USA - Washington - Seattle Waterfront

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
Unique shops and specialty stores, as well as many renowned seafood restaurants, line the Seattle waterfront.

Sent by Olga from Seattle, USA.

Slovenia - Ljubljana (2)

LJUBLJANA SLOVENIA
Belltowers of the Franciscan church and the cathedral.

Sent by anasie, a postcrosser from Slovenia.

Canada - Ontario - Belleville

Belleville, Ontario
Belleville is located on the north shore of Lake Ontario at the mouth of Moira River, with the Bay of Quinte at its doors. Belleville's excellent location makes it a perfect destination spot for many travellers.

Sent by Liz, a postcrosser from Canada.

This is from Wikipedia : Belleville (Canada 2006 Census population 48,821; census agglomeration population 91,518) is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in Southern (Southeastern) Ontario, Canada, in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. It is the seat of Hastings County, but is politically independent of it. and the centre of the Bay of Quinte Region. The current mayor of Belleville is Neil Ellis.

Originally the site of a Native settlement known as Asukhknosk, the future location of the city was settled by United Empire Loyalists in 1789, after which it became known as Meyer's Creek after prominent settler and industrialist John Walden Meyers. It was renamed Belleville in honour of Lady Arabella Gore in 1816, after a visit to the settlement by Sir Francis Gore and his wife. Belleville became an important railway junction with the completion of the Grand Trunk Railway in 1855. In 1858 the iron bridge over the Moira at Bridge Street became the first iron bridge in Hastings County. Belleville's strikingly beautiful High Victorian Gothic city hall was constructed in 1872 to house the public market and administrative offices. The City Hall tower stands some 185 feet above street level.

In 1998, the city was amalgamated with the surrounding Township of Thurlow to form an expanded City of Belleville as part of Ontario-wide municipal restructuring. The city also annexed portions of Quinte West to the west.

Ireland - Clonmacnoise Monastic Site

Clonmacnoise is an Early Christian site founded by St. Ciarán in the mid 6th century on the eastern bank of River Shannon. The site includes the ruins of a cathedral, seven churches (10th - 13th century), two round towers, three high crosses and the largest collection of Early Christian graveslabs in Western Europe.

Sent by Claudia, a postcrosser from Ireland.

This is from Wikipedia : The monastery of Clonmacnoise (Cluain Mhic Nóis in Irish, meaning "Meadow of the Sons of Nós", or perhaps, albeit less likely, Cluain Muccu Nóis "Meadow of the Pigs of Nós") is situated in County Offaly, Ireland on the River Shannon south of Athlone.

Clonmacnoise was founded sometime between 545 and 548 by Ciarán Mac a tSaor, a young man from Rathcroghan, Co. Roscommon. Until the 9th century it had close associations with the kings of Connacht. The strategic location of the monastery helped it become a major centre of religion, learning, craftsmanship and trade by the 9th century and together with Clonard it was the most famous in Ireland, visited by scholars from all over Europe. From the ninth until the eleventh century it was allied with the kings of Meath. Many of the high kings of Tara and Connacht were buried here.

Shortly after his arrival with seven companions - at the point where the major east-west land route through the bogs of central Ireland along the Eiscir Riada, an esker left by the receding glaciers of the last ice age crossed the River Shannon - Saint Ciarán met Diarmait Uí Cerbaill who helped him build the first church at the site. This was a small wooden structure and the first of many small churches to be clustered on the site. Diarmuid was to be the first man to be crowned High King of Ireland while a practising Christian. Ciarán died less than one year later of the yellow fever (Justinian Plague) and was reportedly buried under the original wooden church, now the site of the 9th century stone oratory, Temple Ciarán. Annals record that he died at the age of 33, one of the many coincidences recorded between Ciarán's life and that of Jesus Christ.

Clonmacnoise's period of greatest growth came between the 8th and 12th centuries. It was attacked frequently during these four centuries, mostly by the Irish (at least 27 times), the Vikings (at least 7 times) and Anglo-Normans (at least 6 times). The early wooden buildings began to be replaced by more durable stone structures in the 9th century, and the original population of fewer than ten men grew to perhaps 1,500 to 2,000 by the 11th century. Artisans associated with the site created some of the most beautiful and enduring artworks in metal and stone ever seen in Ireland, with the Clonmacnoise Crozier (on display in the National Museum of Ireland) and the Cross of the Scriptures representing the apex of their efforts.

