City Of Münster, Germany

Münster is an independent city and a cultural centre of the Westphalia region, northwestern Germany. Its origins go back to the 8th century when a church and a cloister were built on the right bank of the Aa river; by the Middle Ages the city became an important member of the Hanseatic League. Today it is thriving with students from all over Germany and the world.

These are more recent cards I've received, and you know how? I won a lottery, and yes for both cards! On top of that, amazing mini-sheets were used as postage. Many thanks go to Frank :)

Red Northern Lights

Recently received card for the Scandinavian RR, a fantastic red/yellow display of the Northern Lights. I always assumed that the Lights were visible in whole of Norway, with different time-span and intensity depending on region - but apparently on the very south that is Oslo region they weren't spotted for a long while, as Joerg is explaining here. Hope you get to see them this year Joerg! Esp as there is a Postcrossing Meeting on the 8th of December in Tromso - and any postcrosser can join in! It is my great wish to make this come true for myself too, as it is exactly on my birthday, and I love Norway...aah the dreams.....

Scenic Thingvellir, Iceland

Here is another view of the picturesque (but also historical) Thingvellir National Park in Iceland; I have already covered it in an earlier post. However I haven't had the chance to visit. Perhaps some other time...

UNESCO - Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge In Višegrad, Bosnia And Herzegovina

The Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge of Višegrad across the Drina River in the east of Bosnia and Herzegovina was built at the end of the 16th century by the court architect Mimar Koca Sinan on the orders of Grand Vizier Mehmed Paša Sokolović. The bridge has 11 masonry arches with spans of 11 m to 15 m, and an access ramp at right angles with four arches on the left bank of the river. The 179.5 m long bridge is a representative masterpiece of Sinan, one of the greatest architects and engineers of the classical Ottoman period and a contemporary of the Italian Renaissance, with which his work may be compared. The unique elegance of proportion and monumental nobility of the whole site bear witness to the greatness of this style of architecture.

In former Yugoslavian countries this bridge is also well-known through the historical novel The Bridge on the Drina by the later Nobel Prize winner Ivo Andrić; the story spans about four centuries and covers the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian occupations of the region, with a particular emphasis on the lives, destinies and relations of the local inhabitants, especially Serbs and Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks).

Puno hvala Sabina!

 

Greek Cats

Great GREAT card from dear Ana!! I have received it a month ago and failed to let her know....so here is a huge T*H*A*N*K  Y*O*U here! *blush*. 

To be honest, I haven't even thought about postcards for more than a month...since I am on the break, and now it seems like it may even be a more permanent thing...I just think to myself 'wow, I never thought it may come to this'. Its a strange feeling, as I used to get so much joy from exchanging postcards. maybe its still early days to conclude anything, lets see..!

San Sebastián, Spain

San Sebastián or Donostia is a coastal city and municipality located in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain. It lies on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, 20 km from the French border. It is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Spain, and hosts the San Sebastián International Film Festival  every september. Along with Wrocław its the European Capital of Culture in 2016.

E Ana Ana, španjolska dušo :D Puno hvala na ovakvom pogledu i posebnoj markici! 

UNESCO - Tipasa, Algeria

On the shores of the Mediterranean, Tipasa was an ancient Punic trading-post conquered by Rome and turned into a strategic base for the conquest of the kingdoms of Mauritania. It comprises a unique group of Phoenician, Roman, palaeochristian and Byzantine ruins alongside indigenous monuments such as the Kbor er Roumia, the great royal mausoleum of Mauretania.

This site encompasses so much more than any single view card could represent, you really should google it, it looks fantastic! But so is this card, thanks a lot Ledmia :))

Emperor Penguins At Atka Bay

Atka Bay is an iceport about 16 km long and wide, marking a more-or-less permanent indentation in the front of the Ekstrom Ice Shelf on the coast of Queen Maud Land (a dependent territory of Norway). Why does it feature on New Zealand postcards I have no idea, but I love penguins and its a great photo, thank you Susan!

UNESCO - Dinosaur Provincial Park, Canada

In addition to its particularly beautiful scenery, Dinosaur Provincial Park – located at the heart of the province of Alberta's badlands – contains some of the most important fossil discoveries ever made from the 'Age of Reptiles', in particular about 35 species of dinosaur, dating back some 75 million years.

Dinosaur Provincial Park is an outstanding example of major geological processes and fluvial erosion patterns in semi-arid steppes. These badlands stretch along 26 kilometers of high quality and virtually undisturbed riparian habitat, presenting a landscape of stark but exceptional natural beauty.

