The Nyakazu Fault, Burundi

In the last scanned lot there are a few new countries in my collection, actually quite a few posties that I misplaced during the summer - I seriously need to tackle this problem of forgetfulness..! This reminds me of that terrible period when I was receiving mail with missing stamps for months on end...here at least one of the two was left in place.

I have Mike to thank for this view from Burundi - so-called German Gorge, but is in fact the Unesco tentative list's the Nyakazu fault. Beware, this is google translating the french bit! 'The fault Nyakazu opens with depression Kumoso. It is a notch in the massive Nkoma overlooking the plain and extends to the border with Tanzania. This flaw is of recent tectonic origin and covers 600 ha. It presents an exceptional structure and there are historical remains of Fort German.' Voilà ;)

Las Palmas Cathedral, Gran Canaria

This fantastic view is of the Cathedral of Santa Ana, the seat of the Diocese of the Canaries in the Roman Catholic Church. The structure was finished, and the first offices celebrated, on the eve of Corpus Christi, 1570, in the time of the fourteenth Bishop, Fr. Juan de Alzolares.

Love the colours, thank you Tina it is good to hear you had a great time there :D

 

Fenghuang Ancient City, China

Fenghuang City is located in the southwest of Hunan Province -  it has an exceptionally well-preserved ancient town that harbors unique ethnic languages, customs, arts as well as many distinctive architectural remains of Ming and Qing styles. It is a gathering place for Miao and Tujia ethnic minority.

I will say no more as I really REALLY hope to get more postcards of this gorgeous town to post here. I have just realised its the same town I have in my favourites, and if you google it you'll know why. Also gorgeous stamps, thanks Kolly! :))

 

St. George's Cathedral, Georgetown, Guyana

Jo took an awesome trip this year covering many countries and even continents - she rounded it up by sending cards from the final three destinations, the 'three Guianas' on the southamerican continent. Starting from the westernmost Guyana, this postcard was written in the jungle and it must have had quite a ride (also visible from the runny letters :))

St. George's is an Anglican cathedral in Georgetown, the capital of Guyana, and is one of the tallest wooden churches in the world, at a height of 43.5 metres (143 ft). It features typical elements of Gothic architecture- flying buttresses, traceried windows, clerestory, pointed arches, "black and white" framing of Elizabethan times. All this put it on the unesco tentative list :) Thanks Jo!

 

Bagan, Myanmar

Bagan  is an ancient city located in the Mandalay Region of Myanmar; from the 9th to 13th centuries, the city was the capital of the Kingdom of Pagan, the first kingdom to unify the regions that would later constitute modern Myanmar. During the kingdom's height between the 11th and 13th centuries, over 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries were constructed in the Bagan plains alone, of which the remains of over 2200 temples and pagodas still survive to the present day.

 

I was surprised to learn that this awesome site is only on UNESCO tentative list - the explanation lies in  restorations conducted in the 1990s by the military government, which drew widespread condemnation from art historians and preservationists worldwide. Critics are aghast that the restorations paid little attention to original architectural styles, and used modern materials.

 

Sadly, Croatia has some experience in breaching the UNESCO restoration guidelines...I will probably have an opportunity to say more about that some other time. I was really lucky to get my first w&s postcard from Myanmar via an RR, and thanks to azzi who has chosen a wonderful view :))

 

The Ancient Watertown Xitang, China

 

This is, without hesitation, one of the most beautiful views cards I have ever received - one of the oldest towns in China, Xitang is situated in the Zhejiang Province in eastern China, a watertown crisscrossed by nine (!) rivers, stretched across eight sections that are linked by old-fashioned stone bridges. When I visit China this will surely be on my itinerary...Many thanks to Cynthia, also for the great selection of stamps! I love it when I see the back of the card covered with stamps :))

As today's theme for Sunday Stamps is Stamps From China Or Taiwan, this seemed like a perfect choice...Some have no year printed on it, but the middle and the top-right one do:

The left one is (poeticly) titled Footprints In The Snow, is from a set issued in 2007 showing Shiwan ceramics. The right one from 2010 from the series Chinese Idiom, and now I see I have posted here about a different stamp from this series before..! I just can't figure out how I managed to find the story behind it :/

More beautiful stamps here:

 

Raja Ampat Islands, Indonesia

 

Amazing archipelago situated in Indonesia's West Papua province, just off the northwest tip of Bird's Head peninsula on the island of New Guinea...Also called Four Kings, it comprises over 1500 islets surrounding the four main islands. Must be a diver's paradise? It sure does look like paradise from birds' view :) Thank you very much Veronica ;)

P.S. - loving the flower stamp for its colour
 

Ephesus, Turkey

The ancient Greek and later Roman city of Ephesus was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classic Greek era (5th-4th cent. BC) and later played an important role in the beginnings of Christianity - the Gospel of John may have been written here.

