tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22307391392286584512024-03-21T11:22:59.473+00:00UNESCO MAXIMUM CARD COLLECTINGWorld Heritage Maximum Cardsenigmaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04302006178479625721noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230739139228658451.post-67289190204091759812010-07-12T21:28:00.002+01:002010-07-12T21:33:59.363+01:00Germany - St Michael's Church at Hildesheim<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsuJyd1t0MK-hGOJvndaak_33rm4fA6MIGZPB5z7flTRovjVW2MmtX7ANqnfvgDnjh0U71qYBSMXbAILP847N1ObBw0nPzASouW-Altg_emd8V5vs3RLVDM646UNloB7wwfiPRIfOdOA/s1600/St+Michael%27s+Church,+Hildesheim1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsuJyd1t0MK-hGOJvndaak_33rm4fA6MIGZPB5z7flTRovjVW2MmtX7ANqnfvgDnjh0U71qYBSMXbAILP847N1ObBw0nPzASouW-Altg_emd8V5vs3RLVDM646UNloB7wwfiPRIfOdOA/s640/St+Michael%27s+Church,+Hildesheim1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlE-5LsALFftzkYHC0hOu48PNo4gXQjZJR3gl6X7rL4EnUgNS3LLt7FEfx65GXgrqM0AKyLcmppiTcPlzH1uaHsf-8-F5iAhvm3M2ykGKqyiKJGp-MjyQiVhkdndqQzqroRlD0-XPVrw/s1600/St+Michael%27s+Church,+Hildesheim2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlE-5LsALFftzkYHC0hOu48PNo4gXQjZJR3gl6X7rL4EnUgNS3LLt7FEfx65GXgrqM0AKyLcmppiTcPlzH1uaHsf-8-F5iAhvm3M2ykGKqyiKJGp-MjyQiVhkdndqQzqroRlD0-XPVrw/s640/St+Michael%27s+Church,+Hildesheim2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Stamp issue: 2 Jan 2010</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The Church of St. Michael (German: Michaeliskirche) in Hildesheim, Germany, is an early-Romanesque church. It has been on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list since 1985.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Abbey Church of St. Michael's was constructed between 1001 and 1031 under the direction of Bishop Bernward of Hildesheim (993-1022) as the chapel of his Benedictine monastery. Bernward named the church after the archangel Michael, the Christian angel of protection who carries the deceased to heaven, because he planned to be buried in the Michaeliskirche. Bernward's plans were spoiled by his death in 1022, eleven years before the completion and consecration of the church in 1033. Bernward's successor, Godehard, transferred Bernward's remains to the crypt following its completion.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">When the Reformation was adopted in Hildesheim in 1542, St. Michael's Church became Protestant, but the Benedictine monastery remained existing until it was secularized in 1803. The monks would still use the church and its crypt, which remain Catholic to this day.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">St. Michael's Church was destroyed in an air raid during World War II on 22 March 1945, but reconstruction was begun in 1950 and completed in 1957. In 1985, the church became a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, along with the Cathedral of Hildesheim, its collection of medieval treasures and its 1000-year old rosebush.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">St. Michael's Church is one of the most important churches in Ottonic (Early-Romanesque) style. It is a double-choir basilica with two transepts and a square tower at each crossing. The west choir is emphasized by an ambulatory and a crypt. The ground plan of the building follows a geometrical conception, in which the square of the transept crossing in the ground plan constitutes the key measuring unit for the entire church. The square units are defined by the "double" alteration of columns and piers. There are 2 entrances on the each apse, and 4 entrances on the north and south side of the church.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Beside the choir and the cloister, the painted wooden ceiling (around 1230) is most famous of the Church's interior. It shows the genealogical tree of Jesus Christ. Bishop Bernward wanted to construct the pillars of the nave in the Niedersächsischer Stützenwechsel style, which means square pillars alternating with round ones. Above them, the wall closes with the clerestory, whose round arch windows attract the light from outside. Furthermore, light shines through the Gothic windows of the lower aisles beyond the arcade. Their ceilings are stone vaults.