rings fixed around their neck." - in: wikipedia