USA - MASSACHUSETTS

Boston

Franklin Park, previously known as West Roxbury Park, was renamed in honor of Boston born patriot Benjamin Franklin, who documented in his will that he wished for a portion of his estate to be given to a worthy cause. The park brings together rural scenery, a woodland preserve, and areas for active recreation and sports. Franklin Park also has six miles (10 km) of roads and fifteen miles (24 km) of pedestrian and bridle paths to explore.

The Public Garden, also known as Boston Public Garden, is a large park located in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts. The Public Garden was established in 1837 when philanthropist Horace Gray petitioned for the use of land as the first public botanical garden in the United States. The bridge crossing the lagoon, designed by William G. Preston, opened in 1867. It was the world's shortest functioning suspension bridge before its conversion to a girder bridge in 1921. Its original suspension system is now merely decorative.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful stamps (and many extra stamps in the envelope).

Received from: jtw

USA - Pennsylvania

Weaver's Mill Bridge

The Weaver's Mill Covered Bridge is a covered bridge that spans the Conestoga River in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The 85-foot-long (26 m), 15-foot-wide (4.6 m) bridge was built in 1878 by B. C. Carter and J. F. Stauffer across Conestoga River. It is also known as Isaac Shearer's Mill Bridge. The bridge has a single span, wooden, double Burr arch trusses design with the addition of steel hanger rods. It is painted red, the traditional colour of Lancaster County covered bridges, on both the inside and outside. Both approaches to the bridge are painted in the traditional white colour.

 

I received a few beautiful stamps in the envelope with this postcard.

Received from: Victorian

NETHERLANDS - AMSTERDAM

Canals

The Amsterdam canal system is the result of conscious city planning. In the early 17th century, when immigration was at a peak, a comprehensive plan was developed that was based on four concentric half-circles of canals with their ends emerging at the IJ bay. The canals served for defence, water management and transport. The defences took the form of a moat and earthen dikes, with gates at transit points, but otherwise no masonry superstructures. The original plans have been lost, so historians, need to speculate on the original intentions: it is thought that the considerations of the layout were purely practical and defensive rather than ornamental.

 

Construction started in 1613 and proceeded from west to east, across the breadth of the layout and not from the centre outwards, as a popular myth has it. The canal construction in the southern sector was completed by 1656. Subsequently, the construction of residential buildings proceeded slowly. The eastern part of the concentric canal plan, covering the area between the Amstel river and the IJ bay, has never been implemented. In the following centuries, the land was used for parks, senior citizens' homes, theatres, other public facilities, and waterways without much planning. Over the years, several canals have been filled in, becoming streets or squares.

 

A beautiful stamp. (sent from the United Arab Emirates)

Received from: hagaki

 

 

Magere Brug - Skinny Bridge

The Magere Brug ("Skinny Bridge") is a bridge over the river Amstel in the city centre of Amsterdam. The central section of the Magere Brug is a bascule bridge made of white-painted wood. The present bridge was built in 1934. The first bridge at this site was built in 1691 as Kerkstraatbrug and had 13 arches. Because this bridge was very narrow, the locals called it magere brug, which literally means "skinny bridge". In 1871 the state of the bridge was so bad that it was demolished and replaced by a nine-arched wooden bridge. Fifty years later this bridge also needed to be replaced. Architect Piet Kramer made several designs for a steel and stone bridge, but the city decided to replace it with a new bridge that looked the same as the previous, only slightly bigger. In 1934 the bridge was demolished and replaced. The last major renovation was in 1969. Until 1994 the bridge was opened by hand, but now is opened automatically. Use of the bridge has been limited to pedestrians and cyclists since 2003. It is however opened many times a day in order to let through river traffic. The boats used for sightseeing tours are low enough to pass underneath the bridge when closed. The bridge is decorated with 1200 light bulbs that are turned on in the evening.

A beautiful stamp.