The centre of this view of the archaeological site is the Library of Celsus, built in the honor of the Roman Senator Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, completed in the year 135 AD by his son. It was built to store 12 000 scrolls. In 262 the interior and all its books were destroyed by fire in a devastating earthquake...

Thank you Goran, I believe you enjoyed your tour of the archaeological sites in Turkey ;)

(UNESCO tentative list)

St. George's Harbour, Grenada

St. George's is the capital of Grenada  -  a city surrounded by a hillside of an old volcano crater and situated on a horseshoe-shaped harbor. It is a popular Caribbean tourist destination with a moderate tropical climate that ensures the success of spice production. Both its fortified system and historic district are placed on the Unesco's tentative list.

The little birdie is a yellow-breasted warbler; the colourful representative of sea creatures is Holacanthus tricolor also known as the rock beauty, a species of marine angelfish that inhabits reefs from the tropical western Atlantic Ocean to the northern Gulf of Mexico.

 

England’s Lake District

 

The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England - a popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes, forests, and mountains (or fells), but also for its associations with the early nineteenth-century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth and the other Lake Poets.

1st is a vintage postcard, then comes a painting of a little town Keswick situated just north of Derwent Water; Grasmere is a wonderful little place at the heart of the district; and sunset upon Windermere, the largest natural lake in England. I will remember my visit to these places for two things - my first time pitching a tent on my own :) Iand leaving my camera with all the beautiful photos in the public toilet :( Third thing would be - it was too short!

England’s Lake District in on Unesco's tentative list.

Melnik, Bulgaria

Melnik is a town in Blagoevgrad Province, southwestern Bulgaria, in the southwestern Pirin Mountains, about 440 m above sea level. The town is an architectural reserve and 96 of its buildings are cultural monuments. With a population of 385, it is the smallest town in Bulgaria, retaining its city status today for historical reasons.

The town is part of a tentative Unesco site 'The town of Melnik and the Rozhen Monastery'. I've received this lovely view many years ago via fb, thank you Anastassia :) I wouldn't want to visit just for its beauty - apparently they are known for producing a strong type of wine since at least 1346. The local wine from the varietal Broad Leave Melnik Vine was reportedly a Winston Churchil's favourite :)

La Brea Pitch Lake, Trinidad And Tobago

 

The Pitch Lake is found in southwest Trinidad in the village of La Brea. The lake measures approximately one hundred acres and is estimated to be 76 metres deep in the centre. It holds about ten million tons of pitch - its the largest natural deposit of asphalt in the world.

La Brea pitch lake is one of the three tentative Unesco sites of Trinidad and Tobago, I am really thankful to Nalini for sending it :))

Fenghuang Ancient City, China

Another picturesque town from China - the ancient town of Fenghuang and its gorgeous rainbow bridge. Fenghuang City is located in the southwest of Hunan Province, at the foot of mountains and beside waters. Its construction has proved a very practical and scientific exploration in terms of the town site selection as well as layout design and city planning - it has made wonderful use of the mountain landscape and the water flows to create harmonious relationship between human residence and nature. It is now on Unesco WHS's tentative list.

The two stamps are from a set of four titled Chinese Idiom Stories issued in 2010.

(source: cultural china web-site) 

'Sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall' 

In the Spring and Autumn Period, the State of Wu defeated the State of Yue, and took the king of Yue, Gou Jian, and his wife prisoner. For several years, Gou Jian laboured as a slave in Wu. When he was released and returned to Yue, Gou Jian was determined to take revenge for losing his state. So that he would never forget his humiliation, he slept on a pile of brushwood and tasted gall before every meal. After ten years of careful preparations, he attacked and finally conquered the State of Wu.

This idiom is used to describe inspiring oneself and working hard to accomplish an ambition.

'Mao Sui recommending himself'
In the Warring States Period, the State of Qin besieged the capital of the State of Zhao. Duke Pingyuan of Zhao planned to ask the ruler of the State of Chu personally for assistance. He wanted to select a capable man to go with him. A man called Mao Sui volunteered. When the negotiations between the two states were stalled because the ruler of Chu hesitated to send troops, Mao Sui approached him, brandishing a sword. At that, the ruler of Chu agreed to help Zhao, against Qin.
This idiom means to recommend oneself.

