SE-85245

An official from Sweden. 

Foto: Börje Lejon

SE-85245, sent by Anette.

Tranemo Church, built in the 1880s, is one of Emil Langlet’s twelve central churches.

The interior was given a more oblong shape in the 1930s, but in 1993 the original idea was readopted, namely to make baptism and communion visible at the centre of the church interior.

Two of the galleries that had previously been removed were reconstructed and later the church was also given its freestanding altar table. - in: http://www.svenskakyrkan.se/kyrkrundansjuharad/tranemo-church

Dublin - Ireland

I'm counting the days for my next holidays in September but those won't be my last holidays of the year. In November I'll travel again and I'll go to Ireland. I doubt I'll get such a blue and clear sky but I might get lucky!! 

Christ Church Cathedral will be one of the monuments I'll visit in Dublin but my travel plans include other places and monuments nearby. 

Heidi has been to Dublin last June for a postcrossing meeting. Who knows, maybe I'll get to meet some postcrossers there too. 

© Liam Blake

Standing on high ground in the oldest part of Dublin, Christ Church Cathedral is one of the city's finest historic buildings. Part of the Anglican Church of Ireland, the cathedral is the mother church for the diocese of Dublin and Glendalough.

The first Christianized Danish king, Sitric (Sigtryggr Silkbeard), built a wooden church at this site in 1038. On the brow of a hill inside the city walls, it was the most commanding position in Dublin. The present stone cathedral was begun in 1172 after the conquest of Dublin by Strongbow (a.k.a. Richard de Clare), a Norman baron. Construction continued well into the 13th century, so a transition from Norman to Early English Gothic styles can be seen in the architecture.

The cathedral's vault collapsed in 1562, bringing down the south side of the nave with it. It was rebuilt in the 17th century.

Funded by the distiller Henry Roe, the cathedral was heavily restored by architect G. E. Street in 1871-78. As with many Victorian renovations, the work was important for preserving the ancient building but also robbed the cathedral of much of its medieval character. The exterior was entirely refaced and the interior was fully renovated in a Victorian Neo-Gothic style. Street also rebuilt the tower and added external buttresses. - in: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/ireland/dublin-christ-church-cathedral

GB-664568

A beautiful snowy landscape with the scotish Blair Castle. 

© Copyright www.allanwrightphoto.com

GB-664568, sent by Vikki.

 Blair Castle is the ancient seat of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl and home to Europe's last remaining private army, the Atholl Highlanders

Blair Castle is nestled in the dramatic landscape of Highland Perthshire and has been home to 19 generations of Stewarts and Murrays of Atholl. Unique amongst Scottish castles, the story told here will take you from a visit by Mary Queen of Scots to the Civil War and from the Jacobite cause to the disaster of Culloden following Bonnie Prince Charlie's own stay in the castle. You'll hear how the lucky inheritance of a smuggler-infested island helped turn the castle into a comfortable home and how a visit from Queen Victoria led to the creation of Europe's only surviving private army, the Atholl Highlanders.

More than 30 rooms are on display, full of Scottish cultural history, architectural design, period furnishings, family portraits, landscape paintings and a colourful military past. - in: http://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/blair-castle-gardens-p250571

Glasgow - Scotland

A card from Glasgow sent by Damien. The nice ship is Glenlee and the modern building is the Riverside Museum. 

© Colin Baxter

The Riverside Museum provides an exciting new home for Glasgow's transport collection and replaces the Museum of Transport previousy located at the Kelvin Hall. The development has a riverside location on a site where the River Clyde meets Glasgow's other main river, the Kelvin, and will be adjacent to Glasgow Harbour.

The much-acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid created the design for the Riverside Museum, which has already been dubbed 'Glasgow's Guggenheim'.

The new museum houses collections not previously on display at the Museum of Transport, and for the first time allows the proper interpretation of Glasgow's important maritime history.

With more than 3,000 objects on display, from skateboards to locomotives, paintings to prams, velocipedes to voiturettes, there is something for visitors of all ages. - in: http://www.clydewaterfront.com/projects/greater-govan--glasgow-harbour/leisure/riverside_museum

Moored outside is the 19th-century sailing ship, Glasgow's Tall Ship, the Glenlee.

