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0875 AUSTRALIA - Map and flag

November 23, 2013, 6:34 am
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Considered a continent because sit on its own tectonic plate, but also an island, because is separated from all other continents by water, Australia is ocupied of a single country, officially named the Commonwealth of Australia, which comprise also the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the world's 6th largest country, but only 52nd in terms of population, because the largest portion of land is occupied by desert or semi-arid land, although not lacking subtropical rainforests and mountain ranges. On the other hand, although inhabited with 48,000 years ago by the ancestry of current Aboriginals (which are now only 2.5% of the population), Europeans discovered Australia only in 1606, erecting the first settlement in the late 18th century, and using it for long time mainly as penal colony. These hasn't prevented it from becoming in the last decades one of the wealthiest country in the world, with the world's 12th-largest economy.

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0876 CHINA (Anhui) - Watching a performance

November 25, 2013, 1:46 am
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Because the man on the postcard 730 is from Anhui Province, and this postcard refers also to Water Regions, I suppose that these elders are from the same region. After their facial expressions, very interesting and well captured, and after the way that are seated, these people certainly watch to a performance, in which they involve wholeheartedly. Obvious, the reactions are different, and I can't help noticing the major differences between expressions. Unlike the faces of those in the background, expressing surprise, if not even fear, the one of the man in foreground, much more retained, reveals skepticism, disapproval, and even a spark of condescension. In fact the whole outfit of this man is more reserved and groomed, denoting a different character, and probably a superior intelligence or an education different from of the others people from the picture.

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0877 ARGENTINA (Mendoza) - Puente del Inca

November 25, 2013, 3:26 am
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Puente del Inca (The Inca's Bridge) isn't a construction of the Incas, but a natural arch that forms a bridge over the Vacas River, a tributary of the Mendoza River. Puente del Inca is also the name of the nearby hot springs. Scientists speculate that interaction between ice and hot springs was involved in the origin of the formation. They suppose that in ancient times ice covered the river and acted as support for avalanches of snow, dust and rocks. So the dust over the ice over the river would have served as a path for the sulfurous water and petrified the surface, so when the snow melted, the bridge (48m long, 28m wide and 8m high) remained by itself.

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0879 RUSSIA (Republic of Karelia) - Kizhi Pogost (UNESCO WHS)

November 25, 2013, 11:54 pm
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The term pogost has several meanings in the Russian language, but initial appoint a coaching inn for princes and ecclesiastics. It is assumed that originally pogosts were rural communities on the periphery of the Russian state, as well as trading centers, but at the end of the 10th century pogosts transformed into administrative districts, and when Christianity spread, churches were built in pogosts. In 1775 the last pogosts that served as administrative districts were destroyed. In the central uyezds of 15th-16th centuries pogosts were small settlements with a church and a graveyard, like Kizhi Pogost.

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0880 GUATEMALA (Petén) - Tikal National Park (UNESCO WHS)

November 29, 2013, 12:38 pm
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Tikal is one of the largest archaeological sites of the Maya civilization, and how could it be otherwise, since on its apogee (ca. 200 to 900 AD) this city dominated much of the Maya region, even interacting with the great metropolis of Teotihuacan in the distant Valley of Mexico. The ruins lie in the heart of the tropical rainforests of northern Guatemala, the city, inhabited from the 6th century BC to the 10th century AD, being located among abundant fertile upland soils, and may have dominated a east-west trade route across the Yucatan Peninsula. The topography of the site consists of a series of parallel limestone ridges rising above swampy lowlands. The major architecture of the site is clustered upon areas of higher ground and linked by raised causeways spanning the swamps.

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0881 ROMANIA (Suceava) - Map of Gura Humorului

November 30, 2013, 2:13 am
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Located on the eastern boundary of Obcinile Bucovinei ("obcini" means ridges extend, parallel, gentle, separated by parallel valleys), in Humor Depression, at the confluence of Humor and Moldova rivers, Gura Humorului has a climate with sedative properties, being therefore used, since the second half of the 19th century, as a resort . His first documentary mention dates from 1490, in a document issued by the chancery of Stephen the Great, but its importance has only increased during the Austrian occupation of Bukovina (1774-1918), when it became firs townlet and administrative territorial center (1820), then market town (1880) and capital of a district (1893), and finally town (1904).

