Monday 30 September 2013

Convent of Christ in Tomar, Portugal (UNESCO)

 http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/265

Originally designed as a monument symbolizing the Reconquest, the Convent of the Knights Templar of Tomar (transferred in 1344 to the Knights of the Order of Christ) came to symbolize just the opposite during the Manueline period – the opening up of Portugal to other civilizations.

Sender: JoaoNogueira, Sent on: 17 Sep, 2013, Received on: 26 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 9 days

Brú na Bóinne - Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne, Ireland (UNESCO)

 http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/659

The three main prehistoric sites of the Brú na Bóinne Complex, Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth, are situated on the north bank of the River Boyne 50 km north of Dublin. This is Europe's largest and most important concentration of prehistoric megalithic art. The monuments there had social, economic, religious and funerary functions.

Sender: Ana, Sent on: 17 Sep, 2013, Received on: 26 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 9 days

Madara Rider, Bulgaria (UNESCO)

 http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/43

The Madara Rider, representing the figure of a knight triumphing over a lion, is carved into a 100-m-high cliff near the village of Madara in north-east Bulgaria. Madara was the principal sacred place of the First Bulgarian Empire before Bulgaria’s conversion to Christianity in the 9th century. The inscriptions beside the sculpture tell of events that occurred between AD 705 and 801.

Sender: ceruleanmind, Sent on: 16 Sep, 2013, Received on: 26 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 10 days

Vézelay, Church and Hill, France (UNESCO)

 http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/84

Shortly after its foundation in the 9th century, the Benedictine abbey of Vézelay acquired the relics of St Mary Magdalene and since then it has been an important place of pilgrimage. St Bernard preached the Second Crusade there in 1146 and Richard the Lion-Hearted and Philip II Augustus met there to leave for the Third Crusade in 1190. With its sculpted capitals and portal, the Madeleine of Vézelay – a 12th-century monastic church – is a masterpiece of Burgundian Romanesque art and architecture.

Sender: famalubel, Sent on: 21 Sep, 2013, Received on: 26 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 5 days

The Cathedral of St James in Šibenik, Croatia (UNESCO)

 http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/963


The Cathedral of St James in Šibenik (1431-1535), on the Dalmatian coast, bears witness to the considerable exchanges in the field of monumental arts between Northern Italy, Dalmatia and Tuscany in the 15th and 16th centuries. The three architects who succeeded one another in the construction of the Cathedral - Francesco di Giacomo, Georgius Mathei Dalmaticus and Niccolò di Giovanni Fiorentino - developed a structure built entirely from stone and using unique construction techniques for the vaulting and the dome of the Cathedral. The form and the decorative elements of the Cathedral, such as a remarkable frieze decorated with 71 sculptured faces of men, women, and children, also illustrate the successful fusion of Gothic and Renaissance art.

Sender: ddonkey, Sent on: 16 Sep, 2013, Received on: 26 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 10 days

Tuesday 24 September 2013

Flag of Wales


The flag of Wales (Welsh: Baner Cymru or Y Ddraig Goch, meaning "The Red Dragon") consists of a red dragon passant on a green and white field. As with many heraldic charges, the exact representation of the dragon is not standardised and many renderings exist.
The flag incorporates the Red Dragon of Cadwaladr, King of Gwynedd, along with the Tudor colours of green and white. It was used by Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 after which it was carried in state to St Paul's Cathedral. The red dragon was then included as a supporter of the Tudor royal arms to signify their Welsh descent. It was officially recognised as the Welsh national flag in 1959.

Sender: freespirit, Sent on: 5 Sep, 2013, Received on: 23 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 19 days

The Eckerö Mail & Custom's House, Åland Islands


The stately Eckerö Mail & Custom's House was built in 1828 and drawn by the architects Carl Ludvig Engel and Carlo Bassi. The building is fashioned in the empire building style, known from, for example, the Helsinki centre and St. Petersburg. Eckerö Mail & Custom's House represents together with Bomarsund the Russian occupation in Finland and Åland. Eckerö used to be the Russian custom's border with Sweden for more than a hundred years.
Architect historians of today consider the Eckerö Mail & Custom's House to be one of Engels most important non-church buildings. The building has been owned by the Åland province since 1994 and is managed by the Åland government. The building and the surrounding area are an important part of the Åland cultural inheritance and have a strong connection with the Old Mail Route. Today the cultural building offers a fine excursion destination for the whole family.

