USA - ARIZONA

Chapel of the Holy Cross

The Chapel of the Holy Cross is a Roman Catholic chapel built into the mesas of Sedona, Arizona. The chapel is built on Coconino National Forest land. The chapel was completed in 1956. The American Institute of Architects gave the Chapel its Award of Honor in 1957. In the sculptor's words, “Though Catholic in faith, as a work of art the Chapel has a universal appeal. Its doors will ever be open to one and all, regardless of creed, that God may come to life in the souls of all men and be a living reality.” In 2007, Arizonans voted the Chapel to be one of the Seven Man-Made Wonders of Arizona, and it is also the site of one of the so-called Sedona vortices.

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: KathyCC

USA - THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Several other places around the world observe similar celebrations. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States and on the second Monday of October in Canada. Thanksgiving has its historical roots in religious and cultural traditions.  the United States, the modern Thanksgiving holiday tradition is commonly, but not universally, traced to a poorly documented 1621 celebration at Plymouth in present-day Massachusetts. The 1621 Plymouth feast and thanksgiving was prompted by a good harvest. In later years, religious thanksgiving services were declared by civil leaders such as Governor Bradford, who planned a thanksgiving celebration and fast in 1623.

The practice of holding an annual harvest festival like this did not become a regular affair in New England until the late 1660s. As President of the United States, George Washington proclaimed the first nation-wide thanksgiving celebration in America marking November 26, 1789, "as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours of Almighty God". Every year, the President of the United States will "pardon" a turkey, which spares the bird's life and ensures that it will spend the duration of its life roaming freely on farmland.

 

Beautiful stamps.

Received from: toastiecallie

ANIMALS - FOXES

Foxes

Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids (slightly smaller than a medium-sized domestic dog), characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail (or brush). Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to the Vulpes genus of "true foxes". By far the most common and widespread species of fox is the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), although various species are found on almost every continent. The presence of fox-like carnivores all over the globe, together with their widespread reputation for cunning, has contributed to their appearance in popular culture and folklore in many societies around the world.

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: Steftan07

ROMANIA - CASTLES, RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS

Peleș Castle

Peleș Castle is a Neo-Renaissance castle in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia, in Prahova County, Romania, on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia, built between 1873 and 1914. By form and function, Peleş is a palace, but it is consistently called a castle. Its architectural style is a romantically inspired blend Neo-Renaissance and Gothic Revival similar to Schloss Neuschwanstein in Bavaria. A Saxon influence can be observed in the interior courtyard facades.  Interior decoration is mostly Baroque influenced, with heavy carved woods and exquisite fabrics. Peleş Castle has a 3,200-square-metre (34,000 sq ft) floor plan with over 170 rooms. There are 30 bathrooms. The establishment hosts one of the finest collections of art in Eastern and Central Europe, consisting of statues, paintings, furniture, arms and armor, gold, silver, stained glass, ivory, fine china, tapestries, and rugs. The collection of arms and armor has over 4,000 pieces. A towering statue of King Carol I by Raffaello Romanelli overlooks the main entrance. Many other statues are present on the seven Italian neo-Renaissance terrace gardens, mostly of Carrara marble executed by the Italian sculptor Romanelli. The gardens also host fountains, urns, stairways, guarding lions, marble paths, and other decorative pieces.

 

Bran Castle

Bran Castle, situated near Bran and in the immediate vicinity of Braşov, is a national monument and landmark in Romania. The fortress is situated on the border between Transylvania and Wallachia. Commonly known as "Dracula's Castle" (although it is one among several locations linked to the Dracula legend, including Poenari Castle and Hunyad Castle), it is marketed as the home of the titular character in Bram Stoker's Dracula. There is, however, no evidence that Stoker knew anything about this castle. The castle is now a museum open to tourists, displaying art and furniture collected by Queen Marie. Tourists can see the interior individually or by a guided tour. At the bottom of the hill is a small open air museum park exhibiting traditional Romanian peasant structures (cottages, barns, etc.) from across the country.

 

Bucovina's monasteries

Probota Monastery was built in 1530 by prince Petru Rares in the village Probota, Suceava county. Bogdana Monastery is an Eastern Orthodox monastery in the town of Rădăuți, northern Romania. Its church is the oldest still standing religious building in Moldavia. The monastery was built by Bogdan I of Moldavia (1359–1365) somewhere around 1360. There are ten graves inside the monastery's church.

The Moldovița Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery situated in the commune of Vatra Moldoviței, Suceava County, Moldavia, Romania. The Monastery of Moldovița was built in 1532 by Petru Rareș, who was Stefan the Great's (the King of Romania from 1457 until his death in 1504) illegitimate son. It was founded as a protective barrier against the Muslim Ottoman conquerors from the East.

 

 

Nice stamps.

All cards above received from: manencov

JAPAN - CASTLES, TEMPLES

Kiyomizu-dera temple

Kiyomizu-dera is an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto. The temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) UNESCO World Heritage site. The temple was founded in 798, and its present buildings were constructed in 1633, during a ordered by the Tokugawa Iemitsu. There is not a single nail used in the entire structure. It takes its name from the waterfall within the complex, which runs off the nearby hills. Kiyomizu means clear water, or pure water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful stamps. 

Received from: Hiroshi

Iga Ueno Castle

Iga Ueno Castle, also known as Ueno Castle and Hakuho Castle, is a Japanese castle located in Iga, Mie Prefecture, Japan. Construction on Iga Ueno Castle began in 1585 by the command of Takigawa Katsutoshi. In 1935, the tenshu of Iga Ueno Castle was re-constructed out of wood. It houses a museum which holds a collection of artifacts relating to the area's history. Most other parts of the castle lie in ruins, though the towering honmaru walls still stand.

A beautiful stamp.