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0882 UNITED STATES (New York) - Montauk Point Light

November 30, 2013, 1:53 pm
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Located in Montauk Point State Park, at the easternmost point of Long Island, in the hamlet of Montauk, on Turtle Hill, Montauk Light was the first lighthouse in New York State. In nowadays is the fourth-oldest active lighthouse in the United States, and also one of the only 11th lighthouses in the country designated a National Historic Landmark. Its construction was authorized in 1792 and completed in 1796, being also the first public works project of the United States. In 1860 the lighthouse underwent a massive renovation, increasing the height of the tower, and in 1873 a steam-powered fog signal was installed, with a fog signal building in 1897. The tower was originally all white, its single brown stripe being added in 1899. In 1940 the lighthouse was electrified, and the present lens was Installed in 1987.

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0883 FINLAND - A lake at dawn

December 1, 2013, 7:29 am
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I received this postcard thanks to a swap within a group of friends on the topic "yellow". Couldn't be a more appropriate image, with intense colors, hot, reminiscent of summer, for this gloomy winter day that I look out the window.

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0884 CZECH REPUBLIC (South Moravia) - Tugendhat Villa in Brno (UNESCO WHS)

December 2, 2013, 11:06 am
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Built between 1928-1930 in the wealthy neighbourhood of Černá Pole in Brno for the Jewish factory-owner Fritz Tugendhat by the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969), subsequently the last director of Berlin's Bauhaus (1930-1933), Villa Tugendhat is a masterpiece of the Modern Movement in architecture. Its design principle of "less is more" and emphasis on functional amenities created a fine example of early functionalism architecture. Mies used the revolutionary iron framework which enabled him to dispense with supporting walls and arrange the interior in order to achieve a feeling of space and light. There are no decorative items in the villa, but the interior isn't austere due to the naturally patterned materials such as the onyx wall and rare tropical woods.

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0885 GUADELOUPE - Boy with lobsters

December 3, 2013, 12:52 pm
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From what I understand, Guadeloupe's economy, based on tourism, agriculture, light industry and service, depends on two factors, it's true, for different reasons: France (for subsidies and imports), and the hurricanes (which periodically devastate it). The island is dependent on imported food, mainly from France, but the fishing is a traditional source of food. Among marine creatures fished in Guadeloupe waters are the Caribbean spiny lobsters (Panulirus argus), which, as any others lobsters, are hard to catch in large numbers, but their large size make them a profitable catch. In generally there are used bill nets and trammel nets to catch lobsters in Guadeloupe, but in this postcard can be seen in right the corner of a lobster pot, a portable trap constructed of wire and wood, so probably the boy has the two lobsters from this trap.

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0886 FRANCE (Midi-Pyrénées) - Episcopal City of Albi (UNESCO WHS)

December 4, 2013, 3:05 am
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Located on the River Tarn, in Languedoc, Albi was inhabited since the Bronze Age, but began to develop only in 11th century, in 1040 being built the Pont Vieux (Old Bridge), and new quarters. The city grew rich at this time, thanks to trade and commercial exchanges, and also to the tolls charged to travelers for using the Pont Vieux. In the second half of the 12th century became one of the important centers of the Cathars, a christian movement which claimed the idea of two Gods or principles, one being good (the God of the New Testament) and the other evil (Satan). Of course that the movement was declared heretical, and the repression was severe, many Cathars being burnt at the stake. The area, until then virtually independent, was reduced to such a condition that it was subsequently annexed by the French Crown.

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0887 JAPAN - Patriarch Ainu of Shinto Ritual

December 5, 2013, 1:42 pm
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Ainu (in historical texts Ezo), an indigenous people living in Japan (Hokkaidō island) and Russia (Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands), is one of the most mysterious ethnic groups in the world. They are very distinct from the Japanese people and it seems that before the Tungus invasion coming from mainland Asia the whole archipelago was inhabited by Ainu. Many early investigators proposed a Caucasian ancestry, but recent genetic researches haven't shown any genetic similarity with modern Europeans, but rather with the Tungusic, Altaic and Uralic populations. While some researchers say that they are the descendants of the Jōmon-jin people (who lived 10,000 years ago), another part is of the opinion that the origins of the Ainu can go as far around 35,000-40,000 years ago, during the last major glaciation which united the Japanese islands with mainland Asia. One of their Yukar Upopo, or legends, tells that "The Ainu lived in this place a hundred thousand years before the Children of the Sun came".