</div>enigmaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04302006178479625721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230739139228658451.post-58526728807415400252010-05-23T17:51:00.002+01:002010-05-23T17:54:20.250+01:00Switzerland - Bernina line<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRP7W6zg5TOhDBmEnw-SZx56aALbYQUd395jdl06ke0koq0Vypy7HRyzKhZyuA577qppX0aUnlJjrMRi1KkUe-Ql06MGsPc6pYzezHbvQqStiLCRGvYNJ6nw-cZuz26J4amugE-nkrw/s1600/Bernina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRP7W6zg5TOhDBmEnw-SZx56aALbYQUd395jdl06ke0koq0Vypy7HRyzKhZyuA577qppX0aUnlJjrMRi1KkUe-Ql06MGsPc6pYzezHbvQqStiLCRGvYNJ6nw-cZuz26J4amugE-nkrw/s640/Bernina.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Simsun;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Stamp Issue: 6 May 2010</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
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The Bernina Railway is a single track metre gauge railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). It links the spa resort of St. Moritz, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, with the town of Tirano, in the Province of Sondrio, Italy, via the Bernina Pass. It also ranks as the highest adhesion railway in the Alps, and - with inclines of up to 7% - as one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.<br />
On 7 July 2008, the Bernina Railway and the Albula Railway, which also forms part of the RhB, were recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes. The whole site is regarded as a cross border joint Swiss-Italian heritage area.<br />
The most famous trains operating on the Bernina Railway are known as the Bernina Express.<br />
The 61 km Bernina pass line features 13 tunnels and galleries and 52 viaducts and bridges. The property is exemplary of the use of the railway to overcome the isolation of settlements in the Central Alps early in the 20th century, with a major and lasting socio-economic impact on life in the mountains. It constitutes an outstanding technical, architectural and environmental ensemble and embodies architectural and civil engineering achievements, in harmony with the landscapes through which they pass.<br />
The railway’s socio-economic consequences were substantial and lasting for mountain life, the interchange of human and cultural values, and changes in the relationship between man and nature in the West.</div>enigmaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04302006178479625721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230739139228658451.post-57420503490127896812010-05-17T20:46:00.003+01:002010-05-23T17:57:21.495+01:00UK - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Gardens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPjQ2KvUV4NxcDiKi7uB7wDrIRTsWlLvV1gTzPOQMYZaThy0JY6Sw9i5uImeuNUwefz4P0h_Lco1dt1C2yDcRZ0-YABEJfaZSVllCSMHr4tx0AaMZ4HqlYhUEppsITB8HqswhoNz1EWQ/s1600/Palm+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPjQ2KvUV4NxcDiKi7uB7wDrIRTsWlLvV1gTzPOQMYZaThy0JY6Sw9i5uImeuNUwefz4P0h_Lco1dt1C2yDcRZ0-YABEJfaZSVllCSMHr4tx0AaMZ4HqlYhUEppsITB8HqswhoNz1EWQ/s640/Palm+house.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwUSyjFPry-qEgNsQtkgueATvqaAw_lAx3hFqqO6Hhj42j_BpZefo1hgv5ayJBpRsZhObd6lJ5EOHVA50HAt-qcnCC1t-1FjFKzFMlX_QOxuMHIAzrkbzLaeEe8HdBdC60G51H7EeRg/s1600/Palm+house1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwUSyjFPry-qEgNsQtkgueATvqaAw_lAx3hFqqO6Hhj42j_BpZefo1hgv5ayJBpRsZhObd6lJ5EOHVA50HAt-qcnCC1t-1FjFKzFMlX_QOxuMHIAzrkbzLaeEe8HdBdC60G51H7EeRg/s640/Palm+house1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRQwFM0UyOlFcIgbi63Q2yUlyU_Jt9BQ16xD3d7FcGjntFhMX3VOUwEdV66nN6uD44UiUPngp0NITqSV_zsx9KptCw-Hc9EQfcsBsfcycUGBkdPTrjJzcG42v-oxBlrIVockMM3NnCQ/s1600/Palm+house2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRQwFM0UyOlFcIgbi63Q2yUlyU_Jt9BQ16xD3d7FcGjntFhMX3VOUwEdV66nN6uD44UiUPngp0NITqSV_zsx9KptCw-Hc9EQfcsBsfcycUGBkdPTrjJzcG42v-oxBlrIVockMM3NnCQ/s640/Palm+house2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGps4IaMJHvL5n8LdLA-o2RKHX1H_-KFEaO0Xt6tHu-2ZceBtCFuygNso1NxsDdomfrb3AQtdyTvSvQ8G-4_3_PLirW5qm3CwUt-AbMIissuB3m_ZFtYJwt_JpPpyMR_gBNMq85N1uWQ/s1600/Palm+house3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGps4IaMJHvL5n8LdLA-o2RKHX1H_-KFEaO0Xt6tHu-2ZceBtCFuygNso1NxsDdomfrb3AQtdyTvSvQ8G-4_3_PLirW5qm3CwUt-AbMIissuB3m_ZFtYJwt_JpPpyMR_gBNMq85N1uWQ/s640/Palm+house3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Palm