Swiss old man

Last week Óscar sent me this card thinking about my old people collection. 

Photo Edition Darbelley S. A. 

It looks like this old men went hunting and its possible because most of the swiss federal hunting reserves are located in the canton of Valais, where this card is from. 

FR-416783

An official from Paris with a picture taken by Anna, the sender of the card. 

Now France's most instantly recognizable landmark, the Eiffel Tower was built in Paris during 1887-1889 by Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923), a French engineer, for the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution.

For this momentous occasion, for which a huge exhibition, Exposition Universelle, was planned, Eiffel wished to erect something extraordinary made from modern materials.

His design, a structure of wrought iron ribs, held together by rivets and resting on a solid masonry foundation, was initially denounced by some as a "tragic lamppost," but its elegance has come to be recognized by most.

Photo by Anna.

FR-416783, sent by Anna.

It stands 985 feet 11 inches (300.5 meters) on a square base measuring 328 feet (100 meters) on each side.

The first story platform is at 189 feet (57.6 meters), with sides 232 feet (70.7 meters) long. The second story platform is at 379 feet (115.5 meters), with sides 134 feet (40.8 meters) long.

There is an intermediate platform at 643 feet (196 meters) -- this is only a point to change elevators. The third story platform is at 905 feet (275.8 meters).

Later a 66-foot (20-meter) television antenna was attached, which extended the tower's total height to 1052 feet (320.7 meters). - in: http://topics.info.com/What-are-the-dimensions-of-the-Eiffel-Tower_773

Joux Castle - France

Last month João went on an European road trip but the trip was interrupted by an unfortunate event. After suffering for a couple of weeks, the worst seems to be over and João can finally breathe again. I really hope things keep getting better. 

Before the interruption of the trip, João sent me this card of the Joux Castle in France. 

Editions Cellard

Joux Castle is a castle, transformed into a fort, located in La Cluse-et-Mijoux, in the Doubs department, in the Jura mountains of France.

The Jura Mountains are a small mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each. The mountain range is located in France, Switzerland and Germany.

First built in wood in the 11th century, the castle was rebuilt in stone in the next century. After passing into the hands of the Ducjy of Burgundy, then of the Habsburgs Empire, a new fortress was planned by Vauban, Louis XIV's celebrated military architect, in 1690.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, including the French Revolutionary period, the fortress was used as a state prison, among whose most famous residents were Mirabeau, André Rigaud, Heinrich von Kleist and Toussaint Louverture (who died there from cold and malnutrition).
In 1879, Captain (later General) Joffre, then a military engineering officer, modernises the citadel by installing casemates that could accommodate 155 mm cannons, the largest pieces of artillery at the time.
The fortress currently houses a museum of arms that exhibits more than 600 rare weapons dating from the early 18th to the 20th centuries. - in: http://www.eupedia.com/france/joux_castle.shtml

Taizé - France

If I'm not mistaken, this year was the 10th time Cristina visited Taizé, I believe this village is her special place. She usually sends me a card from there and these are just 3 of them. The 1st of these 3 arrive a few days ago and the other arrived in 2013 and 2010. 

Photo: S. Leutenegger - 1077 © Ateliers et Presses de Taizé

Taizé is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France.

In Taizé lives the Taizé Community, a monastic, ecumenical, international community founded in 1940 by Frère Roger.

Taizé is also known as a place of pilgrimage primarily for young adults: every week, hundreds and thousands of visitors, generally between the ages of 17 and 30, visit Taizé for an experience of prayer and community life. - in: wikipedia

Photo Taizé - 1092 © Ateliers et Presses de Taizé

 It is likely that at first the community used the village’s Romanesque church - Sainte Marie Madeleine. As the community grew another bigger church, along with other buildings were built. Today the Taizé community is short walk from Sainte Marie Madeleine. 

Luckily the village of Taizé didn’t abandon Sainte Marie Madeleine. On the contrary the village restored it. 

Sainte Marie Madeleine is a typical Burgundian Romanesque church. Its layout and architecture are simple. The bell tower is over the crossing. The bell tower also has Lombard Bands and arches on the windows. This is typical for a Romanesque church in Burgundy. 

Sainte Marie Madeleine is a small church with few windows which means that the inside is rather dark. The church is surrounded on two sides by a cemetery." - in: http://www.americansinfrance.net/attractions/Taize.cfm

Soubise - France

Soubise isn't only an onion sauce, is also the name of a town in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.

I didn't find much about this small town.

The local church was originally a romanesque constrution but after its destrution it was rebuilt in gothic style. 

Sant Julià de Lòria - Andorra

I try to visit a new country every year and last year the new country on my list was Andorra. I bought a lot of cards there but these three are part of the 240 postcards offer from Paulo. 

Sant Julià de Lòria is one of the parishes of Andorra, in the far south of that country. It is also the name of the main town of the parish, which at 908 m is the lowest settlement in Andorra.

Sant Julià perfectly combines nature and rest thanks to its wide range of sports and cultural offers.

Beeing the lowest settlement in Andorra, Sant Julià enjoys a more temperate weather, with less harsh winters, compared to the other parishes of the Principality.

Baiona - Spain

Zé sent me this card of the Monterreal Castle in Baiona, a city in Galicia, northwest Spain. 

Monterreal castle was built between the 12th and 16th centuries. For centuries it protect Baiona from its enemies and pirates but now it receives tourists from all over the world as the castle is now one of Spain's most popular paradores, a kind of luxury hotel, usually located in a historic building such as a monastery or castle. 

When Columbus's Pinta landed here in 1492, Baiona became the first town in Europe to receive the news of the discovery of the New World.