Postcards Around the World

2013-01-09

Cave of Altamira - Spain (UNESCO)

Unused, sent by Sapic12

"Seventeen decorated caves of the Paleolithic age were inscribed as an extension to the Altamira Cave, inscribed in 1985. The property will now appear on the List as Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain. The property represents the apogee of Paleolithic cave art that developed across Europe, from the Urals to the Iberian Peninusula, from 35,000 to 11,000 BC. Because of their deep galleries, isolated from external climatic influences, these caves are particularly well preserved. The caves are inscribed as masterpieces of creative genius and as the humanity’s earliest accomplished art. They are also inscribed as exceptional testimonies to a cultural tradition and as outstanding illustrations of a significant stage in human history." In: UNESCO

2013-01-08

Château de Chambord - France (UNESCO)

Used, sent from Chaumont-sur-Loire (France) to Nice (France) with postmark from 11/03/1957

"The royal Château de Chambord at Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France, is one of the most recognizable châteaux in the world because of its very distinct French Renaissance architecture which blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structures. The building, which was never completed, was constructed by King François I in part to be near to his mistress the Comtesse de Thoury, Claude Rohan, wife of Julien de Clermont, a member of a very important family of France, whose domaine, the château de Muides, was adjacent. Her arms figure in the carved decor of the château.

Chambord is the largest château in the Loire Valley; it was built to serve as a hunting lodge for François I, who maintained his royal residences at Château de Blois and Château d'Amboise. The original design of the Château de Chambord is attributed, though with several doubts, to Domenico da Cortona. Some authors claim that the French Renaissance architect Philibert Delorme had a considerable role in the château's design, and others have suggested that Leonardo da Vinci may have designed it." In: Wikipedia

2013-01-07

Aveiro - Portugal

Sent by SusanaPortugal

"Aveiro is a city in Aveiro Municipality in Portugal, with a total area of 199.9 km², a total population of 78,463 inhabitants, and 61,430 electors (2006). It is the second most populous city in the Centro Region of Portugal, after Coimbra. However, the city of Aveiro together with neighbouring Ílhavo, make one conurbation which has a population of 119,258 inhabitants, making it one of the most important by population density in the Centro Region. The municipality is composed of 14 parishes (freguesias), and is located in Aveiro District and the chief city of Baixo Vouga." In: Wikipedia

2013-01-06

FI-1572760 - Tvinde waterfall in Voss

FI-1572760 sent by "miarhi"

"As it is situated along the major highway running east out of Bergen, and en route to the famous Næroyfjord to boot, Tvindefossen is among the most popular and famous waterfalls in Norway. Though the drainage area for the stream isn’t large by any standard, the Kroelvi produces a powerful waterfall as it thunders 379 feet over a rugged cliff and descends an immensely photogenic series of stairsteps before flowing through a meadow below. Because of the small size of each step and the lack of uniformity of the steps across the broad width of the falls, it’s hard to conclusively determine exactly how many steps the falls consist of, but we would conservatively say at least 10 distinct tiers are present." In: World Waterfall Database

2013-01-05

Cathedral of Rheims - France

Sent by stefdu44

"The outstanding handling of new architectural techniques in the 13th century, and the harmonious marriage of sculptural decoration with architecture, has made Notre-Dame in Reims one of the masterpieces of Gothic art. The former abbey still has its beautiful 9th-century nave, in which lie the remains of Archbishop St Rémi (440–533), who instituted the Holy Anointing of the kings of France. The former archiepiscopal palace known as the Tau Palace, which played an important role in religious ceremonies, was almost entirely rebuilt in the 17th century." In: UNESCO

2013-01-04

Waterfall at Nachal Arugot, Ein Gedi - Israel

Unused.

"Ein Gedi (Hebrew: עֵין גֶּדִי) is an oasis in Israel, located west of the Dead Sea, near Masada and the caves of Qumran.

[...]Ein Gedi nature reserve was declared in 1971 and is one of the most important reserves in Israel. The park is situated on the eastern border of the Judean Desert, on the Dead Sea coast, and covers an area of 14000 dunams (one modern dunam equals the area of one decare).

The elevation of the land ranges from the level of the Dead Sea at 423 meters (1,388 ft) below sea level to the plateau of the Judean Desert at 200 meters above sea level. Ein Gedi nature reserve includes two spring-fed streams with flowing water year-round: Nahal David and Nahal Arugot. Two other springs, the Shulamit and Ein Gedi springs, also flow in the reserve. Together, the springs generate approximately three million cubic meters of water per year. Much of the water is used for agriculture or is bottled for consumption." In: Wikipedia

2013-01-03

Madama Palace in Torino - Italy

Unused, offered by "geminiscp"

"When Emmanuel-Philibert, Duke of Savoy, moved his capital to Turin in 1562, he began a vast series of building projects (continued by his successors) to demonstrate the power of the ruling house. This outstanding complex of buildings, designed and embellished by the leading architects and artists of the time, radiates out into the surrounding countryside from the Royal Palace in the 'Command Area' of Turin to include many country residences and hunting lodges." In: UNESCO

2013-01-02

Christmas postcards 2012 (V)

"This bottle is unique. So do you!" ("Esta garrafa é única. Assim como tu!), sent from Portugal by "leninha"

"This Christmas, trade the gifts for kisses and give happiness to those you love the most" (Este Natal, troca as prendas por beijos e oferece felicidade a quem mais amas.", sent from Portugal