U.S.A. - Colorado - State Capitol Building

Capitol Building
Denver, Colorado

Sent by Debbie from Hugo, Colorado, U.S.A.

The Colorado State Capitol Building, located at 200 East Colfax Avenue in Denver, Colorado, is the home of the Colorado General Assembly and the offices of the Governor of Colorado and Lieutenant Governor of Colorado. The building is intentionally reminiscent of theUnited States Capitol. Designed by Elijah E. Myers, it was constructed in the 1890s from Colorado white granite, and opened for use in November 1894. The distinctive gold dome consists of real gold plate, first added in 1908, commemorating the Colorado Gold Rush. The building is part of Denver's Civic Center area.

Serving as the beginning of the Capitol Hill district, the historic building sits slightly higher than the rest of downtown Denver. The main entrance hall is open 180 feet (55 m) to the top of the dome, about the height of an 18-story building. Additionally, the official elevation of Denver is measured outside the west entrance to the building, where the fifteenth step is engraved with the words "One Mile Above Sea Level." From this step, at 5,280 feet (1,609 m), the sun can be seen setting behind the Rocky Mountains. A second mile high marker was set in the 18th step in 1969 when Colorado State University students resurveyed the elevation. In 2003, a more accurate measurement was made with modern means, and the 13th step was identified as being one mile (1.6 km) high, where a 3rd marker was installed.

The interior of the building uses copious amounts of Colorado Rose Onyx, a rare rose marble from a quarry near Beulah, Colorado. The amount used in the building consumed the entire known supply. White Yule Marble from the quarries near Marble, Colorado was also used throughout the capitol for the floors. Many designs have been found in the marble including an image resembling George Washington and another of Molly Brown. 

A major safety upgrade project, funded by the Colorado State Historical Fund, was started in 2001 and completed in 2009.  The design by Fentress Architects added modern safety features, like enclosed stair towers, that blend in with the original architecture. 

Many of the windows are stained glass, depicting people or events related to the history of Colorado. The halls are decorated with portraits of every president of the United States. One of the contractors for the construction of the Colorado State Capitol building was Illinois building contractor William Douglas Richardson, who was the president of the W. D. Richardson Construction Company. Richardson had participated in numerous major building contracts throughout the United States, and was interconnected with the Jacob Bunn and John Whitfield Bunn network of corporations.(Source)

Norway - Ålesund

NORWAY
Ålesund

Sent by Galya, a TravBuddy friend from Ålesund, Norway.

Ålesund is a town and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sunnmøre, and the center of the Ålesund Region. It is a sea port, and is noted for its unique concentration of Art Nouveauarchitecture.

Ålesund town is the administrative centre of the municipality as well as the principal shipping town of the Sunnmøre district. Ålesund municipality has a population of 42,982 as of 2010, while the greater Ålesund area has a population of 47,772 (this also includes most of neighboring Sula as well). (read further)

Germany - Leipzig (2)

Leipzig.

Sent by Ina, a postcrosser from Gräfenhainichen, Germany.

United Kingdom - Wales - Cardiff Castle

Cardiff Castle, Wales.

Sent by Eluned from Cardiff, Wales.

Cardiff Castle (Welsh: Castell Caerdydd) is a medieval castle and Victorian Gothic revival mansion located in the Castle Quarter of Cardiff, Wales. The original motte and bailey castle was built in the late 11th century by Norman invaders on top of a 3rd-century Roman fort. The castle was commissioned by either William the Conqueror or by Robert Fitzhamon, and formed the heart of the medieval town of Cardiff and the Marcher Lord territory of Glamorgan. In the 12th century, the castle began to be rebuilt in stone, probably by Robert of Gloucester, with a shell keep and substantial defensive walls being erected. Further work was conducted by Richard de Clare in the second half of the 13th century. Cardiff Castle was repeatedly involved in the conflicts between the Anglo-Normans and the Welsh, being attacked several times in the 12th century, and stormed in 1404 during the Owain Glyndŵr rebellion. (read further)

Malaysia - Johor - Johor Bahru

Dataran Bandaraya Johor Bahru (Johor Bahru City Square)
The square with the clock tower was built on January 1994 in conjunction with a declaration of Johor Bahru as a city.