Sender: anemone1, Sent on: 30 Aug, 2013, Received on: 23 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 24 days
Sent from Finland

Map of Åland Islands


The Åland Islands is an autonomous, demilitarised, monolingually Swedish-speaking region of Finland that consists of an archipelago lying at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia in the Baltic Sea. Collectively, the islands in the archipelago form the smallest region of Finland, constituting 0.49% of its land area and 0.50% of its population.

Sender: Helena_of_Troy, Sent on: 2 Sep, 2013, Received on: 23 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 21 days 
Sent from Finland

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Canada (UNESCO WH Site)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/158

In south-west Alberta, the remains of marked trails and an aboriginal camp, and a tumulus where vast quantities of buffalo (American Bison) skeletons can still be found, are evidence of a custom practised by aboriginal peoples of the North American plains for nearly 6,000 years. Using their excellent knowledge of the topography and of buffalo behaviour, they killed their prey by chasing them over a precipice; the carcasses were later carved up in the camp below.

Sender: glas_y_gors, Sent on: 30 Aug, 2013, Received on: 23 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 24 days

Old City of Berne (Marksman-fountain and Clock-tower) Switzerland (UNESCO WH Site)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/267

Founded in the 12th century on a hill site surrounded by the Aare River, Berne developed over the centuries in line with a an exceptionally coherent planning concept. The buildings in the Old City, dating from a variety of periods, include 15th-century arcades and 16th-century fountains. Most of the medieval town was restored in the 18th century but it has retained its original character.

Sender: Oscar, Sent on: 6 Sep, 2013, Received on: 23 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 17 days

Map of the Bahamas


Sender: Brenda, Sent on: 1 Sep, 2013, Received on: 20 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 20 days
http://9teen87spostcards.blogspot.com/

Château de Pierrefonds, Paris, France


The Château de Pierrefonds is a castle situated in the commune of Pierrefonds in the Oise département (Picardy) of France. It is on the southeast edge of the Forest of Compiègne, north east of Paris, between Villers-Cotterêts and Compiègne.
The Château de Pierrefonds includes most of the characteristics of defensive military architecture from the Middle Ages, though it underwent a major restoration in the 19th century.

Sender: calimero2, Sent on: 14 Sep, 2013, Received on: 23 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 9 days

Monday 23 September 2013

Flag of the Bahamas


Three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side; the band colors represent the golden beaches of the islands surrounded by the aquamarine sea; black represents the vigor and force of a united people, while the pointing triangle indicates the enterprise and determination of the Bahamian people to develop the rich resources of land and sea.

Sender: Brenda, Sent on: 1 Sep, 2013, Received on: 20 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 19 days

Sunday 22 September 2013

Flag of New Zealand


Blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation.

Sender: kiwi2140nz, Sent on: 4 Sep, 2013, Received on: 20 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 16 days

Flag of Coat of Arms,Luxembourg

Features the Coat of Arms of Luxembourg.

The ensign, used by river and lake shipping, and in aviation. It is based on the coat of arms of Luxembourg. A rampant red lion with a crown, blazoned over 10 light blue and white stripes.

Recently there has been much talk about changing the national flag to the current civil ensign, to further differentiate the flag form that of The Netherlands and to provide the country with a truly unique flag of its own.

Sender: Jean-Marc, Sent on: 3 Sep, 2013, Received on: 20 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 17 days

Flag of Portugal (Made of Cork)

 Sender: anaserodio, Sent on: 11 Sep, 2013, Received on: 20 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 9 days

Sceilg Mhichíl - Skellig Michael, Ireland (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/757

This monastic complex, perched since about the 7th century on the steep sides of the rocky island of Skellig Michael, some 12 km off the coast of south-west Ireland, illustrates the very spartan existence of the first Irish Christians. Since the extreme remoteness of Skellig Michael has until recently discouraged visitors, the site is exceptionally well preserved.

Sender: Monikucha, Sent on: 13 Sep, 2013, Received on: 20 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 7 days

Belfries of Belgium and France (Margaret of Austria and St. Rumbold's Cathedral, Mechelen) Belgium (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/943

Twenty-three belfries in the north of France and the belfry of Gembloux in Belgium were inscribed as a group, an extension to the 32 Belgian belfries inscribed in 1999 as Belfries of Flanders and Wallonia. Built between the 11th and 17th centuries, they showcase the Roman, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles of architecture. They are highly significant tokens of the winning of civil liberties. While Italian, German and English towns mainly opted to build town halls, in part of north-western Europe, greater emphasis was placed on building belfries. Compared with the keep (symbol of the seigneurs) and the bell-tower (symbol of the Church), the belfry, the third tower in the urban landscape, symbolizes the power of the aldermen. Over the centuries, they came to represent the influence and wealth of the towns.

