FR-1367900

Once again Google Images was a great help as there's no identification of this bridge on the card. This was an easy one. This is Pont Saint-Bénézet, also known as the Pont d'Avignon, a famous medieval bridge in the town of Avignon, in southern France.

FR-1367900, sent by Mireille.

A wooden bridge spanning the Rhône between Villeneuve-lès-Avignon and Avignon was built between 1177 and 1185. This early bridge was destroyed forty years later in 1226 during the Albigensian Crusade when Louis VIII of France laid siege to Avignon. Beginning in 1234 the bridge was rebuilt with 22 stone arches. The stone bridge was about 900 m (980 yd) in length and only 4.9 m (16 ft 1 in) in width, including the parapets at the sides. 

The bridge was abandoned in the mid-17th century as the arches tended to collapse each time the Rhône flooded making it very expensive to maintain. Four arches and the gatehouse at the Avignon end of the bridge have survived. The Chapel of Saint Nicholas which sits on the second pier of the bridge, was constructed in the second half of 12th century but has since been substantially altered. The western terminus, the Tour Philippe-le-Bel, is also preserved.

In 1995, the surviving arches of the bridge, together with the Palais des Papes and Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms were classified as a World Heritage Site. - in: wikipedia

Sado Estuary - Portugal

Sado Estuary Nature Reserve occupies a total area of 23,160 hectares, integrated in the municipalities of Setúbal, Alcácer do Sal, Grândola and Palmela. The estuary is formed near Alcácer do Sal, a very fertile humid area where the landscape is marked by rice paddies, grown in trays.

© AVS Multimédia

One of the images associated with this landscape are the nests of white storks, perched on top of church towers or electricity pylons. This elegant bird always chooses the highest places in order to build its nests. This is one of the more of 200 bird species that inhabit the Sado Estuary, which has been declared a Nature Reserve and a zone of special protection in order to protect the species.

© AVS Multimédia

The fauna is rich and diverse, being one of the most important wetlands in the country. 261 species of vertebrates are registered in the Nature Reserve, of which 8 are amphibians, 11 are reptiles, 211 are birds and 31 are mammals. The estuary is an important wintering area for several bird species and nesting areas for others. It also houses the only resident community of dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, in Portuguese territory.

© AVS Multimédia

The protected area has great natural riches that man can use to his benefit, including cork oak groves from which cork is extracted, pine groves, whose pinenuts are transformed by skilled hands into highly appreciated regional desserts, and the now defunct salt pans, which were of great economic importance over many centuries.

© AVS Multimédia

The fish salting tanks that can be seen in Tróia, in the Roman ruins, vestiges of an ancient production practice. - in: https://www.visitportugal.com

Monthly Fav. Surprise RR * February '21

February's cards arrived very quickly. They came from Czech Rep., Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

Radana says that there are only a few windmills in Czech Republic. I think I've never seen cards of mills from Czech Republic and this is my 1st one from there. 

I couldn't find much about this mill and the information on the back of the card is written in Czech but with the help of my penpal Zdenka, who translated the text for me, now I know a bit about this mill in Premyslovice, one of the oldest villages in Morava region. The mill, of Dutch style, was built in 1884 in the same place of the original that burnt down. It was used until 1945. In 1965 was classified as a National Technical Monument. It has been reconstructed and now is a private property.

© www.postcards-for-postcrossing.com

This is a beautiful card but I already had it. The other one is an official, this one was sent by Annerie.

De Zaandplatte, in Ruinen, is a smock mill built in 1964 and is listed as a Rijksmonument (national heritage site of the Netherlands). 

The present mill was built at Echten in 1866 by millwright Zilverberg for the Van Holthe family. In 1964, the mill was re-erected at Ruinen. It was used as a holiday home but its condition deteriorated over the years. In 1989 the Stichting Vrienden van der Ruinen Molen (English: Society of Friends of the Ruinen Mill) was set up to preserve the mill. 

In 1993 the mill was sold to the Gemeente Ruinen who owned it until 1995 when ownership was transferred to the Stichting Vrienden van der Ruinen Molen. A restoration of the mill to full working order started in 1995. The mill was officially opened on 6 September 1996. - in: wikipedia

I really don't associate Belgium with the sea but the country is bordered by the North Sea and its coastline is 66 km's in length. 

The card was sent by Karina.

www.papersisters.de

A new Happy Postcrossing from... card. In the future if I want to tell the my grandkids (that I won't have) about this pandemic, I can show them this card. In a few words, it sums up all about these days that we live. Lockdown, masks, sanitizer, social distance, quarantine, homeschooling and homeoffice are now very familiar words and expressions and the correct use of all these things definitely help the fight against this virus. 

Postcards matter even more these days and that is so true. Getting and sending cards really help me to get through all this madness. If it wasn't for postcrossing, and penpalling too, my days would be so much boring. 

Thanks Nadine for the great card. 

Monthly Fav. Surprise RR * January '21

January and February's MFS RR cards didn't took that long to arrive to my mailbox but 2 of my cards are still traveling, both to USA. My last cards to USA took forever to get there, more than a month but these cards are taking even more than that!! 

