LUXEMBOURG

Luxembourg

The city of Luxembourg is a commune with city status, and the capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It stands at the confluence of the Alzette and Pétrusse Rivers in southern Luxembourg. The city contains the Luxembourg Castle, established by the Franks in the Early Middle Ages, around which a settlement developed. Places of interest include the Gothic Revival Cathedral of Notre Dame, the fortifications, the Grand Ducal Palace, the Gëlle Fra war memorial, the casemates, the Neumünster Abbey, the Place d'Armes, the Adolphe Bridge and the city hall.

A nice stamp and postmark.

Received from: Kiwi88

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

PUERTO RICO

Adjuntas

Adjuntas is a small mountainside municipality in Puerto Rico located central midwest of the island. It is nicknamed "the Switzerland of Puerto Rico", because of its relatively chilly weather. The terrain in Adjuntas is very mountainous, due to its location in the Cordillera Central.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: jessy86

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cañón San Cristobal

Known as the island's main canyon. It's preserved by Fideicomiso de Conservación de Puerto Rico. It's about 4.5 miles long, just around 100 feet wide, and with 400-500 foot high rocky walls on both sides. San Cristobal Canyon was carved by a river that currently serves as a boundary between Barranquitas and Aibonito. Here you'll find waterfalls, pools, tiny harmless snakes, cliffs, and great rock formations.

 

 

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: jessy86

FRANCE - PARIS

Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is an iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris, named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower in 1889 as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair. The tower stands 324 metres (1,063 ft) tall, about the same height as an 81-storey building. The tower has three levels for visitors. The walk from ground level to the first level is over 300 steps, as is the walk from the first to the second level. The third and highest level is accessible only by lift—stairs do exist but are usually closed to the public. The tower has become the most prominent symbol of both Paris and France.

 

Nice stamps.

Received from: stess29

IRELAND - CITIES

Dublin

Dublin is the capital and most populous city of Ireland. One of Dublin's newest monuments is the Spire of Dublin, or officially titled "Monument of Light". It is a 121.2 metres (398 ft) conical spire made of stainless steel and is located on O'Connell Street. It replaces Nelson's Pillar and is intended to mark Dublin's place in the 21st century. The spire was designed by Ian Ritchie Architects, who sought an "Elegant and dynamic simplicity bridging art and technology". During the day it maintains its steel look, but at dusk the monument appears to merge into the sky. The base of the monument is lit and the top is illuminated to provide a beacon in the night sky across the city.

 

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: fisherman

CANADA - CITYVIEWS

Winnipeg

One of the finest neo-classical structures in the world, the Legislative Building is the seat of government for the Province fo Manitoba. The exterior is built of local limestone and the dome is crowned by the famous statue of Golden Boy 250 ft. above the ground. The spacious park surrounding the building is lavishly landscaped and contains many statues of historic and cultural interest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: abw92

Toronto

The red-brick Gooderham Building (commonly referred to as the Flatiron Building) is a historic landmark of Toronto, Ontario, Canada located at 49 Wellington Street East. Completed in 1892, it was an early example of a prominent flatiron building. The Gooderham Building is the focal point of one of Toronto's most iconic vistas: looking west down Front Street towards the building's prominent rounded corner, framed on the sides by the heritage commercial blocks along Front Street, and with the skyscrapers of the Financial District towering in the background. The building has a Romanesque cornice and frieze above the arched windows on the 4th floor. The main entrance located on Wellington Street makes use of a French Gothic archway. The foundation is made of sandstone. The steep copper roof has eight gable dormers: four on the south facade and four on the north facade.

 

 

Beautiful stamps.

Received from: renegade_cavalcade

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

UNITED KINGDOM - CITIES

London Eye

 

The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel situated on the banks of the River Thames in London, England. The entire structure is 135 metres (443 ft) tall and the wheel has a diameter of 120 metres (394 ft). It is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe, and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over 3.5 million people annually. It provides the highest public viewing point, and is the 20th tallest structure, in London.

 

Nice stamps.

Received from: luciekla

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge (built 1886–1894) is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London which crosses the River Thames. The bridge consists of two towers tied together at the upper level by means of two horizontal walkways. The bridge's present colour scheme dates from 1977, when it was painted red, white and blue for Queen Elizabeth II's silver jubilee. Originally it was painted a mid greenish-blue colour. The bridge was officially opened on 30 June 1894 by The Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII), and his wife, The Princess of Wales (Alexandra of Denmark). The bridge is 800 feet (244 m) in length with two towers each 213 feet (65 m) high, built on piers. The central span of 200 feet (61 m) between the towers is split into two equal bascules or leaves, which can be raised to an angle of 86 degrees to allow river traffic to pass. The bascules, weighing over 1,000 tons each, are counterbalanced to minimise the force required and allow raising in five minutes.

A nice stamp.

Received from: Kamilaa

 

Clare Bridge, Cambridge

 

Clare College was re-founded in 1338 by Lady Elizabeth de Clare. Her purpose was replacement of clergy lost to the Black Death. Evern with her assistance the college struggled financially. Further troubles beset it in the form of two fires. Its slow, phoenix-like recovery began in 1638 with the building of Cambridge's first stone bridge.

 

Beautiful stamps.

Received from: Elcmae

HONG KONG - CITIES

Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter

Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter is a typhoon shelter located in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, between the Hong Kong Island entrance of Cross Harbour Tunnel on Kellett Island and Island Eastern Corridor. The original typhoon shelter was built after the 1874 typhoon, at the present location of Victoria Park, to provide shelter for fishing boats during storms. It was completed in 1883 with a breakwater only 427 metres (1,400 feet) long. On 18 September 1906, a typhoon struck Hong Kong, destroying 3,653 boats and killing 15,000 people, most of them fishermen. In March 1908 the Government finally carried out expansion works on the typhoon shelter, deepening it by 3 metres (9 feet) and expanded it to 30 hectares (75 acres).