We sent this postcard from Kg. Melayu Majidee Post Office last weekend (2nd June) during our holiday.

Note : It's hard to find postcards of Johor. This one was bought at Senai International Airport.

Johor Bahru (also spelled Johor Baharu, Johor Baru, or Johore Bahru; abbreviated as JB) is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia, north of Singapore. Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland. Pasir Pelangi, the royal village, is located within Johor Bahru.

The city in itself has a population of 1,334,188 as of 2010, while the metropolitan Johor Bahru, also known as Iskandar Malaysia, has a population of 1,730,000.

The city council administers the highly developed southern central coast of the metropolitan area, with a total area of 185 square kilometres (71 sq mi). It is situated on the Straits of Johor (also known as the Straits of Tebrau), which separate Malaysia and Singapore. Metropolitan Johor Bahru occupies extensive coastal land, consisting of ecologically rich swamp lands and important river systems such as Sungai Johor, Sungai Pulai and Sungai Tebrau. (read further)

Spain - Balearic Islands - Mallorca (9)

Mallorca

Sent by Antonia, a postcrosser from Menorca in Balearic Islands, Spain.

Oman (2)

I have no idea what is the name of this ruined fort as there is no description on the postcard. Anyone can help?

Sent by Fayiz, a TravBuddy friend from Muscat, Oman.

USA - Alaska - Juneau

JUNEAU
Alaska
Composite view of the Capitol Building, Governor's Mansion and replica of the Liberty Bell.

Sent by Corinne from Juneau, Alaska.

The City and Borough of Juneau /ˈdʒuːnoʊ/ is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in thepanhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska and the 2nd largest city in the United States by area. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900. The municipality unified on July 1, 1970, when the city of Juneau merged with the city of Douglas and the surrounding Greater Juneau Borough to form the current home rule municipality.

The area of Juneau is larger than that of Rhode Island and Delaware individually and almost as large as the two states combined. Downtown Juneau 58°18′07″N 134°25′11″W is nestled at the base of Mount Juneau and across the channel from Douglas Island. As of the 2010 census, the City and Borough had a population of 31,275. As of July 2011 the population estimate from the United States Census Bureau is 32,164.

Juneau is named after gold prospector Joe Juneau, though the place was for a time called Rockwell and then Harrisburg(after Juneau's co-prospector, Richard Harris). The Tlingit name of the town is Dzántik'i Héeni ("Base of the Flounder’s River", dzánti ‘flounder’, –kʼi ‘base’, héen ‘river’), and Auke Bay just north of Juneau proper is called Áak'w ("Little lake", áa‘lake’, -kʼ ‘diminutive’) in Tlingit. The Taku River, just south of Juneau, was named after the cold t'aakh wind, which occasionally blows down from the mountains.

Downtown Juneau sits at sea level, with tides averaging 16 feet (5 m), below steep mountains about 3,500 feet (1,100 m) to 4,000 feet (1,200 m) high. Atop these mountains is the Juneau Icefield, a large ice mass from which about 30 glaciers flow; two of these, the Mendenhall Glacier and the Lemon Creek Glacier, are visible from the local road system; the Mendenhall glacier has been generally retreating; its front face is declining both in width and height. (read further)

Moomin #4

Sent by Terhi, a postcrosser from Finland.

Italy - Puglia - Gallipoli

PUGLIA
Gallipoli (Le) Italy.

Sent by Giovanni, a postcrosser from Italy.

Gallipoli (Greek: Kallipolis (Καλλίπολις), meaning "Beautiful City") is a town and comune of 21,200 inhabitants in the province of Lecce, in Apulia, southern Italy.

It is located by the Ionian Sea, on the west coast of the Salentina Peninsula. The town of Gallipoli is divided in two parts, the modern and the old city. The new town includes all the newest buildings including a skyscraper. The old town, instead, is located on a limestone island, linked to the mainland by a bridge built in the 16th century.

