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

SRI LANKA - OTHERS

Polonnaruwa

Polonnaruwa is the main town of Polonnaruwa District in the North Central Province, Sri Lanka. Kaduruwela area is the Polonnaruwa New Town and the other part of Polonnaruwa, remains as the royal ancient city of polonnaru kingdom. The Ancient City of Polonnaruwa has been declared a World Heritage Site. Today the ancient city of Polonnaruwa remains one of the best planned archaeological relic sites in the country, standing testimony to the discipline and greatness of the Kingdom's first rulers.

A nice stamp (sent from Canada)

Received from: ladybugw

SRI LANKA - NATURE

Sigiriya

Sigiriya (Lion's rock) is a town with a large stone and ancient rock fortress and palace ruin in the central Matale District of Central Province, Sri Lanka, surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures. A popular tourist destination, Sigiriya is also renowned for its ancient paintings (frescos), which are reminiscent of the Ajanta Caves of India. It is one of the eight World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka.

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: Naafiah

 

 

 

Thissamaharama

About 35 Km from Thissamaharama is the country’s largest and most visited national park the Yala National Park. There are numerous kinds of animals wander around the park including elephants peacocks and the leopards. During the pre-Christian era this area has been a centre of Buddhism with numerous monasteries. More than 50 inscriptions have been found which dates from 2nd to 1st century BC

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice stamps. 

Received from: Naaiah

JAPAN - TOMIHIRO HOSHINO

Tomihiro Hoshino

Tomihiro Hoshino was a 24-year-old gymnastics teacher when he injured his neck demonstrating a double somersault to his junior high school students. Since then he has been completely paralyzed from the neck down. In a split second, he went from an active life, enjoying gymnastics and mountain climbing, to lying motionless in Gunma Orthopedic Hospital, where he remained for the next nine years. The next big turning point in Hoshino' life came in 1972, two years after his accident. One of Hoshino's fellow patients was being transferred to a different hospital and asked all the people in the ward to sign his canvas beach hat as a momento. Paralyzed, Tomihiro was at a complete loss how to sign the hat, until, with the help of his mother, he managed to hold a pen in his mouth and painstakingly write "Tomo." Hoshino began to write poems and paint flowers, gradually developing his unusual technique. He continued to paint until he had amassed enough work to hold a show. His first exhibition opened in his hometown of Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture, four months before he was finally able to leave the hospital. He has produced hundreds of works, many of which have been published in illustrated books of poems and essays.

 

 

Beautiful stamps.

Received from: Cockie

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

LIECHTENSTEIN

Vaduz Castle

Vaduz Castle is the palace and official residence of the Prince of Liechtenstein. The castle gave its name to the town of Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein, which it overlooks from an adjacent hilltop. The Liechtenstein Family acquired Vaduz Castle in 1712 when it purchased the countship of Vaduz. The castle underwent a major restoration between 1905 and 1920, then again in the early 20s during the reign of Prince Johann II, and was expanded during the early 1930s by Prince Franz Joseph II. Since 1938, the castle has been the primary residence of Liechtenstein's Royal Family. The castle is not open to the public as the royal family still lives in the castle.

 

A nice stamp (sent from Germany). 

Received from: Terra

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A beautiful stamp.

Received from: Suaithai

MAP CARDS

North Holland

North Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the northwest of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is Haarlem and its largest city is Amsterdam. The province of North Holland as it is today has its origins in the period of French rule from 1795 to 1813. This was a time of bewildering changes to the Dutch system of provinces.

 

 

Nice stamps.

Received from: Bloem82

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Portugal

Portugal is a country located in Southwestern Europe, on the Iberian Peninsula. Tourist hotspots in Portugal are Lisbon, Algarve and Madeira, but the Portuguese government continues to promote and develop new tourist destinations, such as the Douro Valley, the island of Porto Santo, and Alentejo.

 

Received from: miceu

BELGIUM - OTHERS

Winter

This postcard reminds me of my childhood. But even today sometimes ponds and lakes freeze in winter so that people can go ice-skating and playing ice-hockey. In addition to this interesting postcard I received many beautiful Belgian stamps. Thanks a lot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A beautiful stamp.

Received from: zoeza

TAIWAN - NATURE

Sizihwan Bay

Sizihwan Bay is located on the west of Kaohsiung City. Situated between Wanshou Shan and Chichin Island, Sizih Bay is a sandy beach and with beautiful coral formations on the coastlines, offering magnificent views of the nature. Watching the sunset over Sizihwan Bay is one of the highlights of Kaohsiung. At dusk, people gather along the stone railing beside the sea, to get a good view of the sunset. As night falls, couples can be found in the gaps between the railings. These gaps in the railings are referred to as "Lovers' Caves" or "Carrot Pits", making Sizihwan Bay a tremendously romantic place to visit.

 

A nice stamp.

Received from: Kumickey

CHILE - NATURE

Payachatas volcanoes

The Payachatas volcanoes are located in the northmost region of Chile called Arica y Parinacota. These volcanoes are Parinacota and Pomerape. There is a legend of the Aymare people, in which Pomerape (a prince) fell in love with Parinacota (a princess from a rival family). They were about to marry secretly but were killed. Then these lovers became the two volcanoes and could be together forever. On the postcard you can see llamas grazing in a marsh located 4500 metres above sea level, at the feet of the Pomerape and Parinacota volcanoes, whose snow-capped peaks rise above 6000m.

Beautiful stamps.

Received from: Stars&Mailman