The sandrock near Rozhen Bulgaria

 

Thank you Irina for the Wonderful  card. sent 21/03/2013.

 

The Melnik pyramids are located northeast of the town of Melnik (direction Rozhen Monastery), in the southwestern foothills of the Pirin Mountain. They are rock formations, some with height of 100 meters, with sand, almost vertical slopes. The most popular among them are a group of pyramids, which is located near the village of Kurlanovo (see also the Kurlanovo sandstone pyramids). 

The pyramids can be reached by well-marked eco-trail from town of Melnik or from Rozhen monastery. Apart the "rock pyramids", in the region can be seen many other interesting rock formations such as "stone mushroom","rock needles","cones" and others.

Melnik pyramids were declared a natural monument in 1960. (source http://visit.guide-bulgaria.com/a/608/melnik_sandstones_pyramids.htm)

 

 

 

Stamps from left to right :

• Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua tertia)

Country:
    Bulgaria
Series:
    Night butterflies
Variants:
    Click to see variants
Themes:
    Animals (Fauna) | Butterflies | Insects
      

• Head as a Pot Belly

Country:
    Bulgaria
Series:
    Gold Treasure of Panagjurište
Themes:
    Golden Objects | Sculptures
Issued on:
    1999-11-15

PRAHA

 

Thanks to Alice for the nice card , sent 29/07/2013

    Prague is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the European continent. This city is the capital of the Czech Republic and is located in the heart of Central Europe. It has everything to please lovers.

    In the postcard you can see :

PRAGUE CASTLE . 

    Prague Castle is the most important cultural and historical monument in the Czech Republic and a symbol of the thousand-year-old development of the Czech state. It is an incredible complex of palaces, religious buildings, fortifications, administrative and residential buildings, all of which are precious edifices representative of all artistic periods. It has been the seat of Bohemian dukes, kings and emperors and even, since 1918, presidents of the Republic.
The 45-hectare site, which traces the history of the country, was the first to be included in the list of National Cultural Monuments in 1962.

Five of the Most Beautiful Bridges in Prague

    Prague may be known as the city of a Hundred Spires but it could just as well be the city of a Hundred bridges. As the Vltava River meanders through the historic town, it is crossed by a series of bridges, each of which have their own cultural or architectural charm. From the famous Charles Bridge and the historic Legion Bridge to the Art Nouveau Čechův Bridge and the modern Troja Bridge, these are the most beautiful bridges in Prague. (source:https://www.corinthia.com/prague/discover-prague/five-of-the-most-beautiful-bridges-in-prague/)

 

Stamp:

•  600 years of the Prague's old town astronomical clock

Country:
    Czech Republic
Themes:
    Astronomy | Clocks | Measuring Instruments
Issued on:
    2010-06-16

Fauna of Belarus

Thank you Helen for the wonderful card sent 18-04-2013

 Belarus is located in the north of Central Europe.
Without access to the sea, the territory of Belarus is characterized by large low-lying plains, covered with vast forests.
Belarus has many lakes and is known as the "country of blue eyes".

Belarus is home to a particularly rich fauna with about 50 species of mammals including wild boar, elk, lynx, wild horses, mink and bison.
Many species were on the verge of extinction before the Belarusian government embarked on an intense protection campaign. The many lakes and rivers of Belarus are home to a wide variety of fish. 

In the card you can see Osprey Bird

 

 Stamps from left to right :

• Europa - Forests, Stylized Animals and Trees

Country:
    Belarus
Series:
    Europa (C.E.P.T.) 2011 - Forests
Themes:
    Animals (Fauna) | Bison | C.E.P.T. / Europe | Forests | Mammals | Trees
Issued on:
    2011-04-14

 

• Church in Polatsk. 1761-1777

Country:
    Belarus
Series:
    Fourteenth Definitive Issue. Architectural Monuments
Themes:
    Animals (Fauna) | Bison | C.E.P.T. / Europe | Forests | Mammals | Trees
Issued on:
    2011-04-14

 

Polska

 

 

Thanks To IRINA for the nice card.

    Poland, country of central Europe. Poland is located at a geographic crossroads that links the forested lands of northwestern Europe to the sea lanes of the Atlantic Ocean and the fertile plains of the Eurasian frontier. Now bounded by seven nations, Poland has waxed and waned over the centuries, buffeted by the forces of regional history. In the early Middle Ages, Poland’s small principalities and townships were subjugated by successive waves of invaders, from Germans and Balts to Mongols. In the mid-1500s, united Poland was the largest state in Europe and perhaps the continent’s most powerful nation. Yet two and a half centuries later, during the Partitions of Poland (1772–1918), it disappeared, parceled out among the contending empires of Russia, Prussia, and Austria.