House</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqAxdcKipDzI4yw_-ofIesTL941igCb1ko06b9SLhPgP7mdIwrDt1H3GttIMKgC___TTpf9zd7PJ-7PmZxNI0C3ebXCPvoXkGvHQovoooRwulKD02Q_hXvE3GElPbt1dc4Xy_9ULYRQ/s1600/Pagoda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqAxdcKipDzI4yw_-ofIesTL941igCb1ko06b9SLhPgP7mdIwrDt1H3GttIMKgC___TTpf9zd7PJ-7PmZxNI0C3ebXCPvoXkGvHQovoooRwulKD02Q_hXvE3GElPbt1dc4Xy_9ULYRQ/s640/Pagoda.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEeLWOEIjrH7Tv_Jv-FjJZR2-8vsD8IPkBvm88WwCt_SHWW-JN0c999nwNnOMGMHUjkigZr1-D85vaNmBz-HhoQFolU5wopeYmQhfWHaSbRmiqBkeonEea0JsHAdS9lP8UIBv2uR5A_Q/s1600/Pagoda1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEeLWOEIjrH7Tv_Jv-FjJZR2-8vsD8IPkBvm88WwCt_SHWW-JN0c999nwNnOMGMHUjkigZr1-D85vaNmBz-HhoQFolU5wopeYmQhfWHaSbRmiqBkeonEea0JsHAdS9lP8UIBv2uR5A_Q/s640/Pagoda1.jpg" width="432" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKzzHSKP9jx2t6QjyHJrhmWvqEh1tbvdf1JzJ-2pEoNn7JueY4_VESzNd0Wyzorf7UeDPbHtJAEl3n7wALFco6JRhh-dP8l1jsuofrPSqHVd50fP-yhhQ829ZniJxP5_P6qPVD3DA5w/s1600/Pagoda2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKzzHSKP9jx2t6QjyHJrhmWvqEh1tbvdf1JzJ-2pEoNn7JueY4_VESzNd0Wyzorf7UeDPbHtJAEl3n7wALFco6JRhh-dP8l1jsuofrPSqHVd50fP-yhhQ829ZniJxP5_P6qPVD3DA5w/s640/Pagoda2.jpg" width="406" /></a></div><br />
Pagoda</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYKkctf4wrmdabCosXITov0jPfoJIMXVsXpQfG_ZEbqHEIfJk4-AANfeXOjoOOtUD2WvqSZL5s4pCqdeWE3CZ3cv3o6AZzI5Oo16tuZrBr3lD6GLAOAnhbnrz1SfMi00x3sXViquH_Q/s1600/Sackler+crossing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYKkctf4wrmdabCosXITov0jPfoJIMXVsXpQfG_ZEbqHEIfJk4-AANfeXOjoOOtUD2WvqSZL5s4pCqdeWE3CZ3cv3o6AZzI5Oo16tuZrBr3lD6GLAOAnhbnrz1SfMi00x3sXViquH_Q/s640/Sackler+crossing.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sackler Crossing</div>Stamp Issue: 19 May 2009<br />
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The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to simply as Kew Gardens, are 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. The director is Professor Stephen D. Hopper, who succeeded Professor Sir Peter Crane. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is also the name of the organisation that runs Kew Gardens and Wakehurst Place gardens in Sussex. It is an internationally important botanical research and education institution with 700 staff and an income of £56 million for the year ended 31 March 2008, as well as a visitor attraction receiving almost 2 million visits in that year. The gardens are a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Created in 1759, the gardens celebrated their 250th anniversary in 2009.<br />
The Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is responsible for the world’s largest collection of living plants. The organisation employs more than 650 scientists and other staff. The living collections include more than 30,000 different kinds of plants, while the herbarium, which is the largest in the world, has over 7 million preserved plant specimens. The library contains more than 750,000 volumes, and the illustrations collection contains more than 175,000 prints and drawings of plants. The Kew site includes four Grade I listed buildings and 36 Grade II listed structures in an internationally significant landscape.enigmaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04302006178479625721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230739139228658451.post-88375918147771332122010-05-17T20:13:00.001+01:002010-05-17T20:14:29.440+01:00UK - Hollyrood Palace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSSLDF6njpIvZDjDcJhHFxT9gcQOH2QejA9bv7QEAzCJkixqTC6a-3XqvZzGPUA8vlNpyxobq49TC-vbRk7XOREun9He-YWOdfBoMA9Xlt2b8naxeVRGeWtS7__R68BbHXYfGIRKzQJA/s1600/445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSSLDF6njpIvZDjDcJhHFxT9gcQOH2QejA9bv7QEAzCJkixqTC6a-3XqvZzGPUA8vlNpyxobq49TC-vbRk7XOREun9He-YWOdfBoMA9Xlt2b8naxeVRGeWtS7__R68BbHXYfGIRKzQJA/s640/445.