I amsterdam | Netherlands

This is a postcard I like very much! Marielle from Amsterdam sent it to me via postcrossing [NL-508835]. She writes me that the canal on the card is in the center of Amsterdam and has been added as Unesco whs this year!! And she continues saying : "I wonder what year this picture was taken, since the last few years it hasn't been cold enough to go ice skating on the canals, but maybe we can do it this year!" Well, I really think that this year has much  more cold than the last few, so I believe that the canals will be frozen enough to ice skate on them :)

Amsterdam became a metropolis since the second half of the sixteenth century. Amsterdam now hosts more than 750,000 residents from 175 different countries. 37% of the population belong to an ethnic minority. There is an open and tolerant atmosphere in the city.

Amsterdam has a temperate climate with mild winters, cool summers and precipitation throughout the year. A good climate for the city makes it easy to visit throughout the year. In the city you can discover something new each time, did you know that aside from 6 windmills there are 600,000 bicycles? In one of the 51 museums is very much to see and enjoy. Traditionally, Amsterdam was a trading city. In order to be successful in trade, good social networks were indispensable. Furthermore, it was crucial to the city and its inhabitants that land and water were developed and maintained. A tolerant and open society as such, attracts people from every corners of the world; and these in turn must feel that their place in the city is protected.

Süleymaniye Mosque | Turkey

This multiview postcard of Süleymaniye Mosque was sent to me by Cuneyt from Turkey as a private swap!

The Süleymaniye Mosque (Turkish: Süleymaniye Camii) is an Ottoman imperial mosque located on the Third Hill of Istanbul, Turkey. It is the second largest mosque in the city, and one of the best-known sights of Istanbul. The Süleymaniye Mosque was built on the order of Sultan Süleyman (Süleyman the Magnificent) "was fortunate to be able to draw on the talents of the architectural genius of Sinan Pasha" (481 Traditions and Encounters: Brief Global History). The construction work began in 1550 and the mosque was finished in 1558.

the Dwarfs of Wrocław | Poland

 This postcard was sent to me by Olga from Poland via postcrossing [LT-104698]. As she writes me, in Wrocław there are 173 dwarfs located in very different places of the city, 122 bridges and 12 islands. After World War II 80% of the city was rebuilt.

Wrocław (German: Breslau, Czech: Vratislav) is the chief city in south-western Poland, situated on the River Oder (Polish: Odra). Over the centuries, the city has been either part of Poland, Bohemia, Austria, Prussia or Germany. According to official population figures for June 2009, its population is 632,240, making it the fourth largest city in Poland. The city's name was first recorded in the year 1000 by Thietmar's Latin chronicle called Thietmari Merseburgensis episcopi Chronicon as Wrotizlawa.The city is traditionally believed to be named after Wrocisław or Vratislav, often believed to be Duke Vratislaus I of Bohemia. It is also possible that the city was named after the tribal duke of the Silesians or after an early ruler of the city called Vratislav  [wikipedia]

The Dwarfs of Wroclaw appeared on the streets of  the city in August 2005.

Xidan crossroads | China

Another postcrossing card [CN-282175], this time from MaYan from China. On the card it sais: "The T-shaped juncture at the crossroads of Xidan. In the 1950's, the West Chang'an Avenue ended at Xidan. During the rebuilt, the old Judicial Department Street (on the right) and Baozi Street (on the left) were torn down and the place became today's crossrads."

Bellinzona | Switzerland

This is from another private swap! It was sent to me by Pam from wintery Switzerland! As she writes me, she was at Bellinzona in May and it was amazing!

Bellinzona is the capital city of the canton Ticino in Switzerland. The city is famous for its three castles (Castelgrande, Montebello, Sasso Corbaro) that have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2000. Bellinzona is home to twelve buildings or areas that are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance. Finally, entire old city of Bellinzona is listed on the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites. In addition to the Three Castles and the city walls, the medieval and early modern city is included on the list. Three religious buildings, the Church of S. Maria delle Grazie, the Collegiata dei Ss. Pietro e Stefano and the Church of S. Biagio a Ravecchiai are on the list. The Cantonal Archives, Bagno Pubblico, the secondary school (Italian: Scuola media) on via Lavizzari 28 and the Teatro sociale are the rest of the buildings on the list.

The Three Castles, officially listed as the Three Castles, Defensive Wall and Ramparts of the Market-Town of Bellinzone, have been an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. The group is composed of Castelgrande, castle Montebello, castle Sasso Corbaro and fortified walls. The Castelgrande is located on a rocky peak overlooking the valley, with a series of fortified walls that protect the old city and connect to the Montebello. The third castle (Sasso Corbaro) is located on a isolated rocky promontory south-east of the other two.

