United Kingdom - England - The Elgar Country

BROADHEATH / EDWARD ELGAR / WORCESTER CATHEDRAL / GREAT MALVERN / THE MALVERN HILLS
Edward Elgar was born at Lower Broadheath near Worcester in 1857. The composer's birthplace is now a museum containing photographs, scores and other items associated with him. The Malvern Hills were a constant inspiration to Elgar whose music is frequently performed at the Three Choirs Festival which alternates between Worcester, Gloucester and Hereford. Elgar died in 1934 and is buried at Little Malvern.

Sent by David, a postcrosser from England.

This is from Wikipedia : Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet OM, GCVO (2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos for violin and cello, and two symphonies. He also composed choral works, including The Dream of Gerontius, chamber music and songs. He was appointed Master of the King's Musick in 1924.

Although Elgar is often regarded as a typically English composer, most of his musical influences were not from England but from continental Europe. He felt himself to be an outsider, not only musically, but socially. In musical circles dominated by academics, he was a self-taught composer; in Protestant Britain, his Roman Catholicism was regarded with suspicion in some quarters; and in the class-conscious society of Victorian and Edwardian Britain, he was acutely sensitive about his humble origins even after he achieved recognition. He nevertheless married the daughter of a senior British army officer. She inspired him both musically and socially, but he struggled to achieve success until his forties, when after a series of moderately successful works his Enigma Variations (1899) became immediately popular in Britain and overseas. He followed the Variations with a choral work, The Dream of Gerontius (1900), based on a Roman Catholic text that caused some disquiet in the Anglican establishment in Britain, but it became, and has remained, a core repertory work in Britain and elsewhere. His later full-length religious choral works were well received but have not entered the regular repertory. The first of his Pomp and Circumstance Marches (1901) is well known in the English-speaking world.

In his fifties, Elgar composed a symphony and a violin concerto that were immensely successful. His second symphony and his cello concerto did not gain immediate public popularity and took many years to achieve a regular place in the concert repertory of British orchestras. Elgar's music came, in his later years, to be seen as appealing chiefly to British audiences. His stock remained low for a generation after his death. It began to revive significantly in the 1960s, helped by new recordings of his works. Some of his works have, in recent years, been taken up again internationally, but the music remains more played in Britain than elsewhere.

Elgar has been described as the first composer to take the gramophone seriously. Between 1914 and 1925, he conducted a series of recordings of his works. The introduction of the microphone in 1925 made far more accurate sound reproduction possible, and Elgar made new recordings of most of his major orchestral works and excerpts from The Dream of Gerontius. These recordings were reissued on LP record in the 1970s and on CD in the 1990s.

Senegal - Island of Gorée

Views of places in the Island of Gorée.

Sent by Sidibé from Senegal.

The Island of Gorée is a memorial to the African diaspora. It continues to serve as a reminder of human exploitation and as a sanctuary for reconciliation.

Gorée is a small (18 ha) land mass located off the coast of Senegal, opposite Dakar. From the 15th to the 19th centuries, it was the largest slave-trading centre on the African coast. An estimated 20 million Africans passed through the Island between the mid-1500s and the mid-1800s. Ruled in succession by the Portuguese, Dutch, English and French, its architecture is characterized by the contrast between the grim slave-quarters and the elegant houses of the slave traders.

The House of Slaves was built in 1776 by the Dutch, the last surviving slave house in Gorée; the earliest date back to 1536 and were built by Portuguese, the first Europeans to set foot on the Island in 1444. Cells, each 2.60 m by 2.60 m, were reserved for men and contained up to 15 to 20 people, seated with their backs against the wall, chained around the neck and arms. In the middle of the chain, there was a big iron ball which the slave had to carry between his two hands and two legs. They were released only once a day to satisfy their needs, generally within this house. The hygienic conditions were so revolting that the first pest epidemic which ravaged the island in 1779 originated here.

A small house contained between 150 and 200 slaves, who had to wait for very long periods - up to three months - before being carried away on board ship. Their departure to the Americas also depended on the buyers, and family separation was total. There were special cells where children were stored and in these the mortality rate was obviously the highest in the house.

The young girls were separated from the women because they were more expensive. All the houses situated on the edge of Gorée - even the actual presbytery - were former slave houses. Some slave traders had sexual relations with the young slave girls and when they got pregnant they were released in Gorée or in Saint-Louis. It was thus in the young girls' interest to give themselves to the slave traders in order to gain freedom. It was for these young girls the only way to salvation. The mixed-race girls in Gorée, commonly called 'Signare', a deformation of the Portuguese word senhoras, formed the aristocracy in Gorée, like the Creoles in the French West Indies.