In the 12th century Clonmacnoise began to decline. The reasons were varied, but without doubt the most debilitating factor was the growth of the town of Athlone to the north of the site from the late-12th century. Athlone became the main trading town for the midlands of Ireland, the most popular route for crossing the Shannon, as well as the best-defended settlement in the region. People migrated north from Clonmacnoise to Athlone, and with the fall in population went much of the support that the site needed to survive, and former allies began to recognise the decline in the site's influence. The influx of continental religious orders such as the Franciscans, Augustinians, Bendictines, Cluniacs, etc. around the same time fed into this decline as numerous additional competitor sites began to crop up. Ireland's move from a monastic framework to diocesan in the twelfth century similarly disimproved the site's religious standing, as it was designated the seat of a small and impoverished diocese.

It was visited by Pope John Paul II in 1979. The site can be visited for a fee, via an O.P.W.-managed interpretative centre (see heritageireland.ie for prices and contact info.). The site is accessible from the River Shannon, with trips from Shannonbridge and Athlone regular features during the summer season. Some private operators also offer bus connections from Athlone, but the most common way to visit the site by road, if a visitor does not have their own car, is by taxi from Athlone (€40-50 ret.).

Belarus - Zamechak

Ancient town "Zamechak".
Reconstruction by Yaugen Kulik using the materials of archaeologist Yury Zayats.

Sent by Alena, a postcrosser from Belarus.

South Korea - Gwanghwamun

Sent by Rob, a postcrosser from South Korea.

Norway - West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord (2)

NORWAY
Geirangerfjord.

Sent by Jörg, a postcrosser from Norway.

Germany - Map of Weimar

A map of Weimar.

Sent by Alex, a postcrosser from Switzerland.

This is from Wikipedia : Weimar (German pronunciation: [ˈvaɪma]) is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia (German: Thüringen), north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899. Weimar was the capital of the Duchy (after 1815 the Grand Duchy) of Saxe-Weimar (German Sachsen-Weimar).

Weimar's cultural heritage is vast. It is most often recognised as the place where Germany's first democratic constitution was signed after the First World War, giving its name to the Weimar Republic period in German politics, of 1918–1933. However, the city was also the focal point of the German Enlightenment and home of the leading characters of the literary genre of Weimar Classicism, the writers Goethe and Schiller. The city was also the birthplace of the Bauhaus movement, founded in 1919 by Walter Gropius, with artists Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Oskar Schlemmer, and Lyonel Feininger teaching in Weimar's Bauhaus School. Many places in the city centre have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

USA - Oregon - State Bird & State Flower

OREGON
State Symbols
The Western Meadowlark was chosen as Oregon's state bird by Oregon's school children, who were polled by the Oregon Audubon Society in 1927. The Oregon Grape was designated as Oregon's state flower by the Oregon Legislature in 1899.

Sent by Nancy, a postcrosser from Oregon, USA.

Germany - Loreley Rock

The Loreley Rock In The Middle Rhine Vally Near St. Goar.

Sent by Daniela, a postcrosser from Germany.

This is from Wikipedia : The Lorelei (also spelled Loreley) (German pronunciation: [loːʁəˈlaɪ]) is a rock on the eastern bank of the Rhine near St. Goarshausen, Germany, which soars some 120 metres above the waterline. It marks the narrowest part of the river between Switzerland and the North Sea. A very strong current and rocks below the waterline have caused many boat accidents there. Since 1395, the vineyards of the Counts of Katzenelnbogen have been located here.

The name comes from the old German words "lureln" (Rhine dialect for "murmuring") and the Celtic term "ley" (rock). The translation of the name would therefore be: "murmur rock" or "murmuring rock". The heavy currents, and a small waterfall in the area (still visible in the early 19th century) created a murmuring sound, and this combined with the special echo the rock produces which acted as a sort of amplifier, giving the rock its name. The murmuring is hard to hear today owing to the urbanization of the area. Other theories attribute the name to the many accidents, by combining the German verb "lauern" (to lurk, lie in wait) with the same "ley" ending, with the translation "lurking rock".

Russia - The Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin

Moscow - The Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin.

Sent by Maria, a postcrosser from Mosocw, Russia.

This is from Wikipedia : The Spasskaya Tower (Russian: Спасская башня, translated as "Savior Tower") is the main tower with a through-passage on the eastern wall of the Moscow Kremlin, which overlooks the Red Square.