Frankfurt am Main has Germany’s largest Christmas market as well as its tallest Christmas tree. The tallestt houses in Germany are in Frankfurt, which is why the tree should always be the tallest in the country. It is usually 30 meters high and over 100 years old. 

This winter view of Romerberg was sent by Birgit.

Photo: Taneli Eskola 2010

Sofiankatu is a short alley between the Senate Square and Market Square, and among the oldest streets in Helsinki dating back to 1640's.

I've been there in 2019, trying to take a picture like this one sent by Mari.

Iris said she already sent me all her church cards, now she sent a mosque. Church, mosque, I don't mind, any religious building is ok for me.

Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque) is one of the most beautiful mosques and landmarks in both Istanbul and the world. Blue Mosque was built in the 17th century (1603-1617) by Sedefkar Mehmet Aga with the order of Sultan Ahmet I.

Located in the Sultanahmet neighborhood of Fatih district, along the Sultanahmet Sqaure, the Blue Mosque is a great sample of the Turkish and Islamic architecture and one of the most visited sights and mosques in Istanbul . It can also be considered as a triumph of harmony, proportion and elegance. - in: https://istanbeautiful.com

Photo: Jonathan (?)

I believe this is my 1st card from this American National Park. Kae has been there on hiking trip. 

At 110 feet high, Otter Cliff, in Acadia National Park, is one of the most spectacular sights along the North Atlantic Seaboard. 

The park is located along the mid-section of the Maine coast, southwest of Bar Harbor. It preserves about half of Mount Desert Island, part of the Isle au Haut, the tip of the Schoodic Peninsula, and portions of 16 smaller outlying islands. The park preserves the natural beauty of the rocky headlands, including the highest mountains along the Atlantic coast. The park boasts a glaciated coastal and island landscape, an abundance of habitats, a high level of biodiversity, clean air and water, and a rich cultural heritage. - in: wikipedia

Brown bears - Canada

Did you know that Canada is home to 60% of the world’s entire bear population? I had no idea. There are three species of bears native to Canada, grizzlies, black bears and polar bears. 

These two cubs are dedinitely not polar bears, they're not black so I guess we can assume they're brown bears. 

The Postcard Factory

The North American brown bear, also nicknamed the ‘grizzly’, is frequently spotted in Canada’s North and on the West Coast. What distinguishes grizzly bear subspecies from other brown bears is geography – the brown bears of Eurasia are a different subspecies to their grizzled American counterparts. Coastal bears tend to be bigger than inland ones. 

Some of the world’s most famous and revered bears, grizzlies or brown bears can be found across Western Canada. Individuals grow up to 700 kilograms, and although they have a diet mainly consisting of berries and plants, protein-rich foods like salmon are easily accessible along the coast. Grizzlies can be identified by the protruding hump on their shoulders and their shaggy – or grizzled – coat, which is lighter at the tips than at the root. Considered an endangered animal, seeing a grizzly or North American brown bear is a once-in-a-lifetime experience not to be missed. - in: https://www.canadianaffair.com

US-7182092 & US-7198023

These official cards from USA were the 1st that I received and registered this year. 

Photo by John Seibel

US-7182092, sent by Susan.

Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge is an 829-acre (3.35 km2) state park ib Georgia. The park's name is derived from a Cherokee language word meaning "tumbling waters".

The park is home to Amicalola Falls, a 729-foot (222 m) waterfall that is the highest in Georgia. It is considered to be one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia. An 8-mile (13 km) trail that winds past Amicalola Falls and leads to Springer Mountain, famous as the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, begins in the park. Amicalola Falls State Park also offers many hiking trails, a guest lodge, restaurant, cabins, a shelter for long-distance Appalachian Trail hikers, a campground, and access to the eco-friendly Len Foote Hike Inn. -in: wikipedia

US-7198023, sent by Jane.

One of the most photographed landmarks on the Gulf coast, the St. Marks Lighthouse is the second oldest lighthouse in Florida and the oldest on the Gulf coast. It was the only lighthouse in Florida with wooden stairs. The current tower was completed in 1842. - in: https://www.fws.gov

UY-2977

An ID only with 4 digits, I don't remember when was the last time that happened. This is my 1st official card from Uruguay and only my 4th card from this country. Another neat detail is that it was fully written in Portuguese. Obrigada Natalia. 

Teatro Solís, in Montevideo, is Uruguay’s oldest and most renowned cultural theater.

 SYNA Producciones

UY-2977, sent by Natalia.

Located in Montevideo’s Plaza Independencia, the building is a perfect example of neoclassical, Old World architectural splendor. 

The theater was designed by the Italian architect Carlo Zucchi using timber and marble brought over from Europe and stored away while war raged in Uruguay. After years of delay, the theater finally opened in 1856 with a rendition of Verdi’s opera Ernani. 

The design—including the elegant façade (which has been completely restored), carved canopy and pillars, and elliptical interior—was heavily influenced by Italian architecture. The similarities can be seen in the Teatro Carlo in Genoa, the Milanese Teatro alla Scala, and most of all the Teatro Metastasio di Prato near Florence. - in: https://www.atlasobscura.com