The Tall Ship: SV Glenlee is a major visitor attraction in Glasgow and has welcomed over half a million visitors since opening in 1999.
She was built in 1896 and worked as a cargo ship for over 20 years, circumnavigating the globe 4 times. SV Glenlee is now the only remaining Clyde-built sailing vessel afloat in the UK and is an icon of Glasgow’s ship building heritage.
The Tall Ship officially became an accredited museum in 2008 and she is recognised as part of the Core Collection of historic vessels in the UK, offering an exciting programme of family events, education projects, exhibitions and tours. Visit the Captain's Cabin, the children's play area, engine room and cargo hold cinema!  - in: http://www.glasgowsleadingattractions.com/attractions/the-tall-ship/ 

PC Meeting in London

The Mons Postcrossing meeting was in late march and in the begginning of May, Raquel attended another meeting, this one in London. Laerke also sent me a card from this meeting. 

Fisa

Even if this card had no identification where it was from, I bet everyone would say it was a card from London. The double decker buses, the underground sign, Big Ben, Tower Bridge, London Eye, the red phone booths and the Queen's Guards are some of the most famous London icons. 

 © British Library Board

Laerke sent a card issued by the British Library showing habits of English ladies in the years of 1735, 1745 and 1755. 

NL-3068992, NL-3069013 & NL-3069000

Last monday I've got not 1, not 2 but 3 official cards from the Netherlands. 

 Foto © Depositphotos/Merial

NL-3068992, sent by Janny.

This is Gouda's Town Hall, a very beautiful bulding that I didn't get to see properly because of the weekly market :( 

It is one of the oldest and most impressive Gothic secular buildings in The Netherlands. 

The Gothic Goudse stadhuis was already in use by 1450 but many alterations have been made through the centuries. In the 17th century it was added a staircase leading to the entrance as well as the balcony at the rear of the building on which offenders could be mocked and denounced by the people. It was on this balcony that in 1860 the death penalty was executed for the last time in The Netherlands.

NL-3069013, sent by Monique. 

The biggest church in Amsterdam, built 1619 – 1631, the Westerkerk – English: The Western Church, is the most important Protestant church in the city, while its bell tower – the Westerkerk Tower - Dutch: Westertoren, remains until today the pride of Amsterdam, regarded by many, as the city symbol. - in: http://www.amsterdam.info/westerkerk/

NL-3069000, sent by Hester.

Ommen is an Hanseatic city in the Vecht valley of the Salland region, which is at the heart of the province of Overijssel in the eastern Netherlands.

Omemn has five windmills, this one on the card is Besthem mill, from 1862 and recently renovated. The Besthem mill houses the Nature Information Centre with expositions about Ommen's diverse landscape and ecosystems.

Bourtange - Netherlands

Some time ago I read somewhere that Bourtange is one of the most beautiful villages in the world. I mentioned this to my dutch friend Tessa and a few days ago I've got this card from there, sent by her parents! 

Fort Bourtange is such a star fort located in the village of Bourtange, Groningen, Netherlands. It was built in 1593 under the orders of William the I of Orange, to control the only road between Germany and the city of Groningen, which was controlled by the Spaniards during the time of the Eighty Years' War.

During the Eighty Years' War, the Spaniards had control over Groningen and the road leading from there to Germany. William, the leader of the Netherlands, saw it necessary to break off communications between Groningen and Germany. He decided that it would be optimal to build a fortification on the Bourtange passage, which was the main road leading to Germany. The fort was completed in 1593 in the design of a star with a network of canals and lakes which were used as moats. At its heart was a central square with streets that led directly to various bastions within the protective moat. At the very year of its completion, Spanish forces tried to besiege it but the attack ended in failure.

Fort Bourtange faced another battle in 1672 against a marauding German army. After capturing 28 cities and towns in the northern Netherlands, they demanded that the Fort be surrendered. Legend states that the Germans offered the fort's governor, Captain Protts, 20,000 guilders to surrender. Captain Prott refused saying he had an equal number of bullets for his foe. The Germans attacked but the fort’s trusted defense once again successfully repelled the attack.

Eventually, in 1851 the fort town of Bourtange was converted into a village. Over 100 years later in 1960, the local government decided to restore the old Fort to its 1740-1750 appearance and made into a historical museum. - in: http://www.amusingplanet.com/2013/06/star-shaped-fort-bourtange-in.html