There was a cell where they kept the temporarily unfit, because a man's value was based on his weight: the minimum weight for men was fixed at 60 kg. If they weighed less than this these men were placed in cells to be fattened with locally grown beans, very starchy, known in Senegal as niebe.

This sloping corridor is today known as the gate of 'the trip from which no one returned', because once the slaves left through this gate leading into the sea, it was their farewell to Africa. Just outside this gate, there was a wharf of palm wood, which served as a loading dock, and some of the slaves obviously awaited the loading to try to escape by plunging into the sea. They could not go far as they were either shot by the guards or devoured by the sharks, attracted because the sick and injured were thrown into the sea.

Leaning over the balcony on this staircase, the buyers and the European slave traders were able to observe the slaves and to discuss the muscular value of each, because each African ethnic group had its quoted value and specialization. The upper part of the building served as a residence for European traders.

The conservation of the Island of Gorée has as its objective the rehabilitation of the heritage and socio-economic revitalization. The preservation of the architectural heritage is linked to the protection of the natural environment (coastal areas) and the improvement of the infrastructure (water, sewers, refuse disposal, etc.). (Source)

USA - Alaska - Denali National Park (1)

Mt. McKinley, Alaska
Rising 20,320 feet (6,194 m) from sea level, Mt. McKinley has a greater mystical rise the Mt. Everest.

Sent by The Lowe Family, postcrosser from Washington, USA.

This is from Wikipedia : Mount McKinley or Denali (Koyukon Athabaskan for "The High One", Dghelaayce’e in Ahtna) in Alaska, United States is the highest mountain peak in North America and the United States, with a summit elevation of 20,320 feet (6,194 m) above sea level. The CIA World Factbook lists its summit elevation as 6,198 metres (20,335 ft). It is the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve.

Mount McKinley is a granitic pluton. It has been uplifted by tectonic pressure while at the same time, erosion has stripped away the (somewhat softer) sedimentary rock above and around the mountain.

The forces that lifted Mount McKinley—the subduction of the Pacific plate beneath the North American plate—also raised great ranges across southern Alaska. As that huge sheet of ocean-floor rock plunges downward into the mantle, it shoves and crumples the continent into soaring mountains which include some of the most active volcanoes on the continent. Mount McKinley in particular is uplifted relative to the rocks around it because it is at the intersection of major active strike-slip faults (faults that move rocks laterally across the Earth's surface) which allow the deep buried rocks to be unroofed more rapidly compared to those around them.

Mount McKinley has two significant summits: the South Summit is the higher one, while the North Summit has an elevation of 19,470 feet (5,934 m) and a prominence of approximately 1,320 feet (402 m). The North Summit is sometimes counted as a separate peak (see e.g., the List of United States fourteeners) and sometimes not; it is rarely climbed, except by those doing routes on the north side of the massif.

Five large glaciers flow off the slopes of the mountain. The Peters Glacier lies on the northwest side of the massif, while the Muldrow Glacier falls from its northeast slopes. Just to the east of the Muldrow, and abutting the eastern side of the massif, is the Traleika Glacier. The Ruth Glacier lies to the southeast of the mountain, and the Kahiltna Glacier leads up to the southwest side of the mountain.

The Koyukon Athabaskan people who inhabit the area around the mountain referred to the peak as Dinale or Denali ("the high one" or "the great one"). In the late 1890s, a gold prospector named it "McKinley" as political support for then-president William McKinley. The Alaska Board of Geographic Names changed the name of the mountain to Denali, which is how it is referred to locally. However, a 1975 request by the Alaska state legislature to the United States Board on Geographic Names to do the same was blocked by Ohio congressman Ralph Regula, whose district includes McKinley's hometown. Members of the Ohio congressional delegation continue to protect the McKinley name, blocking attempts by the Alaska congressional delegation to get the Board of Geographic Names to change it to Denali. Thus, "Denali" is correct according to the Alaska state board, while "McKinley" is correct according to the national board.

Germany - Stuttgart (Mapcard)

A mapcard of Stuttgart.

Sent by Stefanie, a postcrosser from Stuttgart, Germany.

Estonia - Mapcard (2)

ESTONIA

Sent by Lika, a postcrosser from Talinn, Estonia.

Qatar - Old Souk in Doha

The old souq as in 1990, Doha, Qatar.

Sent from Qatar by Hary who's in transit in Doha.

Russia - Kul Shariff Mosque

The opening of Kul Sharif mosque (24/06/2005).