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYgkSYfQSrxL31INXY6qs11PTHOpRDXtwehZjUL76XnBeX2GJTUWE10JW7k1UHfdocwbX2QVPqlC7L0Mfxv8ebdJZjhgYu8wT-iIAIlGb_hFrmf0scgYf60LpKoAA8n9HxymsFBGShg/s1600/446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYgkSYfQSrxL31INXY6qs11PTHOpRDXtwehZjUL76XnBeX2GJTUWE10JW7k1UHfdocwbX2QVPqlC7L0Mfxv8ebdJZjhgYu8wT-iIAIlGb_hFrmf0scgYf60LpKoAA8n9HxymsFBGShg/s640/446.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Stamp Issue: 1 Mar 1978<br />
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The Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. The palace stands at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle. Holyrood Palace is the setting for state ceremonies and official entertaining.<br />
Holyrood Abbey was founded by David I, King of Scots in 1128, and Holyrood Palace has served as the principal residence of the Kings and Queens of Scots since the 15th century. Queen Elizabeth II spends one week in residence at Holyrood Palace at the beginning of each summer, where she carries out a range of official engagements and ceremonies.<br />
In the fifteenth century a guesthouse stood on the site of the present north range of the Palace, west of the Abbey and its cloister. Many of Scotland's medieval Kings stayed here before the palace's construction, and by the late 15th century Holyrood was a royal residence in all but name; not only was James II born at Holyrood in 1430, it was in Holyrood that he was crowned, married and laid to rest. Between 1498 and 1501, James IV constructed a new building, with Holyrood becoming a palace in the true sense of the word.<br />
The palace was built around a quadrangle, situated west of the abbey cloister. It contained a chapel, gallery, royal apartments, and a great hall. The chapel occupied the present north range of the Great Quadrangle, with the Queen's apartments occupying part of the south range. A third range to the west contained the King's lodgings and the entrance to the palace. He also oversaw construction of a two storey gate house, fragments of which survive in the Abbey Courthouse. James V added to the palace between 1528 and 1536, beginning with the present north-west tower. In this tower are the famous suite of rooms once occupied by Mary, Queen of Scots.<br />
The wooden ceilings of the main rooms are from Mary's time and the monograms MR (Maria Regina) and IR (Jacobus Rex) refer to Mary and her son, James VI. Shields commemorating Mary's marriage to Francis II of France are believed to have been carved in 1559 but put in their present position in 1617. The suite contains an audience chamber and the Queen's bedroom, leading from which are two turret rooms. It was in the northern turret room, on 9 March 1565, that the infamous murder of David Rizzio took place in Mary's presence. In later centuries, tourists were often convinced that they could see his blood stains on the floor.<br />
After James VI became King of England in 1603 and moved to London, the palace was no longer the seat of a permanent royal court. James visited it again in 1617 as did Charles I in 1633, when he was crowned King of Scotland in Holyrood Abbey.<br />
In 1650, either by accident or design, the palace was fired during the visit of Oliver Cromwell and his soldiers. Cromwell had the palace rebuilt, but his rebuilding was pulled down and Charles II had the palace re-constructed in its present form between 1671 and 1679 by Sir William Bruce. James VII and II lived at Holyrood between 1680 and 1682 while still Duke of Albany, in the aftermath of the Exclusion crisis.<br />
After 1707, the Palace was used during the elections of Scottish representative peers. Bonnie Prince Charlie held court at Holyrood for five weeks during the 1745 Jacobite Rising, and following the French Revolution, George III allowed Louis XVI's youngest brother, the Comte d'Artois to live at Holyrood from 1796 to 1799. After their second exile, the French royals lived at Holyrood again from 1830 until 1832 when they moved to Austria.<br />