It is hard to find postcards showing Canadian UNESCO that are not from the pre-stamped series. But here is one - and oh what a beauty it is! Many many thanks to April, who also used some really cool dinosaur stamps - from a set of 5, issued in 2015, with a unique 3-D-like design :))

 

UNESCO - Arles Amphitheatre, France

The full name of the UNESCO site is 'Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments', so this is one of those sites that cannot be justly presented with just one view - but this postcard is a bit special :) I have swapped with Sébastien for this card in June last year. He has sent me a photo of the back with all those gorgeous stamps, so I was eagerly awaiting it...for days, weeks...in the end months even. As it was approximately the time when my 'stamps thief' got activated, I started to believe that the card was permanently lost. And this week, what a surprise!! It has travelled from Cadillac, France to Murter, Croatia for exactly 9 months and 3 weeks. Where has it been for all that time, it really makes you wonder...but yay for the happy ending :)))
 

Arles is a good example of the adaptation of an ancient city to medieval European civilization. It has some impressive Roman monuments, one of the oldest being the Arènes d'Arles, dating from 1st cent. AD. This two-tiered Roman amphitheatre is probably the most prominent tourist attraction in the city of Arles, which thrived in Roman times. The pronounced towers jutting out from the top are medieval add-ons. It was capable of seating over 20,000 spectators, and was built to provide entertainment in the form of chariot races and bloody hand-to-hand battles. Today, it draws large crowds for bullfighting during the Feria d'Arles as well as plays and concerts in summer.

Bullfights? Adds a sad note...:(

 

Panoramic View Of São Paulo, Brazil

São Paulo is a municipality, metropolis and global city located in southeastern Brazil. It is the most populous city in Brazil, in the Americas, and the world's twelfth largest city by population. 

Sent the day after the 2014 World Cup final, where São Paulo was also one of the host cities - it will actually be remembered in Croatia for it was the city where the opening game vs Brazil was played. Thank you Christine :)

Lviv, Ukraine

Snowy panoramic view of an UNESCO town, great stamps, whats not to like? Thank you Marina :)

UNESCO - Begijnhof In Bruges (Flemish Béguinages), Belgium

The Béguines were women who dedicated their lives to God without retiring from the world. In the 13th century they founded the béguinages , enclosed communities designed to meet their spiritual and material needs.

This is the beguine (begijnhof) in Bruges, originally dating from the 13th century - meanwhile  the last begijn has passed away, and today residents of the pretty, whitewashed garden complex include a convent of Benedictine nuns.
Such a wonderful peaceful place...I have also visited one of the Ghent beguines Our-Lady Ter Hooyen but unfortunately there were heavy repairs going on at the time of my visit...Still, great experiences!

Aaaaaaaaand...this is my 1000th post, wow its sounds a LOT. But I guess I had time to invest in the last...how many years? 3 years and 9 months, yep :) Let's keep it goin'!

 

UNESCO - Xinjiang Tianshan, China

Tian Shan is  a large system of mountain ranges located in Central Asia; in China being in the northwesternmost autonomous region Xinjiang.  Xinjiang Tianshan presents unique physical geographic features and scenically beautiful areas including spectacular snow and snowy mountains glacier-capped peaks, undisturbed forests and meadows, clear rivers and lakes and red bed canyons.

You may not recognise at first (well I didn't, but maybe its not a norm!) but this is a view of a lake - Tianchi or Heaven Lake of Tian Shan which lies on the north side of the Bogda Shan range of the Tianshan Mountains, about 45 kilometres east of Ürümqi.

Love it love it love it, thank you Jarod Xia! :)

Vancouver, Canada

Gorgeous view of Vancouver, the largest city in British Columbia (Canadian West-Coast province) whose one of the many nicknames is Vansterdam :) Courtesy of Bryon, many thanks!

 

Strážov Mountains, Slovakia

Strážov Mountains are one of the largest mountain ranges in the Fatra-Tatra Area of Slovakia in the country's north. The postcard shows the Kostolecká tiesňava (Kostolcka narrow). Loving the panoramic view...and the 2012 Europa stamp, thank you Lubeno :))

 

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 :)

Zürich, Switzerland

A panorama of Zürich with the Romanesque-style Protestant church Grossmünster and Fraumünster abbey dominating the skyline. Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland, located at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich where the river Limmat flows out of the lake. Its history goes back to its founding by the Romans, who, in 15 BC, called it Turicum. Nowdays its a leading global city and among the world's largest financial centres.

I have sent this card on my drive-through some years back, when I managed to spend only a few hours in this lovely city. All I can say is I was impressed and would love to go back :)

Olympiapark In Munich, Germany

The Olympiapark in Munich, Germany is an Olympic Park which was constructed for the 1972 Summer Olympics - nowdays its a venue for cultural, social and religious events.

In my mind I associate Olympiapark with my first Jamiroquai concert back in 2001 :) Well there is also a great shopping centre..! This winter in Munich I discovered great panoramic cards, and this was among the most impressive ones. I didn't realise Olympiapark is so grand and green! So yea, I sent this folding card to myself :P