Received from: graodecafe

Nagoya castle

Nagoya Castle is a Japanese castle located in Nagoya, central Japan. During the Edo period, Nagoya Castle was the center of one of the most important castle towns in Japan—Nagoya-juku— and it included the most important stops along the Minoji, which linked the Tōkaidō with the Nakasendō. The castle complex is made up of several enceintes, which are divided by the outer moat (Soto-bori) and inner moat (Uchi-bori). Each enceinte is protected by walls with turrets strategically located at each corner. Access from one enceinte to the next was controlled by guarded gates that were accessible by bridges. The castle is a good example of the type built on flat lands.

Beautiful stamps.

Received from: Megumaru

Toshodaiji Temple

Tōshōdai-ji is a Buddhist temple of the Ritsu sect in the city of Nara, in Nara Prefecture, Japan. The Classic Golden Hall, also known as the kondō, has a single story, hipped tiled roof with a seven bay wide facade. It is considered the archetype of "classical style." It was founded by a Chinese Buddhist monk named Jianzhen during the Nara period in the year 759. Tōshōdai-ji is one of the places in Nara that UNESCO has designated as World Heritage Site "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara".

 

 

 

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: Nozomi

Katsura Rikyu

The Katsura Imperial Villa, or Katsura Detached Palace, is a villa with associated gardens and outbuildings in the western suburbs of Kyoto, Japan. Its gardens are a masterpiece of Japanese gardening, and the buildings are even more important, one of the greatest achievements of Japanese architecture. The palace includes a shoin ("drawing room"), tea houses, and a strolling garden. It provides an invaluable window into the villas of princes of the Edo period.

 

 

 

 

Beautiful stamps and postmark.

Received from: Chieusa

USA - VIRGINIA

Bridge Tunnel

Noted as one of the "Man Made Wonders of the World", this bridge tunnel system stretches over 17 miles to connect Virginia Beach with the Eastern Shore. This unique image is looking south over the first island towards Virginia Beach. The fishing pier and gift shop a favourite of most travellers.

 

 

 

 

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: Trina

INDONESIA

Javanese Traditional Massage

Indonesian Javanese massage is a system of massage that uses all parts of the hand, including the knuckles, to knead and massage the muscles. Usually a massage oil is used to facilitate the therapy. This massage works on the muscles and nerves to relieve tension, back pain and aid in the healing of fractures. Of all of the Asian massages, this is the most robust, but greatly beneficial in the long run.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful stamps. 

Received from: diananti

 

Manado Tua Island

Manado Tua is an inactive volcanic cone island off the west coast of North Sulawesi, close to the capital Manado. There is a good path to the top and the summit offers great views over the other islands and Manado Bay. The Bunaken National Park is a marine park in the north of Sulawesi island, Indonesia. The park is located near the centre of the Coral Triangle, providing habitat to 390 species of coral as well as many fish, mollusc, reptile and marine mammal species. The Park is representative of Indonesian tropical water ecosystems, consisting of seagrass plain, coral reef, and coastal ecosystems. It was established as a national park in 1991 and is among the first of Indonesia's growing system of marine parks. It covers a total area of 890.65 km², 97% of which is marine habitat. The remaining 3% of the park is terrestrial, including the five islands of Bunaken, Manado Tua, Mantehage, Nain and Siladen. The southern part of the Park covers part of the Tanjung Kelapa coast.

 

Beautiful stamps.

Received from: diananti

VIETNAM - NATURE

Terraced fields at Mu Cang Chai

Terraced paddy fields are used widely in rice farming in east, south, and southeast Asia, as well as other places. Terraced fields decrease erosion and surface runoff, and are effective for growing crops requiring much water, such as rice. Terracing is also used for gardening on sloping terrain. Mu Cang Chai is a district of Yen Bai province in the northeastern region of Vietnam. Local terraced fields lying among rugged green moutain valleys, under clear blue sky or a mysterious and crips fog, bring to eyes an imposing scenery. During harvesting season, ready crops transitioned to yellow, while new crops still remain in their green colour.

 

 

 

Nice stamps. 

Received from: JoinHanoi

Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a popular travel destination, located in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam. The bay features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes. The limestone in this bay has gone through 500 million years of formation in different conditions and environments. The evolution of the karst in this bay has taken 20 million years under the impact of the tropical wet climate. Ha Long Bay is home to 14 endemic floral species and 60 endemic faunal species.

 

 

 

Beautiful stamps.

Received from: JoinHanoi

MALAYSIA - NATURE

Sungai Palas Tea Plantation

Sungai Palas Garden is a Boh tea plantation located in Brinchang about 2km away from Kea Farm Market or 5km after town. As a tourist attraction, it complements the main Boh estate in Habu, Ringlet, with its very own tea center, visitor gallery and show factory. The view breaks into a magnificent panorama of vast tea fields stretched across the valley and slopes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A nice stamp. 

Received from: DaniDiving

BELARUS - STAMPS SWAP

I made a wonderful swap with Katia from Belarus. She sent me really lovely stamps and I sent her several postcards. She put many stamps on the envelope and it is the most beautiful envelope I've ever received.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

She also included a great postcard showing Belarusian nature.

Belarus is filled with beautiful forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife. There are more than 20,000 rivers and creeks and about 11,000 lakes in Belarus. The biggest lake is Naroch (about 80 square kilometers). The forests of Belarus are rich in valuable species of trees (pine tree, spruce, oak, birch tree, aspen, and alder) and game (fox, marten, hare, otter, ferret, ermine, elk, and wild boar). There are three National Parks in Belarus, "Belovezhskaya Pushcha" being the largest. In the late Middle Ages, it was a favorite hunting area of Polish kings and Russian czars. Today, more than 400 bison are living there, as well as 300 other species of animals and birds.

Thanks a lot for this swap.