The Spasskaya Tower was built in 1491 by an Italian architect Pietro Antonio Solari. Initially, it was named the Frolovskaya Tower after the Church of Frol and Lavr in the Kremlin (it is no longer there). The tower's modern name comes from the icon of Spas Nerukotvorny (Divine Savior), which was placed above the gates on the inside wall in 1658 (no longer there since 1917) and the wall-painted icon of Spas Smolensky (Smolensky Savior), which was created in the 16th century on the outside wall of tower (plastered in 1937, reopened and restored in 2010). The Spasskaya Tower was the first one to be crowned with the hipped roof in 1624–1625 by architects Bazhen Ogurtsov and Christopher Galloway (a Scottish architect and clockmaker). According to a number of historical accounts, the clock on the Spasskaya Tower appeared between 1491 and 1585. It is usually referred to as the Kremlin clock (Кремлёвские куранты).

On top of the gates of the tower there was inscribed the following inscription: IOANNES VASILII DEI GRATIA MAGNUS DUX VOLODIMERIAE, MOSCOVIAE, NOVOGARDIAE, TFERIAE, PLESCOVIAE, VETICIAE, ONGARIAE, PERMIAE, BUOLGARIAE ET ALIAS TOTIUSQ(UE) RAXIE D(OMI)NUS, A(N)NO 30 IMPERII SUI HAS TURRES CO(N)DERE F(ECIT) ET STATUIT PETRUS ANTONIUS SOLARIUS MEDIOLANENSIS A(N)NO N(ATIVIT) A(TIS) D(OM)INI 1491 K(ALENDIS) M(ARTIIS) I(USSIT) P(ONERE).

In 1935, the Soviets installed a red star instead of a two-headed eagle on top of the Spasskaya Tower. The height of the tower with the star is 71 m. In August 2010 above the gate the icon of Savior Smolensky was restored.

Finland - Fortress of Suomenlinna (4)

Helsinki, Suomenlinna.

Sent by Anne, a postcrosser from Finland.

Montenegro - Herceg Novi

HERCEG NOVI
The main gate was the way to the old, fortified town, through the Clock Tower (Sahat Kula), 19th century.

Sent by Slavinka from Herceg Novi, Montenegro.

This is from Wikipedia : Herceg Novi (Serbian Cyrillic: Херцег Нови; pronounced [xě̞rt͡se̞g nɔ̝̂v̞iː]; Italian: Castelnuovo; Greek: Νεοκαστρον, Neòkastron) is a coastal town in Montenegro located at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor and at the foot of Mount Orjen. It is the administrative center of the Herceg Novi Municipality with around 33,000 inhabitants. Herceg Novi was known as Castelnuovo ("New castle" in Italian) between 1420 and 1797 when was part of the Albania Veneta of the Republic of Venice. Herceg Novi has had a turbulent past, despite being one of the youngest settlements on the Adriatic. A history of varied occupations has created a blend of diverse and picturesque architectural style in the city. The City Administration is formed by a coalition of the SNP, SNS, NS and DSS political parties.

Herceg Novi was founded (on a former small fishing village existing since Roman Empire times) as a fortress in 1382 by Bosnian King Stjepan Tvrtko I and was called Sveti Stefan or Castelnuovo. After the death of Tvrtko, Duke Sandalj Hranić of the Herzegovinian Kosačas acquired Castelnuovo. During his reign, Herceg Novi picked up trading salt. When Hranić died, his nephew, Herzog Stjepan Vukčić Kosača, inherited Castelnuovo. Under Stjepan, Castelnuovo expanded and thus became a city, renaming it to Herceg Novi. The Turks conquered Herceg Novi in 1482, and ruled for 200 years, until 1687. However, there was a short pause between 1538 and 1539 when it was overtaken by the Spaniards.

Venice gained control of the city and organised it into one administrative unit called Albania Veneta, along with the Bay of Kotor (then called "Bocche di Cattaro") and present-day coastal Montenegro. On 24 August 1798, Herceg Novi was annexed by Austria but was then ceded to Russia as per the Treaty of Pressburg on 26 December 1805. The Russians officially occupied Herceg Novi between 28 February 1806 and 12 August 1807.

On 7 July 1807, Herceg Novi was ceded to France as per the Treaty of Tilsit. Official French rule over Herceg Novi began on 12 August 1807, when the Russians left the city. The city was part of Dalmatia until 14 October 1809, when it was annexed to the newly-created Illyrian Provinces.

Herceg Novi, as well as the rest of the Bay of Kotor, was overtaken by Montenegrin forces in 1813. It was under control of a temporary government based in Dobrota between 11 September 1813 and 10 June 1814, which was supported by Montenegro. The appearance of Austro-Hungarian forces in 1814 caused the Prince-Bishop of Montenegro to turn over the territory to Austrian administration on June 11.

After Herceg Novi was retaken, as well as the rest of the bay, it became part of the Dalmatian crownland. The bay was under Austro-Hungarian control until 1918.