Received from: post4hanneke

SWITZERLAND - CITYVIEWS

Lucerne

The Chapel Bridge  (Kapellbrücke) is a covered wooden footbridge spanning diagonally across the Reuss River in the city of Lucerne in central Switzerland. Named after the nearby St. Peter's Chapel, the bridge is unique since it contains a number of interior paintings dating back to the 17th century, although many of them were destroyed along with most of the centuries old bridge in a 1993 fire. Subsequently restored, the Kapellbrücke is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe, as well as the world's oldest surviving truss bridge. It serves as the city's symbol and as one of Switzerland's main tourist attractions.

 

Nice stamps.

Received from: carolisha

Ascona

Ascona is a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It is located on the shore of Lake Maggiore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice stamps.

Received from: mads

Grindelwald

Grindelwald is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The village is located at 1,034 m (3,392 ft) above sea level in the Bernese Alps. Long famed as a winter tourist destination with slopes for beginners, intermediates and the challenges of the Eiger glacier for the experienced, there are activities for the non-skiers, from tobogganing to groomed winter hiking tracks. It is the usual starting point for ascents of the Eiger and the Wetterhorn. Nowadays Grindelwald is also a popular summer activity resort with many miles of hiking trails across the Alps.

 

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: mads

Zürich

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in north-central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. Most of Zurich's sights are located within the area on either side of the Limmat river, between the Main railway station and Lake Zurich. The churches and houses of the old town are clustered here, as are the most expensive shops along the famous Bahnhofstrasse. The Lindenhof in the old town is the historical site of the Roman castle, and the later Carolingian Imperial Palace. Zurich has a rich cultural tradition. In addition to high-quality museums and galleries, Zurich has high-calibre chamber and symphony orchestras and several important theatres.

 

 

 

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: Schneggisabrina

CHINA - NATURE

Zhuobi Peaks

Zhuobi Peak is located by the side of the Lijiang River in the southeast of Yangshuo Town. Rounded at the base and pointed at the top, the hill resembles an inverted writing brush. Its beautiful reflection seems dissolved in the green bamboo-flanked river. This is one of the best spots in Yangshuo to photograph sunrise.

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful stamps.

Received from: Phoebebao

Wulingyuan Scenery, Golden Whip Brook

Golden Whip Brook is located inside the Wulingyuan Scenic Area of Zhangjiajie and several places of interest can be found nearby. The brook meanders its way through 5.7 km (3.54 miles) of mountains and valleys, from north to south. You can enjoy the dense forest and oddly-shaped peaks from either of its banks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: hellogirlcc

Huangshan

Huangshan is a mountain range in southern Anhui province in eastern China. The range is composed of material that was uplifted from an ancient sea during the Mesozoic era, 100 million years ago. The mountains themselves were carved by glaciers during the Quaternary. The area is well known for its scenery, sunsets, peculiarly shaped granite peaks, Huangshan Pine trees, and views of the clouds from above. Huangshan is a frequent subject of traditional Chinese paintings and literature, as well as modern photography. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of China's major tourist destinations.

Nice stamps.

Received from: Paologuo

Zhejiang Province

Zhejiang consists mostly of hills, which account for about 70% of its total area. Valleys and plains are found along the coastline and rivers. Most rivers carve out valleys in the highlands, with plenty of rapids and other features associated with such topography. Well-known lakes include the West Lake of Hangzhou and the South Lake of Jiaxing. The postdard shows ZhenDong Bridge that lies in the Siming Mountain.

 

Beautiful stamps.

Received from: Ashleyxs

 

 

 

Suzhou Classical Garden

The Classical Gardens of Suzhou are a group of gardens in Suzhou region, Jiangsu province which have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Spanning a period of almost one thousand years, from the Northern Song to the late Qing dynasties (11th-19th century), these gardens, most of them built by scholars, standardized many of the key features of classical Chinese garden design with constructed landscapes mimicking natural scenery of rocks, hills and rivers with strategically located pavilions and pagodas.

 

Nice stamps.