Sent by Irina, a postcrosser from Russia.

This is from Wikipedia : The Qolşärif mosque (pronounced [kɔlʃæˈriːf], also spelled Qol Sharif, Kol Sharif, Qol Sherif via Tatar: Колшәриф мәчете and Kul Sharif via Russian: мечеть Кул-Шариф) located in Kazan Kremlin, was reputed to be -at the time of its construction- the largest mosque in Russia, and in Europe outside of Istanbul (read further).

Estonia - Traditional Costumes

Two girls in traditional costumes.

Sent by Piret, a postcrosser from Talinn, Estonia.

Finland - Ancient Costume of Perniö

Ancient costume of Perniö in West Finland. It's dated back to year 1150.

Sent by DotDot, a postcrosser from Helsinki, Finland.

Netherlands - Familie Hofmann

Traditional costumes of the Netherlands.

Sent by Nanda, a postcrosser from Sas van Gent, the Netherlands.

Finland - Tradition of Pole Decorating

Finnish tradition of pole decorating, mainly by Swedish-speaking folk. The tradition takes place in mid-summer.

Sent by Vuokko, a postcrosser from Finland.

Czech Republic - Rudolfinum

Rudolfinum, a music music auditorium in Prague, Czech Republic.

Sent by Jana, a postcrosser from Czech Republic.

This is from Wikipedia : The Rudolfinum is a music auditorium in Prague, Czech Republic. It is one of the most important neo-renaissance buildings in the city and is situated at Jan Palach Square on the bank of the river Vltava.

Since 1946 the Rudolfinum has been the home-stage of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and one of the main venues performed in the Dvořák Hall for the Prague Spring International Music Festival held each year in May and June. The building was designed by architect Josef Zítek and his student Josef Schulz, and was opened February 8, 1885. It is named in honour of Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria, who presided over the opening.

Dvořák Hall in the Rudolfinum, one of the oldest concert halls in Europe, is famous for its acoustics. On 4 January 1896 the Czech Philharmonic’s very first concert took place here conducted by the famous Czech composer Antonín Dvořák.

The building also contains the Galerie Rudolfinum, an important Art Gallery that focuses mainly on contemporary art. Major exhibitions have included: František Drtikol - Photographer, Painter, Mystic, (1998), Cindy Sherman: Retrospective, (1998), Jürgen Klauke: Side Effect, (1998), Czech Photography 1840-1950, (2004), Annelies Štrba, (2005), Neo Rauch: Neue Rollen, (2007), Uncertain States of America, (2007-2008), Gottfried Helnwein: Angels Sleeping, (2008).

Latvia

LATVIA
The Baltic Sea at the background.

Sent by Laura, a postcrosser from Riga, Latvia.

USA - Arkansas - Arkansas River

ARKANSAS RIVER
A late afternoon view as seen from an overlook in central Arkansas.

Sent by Jackie, a WiP partner from USA.

This is from Wikipedia : The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas River Valley where the headwaters derive from the snowpack in the Collegiate Peaks. Then it flows east into the Midwest through Kansas and Oklahoma, and finally into the South through southeastern Oklahoma and Arkansas.

At 1,469 miles (2,364 km), it is the sixth longest river in the United States, the second-longest tributary in the Mississippi-Missouri system, and the 45th longest river in the world. Its origin is in the Rocky Mountains in Lake County, Colorado, near Leadville. In 1859 placer gold was discovered in the Leadville area bringing thousands seeking to strike it rich, however the easily recovered placer gold was quickly exhausted. The Arkansas River's mouth is at Napoleon, Arkansas, and its drainage basin covers nearly 170,000 sq mi (440,300 km²). In terms of volume, the river is much smaller than both the Missouri and Ohio Rivers, with a mean discharge of roughly 41,000 cubic feet per second (1,200 m3/s).

The Arkansas from its headwaters to the 100th meridian west formed part of the US-Mexico border from the Adams-Onís Treaty (in force 1821) until the Texas Annexation or Treaty of Guadelupe Hidalgo.

French Polynesia - Bora Bora

One of the chalet hotels in Bora Bora.

Sent by Poerava from Tahiti in French Polynesia.

Note : The stamps on the envelope went missing. There was no sign of theft and I believed the stamps must have been peeled off somewhere during the delivery.


