Bratislava Cats

 

My last trip before this 'new era' was a short bus adventure through central Europe, and in each city I visited I went to a Cat Cafe - Vienna, Bratislava, Warsaw, Krakow and Prague. The last time I visited Vienna and Prague was 12 years prior to, and the remaining three were my 1st time, yay :) The Mackafe in Bratislava was the real deal, and there is merchandise sold to support it, which surprisingly isn't that common for a cat cafe...I think its a great way to additionally support such places. I mean, like this cute postcard :)

I post this in relation to my day...as I got quite a scare today. I have two cats, sisters Pixie & Suri, who were found in a dumpster by my friend, together with other three siblings. They were teeny weeny things not yet able to open their eyes...but my friend is fierce and she helped them all grow strong and independent. That was almost 12 years ago...Suri is a placid cat but Pixie is a bit naughty...I didn't see her all day, which was very unusual for her, and as the night was falling and she wasn't showing up to get fed I got really worried, walked around the block calling her. As I came back home there she was, and my mum told me she was in a box in the storage room and she couldn't get out. But she didn't make a sound the whole day as we were calling her. Cats are weird! lol I was just so relieved, and she was extra cuddly. Right after she had some food of course! Ah, all's well that ends well. A huge stone fell off my heart, as we would say. And here is a kittie from Mackafe:

UNESCO - Stari Grad Plain, Croatia

The ever-elusive Croatian WHS site...Though at least this view is attainable, which offers a partial view of the plain in the back. That said, I had to travel to Hvar myself to get this for my collection - and it was October already, the number of tourists significantly dwindled and in proportion shops were closing down for the season and the choice of postcards was lacking. There was only one souvenir shop that had these postcards and there were only 6 left! So in all, I should count my blessings :D (I believe these days the new Croatian WHS of Stećci Medieval Tombstone Graveyards will be even tougher to find on postcards).

Stari Grad Plain on the Adriatic island of Hvar is a cultural landscape that has remained practically intact since it was first colonized by Ionian Greeks from Paros in the 4th century BC. The original agricultural activity of this fertile plain, mainly centring on grapes and olives, has been maintained since Greek times to the present. The site is also a natural reserve. 

Reflection Of Amsterdam

A little reminder of my first ever trip with an agency and first ever organised New Year's celebration abroad - I just love this city and its canals and narrow crooked houses! What's more, Vermeer is one of my favourite painters and I have Ana and her connections to thank for the lovely stamp :)))

Valldemossa, Mallorca, Spain

One absolutely adorable place, this is...Valldemossa is a village and municipality on the island of Majorca, part of the Spanish autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. With a population of around 2,000, it is a quiet and traditional town with narrow streets and lanes constructed with blonde stone, as are the houses. Many doorways of houses feature a religious symbol of Mallorca's patron saint, Saint Catalina Thomàs to protect their houses from harm, a tradition set many years ago.

In the 1830s the Spanish government confiscated monasteries, and the historic estate was sold to private owners, who have since hosted some prominent guests. These have included the Polish composer Frédéric Chopin and his lover the pioneering French writer George Sand, who wrote a notable account of A Winter in Majorca, describing their 1838–39 visit. 

Valldemossa is surrounded by fertile land where olive and almond trees are grown and it has changed very little since it was first inhabited, despite the increase in tourism trade - it is part of Cultural Landscape Of The Serra De Tramuntana unesco whs, with the terraces also visible on these postcards. But I have covered that in a separate post :) And here is a photo of me posing smugly heh :)

UNESCO - Cultural Landscape Of The Serra De Tramuntana, Mallorca, Spain

The Cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana located on a sheer-sided mountain range parallel to the north-western coast of the island of Mallorca. Millennia of agriculture in an environment with scarce resources has transformed the terrain and displays an articulated network of devices for the management of water revolving around farming units of feudal origins. The landscape is marked by agricultural terraces and inter-connected water works - including water mills - as well as dry stone constructions and farms.

This is a good representation of the fantastic landscape on Mallorca west coast, the terraces and steep cliffs...I am happy to have seen it. Next time perhaps in nicer weather for the nice beaches :)

UNESCO - Monastery Of The Hieronymites And Tower Of Belém In Lisbon

Standing at the entrance to Lisbon harbour, the Monastery of the Hieronymites – construction of which began in 1502 – exemplifies Portuguese art at its best. The nearby Tower of Belém, built to commemorate Vasco da Gama's expedition, is a reminder of the great maritime discoveries that laid the foundations of the modern world.

Surprisingly that is all that is written on the official Unesco-web-site...Mosteiro dos Jerónimos has been a true and fascinating discovery for me - as i hadn't looked it up prior to visit, I didn't really know what to expect (seems to be the best way!) and I got a whole lot of oohs and aahs to last me a week :) I have seen the Tower of Belem on postcards but still very cool to actually visit it. And I have never seen THIS view on a postcard!

The impressive stamp that I've found in a friendly PO in Coimbra presents the Queluz National Palace in Sintra Municipality, in the Lisbon District - one of the last great Rococo buildings to be designed in Europe.

Its been two months and I am still suffering from withdrawal symptoms...didn't get enough of Portugal

Hundertwasser Village, Vienna

Oh my this seems like centuries ago...one of my first trips was to Vienna, but I have spent too little time there...Stumbling into Hundertwasser art/architecture with no real plan was the most exciting experience of my stay there :)

Map Card, Liechtenstein

Another new country which I found tucked away among my many holiday cards : ) We were in Liechtenstein in autumn 2007, as part of a road trip with the emphasis on ROAD, as it was done on the spur of the moment and we had three days to do Ljubljana-Austrian Alps-Liechtenstein-Northern Italy-Ljubljana loop. I am the type that enjoys being on the road as much as arriving to a (new) destination :))

Considering the minimum amount of time we spent there I am thrilled to have found nice postcards and stamps to send! Another card is also tucked away somewhere...lately I have trouble making sense of my postcard piles..!