Sender: Gerda, Her blog ; http://mypostcard-page.blogspot.be/
Sent on: 9 Sep, 2013, Received on: 20 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 11 days

Djémila, Algeria (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/191

Situated 900 m above sea-level, Djémila, or Cuicul, with its forum, temples, basilicas, triumphal arches and houses, is an interesting example of Roman town planning adapted to a mountain location.

The city was slowly abandoned after the fall of the Roman Empire around the 5th century and 6th century. Muslims later dominated the region, but did not reoccupy the site of Cuicul, which they renamed Djémila ("beautiful" in Arabic)

Postcard 1 : Arch of Caracalla

The Arch of Caracalla is a Roman triumphal arch from the beginning of the 3rd century, located at Djémila in Algeria (Cuicul). The arch, with a single span (fornix) was placed on the road leading to Sitifis and constituted the entrance to the city's Severan forum.
The arch was erected in 216 in honour of the Emperor Caracalla, his mother Julia Domna and his deceased father Septimus Severus.
The arch, with a single span, reaches a height of 12.5 m, a width on 11.6 m and a depth of 3.9 m.


Sender: Nihad

Postcard 2 : Multiview (The Fountain, The Temple of Severe, Roman Theatre)


Sender: Nihad, Sent on: 11 Feb, 2014, Received on: 24 Feb, 2014, Travel time: 13 days

Town Musicians of Bremen, Germany

Sender: Franzschalott, Sent on: 19 Aug, 2013, Received on: 20 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 32 days

Wednesday 11 September 2013

Ati-Atihan Festival, Flag of the Philippines

Sender: teleclem, Sent on: 22 Aug, 2013, Received on: 10 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 19 days

Struve Geodetic Arc, Tartu, Estonia (UNESCO WH Site)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1187

The Struve Arc is a chain of survey triangulations stretching from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea, through 10 countries and over 2,820 km. These are points of a survey, carried out between 1816 and 1855 by the astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve, which represented the first accurate measuring of a long segment of a meridian. This helped to establish the exact size and shape of the planet and marked an important step in the development of earth sciences and topographic mapping. It is an extraordinary example of scientific collaboration among scientists from different countries, and of collaboration between monarchs for a scientific cause. The original arc consisted of 258 main triangles with 265 main station points. The listed site includes 34 of the original station points, with different markings, i.e. a drilled hole in rock, iron cross, cairns, or built obelisks.

Sender: Janne, Sent on: 27 Aug, 2013, Received on: 10 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 14 days

Tuesday 10 September 2013

Historic Centre of Sighişoara, Romania (UNESCO WH Site)

 http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/902

Founded by German craftsmen and merchants known as the Saxons of Transylvania, Sighişoara is a fine example of a small, fortified medieval town which played an important strategic and commercial role on the fringes of central Europe for several centuries.

Sender: daniela_dmp, Sent on: 28 Aug, 2013, Received on: 10 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 13 days

Historic City of Trogir, Croatia (UNESCO WH Site)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/810

Trogir is a remarkable example of urban continuity. The orthogonal street plan of this island settlement dates back to the Hellenistic period and it was embellished by successive rulers with many fine public and domestic buildings and fortifications. Its beautiful Romanesque churches are complemented by the outstanding Renaissance and Baroque buildings from the Venetian period.

Sender: ddonkey, Sent on: 22 Aug, 2013, Received on: 10 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 19 days

Rila Monastery, Bulgaria (UNESCO WH Site)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/216

Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century by St John of Rila, a hermit canonized by the Orthodox Church. His ascetic dwelling and tomb became a holy site and were transformed into a monastic complex which played an important role in the spiritual and social life of medieval Bulgaria. Destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 19th century, the complex was rebuilt between 1834 and 1862. A characteristic example of the Bulgarian Renaissance (18th–19th centuries), the monument symbolizes the awareness of a Slavic cultural identity following centuries of occupation.

Sender: ceruleanmind, Sent on: 26 Aug, 2013, Received on: 10 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 15 days