This is from Wikipedia : Bora Bora is an island in the Leeward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the Pacific Ocean. The original name of the island in the Tahitian language might be better rendered as Pora Pora, meaning "First Born"; an early transcription found in 18th- and 19th-century accounts, is Bolabolla or Bollabolla. The island, located about 230 kilometres (140 mi) northwest of Papeete, is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef. In the center of the island are the remnants of an extinct volcano rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu, the highest point at 727 metres (2,385 ft).

Bora Bora is a major international tourist destination, famous for its aqua-centric luxury resorts. The island is served by Bora Bora Airport on Motu Mete in the north, with Air Tahiti providing daily flights to and from Papeete on Tahiti. The major settlement, Vaitape is on the western side of the main island, opposite the main channel into the lagoon. Produce of the island is mostly limited to what can be obtained from the sea and the plentiful coconut trees, which were historically of economic importance for copra. According to a census performed in 2008, the permanent population of Bora Bora is 8,880.

Chile - Barrio La Matriz de Valparaiso

CHILE
Valparaiso
Barrio La Matriz

Sent by my good friend Hernán from Santiago de Chile. 'Terima kasih' for the beautiful stamps.

Kenya - Jambo From Kenya

Jambo From Kenya.

Sent from Nairobi by Hary who was visiting the country.

USA - Utah - Canyonlands National Park (2)

Canyonlands National Park
Mesa Arch
Rays from Canyon sunrise steam through Mesa Arch at the Island in the Sky District. Spectacular views from the high mesa abound, delighting the eye with formations such as Washer Woman Arch in the distance. White Rim Sandstone accents the canyon rim 1,000 feet below the mesa top.

Sent by Michele, a postcrosser from USA.

This is from Wikipedia : Canyonlands National Park is a U.S. National Park located in southeastern Utah near the town of Moab and preserves a colorful landscape eroded into countless canyons, mesas and buttes by the Colorado River, the Green River, and their respective tributaries. The park is divided into four districts: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the rivers themselves. While these areas share a primitive desert atmosphere, each retains its own character. The park covers 527.5 square miles (1,366 km2). Canyons are carved into the Colorado Plateau by the Colorado River and Green River. Author Edward Abbey, a frequent visitor, described the Canyonlands as "the most weird, wonderful, magical place on earth—there is nothing else like it anywhere."

Canyonlands is a popular recreational destination. On average 423,792 people visited the park each year. The geography of the park is well suited to a number of different recreational uses. Hikers, mountain bikers, backpackers, and four-wheelers all enjoy traveling the rugged, remote trails within the Park. Rafters and kayakers float the calm stretches of the Green River and Colorado River above the confluence. Below the confluence Cataract Canyon contains powerful whitewater rapids, similar to those found in the Grand Canyon.

The Island in the Sky district, with its proximity to the Moab, Utah area, attracts the majority (59 percent) of park users. The Needles district is the second most visited, drawing 35 percent of visitors. The rivers within the park and the remote Maze district each only account for 3 percent of park visitation.

Political compromise at the time of the park's creation limited the protected area to an arbitrary portion of the Canyonlands basin. Conservationists hope to complete the park by bringing the boundaries up to the high sandstone rims that form the natural border of the Canyonlands landscape.

Switzerland - Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes

Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sent by Verena, a postcrosser from Luzern, Switzerland.

This is from UNESCO : Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes, brings together two historic railway lines that cross the Swiss Alps through two passes. Opened in 1904, the Albula line in the north western part of the property is 67 km long. It features an impressive set of structures including 42 tunnels and covered galleries and 144 viaducts and bridges. The 61 km Bernina pass line features 13 tunnels and galleries and 52 viaducts and bridges. The property is exemplary of the use of the railway to overcome the isolation of settlements in the Central Alps early in the 20th century, with a major and lasting socio-economic impact on life in the mountains. It constitutes an outstanding technical, architectural and environmental ensemble and embodies architectural and civil engineering achievements, in harmony with the landscapes through which they pass.

Australia - New South Wales

Sunrise Australia
The sun rises over the horizon in coastal New South Wales.

Sent by Alison, a WiP partner from Australia.

This is from Wikipedia : New South Wales (abbreviated as NSW), is Australia's most populous state, and is located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria, south of Queensland, east of South Australia and encompasses the whole of the Australian Capital Territory. The colony of New South Wales was founded in 1788 and originally comprised much of the Australian mainland, as well as Van Diemen's Land, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island in addition to the area currently referred to as the state of New South Wales, which was formed during Federation in 1901.

When Britain annexed New Zealand in 1840, it briefly became a part of New South Wales. During the 19th century large areas were successively separated to form the British colonies of Tasmania (established as a separate colony named Van Diemen's Land in 1825), South Australia (1836), Victoria (1851) and Queensland (1859).