The Kingdom of Montenegro attempted to retake the Bay of Kotor during World War I, it was bombarded from Lovćen, but by 1916 Austria-Hungary defeated Montenegro. On 7 November 1918, the Serbian Army entered the bay and were greeted by the people as liberators. The bay later became a part of the self-proclaimed State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, although expressed for a direct union with Serbia rather. Within a month, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was formed, renamed to Yugoslavia in 1929. The bay was a municipality of Dalmatia until it was, like all historic entities, abolished in 1922. It was incorporated into the Zeta Oblast, from 1929 Zeta Banate.

Herceg Novi was annexed by the Italians during World War II in 1941. It became a part of the province of Cattaro. Herceg Novi was later retaken by Yugoslav Partisan forces on 10 September 1943. Herceg Novi was later officially annexed to Yugoslavia as part of the People's Republic of Montenegro.

Russia - Surgut (2)

Highway and Railway Bridges across Ob River.

Sent by Fedor who lives in Surgut, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia. Terima kasih (thanks) for the beautiful stamps.

Russia - Surgut (1)

Griboedov Street Road Junction in Surgut.

Sent by Fedor who lives in Surgut, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia. Terima kasih (thanks) for the beautiful stamps.

This is from Wikipedia : Surgut (Russian: Сургу́т) is a city in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia, located on the Ob River near its junction with the Irtysh River, the largest in the autonomous okrug and the second largest in Tyumen Oblast. Population: 306,703 (2010 Census preliminary results); 285,027 (2002 Census); 247,823 (1989 Census).

It was founded in 1594 by order of Tsar Feodor I and is one of the oldest in Siberia. The name of the city, according to one tradition, originates from the Khanty words "sur" (fish) and "gut" (hole, pit).

The urbanization of Surgut took place in the 1960s, when it became a center of oil and gas production. On June 25, 1965 the work settlement of Surgut was granted town status. The city's holiday is celebrated annually on June 12. The current mayor is Dmitry Valeryevich Popov (since 2010). Ex-mayor Alexander Sidorov (since 1996) oversaw the construction of the Surgut Bridge, the longest one-tower cable-stayed bridge in the world.

Surgut's economy is tied to oil production (the city is known as "The Oil Capital of Russia") and the processing of natural gas. The most important enterprises are the oil firm Surgutneftegaz (often known as Surgut) and Surgutgazprom (a unit of Gazprom). Surgut electric plants GRES-1 and GRES-2 produce over 7200 megawatts and supply most of the region with relatively cheap electricity.

The city is served by Surgut Airport, which offers flights to Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Dubai, Irkutsk, and a number of other cities.

The Tyumen–Novy Urengoy railway line passes near the city. Going towards Tyumen, the next station is Salym, where Royal Dutch Shell has a substantial development. This section of the route takes about six hours. Road P-404 connects Surgut with Tyumen.

There is a port on the Ob river.

Russia - Reindeer Race

Race of reindeer, a celebration of indigenous people in Khanty-Mansi, Russia.

Sent by Fedor who lives in Surgut, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia. Terima kasih (thank you).

Germany - Akademie Mont-Cenis

Akademie Mint-Cenis in Herne, Germany.

Sent by Mecki, a postcrosser from Herne in Germany.

USA - Florida - Mapcard (2)

THE SUNSHINE STATE

Sent by Kristine, a postcrosser from Florida, USA.

United Kingdom - England - Shropshire Mapcard

A map of Shropshire County.

Sent by Phillippa, a postcrosser from Wales, United Kingdom.

This is from Wikipedia : Shropshire ( /ˈʃrɒpʃər/ or /ˈʃrɒpʃɪər/; alternatively Salop; abbreviated, in print only, Shrops) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county (less the unitary district of Telford and Wrekin) is a NUTS 3 region (code UKG22) and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west. Shropshire is one of England's most rural and sparsely populated counties with a population density of 91/km2 (337/sq mi). The shire county and its districts were replaced by a unitary authority on 1 April 2009. The borough of Telford and Wrekin, included in Shropshire for ceremonial purposes, has been a unitary authority since 1998.

The county is centred on six main towns starting with the county town of Shrewsbury, which is culturally and historically important, although Telford, which was constructed around a number of older towns, most notably Wellington, Dawley and Madeley, is today the most populous. The other main towns are Oswestry in the north-west, Newport to the east, Bridgnorth in the south-east, and Ludlow to the south. Whitchurch and Market Drayton in the north of the county are also of notable size.