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0888 FRANCE (Languedoc-Roussillon) - Pont du Gard (UNESCO WHS)

December 7, 2013, 12:30 am
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Built shortly before the Christian era to allow the aqueduct of Nîmes (which is almost 50 km long) to cross the Gardon River, the Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman aqueduct bridges and is the best preserved with the Aqueduct of Segovia. The Roman architects and hydraulic engineers who designed this bridge, which stands almost 50 m high and is on three levels - the longest measuring 275m - created a technical as well as an artistic masterpiece, for which reason it was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1985. After the collapse of the Roman Empire and the aqueduct's fall into disuse, the Pont du Gard remained largely intact due to its importance as a toll bridge. For centuries the local lords and bishops were responsible for its upkeep in exchange for the right to levy tolls on travellers.

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0889 CROATIA (Zagreb) - A girl in traditional clothes and Zagreb Cathedral

December 7, 2013, 6:29 am
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In the center of the postcard can be seen the two spires of the Zagreb Cathedral, dedicated to the Assumption of Mary and to kings Saint Stephen and Saint Ladislaus. It is typically Gothic, and is the tallest building in Croatia. Its construction started in 1093, but the building was destroyed by the Tatars in 1242. At the end of the 15th century, the Ottomans built fortification walls around it, and in the 17th century a fortified renaissance watchtower was erected on the south side. Severely damaged in the 1880 earthquake, was restored in the Neo-Gothic style, two spires 108m high being raised.

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0890 URUGUAY - Map and flag of the country

December 7, 2013, 10:21 am
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Crammed between the huge Brazil and Argentina, the tiny but prosperous Uruguay is home to 3.3 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the metropolitan area of its capital and largest city, Montevideo, founded as a military stronghold by the Spanish in the early 18th century. The country won its independence between 1811 and 1828, following a four-way struggle between Spain, Portugal, Argentina and Brazil. It remained subjected to foreign influence throughout the 19th century, with the military playing a recurring role in politics until the late 20th century.

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0891, 0892 UNITED STATES (Arizona) - Grand Canyon National Park (UNESCO WHS)

December 7, 2013, 12:05 pm
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The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge carved out by the Colorado River (nearly 1,500m deep, 445.8km long), which is often considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Its horizontal strata retrace the geological history of the past 2 billion years, and there are also prehistoric traces of human adaptation to a particularly harsh environment. The primary public areas of the park are the North and South Rims of the Grand Canyon itself. The rest of the park is extremely rugged and remote, although many places are accessible by pack trail and backcountry roads. Only the Navajo Bridge near Page connects the rims by road in Arizona.


"The finest workers in stone are not copper or steel tools, but the gentle touches of air and water working at their leisure with a liberal allowance af time..." writted the poet Henry David Thoreau nearly 200 years ago. And the President Theodore Roosevelt said in 1903 after he visited visited the site: "The Grand Canyon fills me with awe. It is beyond comparison - beyond description; absolutely unparalleled throughout the wide world... Let this great wonder of nature remain as it now is. Do nothing to mar its grandeur, sublimity and loveliness. You cannot improve on it. But what you can do is to keep it for your children, your children's children, and all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American should see."

About the stamps
On the first postcard
The stamp is a Global Forever First-Class Mail International one ($1.10), about which I wrote here.


On the second postcard


The stamp is also a Global Forever First-Class Mail International one ($1.10), issued on October 24, 2013. It depict a photograph of a wreath made with evergreen twigs, pinecones, Nandina berries, and a bow of red ribbon. Art director William Gicker designed the stamp, and George E. Brown photographed the wreath, which was created by Alan Talley.

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0893 CHINA (Hong Kong) - Elaborate make-up of Chinese Opera performer

December 8, 2013, 8:56 am
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Chinese opera together with Greece tragic-comedy and Indian Sanskrit Opera are the three oldest dramatic art forms in the world. Its roots going back as far as the Three Kingdoms period (220-280), and during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) the Emperor Taizong established an opera school with the poetic name Liyuan (Pear Garden). Since the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) it has been encouraged by court officials and has become a traditional art form. During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it became fashionable among ordinary people, and performances were watched in tearooms, restaurants, and even around makeshift stages.

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0894 FRANCE (Centre) - Chartres Cathedral (UNESCO WHS)

December 9, 2013, 9:59 am
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Located on a hill on the left bank of the Eure River, at 96km southwest of Paris, Chartres is best known for its cathedral (Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres), widely considered to be the finest Gothic cathedral in France, for which reason was included on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1979. The current cathedral, mostly constructed between 1194 and 1250, is the last of at least five which have occupied the site since the town became a bishopric in the 4th century. While the city was heavy bombed in WWII, the cathedral was spared by an American Army officer who challenged the order to destroy it, so it is in an exceptional state of preservation. The majority of the original stained glass windows survive intact (during the WWII were removed), while the architecture has seen only minor changes since the early 13th century.