Inhabitants of New South Wales are referred to as New South Welshmen. New South Wales's largest city and capital is Sydney.

New South Wales contains one third (33%) of Australia's population.

Kookaburra

Kookaburra
This unique bird is often called Giant Kingfisher, Laughing Jackass and Settlers Clock. Its laughing notes are heard mainly in the early morning or at sunset. Its food consists of small lizards and snakes up to 2ft. 6ins. in length.

Sent by Russell, a postcrosser from New Zealand.

Czech Republic - Mapcard of Krkonoše

The postcard shows map of Krkonoše Range.

Sent by Ota, a postcrosser from Czech Republic.

This is from Wikipedia : Krkonoše [ˈkr̩konoʃɛ](in Czech; also Karkonosze [karkɔˈnɔʂɛ] in Polish, Riesengebirge in German, or the Giant Mountains in English) is a mountain range located in the north of the Czech Republic and the south-west of Poland, part of the Sudetes mountain system (part of the Bohemian Massif). The Czech-Polish border, which divides the historic regions of Bohemia and Silesia, runs along the main ridge. The highest peak, Sněžka (Polish: Śnieżka), is the Czech Republic's highest point with an elevation of 1,602 metres (5,256 ft).

On both sides of the border, large areas of the mountains are designated national parks (the Krkonoše National Park in the Czech Republic and the Karkonosze National Park in Poland), and these together constitute a cross-border biosphere reserve under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme. The River Elbe rises within the Krkonoše. The range has a number of major ski resorts, and is a popular destination for tourists engaging in downhill and cross-country skiing, hiking, cycling and other activities.

Germany - Schauinsland

FREIBURG
Schauinsland, Bergstation.

Sent by Sabine, a WiP partner from Germany.

This is from Wikipedia : The Schauinsland (literally "look into the country"; near Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany), is a mountain in the Black Forest with an elevation of 1,284 m (4213 ft) above sea level.

The area is suitable for a number of outdoor adventurous activities including hiking, skiing and mountain biking. There is also a solar observatory nearby, a Global Atmosphere Watch monitoring station, and the Eugen-Keidel Tower. Especially in autumn, during temperature inversion, there is a nice view of the Vosges mountains from the top of the Schauinsland. Under appropriate weather conditions there is an excellent view of a large portion of the Swiss Alps.

The summit of the mountain can be reached on the Schauinslandbahn, a gondola lift that ascends from Horben. The lower station of this can be reached by bus route 21 from the terminus of Freiburg city tram route 2 at Günterstal. All three lines are operated by VAG Freiburg, the city transport operator for Freiburg.

There is also a 12 km (7.5 mile) long, twisty road leading up the mountain, which has been used for hillclimbing races. In some years, it also hosted the Großer Bergpreis von Deutschland, for example on September 27 1936 when it was won by Bernd Rosemeyer.

On 17 April 1936 a group of English pupils and their teacher Kenneth Keast were caught in a snow storm. They got lost, and five of them died. In 1938 the Engländerdenkmal of architect Hermann Alker (Karlsruhe) was erected by the Hitler Youth in commemoration.

For over 700 years lead, silver and zinc were mined in the area. Production ceased in 1954, but a museum and narrow gauge railway remain.

Germany - Görlitz

Görlitz, historical buildings in the historical town centre.

Sent by Ariane, a postcrosser from Görlitz in Germany.

This is from Wikipedia : Görlitz ([ˈɡœɐ̯lɪts ]; Upper Sorbian: Zhorjelc, Lower Sorbian: Zgórjelc, Czech: Zhořelec) is a town in Germany. It is the easternmost town in the country, located on the Lusatian Neisse River in the Bundesland (Federal State) of Saxony. It is opposite the Polish town of Zgorzelec, which was a part of Görlitz until 1945. Historically, Görlitz was in the region of Upper Lusatia. However, in 1815, some parts of Lusatia were integrated into the Province of Silesia, and later into the Province of Lower Silesia. Görlitz is the largest city of the former Province of Lower Silesia that lies west of the Oder-Neisse line and is hence the largest city of that province that is still part of Germany today. Therefore it is considered the most Silesian city, in terms of character, in Germany today. This is not unjustified since the city adapted to a large extent to the rest of Silesia when it was part of it administratively. It is the easternmost town in Germany and the capital of the district of Görlitz. Today the city combines Lusatian and Silesian traditions as well as German and Sorbian culture influenced by the proximity to Poland. Görlitz is the largest city in the Silesian part of the current Germany.