In modern times, monarchs have spent at least one week every year formally holding court in the Palace in Edinburgh. The present Queen still uses it when she is in Scotland for State occasions (on non-State occasions, she stays at Balmoral). Its use has increased substantially since the setting up of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, with various members of the Royal Family, notably Prince Charles and Princess Anne often staying there. At the Palace the Queen meets and appoints the First Minister of Scotland. A meeting of the European Council was also held at the palace during the British presidency of the council in 1992.<br />
The Queen's Gallery is located within the Palace complex, while the new Scottish Parliament Building is located across the road from the palace.<br />
Architectural historian Dan Cruickshank selected the Palace as one of his eight choices for the 2002 BBC book The Story of Britain's Best Buildings.enigmaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04302006178479625721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230739139228658451.post-71866072905615282262010-05-17T20:01:00.000+01:002010-05-17T20:01:23.695+01:00UK - Ironbridge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtEPhKSZFLkAzRBXF_CKTMVjSj2c_PkA-6fnfcfylggKeQ7yTz1ygR08hWCStQMCACgC4fGCQAUQhywvZKbddO3pBa0glKImKmIncy29xNjW8Un5xjW3O_3gKr9l35BDVihkYpG_Mkw/s1600/Ironbridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtEPhKSZFLkAzRBXF_CKTMVjSj2c_PkA-6fnfcfylggKeQ7yTz1ygR08hWCStQMCACgC4fGCQAUQhywvZKbddO3pBa0glKImKmIncy29xNjW8Un5xjW3O_3gKr9l35BDVihkYpG_Mkw/s640/Ironbridge.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Stamp Issue: 4 Jul 1989<br />
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Ironbridge is a settlement on the River Severn, at the heart of the Ironbridge Gorge Shropshire, England. It lies in the parish of The Gorge, in what is now called the borough of Telford and Wrekin - a New Town, which began to be "built" 40 years ago. Ironbridge developed beside, and takes its name from the famous Iron Bridge, a 30 metre (100 ft) cast iron bridge that was built across the river there in 1779. In 1986, though, Ironbridge became part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site (which covers the wider Ironbridge Gorge area) and has become a major tourist attraction within Shropshire.enigmaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04302006178479625721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230739139228658451.post-68583694850005619342010-05-17T17:54:00.003+01:002010-05-17T18:55:42.070+01:00UK - Edinburgh Castle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippEhPbstVU5n1odx_IqbHPbmGe6KYPKWCWZfu8T2xM-pslSk_xr3D_snF47ZrkJhEsgNIV6TLBvm5w2KjF177CdYjdeguFPjw2mm3R-hHEO4UHM_-hvssdGdhferiyahMlCKjdLqCsA/s1600/511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippEhPbstVU5n1odx_IqbHPbmGe6KYPKWCWZfu8T2xM-pslSk_xr3D_snF47ZrkJhEsgNIV6TLBvm5w2KjF177CdYjdeguFPjw2mm3R-hHEO4UHM_-hvssdGdhferiyahMlCKjdLqCsA/s640/511.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Simsun;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Stamp Issue: 18 Oct 1988</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Simsun;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
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</span> </span></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MmO2si9N23gnsxNovHzNitBnvCLfubtHh4xraNDV_TSkXOeu_nx8bHWTa3qPP9JU3uf6BB4fMJIMN0NimCBAt51RI_-11W-rDrhQTsdHSEZZ5iG0OK_BzJFKi2449S6BDUAd0hlC-Q/s1600/Edinburgh+Castle1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MmO2si9N23gnsxNovHzNitBnvCLfubtHh4xraNDV_TSkXOeu_nx8bHWTa3qPP9JU3uf6BB4fMJIMN0NimCBAt51RI_-11W-rDrhQTsdHSEZZ5iG0OK_BzJFKi2449S6BDUAd0hlC-Q/s640/Edinburgh+Castle1.