The Ironbridge Gorge area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, covering Ironbridge, Coalbrookdale and a part of Madeley. There are, additionally, other notable historic industrial sites located around the county, such as Broseley, Snailbeach and Highley as well as the Shropshire Union Canal.

The Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covers about a quarter of the county, mainly in the south. The Wrekin is one of the most famous natural landmarks in the county, though the highest hills are the Clee Hills, Stiperstones and the Long Mynd. Wenlock Edge is another significant geographical and geological landmark. In the low-lying northwest of the county (and overlapping the border with Wales) is the Fenn's, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses National Nature Reserve, one of the most important and best preserved bogs in Britain. The River Severn, Great Britain's longest river, runs through the county, exiting into Worcestershire via the Severn Valley. Shropshire is landlocked, and with an area of 3,197 square kilometres (1,234 sq mi), is England's largest inland county.

The County flower is the round-leaved sundew.

South Korea - The Royal Azalea Blossom of Hallasan

The Royal Azalea Blossom of Hallasan. It is a part of Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sent by Chang, a postcrosser from Taiwan.

This is from UNESCO : Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes together comprise three sites that make up 18,846 ha. It includes Geomunoreum, regarded as the finest lava tube system of caves anywhere, with its multicoloured carbonate roofs and floors, and dark-coloured lava walls; the fortress-like Seongsan Ilchulbong tuff cone, rising out of the ocean, a dramatic landscape; and Mount Halla, the highest in Korea, with its waterfalls, multi-shaped rock formations, and lake-filled crater. The site, of outstanding aesthetic beauty, also bears testimony to the history of the planet, its features and processes.

New Zealand - Mapcard (3)

NEW ZEALAND consists of three main islands in the South Pacific Ocean, the North, SOuth and Stewart Islands, covering an area of approximately 268,000 square kilometres and having a population of over 4 million people of mainly European, Maori and Polynesian blood. For all its small size however, New Zealand is a land full of contrasting scenic beauty which makes it unique in the world. High mountains, low plains, fiords, forests, glaciers and roaring rivers abound, most within a short distance of the town and cities. It is a sportsman's paradise in which any outdoor sport can be accomodated. As New Zealander's say it "God's Own Country".

Sent by Györgyi, a postcrosser from New Zealand.

Panama - Panama City

View of Panama City.

Sent by Christina from Panama.

This is from Wikipedia : Panama (Spanish: Panamá) is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 880,691, with a total metro population of 1,272,672, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of the same name. The city is the political and administrative center of the country, and a hub for international banking and commerce. It is considered a Beta World City.

With an average GDP per capita of $11,700, Panama has been among the top five places for retirement in the world, according to International Living magazine. Panama City has a dense skyline of mostly highrise buildings, and it is surrounded by a large belt of tropical rainforest. It has an advanced communications system; and Panama's Tocumen International Airport, the largest and busiest airport in Central America, offers daily flights to major international destinations.

Panama City was chosen to be the American Capital of Culture for 2003 (jointly, with Curitiba, Brazil).

Portugal - Azores - Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores (3)

Cerrados
Terceira, Azores.

Sent by Silvia from Azores, Portugal.

Finland - Simonkatu

The Amazing Time Machine.

Sent by Leyla, a postcrosser from Helsinki, Finland.

Italy - Mapcard of Tuscany Region

A map of Tuscany Region.

Sent by Lisa, a postcrosser from Tuscany, Italy.

This is from Wikipedia : Tuscany (Italian: Toscana, pronounced [tosˈkaːna]) is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres (8,900 sq mi) and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (Firenze).

Tuscany is known for its gorgeous landscapes, its rich artistic legacy and its vast influence on high culture. Tuscany is widely regarded as the true birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, and has been home to some of the most influential people in the history of arts and science, such as Petrarch, Dante, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei, Amerigo Vespucci, Luca Pacioli and Puccini. Due to this, the region has several museums (such as the Uffizi, the Pitti Palace and the Chianciano Museum of Art). Tuscany has a unique culinary tradition, and is famous for its wines (most famous of which are Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino di Scansano and Brunello di Montalcino).

Six Tuscan localities have been designated World Heritage Sites: the historic centre of Florence (1982), the historical centre of Siena (1995), the square of the Cathedral of Pisa (1987), the historical centre of San Gimignano (1990), the historical centre of Pienza (1996) and the Val d'Orcia (2004). Furthermore, Tuscany has over 120 protected nature reserves. This makes Tuscany and its capital city Florence very popular tourist destinations, attracting millions of tourists every year. Florence itself receives an average of 10 million tourists a year by placing the city as one of the most visited in the world (in 2007, the city became the world's 46th most visited city, with over 1.715 million arrivals).