 

Beautiful stamps. 

Received from: simplelife

USA - WASHINGTON

Seattle

Seattle is a major coastal seaport and the seat of King County, in the U.S. state of Washington. Seattle lies on seven hills including Capitol Hill, First Hill, West Seattle, Beacon Hill, Magnolia, Denny Hill and Queen Anne. The Space Needle, dating from the 1962 Century 21 Exposition, is Seattle's most recognizable landmark. The fairgrounds surrounding the Needle have been converted into Seattle Center, which remains the site of many local civic and cultural events.

 

 

 

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: AriannaValori

BRAZIL - CITYVIEWS

University of Brasilia

The University of Brasilia Foundation was created on December 15, 1961. Professor Darcy Ribeiro, who became its first chancellor, was one of the most enthusiastic supporters of its creation. The architect Oscar Niemeyer designed its main building, the Central Institute of Sciences (ICC).

 

 

Beautiful stamps.

Received from: dine

Penedo

Penedo is a municipality in the state of Alagoas in Brazil. Penedo has many important examples of Portuguese and Dutch colonial architectures, as well as beautiful landscapes. Among its historically significant buildings are its well preserved churches, which were built through the 18th century. The postcard shows Little Finland, a neighbourhood inside Penedo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful stamps.

Received from: dine

ESTONIA - CITIES

Viljandi

Viljandi is a town and municipality in southern Estonia. It is the capital of Viljandi County. The town was first mentioned in 1283, upon being granted its town charter by Wilhelm von Endorpe. The city is situated on the north-western shore of Lake Viljandi, which lies in the primeval valley. Green zones cover 27% of the city area. Viljandi is sometimes called the cultural capital of Estonia, partly due to the Viljandi Culture Academy being located there. On the card there is the view of Viljandi, Old Water Tower, Town Hall and Suspension bridge in Castle Hills.

 

Beautiful stamps.

Received from: ossuusso

PORTUGAL - MADEIRA

Porto da Cruz

Porto da Cruz (English: port of the cross) is a civil parish in the municipality of Machico in the northeastern corner of Madeira. The origin of the communities name came from the fact that the original discoverer affixed a steel cross at the port, in order to better identify the location to ocean travelers. The northern parish is enveloped by the mountains of Paul da Serra: Pico da Suna (1040 metres), Pico do Larano (765 metres) and Pico da Maiata (766 metres) are the highest points in the parish. Even along the coast, Penha de Águia (a mountainous escarpment 580 metres in altitude) is difficult to climb; the area, Penha da Águia, means mountain of the eagles, giving the impression that only the birds settle these lands.

A nice stamp.

Received from: neWElen

USA - FLORIDA

Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. The city is a popular tourist destination and it is sometimes known as the "Venice of America" because of its expansive and intricate canal system. The city is a major yachting center. Fort Lauderdale is named after a series of forts built by the United States during the Second Seminole War. The forts took their name from Major William Lauderdale, who was the commander of the detachment of soldiers who built the first fort. However, development of the city did not begin until 50 years after the forts were abandoned at the end of the conflict.

 

 

Nice stamps. 

Received from: TheBlueMorpho

 

 

 

 

A beautiful stamp.

Received from: TheBlueMorpho

CROATIA - CITIES

Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik is a city on the Adriatic Sea coast of Croatia. In 1979 it joined the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. The prosperity of the city of Dubrovnik has always been based on maritime trade. In the Middle Ages, as the Republic of Ragusa, also known as a Maritime Republic, it became the only eastern Adriatic city-state to rival Venice. Supported by its wealth and skilled diplomacy, the city achieved a high level of development, particularly during the 15th and 16th centuries. Few of Dubrovnik's Renaissance buildings survived the earthquake of 1667 but fortunately enough remain to give an idea of the city's architectural heritage. A feature of Dubrovnik is its walls that run almost 2 km (1.24 mi) around the city. The walls run from four to six metres thick on the landward side but are much thinner on the seaward side. The system of turrets and towers were intended to protect the vulnerable city.

 

Beautiful stamps.

Received from: ddonkey

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

BULGARIA - CITIES

Sofia

Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula. The outlook of Sofia combines a wide range of arhitectural styles, some of which are hardly compatible. These vary from Christian Roman architecture and medieval Bulgar fortresses to Neoclassicism and prefabricated Socialist-era apartment blocks. A number of ancient Roman, Byzantine and medieval Bulgarian buildings are preserved in the centre of the city. These include the 10th century Boyana Church (a World Heritage Site), the 4th century Rotunda of St. George, the walls of the Serdica fortress and the partially preserved Amphitheatre of Serdica.

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: ceruleanmind

USA - SIERRA NEVADA

Nevada Lodge

On the back of this retro card you can read:

Discover Lake Tahoe's

Nevada Lodge

offering you ... a glittering treasure of holiday fun ... round the clock ... through all the year!

100 beautiful rooms - outdoor heated pool and pavilion - glamorous theater bar - ultramodern coffee shop - the friendliest casino in Nevada

 

 

 

 

Beautiful stamps.

Received from: WRITE SHOP ROBERT

SERBIA

Kragujevac

The City of Kragujevac is situated in the central part of the Republic of Serbia, in the Sumadija and Pomoravlje Region. The Sumadija Region is characterized by hilly and highland terrain suitable for diverse agriculture types development. The alluvial plain in the river valleys are convenient for developing of crop farming and truck farming, while the uphill are for fruit and vineyard growing.

 

 

 

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: sandramr