Erbil Citadel, Iraq

Erbil or Hewlêr is the fourth largest city in Iraq and the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Erbil Citadel Town, which is situated dramatically on top of an artificial, 32-meters high earthen mound, and visually dominating the expansive modern city of Erbil, is believed to have been in continuous existence for 7000 years or even more. Thus, it may be regarded as the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the world. The site is on Unesco's WHS tentative list.

Stamps used are of Iraqi Kurdistan's postal system, which have been issued since 1992. I have found many different infos and facts about this...but its not consistent, so I better save it for some later date. Thank you very much Oliver :))

Saaremaa, Estonia

Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, measuring 2,673 km², located in the Baltic Sea. Its territory has been inhabited for at least 5000 years. The capital is Kuressaare, also famous for its medieval castle - which was originally built in wood between 1338 and 1380, and is on Unesco tentative list.

Kaali is a small group of nine unique meteorite craters on Saaremaa - the largest one measures 110 meters in diameter and contains a small lake known as Kaali järv. Fable-like!

Mdina (Città Vecchia), Malta

For today's reminder of my trip to Malta I have only chosen postcards with cancellations, to keep it short and sweet :) A daytrip to Mdina was one of the highlights as the place is simply gorgeous - I just wish I didnt have to also connect it to the extremely strong gusts of wind that nearly knocked me off the city walls..!

Mdina or Città Vecchia is the old capital of Malta, a medieval walled town situated on a hill in the centre of the island. Its commonly called the "Silent City", as the town is still confined within its walls, and has a population of just over three hundred - a part of its charm.

Mdina is on Unesco's tentative list.

Granada, Nicaragua

My 1st and only written & stamped postcard from Nicaragua shows the gorgeous skyline of the colonial city of Granada, with Lake Nicaragua/ Cocibolca on the horizon in the background. Granada was founded in 1524, and is economically and politically one of Nicaragua's most important cities. Over the centuries it has been witness and victim to many of the battles with and invasions from English, French and Dutch pirates trying to take control of Nicaragua.

The skyline is formed of church towers of Xalteva, La Merced, Catedral and Guadelupe. This odd grupation looks  photoshopped - i havent managed to track down any similar view..! Its still great though :) I was lucky to have 'jumped' into a vacation RR group hosted by Sanne - thank you! A curious cancellation heh xD

(City of Granada and its natural environment are on Unesco tentative list)

Emperor's Mosque, Sarajevo, BiH

The Emperor's Mosque (Careva Džamija) was built in 1457, and as such is the first mosque to be built after the Ottoman conquest of Bosnia. Considered one of the most beautiful mosques of the Ottoman period in the Balkans, the mosque features a roomy interior and high quality decorative details. Most of its splendour is owed to Suleyman the Lawgiver, one of the most renowned Sultans of the Ottoman Empire, who rebuilt it in 1565 after a great devastation.

Sarajevo - unique symbol of universal multiculture - continual open city is on the Unesco tentative list for 15 years now, and to be frank I am greatly surprised its not already on the main Unesco list! Its such a magnificant city with rich and turbulent history.

Whats also magnificant about this postcard are the stamps used - issued by Hrvatska Pošta Mostar, one of three companies responsible for postal service in Bosnia and Herzegovina. These two are from the set of four issued in 2006 representing native birds, in this case the Great Crested Grebe and the Hoopoe. Gorgeous creatures! And special thanks to Goge :)))

Guilin Scenery, China

Guìlín is a prefecture-level city of far southern China, sitting on the west bank of the Li River. It is the scenery of the riverside that makes this area one of the more popular tourist spots in China. You can take a cruise down the river to enjoy the views as the river winds through some truly spectacular limestone formations. Courtesy of...:)

As I've just learned, Unesco has The Lijiang River Scenic Zone at Guilin on its tentative list :)

Asiatic Wild Ass, India

Ahh aren't they beauties..?! Asiatic Wild Ass or onager (Equus hemionus) is native to the deserts of Syria, Iran, Pakistan, India, Israel and Tibet; and like with many other large grazing animals, the onager's range has contracted greatly under the pressures of hunting/poaching and habitat loss. Of the five subspecies, one is extinct and at least two are endangered.

Onagers are a little larger than donkeys and are a little more horse-like but are short-legged compared to horses, and their coloring varies depending on the season. They are generally reddish-brown in color during the summer, becoming yellowish-brown in the winter months. They are notoriously untameable.

This photo was taken in Rann of Kutch, a salt marsh located in western tip of Gujarat, north-western Indian state. The Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the amazing sites of India still on the Unesco's tentative list. Many many thanks to Sita for this truly special card! :))