Novodevichy Convent | Russia

Another beautiful postcard from Russia. It was sent by Nadin via postcrossing. This one is one of my favorites! I love the colors and the whole scenery! Nadin writes to me that temperature in Moscow can reach -25 degrees and the funny thing is that the day I received this it was 23 degrees :) Time for some facts:

"The Convent provides an example of the highest accomplishments of Russian architecture with rich interiors and an important collection of paintings and artefacts."
– UNESCO World Heritage

"A cluster of 16 sparkling domes behind turreted walls."
– Lonely Planet

"A quiet walk through this cemetery is most rewarding."
– The Economist

Located on the Moscow River, Novodevichiy Monastyr (New Maiden's Convent) is a peaceful retreat from the bustling city of Moscow. The site includes a beautiful 17th-century convent complex that is once again in use and an atmospheric cemetery where many of Russia's most famous writers, poets, politicians and public figures are buried.

Novosibirsk | Russia

 

This was sent to me by Valerie from Russia as "I was born there" tag! It shows Novosibirsk State Museum of Local Lore.

Novosibirsk is Russia's third-largest city, after Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and the largest city of Siberia. It is the administrative center of Novosibirsk Oblast as well as of the Siberian Federal District. The city is located in the south-western portion of the federal district and occupies an area of 477.2 square kilometres (184.2 sq mi). On September 2, 1962, Novosibirsk reached a population of one million. At that time, it was the youngest city in the world with over a million people. Novosibirsk took fewer than seventy years to achieve this milestone.[wikipedia]

Kaohsiung Harbor | Taiwan

 This amazing card was sent by Hsin Yu from Taiwan as a private swap! The card has the shape you see!

It pictures Kaohsiung Harbor in southwestern Taiwan. Kaohsiung is the most densely populated and the second largest city in Taiwan, with a population around 1.5 million. It is a center for manufacturing, refining, shipbuilding, and other light and heavy industries. A major port, through which pass most of Taiwan's marine imports and exports, is located at the city but is not managed by the city government.
Kaohsiung International Airport serving the city is the second largest airport in Taiwan. The Port of Kaohsiung is the largest harbor in Taiwan. Kaohsiung is the terminal of the Sun Yat-sen Freeway. [wikipedia]

The tall building that stands out is named Tuntex Sky Tower, or the T & C Tower or 85 SKYTOWER, and is an 85-floor skyscraper. The structure is 347.5 m (1,140 ft) high. An antenna pushes the building height to 378 m (1,240 ft). Constructed from 1994 to 1997, it is the tallest skyscraper in Kaohsiung, and was the tallest in Taiwan until the completion of Taipei 101.

Cape Peninsula | South Africa

This the third card from Rosey! It shows the Cape Peninsula and Robben island.

The Cape Peninsula is a generally rocky peninsula that juts out for 75 km (47 mi) into the Atlantic Ocean at the south-western extremity of the African continent. At the southern end of the peninsula are Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. On the northern end is Table Mountain, overlooking Cape Town. The peninsula was once an island, but about sixty million years ago it was joined to the mainland by the emergence from the sea of the sandy area now known as the Cape Flats. The towns and villages of the Cape Peninsula now form part of greater Cape Town. The Cape of Good Hope is sometimes given as the meeting point of the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean. However, according to the International Hydrographic Organization agreement that defines the ocean boundaries, the meeting point is at Cape Agulhas, about 200 km (120 mi) to the southeast. [wikipedia]

Tavern of the seas | South Africa

Another beautiful card sent by Rosey from South Africa.

In 1700 Cape Town lacked the sophistication of Amsterdam, or the exotic attractions of Batavia, and visitors commented upon the problems of rough roads, wandering animals and open sewage, but it was generally rated an attractive town, and particularly welcome after months at sea.

Wealthy visitors could find rooms in the finer houses and wrote of the abundant, fresh food and the dancing laid on for their enjoyment. There was also a wine shop, that offered tours of Table Mountain, complete with hampers carried by slave porters.

Sailors found their way to boarding houses and tented camps, and filled up the taverns, which had a reputation for prostitutes and brawls with the local soldiers. 'The Scottish Temple' was a popular bar and brothel and it prospered for much of the century. Cape Town lived up to its nickname 'Tavern of the Seas'. [www.capetown.at/heritage/history/voc_1700s.htm]

Gerald Hoberman | South Africa

Beautiful, colorful postcard sent by Rosey from South Africa. As she writes, these are common aspects of her city, as it is full of art, spray paintings etc, and of the town life [commonly known as the Cape Flats].

