28. 12. 2013.

Postcrossing Hiatus

Another text-only entry, as I feel the need to explain myself...I have been back home for some weeks now, and am eagerly waiting for the Cuban postcards to arrive - the very first one I have sent is travelling for more than 5 weeks now, and I am getting a bit impatient..! At the same time, I have become a bit tired of postcrossing, one of the reasons being that I keep receiving stuff that I haven't bargained for...I guess its just one of those periods, when you need to have a break, and with time the old passion will re-emerge :) Therefore, please bear with me :)

08. 11. 2013.

On My Way - Cuba

  1. Just a little bit of text before I kind of disappear for a bit ;) As sime of you may know, I will be going to Cuba soon. It is not the rarest country in postcrossing but surely not an easy one to get either...I myself have only one postcard from there. If anyone is interested in receiving a postcard from there and can help me with my missing countries please contact me! Or alternatively an UNESCO card from harder-to-get countries (written & stamped from country of origin). I already have an extensive list of people to send postcards to so I hope you understand I have to be so specific with my requests ;) You can find both my e-mail and missing lists on this page. Not to be neglected, Cuba Post is not 100% reliable, so I would send first..! All in all, I hope I can find some nice postcards and stamps to share, and will keep all my fingers crossed that they reach everyone :)) Hasta luego!

29. 10. 2013.

UNESCO - Mont-Saint-Michel And Its Bay, France




(I have been wanting a Mont St. Michel card for a loooong time - its a picture-perfect island with fortifications and a monastery in Normandy, where tidal waves ensure drastic scenery. I would love to have more different views on postcards :))
And I have in the meantime received that different view, an aerial close-up which makes the blue roofs and steep sides so much more visible. Thank you both Ulla and Deborah!

UNESCO - Selimiye Mosque And Its Social Complex, Turkey

 

The most famous Ottoman architect of the 16th century Sinan considered this complex his best work. It consists of the square mosque with single dome and four slender minarets, as well as madrasas, a covered market, clockhouse, outer courtyard and library.
Many thanks to Nihan :)

Children Of Fatima


Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia are three shepherd children at Fatima in Portugal who have experienced a Marian Appartion in 1917, which continued for six consecutive months. Fatima has since become a pilgrimage site. I wanted my mum to see his photo - thank you very much Cristela :)

The Girl At The Gate

 

Lovely painting by Sir George Clausen, kept in London's Tate Gallery. The expression on this girl's gate could be telling many different things...sent by sis :)
The days of blogging are reaching a slower phase...

28. 10. 2013.

UNESCO - Roskilde Cathedral, Denmark

 

The Scandinavia's first Gothic brick cathedral, situated on the island Zealand, dates from the 12th century and has been the mausoleum of the Danish royal family since the 15th. Great addition to my collection and lovely Europa stamp, thank you Genek :)

27. 10. 2013.

UNESCO - Medina Of Sousse, Tunisia




Sousse is a city in Tunisia situated on the eastern coast - the Medina of Sousse is a harmonious archaeological complex that reflects Arabo-Muslim urbanism applied to a coastal town exposed through its history to piracy and dangers from the sea. In front of the picture is the Ribat of Sousse, having both military and religious functions, and is largely unaltered since the 9th century; in the background is the impressive Kasbah.
This lovely view was sent to me by Tunisia's future honorary citizen Judit who is spending holidays in Tunisia year after year, I can see why! Hvala ti puno Judit, prekrasni su mi i razglednica i markica :))

A Fisherman In Portugal

 

Love this kind of a daily scene...and the boat's name 'Tres Amores', I wonder - actually I am quite sure the meaning is on some deeper level, maybe even rooted in the tradition? Many thanks Jose :)

26. 10. 2013.

Daily Life In Mu Cang Chai, Vietnam


Mu Cang Chai is a rural district in Yen Bai province, north central Vietnam, where forestry and farming are the main econimic stay. It is  mountainous, with green rice fields in the valleys; many different ethnic groups live here in unison.
I have no words for this scene...its just such a great photograph, balanced and tranquil. E.g. just take the dog out of the picture and its a different dynamics..! Perfect, but such are the postcards Jo sends :) Actually I've tagged for this one, and yesterday morning I managed to tag again but deleted it because I felt so selfish heh. Thanky so much Jo xD (and for participating in tags with your great offers!)

Vintage Young Donkee


This poor fella also got a bit ruined by moisture but nothing too serious..! Not sure about the translation - 'How ungrateful! (He told me to wait?)' Maybe someone can help me with the translation as google doesn't make much sense! :/ In any case many thanks to Jemma for another great swap and for thinking of me when she saw this cute donkey - and look, little prince George already on the stamps ;))

UNESCO - Church Of The Ascension In Kolomenskoye, Russia



Another great postcard from a tag - the Church of the Ascension was built in 1952 and is one of the earliest examples of a traditional wooden tent-roofed church on a stone and brick substructure. The gorgeous se-tenant stamps are a recent issue and show the historical centre of Saint-Petersburg. Spasibo Natalia ;)

UNESCO - Mount Wuyi, China


The Wuyi Mountains, situated in Fujian Province in Southeast China, cover an area of 60km²  and boast great biodiversity - there are about 5000 animal species dwelling in the area. Some are endemic (Bamboo Snake), some critically endangered (South Chinese Tiger, Clouded Leopard). Some have names I've never heard before! Muntjac is a type of deer, Tragopan a type of pheasant :)
It was love at first sight with this postcard...it shows one of the main attractions the Shuilian- or Water Curtain Cave, one of the 72 caves in these scenic mountains. It must be an amazing feeling to climb those steps with the high steep rock dwarfing you and a waterfall dropping down past you..! Thank you Tian Tian for sending this fabulous card and lovely stamps :)

 

Another stunning view...I am more and more thinking about travelling to China. Postcrossing has made me realise there are so many wonders to be seen, but how long would it take me to see it all, a year..?! Some kind of solution will pop up eventually I am sure :) In the meantime, thank you yuerdou for adding to my collection (and my daydreams)..!