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0895, 0896 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - Colonial City of Santo Domingo (UNESCO WHS)

December 10, 2013, 12:49 pm
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Discovered by Christopher Columbus in his first voyage (1492), the Hispaniola island, located in Greater Antilles archipelago, between Cuba and Puerto Rico, was the site of the first European colony, founded in 1493, but also of the oldest European city in the Americas, Santo Domingo, dating to 1496 (officially to 1498). Expeditions which led to Ponce de León's colonization of Puerto Rico, Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar's colonization of Cuba, Hernando Cortes' conquest of Mexico, and Vasco Núñez de Balboa's sighting of the Pacific Ocean were all launched from Santo Domingo, known as the "Gateway to the Caribbean". In June 1502 the city was destroyed by a hurricane, and the new Governor rebuilt it on the other side of the Ozama River. The original layout of the city can still be appreciated today throughout the Ciudad Colonial (Colonial City), declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1990.

Known colloquially as Zona Colonial (Colonial Zone), the Ciudad Colonial is located on the west bank of the Ozama River, which bisects the city. The central public space of the district is Parque Colon (in the first postcard), a square that borders the cathedral and has a late-19th-century bronze statue of Christopher Columbus in its center. The Cathedral of Santa María la Menor is the oldest cathedral in the Americas, begun in 1512 and completed in 1540. It once held the title Primate of the Americas, it has since been the only Archdiocese to have held this title. The building combines elements of both Gothic and Baroque with some lavish plateresque styles as exemplified by the high altar chiseled out of silver. Of note, the remains of Christopher Columbus were once housed at the cathedral, before their final resting place in the Faro a Colon.


Calle del Conde (The Count's Street - in the second postcard), one of the oldest streets in Santo Domingo, is a pedestrian-only street that includes several notable commercial buildings of the early 20th century and connects Parque Colon with the Puerta del Conde and Parque Independencia. The name ‘El Conde’ honours the Conde (Count) of Peñalba, who defeated the English in the 17th century. This is the street where everyone comes to Promenade and it is packed with shops, cafés and restaurants, from cheap fast food to authentic local places that have a good reputation. The Conde is also lined with street vendors selling toys, paintings, split coconuts, CDs, DVDs and empanadas.

About the stamp



Frankly, I don't know if it is a stamp or just a label, as the ones used for priority mail. It looks like a stamp, was issued by Instituto Postal Dominicano (INPOSDOM), and was postmarked, but has also a bar-code and a number. Furthermore, it seems that it has an universal face value (official mail / priority mail / by air mail). I didn't find anything else about this stamp / label nor even on this institution's site and on its philatelic blog.

References
Santo Domingo - Wikipedia
Ciudad Colonial (Santo Domingo) - Wikipedia
Basilica Cathedral of Santa María la Menor - Wikipedia
Calle El Conde - Virtual Tourist

sender: Sînziana Moldovan
sent from Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), on 13.11.2013
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0012, 0463 & 0899 GERMANY (Bavaria) - Royal castle Newschwanstein

December 12, 2013, 12:50 pm
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Posted on 14.10.2011, supplemented on 12.01.2013, and completed on 12.12.2013
It seems known? Looks like a fairytale castle? It really is, because Neuschwanstein castle (near Füssen, Bavaria), kept in the style of a Knight's Castle of the Middle Ages, inspired Walt Disney to build his castles. It delighted your childhood many times, (maybe) without you know that has an real model.


Once crowned, eccentric but so cultivated Ludwig II of Bavaria simply implemented a childhood dream (some can do this) to build an never seen palace on the ruins of castles Vorderhohenschwangau and Hinterhohenschwangau, which he knew from his frequent trips on the hills around the village Schwangau. Unreserved admirer and devoted patron of Richard Wagner, Ludwig thought the castle as a tribute to composer and style could not be other than the Neo-Romanesque, practically a romantic interpretation of the Middle Ages. Buildings, as imagined by the king, practically never ended, but he got to live there for two years until his suspect death in 1886, at the age of just 40.


At the time of Ludwig's death the palace was far from complete. The king never intended to make the palace accessible to the public, but no more than six weeks after the king's death the regent Luitpold ordered the palace opened to paying visitors, the administrators managing to balance the construction debts until 1899. Due to its secluded location, the palace survived the two World Wars without destruction, even if in WWII it served as a depot for Nazi plunder from France, and also as a depot for the gold of the German Reichsbank, and in april 1945 the SS had plans to blow up it to prevent the building itself and the artwork it contained from falling to the enemy.

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