Received from: ZJsworld

 

 

Mount Qingcheng

Mount Qingcheng is a mountain in Dujiangyan, Sichuan, China. It is amongst the most important centres of Taoism (Daoism) in China. In Taoism mythology, it was the site of the Yellow Emperor's studies with Ning Fengzhi. As a centre of the Daoist religion it became host to many temples. The mountain has 36 peaks.

Beautiful stamps.

Received from: chelinbelinda

 

 

Mount Huangshan

Huangshan is a mountain range in southern Anhui province in eastern China. The range is composed of material that was uplifted from an ancient sea during the Mesozoic era, 100 million years ago. The mountains themselves were carved by glaciers during the Quaternary. The area is well known for its scenery, sunsets, peculiarly shaped granite peaks, Huangshan Pine trees, and views of the clouds from above. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of China's major tourist destinations.

 

Nice stamps (sent from Poland).

Received from: pavlette

Yulong Bridge

Yulong Bridge was built in Yongle Period Ming Dynasty. It is a stone bridge with a length of 36 meters, a width of 4.2 meters and a height of 9 meters. Expressing a magnificent feeling, Yulong Bridge is in a simple style but featured minority characters. Yulong Bridge is located in the Yulong River Scenic Area. Without any man-made attractions, this area is the largest natural landscape garden. Yulong River is one of the international natural heritages popular with people from all over the world.

 

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: qqma

PORTUGAL - CITIES

Lisbon

Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal. It is the westernmost large city located in Europe, as well as its westernmost capital city and the only one along the Atlantic coast. It lies in the western Iberian Peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean and the Tagus River. Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world, predating other modern European capitals such as London, Paris and Rome by hundreds of years.

 

 

 

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: paisdasmaravilhas

 

 

 

A nice stamp. (sent from France)

Received from: johannaduarte

 

Jadim da Devesa e Capela do Calvário

I don't know anything about this place. Can anyone tell me some information?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: anapsia

Óbidos

Óbidos is a town located in the Oeste Subregion, of the Estremadura historical province, in Portugal. The area of the town of Óbidos is located on a hilltop, encircled by a fortified wall, but divided between the two parishes of São Pedro and Santa Maria in the municipality of Óbidos. Óbidos remains a well-preserved example of medieval architecture; its streets, squares, walls and its castle are a popular tourist destination. Each July Óbidos castle hosts a traditional Medieval Market. For two weeks the castle and the surrounding town recreate the spirit of medieval Europe.

 

 

A nice stamp. 

Received from: Tanea

Porto

Porto is the second-largest city in Portugal. Located along the Douro river estuary in northern Portugal, Porto is one of the oldest European centres, and registered as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. The Luís I Bridge is a metal arch bridge that spans the Douro River between the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia in Portugal. At the time of construction its span of 172 m was the longest of its type in the world. The construction was begun in 1881 and the bridge opened on 31 October 1886.

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: Tripeira

Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. Traditionally, the wine was taken downriver in flat-bottom boats called 'barcos rabelos', to be processed and stored. However, in the 1950s and 1960s, several hydroelectric power dams were built along the river, ending this traditional conveyance down the river. Currently, the wine is transported from the vineyards by tanker trucks and the barcos rabelos are only used for racing and other displays.

Received from: miceu

Pinhão

Pinhão is a small town that just happens to be in the heart of Port wine country. While the small town is quiet and calm for most of the year, the autumn harvest always brings a lively bunch of workers and tourists to town, and people can participate in harvest activities such as grape stomping, wine tasting, and river cruises. Pinhão’s famous bridge was designed by renowned architect Gustave Eiffel.

 

Received from: miceu

Ferragudo

Ferragudo is a beautiful village in western Algarve on the south coast of Portugal. Many of the houses in Ferragudo are traditional fisherman’s homes. It really is a very picturesque scene when you arrive in Ferragudo to see the whitewashed houses 'tumbling' down the hillside towards the river front and people sitting outside the cafes around the village square, passing the time of day!

 

Received from: miceu