Meeting in Brussels - Belgium

Last month José and Rui attended a Postcrossing meeting in Brussels and they send me not 1, not 2 but 3 beautiful meeting cards, signed by a fair amount of postcrossers. 

These cards brought me some nice memories of my visit to Belgium a couple of years ago. The country is on my list of the places and countries I want to visit again. 

When you think of Belgium specialities I'm sure that chocolate and waffles are probably the first things that cross your mind. In La Belgique Gourmand you can find that and other typical Belgian gastronomic delights, such as iscuits, chocolate truffles, macaroons, cuberdons, exquisite Babeluttes, marzipan, chocolate-coated almonds or with tiramisu or caramel coatings...

What about the famous Belgium beer? Yes, they also have beer, 250 Belgium beers. 

La Grand Place is probably one of the most beautiful squares I've ever seen.

La Grand Place is the central, geographic and historic heart of Brussels, as well as one of the most memorable squares in Europe. This lively cobbled square is part of the most beautiful seventeenth-century architectural ensemble in Belgium.

In 1695 the French army bombarded Brussels and destroyed most buildings housed in La Grand Place. They were all rebuilt except the Town Hall. - in: https://www.introducingbrussels.com

Paimpol - France

To thank me for the card I sent him from Madeira, Damien sent me this Paimpol card. 

Paimpol is a small town in Brittany, northwest France. 

Editions d'Art

Paimpol is the fishing and oyster farming centre of Côtes-d'Armor! This pretty little Breton town, once a peninsula, has been shaped by its maritime past, starting with cod fishing trips to Newfoundland and Iceland. 

This maritime past was immortalised in Pierre Loti’s novel An Iceland Fisherman. 

PT RR - Grupo 134 * Surprise April

I'm starting this month of May with the postcards I received from the April surprise group on the Portuguese speaking community.  Many thanks to Joana, Ana, Inês and Tiago.

© 2012 Cormany / Gettyimages

My first thought when I saw this postcard was, "I hope none of these ladies has broken their femur playing this game." In Portugal we call this game "macaca". 

Photo © Olivier Anger

This beautiful building is Mulhouse Town Hall. 

The building dates from 1552. It was built on the site of the former Town Hall, built in 1431, which was burnt down. - in: - https://www.tourisme-alsace.com/en/234007525-Former-city-hall.html

 I've been to Palmela only once and it was to attend a Postcrossing meeting. This card brings me back some good memories of that day.

Palmela castle is a huge fortified complex that stands atop the eastern edge of the Serra de Arrabida hills. This high vantage point of the castle provides stunning views over both the Tagus and Sado estuaries and made it of strategic importance for early Portuguese dynasties but surprisingly the castle experienced very little actual fighting since the Christian conquest of the Moors in the 12th century. - in: https://sintracascaissesimbra.com/setubal/Castelo-de-Palmela.html

© ATLANTICPOST

On January 30, 2006 it snowed in São Brás de Alportel. Snow is a rare thing to see in southern Portugal. I actually remember that on that day it snowed in several areas of the country and here in Guarda, where it is suppose to be normal to snow, it did not snow at all!!

Bulguksa Temple - South Korea

Bulguksa Temple is also a UNESCO site in South Korea. 

The lovely snowy card is an official from Japan and the 2nd card was sent by Claus 10 years ago! 

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JP-268799, sent by Junko.

Bulguksa is a Buddhist temple in the North Gyeongsang province of South Korea. Although much-restored, it is an important example of Silla architecture and is home to no less than seven Korean national treasures.

Given its important status today, it is interesting that Bulguksa was never intended to be a major temple. It was originally founded in 535 by King Pob-hung, for the use of his queen to pray for the welfare of the kingdom. 

The present temple was begun in 751 by Prime Minister Kim Daeseong.

Bulguksa was burned to the ground during the 1592 Hideyoshi Toyotomi invasion. It was partially reconstructed during the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-1945) and fully restored under President Park Chung-hee (1961-1979).

Bulguksa Temple was added to the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1995, together with the nearby Seokguram Grotto. - in: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/south-korea/bulguksa.htm

Andong - South Korea

Andong is a city in South Korea and the capital of North Gyeongsang Province. Andong is known as a centre of culture and folk traditions. The Hahoe Folk Village is perhaps the most notable folk village in South Korea. This village was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site  in 2010.

This was a site still missing in my collection. 

Andong Hahoe Village has preserved the housing architecture and the village structure of the Joseon dynasty. Moreover, the village was not artificially created; there are people who actually live there. 

Because the village is surrounded by mountains and water, it had never been invaded. This is the reason why these houses still remain in their original structures. - in: https://www.asia-planet.net/korea/andong-si.htm

The card was sent by Marina from Italy. 

Turku castle - Finland

It's official, I'll travel to Finland in June and I'll visit Turku. I'm really looking forward to finally travel to Finland and meet a few friends there. 

Turku is the third largest city in Finland but was once the capital of the country, from 1809 to 1812, and was the largest city in terms of population until the late 1840s.

One of the city's attractions is its castle, one of the largest medieval buildings in the country.

I guess I won't need to buy postcards of the castle. These were sent by Anna-Maria, Laura and Marita.

Photo: Pentti Harala

Turku Castle is a more than 700 year old historical monument. It has stood guard over the river Aura estuary since the 1280’s. Its granite stone walls hold within them the history of Finland, Sweden and the other Nordic countries.

 The history of Turku Castle begins in the 1280's. During the centuries the fortification gradually changed into a grand greystone palace.

The Postcrossing Logo is a Registered Trade Mark * Illustration © Ilkka Lylmäkorpi

In 1556, King Gustav Vasa named his son Johan Duke of Finland. The era of Johan marked a new phase in the construction of the Castle. The renaissance halls were built during this period, which also marked the beginning of the reneissance era in Finland.

 Foto: Markku Roisko

FI-1422214, enviado pela Laura.

In the 17th century, the Governor General of Finland Per Brahe held court in the Bailey. Gradually the administrative centre moved out of the by then old castle, and gave way to a prison. It also served as a storehouse and as barracks.

 In the 1941 bombings the castle was left in ruins. After the end of the war restaurations began. Nowadays the periods of construction can be seen in labyrinthine passages, walled up doors and windows and in mysterious staircases. - in: https://www.turku.fi/en/turku-castle/turku-castle-nutshell

DE-8091609

A german official from a city I've never heard before, Heilbronn. 

© Schöning Verlag * Foto: Ingo Wannmacher

DE-8091609, sent by Rico.

Heilbronn is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg. 

st. Killian's Church is a Gothic hall church constructed from Heilbronner sand stone, whose origin dates back to the 11th century. Its western Tower, constructed by Hans Schweiner, is one of the first major Renaissance buildings to be built north of the Alps. - in: wikipedia