Castle Square

This beautiful card was sent by Sylwie, from Poland.

Warsaw is the capital of Poland. It is known as the "phoenix city" because it was completely destroyed during World War II and rebuilt with the heroic effort of polish citizen.

The card shows Castle Square, an important part of Warsaw's Old Town, inscribed in 1981 as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. In the square there are several polish landmarks, such as the Zygmunt's Column (left side of card) and the Royal Castle (right side of card) and the Patrican Houses.

I adore the colors in the card. It seems like a wonderful place to visit, especially for someone who adores History, like me.

Source: Wikipedia.

Paris, Je T'aime!

Paris, le Ville-Lumiére or the City of Lights, the capital of France! It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. It is home to some of the World’s most recognizable landmarks, such as the Champs-Élysées, le Arc de Triumphe, the Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris, the Louvre, and, of course, the Eiffel Tower.

The Eiffel Tower, named after its designer Gustave Eiffel, was built in 1889 as the entrance arch for the Exposition Universelle. The Exposition was a sort of World’s Fair, held for the centennial celebrations of the French Revolution.

In the beginning, the tower was met with much criticism from the public. Newspapers of the day were filled with angry letters from the arts community of Paris. It was suppose to be dismantled in 1909 but it was allowed to remain due to communication purposes. Nowadays, it’s France’s most recognizable icon.

I think it’s a remarkable piece of architecture, a tribute to Humanity’s imagination and ability.
This beautiful twilight card was sent by yenamarre, from France.

Source: Wikipedia.

Ireland

I have been fascinated with Ireland since childhood. It seems all great things come from there: U2 and Enya, Liam Neeson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and (Oh, my God!) Colin Farrell. I also love its History and Culture. And, of course, the accent. Have I mentioned I have a thing with accents?

Anyway, this card was sent by neojojo's sister, a portuguese living in Ireland. I am not much of a sheep person but I find this card very amuzing. Oh, how I would love to visit Ireland!...

I will be back!

Yes, I have been away for a long, long time. But I will be back to blogging very soon.
Do not worry, I will be back!

Bali

This amazing view of Bali in Indonesia was sent by Kemz, from Indonesia. It shows a wonderful twillight scene in Candi Dasa, a seaside town in Eastern Bali.

Bali Island is part of the Lesser Sunda Islands, a group of Indonesian islands in the middle-south part of the Malay Archipelago. It has a population of over 3000000 people and it's home to most of Indonesia's small Hindu minority. It's also the largest touristic destination in the country. Bali is well known for its luxourious beaches, its culture and arts and its nightlife.

Source: Wikipedia.

Kul-Shariff Mosque

The Kull-Shariff Mosque is located inside the Kazan Kremlin, the chief historic citadel of Tatarstan, situated in the city of Kazan.

It is the biggest mosque in Europe and it was opened in June 2005. It was built on the site of a previous mosque that was destryed in 1552, during the siege of Kazan.

The siege of Kazan was the final battle of Russo-Kazan Wars. It led to the lose of Tatarstan's independence, the total destruction of Kazan city and the massacre of its population. Ivan the Terrible sacked Kazan to pay his men and the city's survivors were massacred or enslaved. The city was buried to ashes.

Nowdays, the mosque's look is modern and elegant an it serves mostly as a Museum of Islam, although it also helds all the major Muslim celebrations.

Besides the main building, there is also a library, a publishing house and Imam's Office.

This gorgeous card was sent by bo-lg, from Tatarstan Republic of Russia.

Source: Wikipedia.

Stirling

I must confess I would love to visit Scotland one day. I love History and Scotland has such a rich background. Also, all the Scottish cards I have are breathtakingly beautiful. But to tell you the truth, my love affair with Scotland began a long time ago, on the day I first watched Braveheart. Yes, I know it's pathetic but I can't help it. I can only blame the accent. That rich, hipnotizing, sexy Scottish accent...

Anyway, this amazing card, sent by Lynn from Scotland, shows Stirling, a city located in Scotland, United Kingdom. It was the setting for several battles in the Wars of Scottish Independence during the 13th and 14th centuries. It was also in its centre that the Battle of Stirling was fought, in 1648. It was a part of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, a series of conflicts that took place in Scotland, Ireland and England between 1639 and 1651, as the result of tensions between the King and subjects over religious and civil issues.

Some sources suggest that Stirling's name originates in either a Scots or Gaelic term meaning "the place of battle, struggle or strife".

Stirling is famous for its historic relevance but also for some peculiar facts: it's also well known for its many hautings, like the Green Lady in Stirling's Castle and the "Settle Inn", located near the castle and considered the most haunted place in Scotland.

Source: Wikipedia