    A land of striking beauty, Poland is punctuated by great forests and rivers, broad plains, and tall mountains. Warsaw (Warszawa), the country’s capital, combines modern buildings with historic architecture, most of which was heavily damaged during World War II but has since been faithfully restored in one of the most thoroughgoing reconstruction efforts in European history. Other cities of historic and cultural interest include Poznań, the seat of Poland’s first bishopric; Gdańsk, one of the most active ports on the busy Baltic Sea; and Kraków, a historic centre of arts and education and the home of Pope John Paul II, who personified for the Polish their country’s struggle for independence and peace in modern times.

 

 

Stamp:

• Capricorn

                    Country:
                                    Poland
                     Series:
                                    Zodiac Signs (1996)
                    Themes:
                                    Zodiac
                     Issued on:
                                    1996-07-10

 

Gera,Thüringen

 

Thanks to Sylvia for the nice card .

    Gera is a German town in Thuringia. Famous for its cloth since the Middle Ages, Gera was an important center of the textile industry in the 19th century. Capital of the principality of Reuss from 1848, important industrial city of the GDR, Gera is struggling to reconvert and has lost 20% of its population since 1990.

    Gera is the birthplace of Otto Dix, a major painter of the 20th century in Germany. 

    In the 19th century, Gera became one of the largest railway centers in Germany, at the intersection of several lines. The local textile industry grew together and the town developed rapidly. You can visit some of the many residences of the time that bear witness to this glorious industrial past. The house-museum Haus Schulenburg designed by the Belgian architect Henry van de Velde is an outstanding example
    Head to the market square in Gera, one of the most beautiful squares in Thuringia, to see the splendid town hall. With its baroque mansard roof and elegant tower over the main entrance, it is one of the most beautiful monuments in the city. A three-story baroque government building built around 1720 is visible 'if you take a walk behind the city hall.
    Not far away is the St. Saviour's Church, another masterpiece of German Baroque with its frescoed ceiling and ornate galleries along the nave. Next to the church, you will find a natural history museum, exhibiting the work of Thuringia's most famous ornithologists in its collections.
    On the western outskirts of the city is the Gera City Forest, the largest of its kind among Thuringian cities. To the northwest of the city, another wooded area awaits you for a breath of fresh air.

Stamps:

• The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Country:
    Germany, Federal Republic
Series:
    Legends of Germany
Themes:
    Legends | Musical Instruments | Musicians | Rats
Issued on:
    2020-12-03

The Legend of the Sand Dollar

 Thanks goes to Jason .

The Legend of the Sand Dollar
    THE SAND DOLLAR or HOLY GHOST SHELL is one of the most unusual specimens of marine life.
    The markings on the shell symbolize the Birth, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ.
    On the top side of the shell, an outline of the Easter Lily is clearly seen.
    At the center of the Lily a five pointed Star representing the Star of Bethlehem appears.
    The five narrow openings are representative of the four nail holes and the spear wound made in the body of Christ during the Crucifixion.
    Reversing the shell you will easily recognize the outline of the Christmas Poinsettia and also the Bell.
     When broken, inside the shell are five little birds called Doves of Peace.
     Some say they are the Angels that sang to the Shepherds the First Christmas Morning.

Stamps from left to right

• Wisdom, Rockefeller Center

Country:
    United States of America
Themes:
    Gods and goddesses | Statues
Issued on:
    2008-09   

• American Clock
  

Country:
    United States of America
Series:
    American Design
Themes:
    Clocks | Eagles | Stylized Animals
Issued on:
    2006-08-04

AURORA BOREALIS,CANADA

 

Thank you For wishing me birthday my friend ROB .

    Northern CANADA is one of the world's best places to view the light display also known as "northern lights". We owe the spectacular phenomenon to the collision of charged particles directed by the earth's magnetic field, green hues are most common and are produced when oxygen atoms are involved.

 

 

Stamps from left to right:

• Sir Winston Churchill 

Country:

    Canada.
Themes:
    Authors | Commemoration | Famous People | Literary People (Poets and Writers) | Literature | Nobel Laureates | Omnibus Issues | Politicians
Issued on:
    1965-08-12 

• McAdam Railway Station, New Brunswick

 Country:
    Canada
Series:
    High Value Definitives 1988-93: Architecture
Themes:
    Architecture | Buildings | Stations
Issued on:
    1989-05-05