According to a legend, the city was founded in ancient times by Idomeneus of Crete. Pliny the Elder attributes the foundation to the Senones Gauls, while more likely is that it was a Messapic settlement. Historically, what is known is that Gallipoli was a city of the Greater Greece, ruling over a large territory including today's Porto Cesarea. In 265 it sided with Pyrrhus and Taranto against ancient Rome, suffering a defeat which relegated it as a Roman colony (later a municipium). (read further)

Uganda - Eagle

Eagle.

Sent by Jacob from Kisubi, Uganda.

Tibet

Can someone translate the above :)

Sent by Bian who visited Tibet in May. Terima kasih banyak-banyak (thank you very much).

Norway - West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord (3)

Norway
Tourist-vessels visiting the Geiranger fjord.

Sent by Tone, a WiP partner from Norway.

USA - Idaho - State Bird

MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD
The Mountain Bluebird, renowned for its fine singing, was chosen in 1931 as the Idaho State Bird. The bluebird has endeared itself as the bird of happiness in countless songs and stories.

Sent by Kori & Aleesa, WiP partner from USA.

The Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) is a medium-sized bird weighing about 30 g (1.1 ounces) with a length from 16–20 cm (6.3–7.9 in). They have light underbellies and black eyes. Adult males have thin bills that are bright turquoise-blue and somewhat lighter beneath. Adult females have duller blue wings and tail, grey breast, grey crown, throat and back. In fresh fall plumage, the female's throat and breast are tinged with red-orange; brownish near the flank contrasting with white tail underparts. Call is a thin few; Song is warbled high chur chur.

The mountain bluebird is migratory. Their range varies from Mexico in the winter to as far north as Alaska, throughout the western U.S. and Canada. Northern birds migrate to the southern parts of the range; southern birds are often permanent residents. Some birds may move to lower elevations in winter. They inhabit open rangelands, meadows, generally at elevations above 5,000 feet. Contrary to popular belief, mountain bluebirds are not a species of concern in the United States. The turn around in mountain bluebird numbers is due to the overwhelming efforts of landowners in the West to provide nest boxes for these birds. At one time, mountain bluebird numbers were threatened because of increased agricultural activities destroying habitats. (read further)

Thailand - Bangkok - Wat Pho

Bangkok
Wat Pho

Sent by Nan from Bangkok, Thailand.

Wat Pho (Thai: วัดโพธิ์, IPA: [wát pʰoː]), is a Buddhist temple in Phra Nakhon district, Bangkok, Thailand. It is located in the Rattanakosin district directly adjacent to the Grand Palace. Known also as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, its official name is Wat Phra Chettuphon Wimon Mangkhlaram Ratchaworamahawihan (Thai: วัดพระเชตุพนวิมลมังคลารามราชวรมหาวิหาร; IPA: [wát pʰráʔ tɕʰêttupʰon wíʔmon maŋkʰlaːraːm râːttɕʰawɔːráʔmahǎːwíʔhǎːn]). The temple is also known as the birthplace of traditional Thai massage.
Wat Pho is named after a monastery in India where Buddha is believed to have lived. Prior to the temple's founding, the site was a centre of education for traditional Thai medicine, and statues were created showing yoga positions. An enormous Buddha image from Ayuthaya's Wat Phra Si Sanphet was destroyed by the Burmese in 1767; King Rama I (1782-1809 A.D.) incorporated its fragments to build a temple to enlarge and renovate the complex. The complex underwent many changes in the next 260 years. Under King Rama III (1824-1851 A.D.), plaques inscribed with medical texts were placed around the temple. These received recognition in the Memory of the World Programme launched by UNESCO on February 21, 2008. Adjacent to the building housing the Reclining Buddha is in a small raised garden, the centrepiece being a bodhi tree which is propagated from the original tree in India where Buddha sat while awaiting enlightenment. The temple was created as a restoration of an earlier temple on the same site, Wat Phodharam, with the work beginning in 1788. The temple was restored and extended in the reign of King Rama III, and was restored again in 1982. (Source)