UNESCO - Old And New Towns Of Edinburgh, Scotland

 

Once I posted about beautiful Edinburgh but since then I've received more postcards so an update is required :) I better not tell you how long it took me to identify the buildings on this picture...I thought the Bank Of Scotland in the front is New Town, but oh so confusing when a bank has a dozen addresses..! The Old town is of course represented by the Edinburgh Castle, and the gothic spire on the left doesnt belong to a church as I readily presumed, but to The Hub which is home to Edinburgh International Festival. I was happy to find a matching stamp in the local PO, which is quite a feat on the British soil :)) The cancellation is kind of funny cos it appears to be only a circle..!


This view of Edinburgh Castle by the fool moon was sent to me by Polina/Poncha for the vacation RR :)
After closer inspection I found out that in fact this postcard includes the New Town - the Clock Tower belongs to the luxury Balmoral Hotel which is situated at its very southern edge. Still, would be nice to get a postcard vith a more substantial view of the New Town :)

 

Another great view, this time a surprise card from Sara - and awesome stamp! Danke vielmals ;)
Although I've been to Edinburgh some years ago i get a bit envious when I hear of people travelling there heh. I have been in love with the British Isles for as long as i can remember, and Edinburgh was everything i imagined and wished for esp as we arrived during the famous Fringe Festival - the streets were so busy, colourful and alive!
At the camping site we got free tickets for a comedy act by the Irish comedian Paddy Lennox, which was a new experience for me :) and the streets were full of exciting young performers, just so much fun! I hope to return to Scotland one day, as I still need to go further north to spot Nessie :)

UNESCO - Castles And Town Walls Of King Edward In Gwynedd, Wales

 

 

These extremely well-preserved monuments are examples of colonization and defense works carried out throughout the reign of Edward I - the four castles of Beaumaris, Conwy, Caernarfon and Harlech, as well as Conwy and Caernarfon fortified towns from the late 13th and early 14th century.
Caernarfon Castle and the town served as the administrative centre of North Wales, while the Harlech Castle was built near the Irish Sea during Edward's invasion of Wales. I also have a postcard of Conwy, and ah yes my scattered brain was sure I have blogged about it but is nowhere to be found...so it will be added at some later point :) Conwy and Harlech were sent to me by Anu, already a regular here on my blog ;) I have visited Caernarfon some years ago and loved it! Here I can add a few of my photos...





Sirmione, Italy


My niece sent me a surprise card from a trip to Italy's largest lake Lago di Garda - a little town Sirmione boasts a 13th century castle with a rare example of medieval port fortification. I hope this is just one of many trips she'll take in the future xD

Queensland Lake District, New Zealand



A fantastic photography from New Zealand's South Island sent by Heather - and your choice of different stamps for each card you send has been discussed and hailed lol thanks!

UNESCO - Jurisdiction Of Saint-Emilion, France


Viniculture/winemaking was introduced to this fertile region by the Romans and intensified in the Middle Ages - Saint-Emilion is a commune in Aquitaine in southwestern France counting only ca 2000 inhabitants but full of fascinating Romanesque churches and ruins, and vineyards that marked its history.
Lovely view, merci Sebastiene, and for the vintage stamp :)

UNESCO - Rapa Nui National Park



I have waited for this postcard for a year but it was well worth the wait - Rapa Nui or Easter Island is one of the most mystical places on earth, more so as it is so far away from the mainland (3512km from Chile).
The large stone statues, or moai, for which Easter Island is world-famous, were carved from 1100–1680 CE - so far a total of 887 monolithic stone statues have been found. Ahu are stone platforms on which the statues were or are found; this card showing the Ahu Vai-Uri, not the most famous but equally impressive line of moai.
Another reason why I love this card is the Condorito stamp - while I was travelling South America a few years back i came across this cartoon character and instantly became a fan, also it was kind of easier to learn spanish while reading the comics..! Many many thanks to Daniela, who spotted my Condorito avatar and offered to use the special stamp :))

 

Recently I've received another view of these cool statues - this time the site Ahu Naunau on the Anakena Beach, one of the two sandy beaches on the island. In front a young woman performing a Sau-Sau traditional dance. Gracias de nuevo Hernan :)

UNESCO - Fujisan, Sacred Place And Source Of Artistic Inspiration

 

 

It is indeed amazing how picturesque Fujisan is, the solitary stratovolcano in unison with surrounding lakes or tea plantations. I could get a dozen more views and not get tired of it! Thank you so much Yuka I am really loving these, and the stamps that you used that in one way or another reflect the picture :))