The pictures on this card are by Gerald Hoberman Collection. THE HOBERMAN COLLECTION is an international specialist publisher of award-winning photographic books featuring the multifaceted attributes of countries, cities, and wildlife. Launched in 1996, The Gerald & Marc Hoberman Collection publishes the photographs of the world-renowned South African father and son team exclusively.

The Hobermans’ quest is fueled by a passion for sharing their positive vision of the world through photography. Their thirst for adventure has led them increasingly far from home to cover a variety of subjects, such as the majestic tiger in its natural habitat, the frozen splendor of the Arctic tundra, the spectacular deserts of Namibia, and the vibrancy of the city of New York and its people. [hobermancollection.com]

Dead Sea | Jordan

Another private swap this time with Mervat from Jordan.

It shows the Dead Sea, which I have always been curious to find out why it's called like that.. So, here's what I learned:

The Dead Sea, also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east, and Israel to the west. Its surface and shores are 422 metres (1,385 ft) below sea level, the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface on dry land. The Dead Sea is 378 m (1,240 ft) deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. It is also one of the world's saltiest bodies of water, with 33.7% salinity. Only Lake Assal (Djibouti), Garabogazköl and some hypersaline lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica (such as Don Juan Pond) have a higher salinity. It is 8.6 times more salty than the ocean. This salinity makes for a harsh environment where animals cannot flourish, hence its name. The Dead Sea is 67 kilometres (42 mi) long and 18 kilometres (11 mi) wide at its widest point. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley, and its main tributary is the Jordan River. The sea has a density of 1.24 kg/L, making swimming difficult. [wikipedia]

Hmmmm... Reading this makes me wanna try swimming in the Dead Sea or -at least- taste its salt! Maybe should plan my next trip there!! If so, I'll keep you informed ;)

Kazan Kremlin | Russia

This is the Kazan Kremlin sent by Anna via postcrossing [RU-230956]. She used amazing stamps :)

The Kazan Kremlin is the chief historic citadel of Tatarstan, situated in the city of Kazan. It was built on behest of Ivan the Terrible on the ruins of the former castle of Kazan khans. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 2000. The Kazan Kremlin includes many old buildings, the oldest of which is the Annunciation Cathedral (1554-62), the only 16th-century Russian church to have six piers and five apses. Like many of Kazan's buildings of the period, it is constructed of local pale sandstone rather than of brick. The cathedral bell tower was erected in five tiers at the urging of Ivan the Terrible and was scored to resemble the Ivan the Great Belltower in Moscow, but was pulled down by the Soviets in 1930.

Also of interest are snow-white towers and walls, erected in the 16th and 17th centuries but later renovated; the Qol-Şärif mosque, recently rebuilt inside the citadel; and the Governor's House (1843-53), designed by Konstantin Thon, now the Palace of the President of Tatarstan. The Palace is believed to be located on the site of former Khan's palace. Tucked between Presidential Palace and Söyembikä Tower is the palace church built on the foundation of medieval mosque.

Castle in Malbork | Poland

This is another postcrossing card, sent by Sulwia from Poland. Unfortunately, she forgot to write the postcard ID, so I cannot register it. :(

The Castle in Malbork was built in Prussia by the Teutonic Order, a German Roman Catholic religious order, as an Ordensburg (fortified castle of the order). The Order named it Marienburg (Mary's Castle). The town which grew around it was also named Marienburg. Since 1945, when it became part of the nation of Poland after World War II, it has been called Malbork.
The castle is a classic example of a medieval fortress, and is the world’s largest brick Gothic castle. UNESCO designated the "Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork" and its museum as World Heritage Sites in December 1997. It is one of two World Heritage Sites in the region with origins in the Teutonic Order. The other is the "Medieval Town of Toruń", founded in 1231 as the site of the castle Thorn (Toruń). [by wikipedia]

Taipei 101

This is Taipei city in Taiwan, sent by Pin Yu. The tallest building in the card is Taipei 101, where you can dine on 85th floor, as Pin Yu tells me.

Taipei 101, also known as the Taipei Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District. The building ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010.

Sir Stamford Raffles | Singapore

This postcard just arrived via postcrossing [SG-30976]  :) . It was sent to me by Carebear, who says that this is the statue of Sir Stamford Raffles, the Engish man who founded the [in the beginning] small fishing village of Singapore!

After a small Internet search, I found out that even though the city of Singapore is one of the busiest harbors in the world, the actual country is rather small!