Thursday, March 23, 2017

Zürich

Received from: Switzerland
Category: Postcrossing - official card
Date: December 2016
Distance: 1450 km
Time of travelling: 3 days
St. Peter is one of the four main churches of the old town of Zürich, Switzerland, besides Grossmünster, Fraumünster and Predigerkirche. Located next to the Lindenhof hill, site of the former Roman castle, it was built on the site of a temple to Jupiter. An early church of 10 by 7 metres is archaeologically attested for the 8th or 9th century. This building was replaced by an early Romanesque church around AD 1000, in turn replaced in 1230 by a late romanesque structure, parts of which survive. Rudolf Brun, first independent mayor of the town, was buried here in 1360. The nave was rebuilt in 1460 in Gothic style. Prior to the Reformation, St. Peter was the only parish church of the town, the rest being part of monasteries.

Monday, March 20, 2017

Oryol

Received from: Russia
Category: Postcrossing - official card
Date: March 2017
Distance: 1315 km
Time of travelling: 116 days

Oryol or Orel is a city and the administrative center of Oryol Oblast, Russia, located on the Oka River, approximately 360 kilometers south-southwest of Moscow. Population: 317,747 (2010 Census); 333,310 (2002 Census); 336,862 (1989 Census).

Friday, March 17, 2017

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Kozłówka

Received from: Poland
Category: from family
Date: September 2016

Zamoyski Palace is a large rococo and neoclassical palace complex located in Kozłówka, Lubartów County in Lublin Voivodeship in eastern Poland. The palace is one of Poland's official national Historic Monuments (Pomnik historii), as designated May 16, 2007 and tracked by the National Heritage Board of Poland.

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Bocas del Toro

From: Panama
Category: collection
Date: January 2017

The Bocas del Toro Archipelago is a group of islands in the northwest of the Caribbean Sea in Panama. The archipelago separates Bahía Almirante (Almirante Bay) and Laguna de Chiriquí from the open Caribbean Sea. The archipelago is part of the Bocas del Toro District which is part of Bocas del Toro Province. The major city is Bocas del Toro, also called Bocas Town, on Isla Colón. The islands are accessible by water taxis and private boats. Isla Colón is accessible by airplanes, ferries, private boats, and water taxis. Bocas del Toro "Isla Colón" International Airport, located just west of Bocas Town, provides air transportation to and from the islands. Ferries serve Bocas Town from Almirante, Changuinola, and Chiriquí Grande.

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Fuerteventura

Received from: Spain
Category: from a friend
Date: December 2016

Fuerteventura; literally meaning "strong fortune" but translated by some as "Strong Winds" or a corruption of the French term for "Great Adventure") is one of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa, politically part of Spain. At 1,660 square kilometres, it is the second largest of the Canary Islands, after Tenerife. It was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in May 2009. Its capital is Puerto del Rosario.

Friday, March 10, 2017

Panama

From: Panama
Category: collection
Date: January 2017

The Panama Canal is an artificial 77 km waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. There are locks at each end to lift ships up to Gatun Lake, an artificial lake created to reduce the amount of excavation work required for the canal, 26 metres above sea level, and then lower the ships at the other end. The original locks are 33.5 metres wide. A third, wider lane of locks was constructed between September 2007 and May 2016. The expanded canal began commercial operation on June 26, 2016. The new locks allow transit of larger, Post-Panamax ships, capable of handling more cargo.

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Madrid

Received from: Russia
Category: Postcrossing - official card
Date: December 2016
Distance: 1227 km
Time of travelling: 18 days

The statue of the bear and the strawberry tree is a sculpture from the second half of the 20th century, situated in the Spanish city of Madrid. It represents the coat of arms of the city and is found on the east side of the Puerta del Sol, between Calle de Alcalá and St. Jerónimo run, in the historical centre of the capital.

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Istanbul

Received from: Turkey
Category: from a friend
Date: January 2017

Istanbul is located in north-western Turkey within the Marmara Region on a total area of 5,343 square kilometers. The Bosphorus, which connects the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea, divides the city into a European, Thracian side—comprising the historic and economic centers—and an Asian, Anatolian side. The city is further divided by the Golden Horn, a natural harbor bounding the peninsula where the former Byzantium and Constantinople were founded. The confluence of the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus, and the Golden Horn at the heart of present-day Istanbul has deterred attacking forces for thousands of years and remains a prominent feature of the city's landscape.

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Monday, March 6, 2017

Křivoklát

Received from: Czech Republic
Category: Postcrossing - official card
Date: November 2016
Distance: 1106 km
Time of travelling: 4 days

Křivoklát Castle is located in the Central Bohemia Region of the Czech Republic. Křivoklát was founded in the 12th century, belonging to the kings of Bohemia. During the reign of Přemysl Otakar II a large, monumental royal castle was built, later rebuilt by king Václav IV and later enlarged by king Vladislav of Jagellon. The castle was damaged by fire several times. It was turned into a harsh prison and the building slowly deteriorated. During the 19th century, the family of Fürstenberg became the owners of the castle and had it reconstructed after a fire in 1826. Today the castle serves as a museum, tourist destination and place for theatrical exhibitions. Collections of hunting weapons, Gothic paintings and books are stored there.

Sunday, March 5, 2017

Gotland

From: Sweden
Category: collection
Date: August 2016

Gotland is a province, county, municipality, and diocese of Sweden. It is Sweden's largest island. The province includes the small islands of Fårö and Gotska Sandön to the north, as well as the even smaller Karlsö Islands (Lilla and Stora) to the west. The population is 57,221, of which about 23,600 live in Visby, the main town. The island of Gotland and the other areas of the province of Gotland make up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area.

Saturday, March 4, 2017

California

Received from: the USA
Category: Postcrossing - official card
Date: November 2016
Distance: 8617 km
Time of travelling: 8 days

Friday, March 3, 2017

Norrköping

From: Sweden
Category: collection
Date: October 2016

Norrköping is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden and the seat of Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County. The city has a population of 87,247 inhabitants in 2010, out of a municipal total of 130,050, making it Sweden's tenth largest city and eighth largest municipality. The city is situated by the mouth of the river Motala ström, at Bråviken, an inlet of the Baltic Sea. Water power from the Motala ström and the good harbour were factors that facilitated the rapid growth of this once industrial city, known for its textile industry. It has several nicknames such as: "Sweden's Manchester", "Peking" and "Surbullestan" (Surbulle [sour bun] was a local nickname for the textile workers, and stan is short for Staden, which means The City or The Town in Swedish).

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Lausanne

Received from: Russia
Category: Postcrossing - official card
Date: November 2016
Distance: 1227 km
Time of travelling: 12 days

Lausanne is a city in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and the capital and biggest city of the canton of Vaud. The city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva. It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura Mountains to its north-west. Lausanne is located 62 kilometres northeast of Geneva.