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Simsun;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</span> </span></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2y_q_geCkZvR2768dnhVJa5QfZHJss8MlV9r_mv6rdMdl8glsLF-se-36CAy2t8gfS0wXWe8HQgnlqHPPAvYaOOLIUqtz_K2Vni3EUQPP2uUeaMtCuzw9PB-pDE5tySVmkHBJkYqA0g/s1600/Edinburgh+Castle2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2y_q_geCkZvR2768dnhVJa5QfZHJss8MlV9r_mv6rdMdl8glsLF-se-36CAy2t8gfS0wXWe8HQgnlqHPPAvYaOOLIUqtz_K2Vni3EUQPP2uUeaMtCuzw9PB-pDE5tySVmkHBJkYqA0g/s640/Edinburgh+Castle2.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Simsun;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Stamp Issue: 24 Mar 1992</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Simsun;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
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</span> </span></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNL_fBWzQ-GAfTaYlbSnMW5cbHVIBft-c2IO5Dq0Gk0aLVmlay80bKYOIqfDMQ4D44eohpjIYyRlG8uwSYz_NtsnsyRiXJxbLTF50diZBDoXneuFVgz15b07J_0dX7ep9A04mACAtYQ/s1600/Edinburgh+Castle3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNL_fBWzQ-GAfTaYlbSnMW5cbHVIBft-c2IO5Dq0Gk0aLVmlay80bKYOIqfDMQ4D44eohpjIYyRlG8uwSYz_NtsnsyRiXJxbLTF50diZBDoXneuFVgz15b07J_0dX7ep9A04mACAtYQ/s640/Edinburgh+Castle3.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Simsun;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</span> </span></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNnFyUskxb1eF32zrxaNsBlZuerNgZeCCZtYJ7NRgOBXJtPjI2sqq6qtfvPiQuBjeRvkGfghSeYfgUhoXiUq4apJk7zdHY3KRnq0dO6TlY49umwW3lchJ32F7bpz43ozsVXka-BGHFkA/s1600/Edinburgh+Castle4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNnFyUskxb1eF32zrxaNsBlZuerNgZeCCZtYJ7NRgOBXJtPjI2sqq6qtfvPiQuBjeRvkGfghSeYfgUhoXiUq4apJk7zdHY3KRnq0dO6TlY49umwW3lchJ32F7bpz43ozsVXka-BGHFkA/s640/Edinburgh+Castle4.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Simsun;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Stamp Issue: 22 Mar 2005</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Simsun;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
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</span> </span></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-yXhG2VcxLdNQ1YP2_-gvRHoAVCzb1yYj9a3PvTj4Tl0Wq7-0H3_BMD-CePr1ebtoB05QA7TPd20F89GBdzjd165OyCOeomfthQIgaZWTGBeejli3hNkGfOmjrAnNsqNhLigdnAX2g/s1600/513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><img border="0" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-yXhG2VcxLdNQ1YP2_-gvRHoAVCzb1yYj9a3PvTj4Tl0Wq7-0H3_BMD-CePr1ebtoB05QA7TPd20F89GBdzjd165OyCOeomfthQIgaZWTGBeejli3hNkGfOmjrAnNsqNhLigdnAX2g/s640/513.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Simsun;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
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</span> </span></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1VGNQdNFrAETAeySJ1fuVeQbtRz6gtDN1Q5bS8IDuPl_6q8tRyx-T5k46jvjzGRuj-su4-nFqJvwr9-bHxIvq-aIgaisgKeZ94eGHEzROd7tuhDiog2SQBotaCPmhVIbu6IhvSPUJw/s1600/516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1VGNQdNFrAETAeySJ1fuVeQbtRz6gtDN1Q5bS8IDuPl_6q8tRyx-T5k46jvjzGRuj-su4-nFqJvwr9-bHxIvq-aIgaisgKeZ94eGHEzROd7tuhDiog2SQBotaCPmhVIbu6IhvSPUJw/s640/516.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Simsun;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</span> </span></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHXuy5RNGCUycmE6KToM1nMCysczDNgj1VDXbkkDCvRujM0BxR0GFONiggIpwDcAepDR6e1Stp-GlT1aZw4_aGB54seRZwaVTTHU5wUrYPy30P-jiXQdL6r6EMBuDHiZIunhd7J_IrQ/s1600/Edinburgh+Castle5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHXuy5RNGCUycmE6KToM1nMCysczDNgj1VDXbkkDCvRujM0BxR0GFONiggIpwDcAepDR6e1Stp-GlT1aZw4_aGB54seRZwaVTTHU5wUrYPy30P-jiXQdL6r6EMBuDHiZIunhd7J_IrQ/s640/Edinburgh+Castle5.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Simsun;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</span> </span></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7bUNVTK8_PFjbDjInPHCkfr-RGm5yBEwWgqHjH0urURIDyVNOi2WfWkGAXaplmVRbO6-YeGDybBDxupfqVJKJfNBD7_ZaSL8Xat0YAhQafN4qvYwtSpBL4nMcpfeJSt3fr2R6zlm9g/s1600/Edinburgh+Castle6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7bUNVTK8_PFjbDjInPHCkfr-RGm5yBEwWgqHjH0urURIDyVNOi2WfWkGAXaplmVRbO6-YeGDybBDxupfqVJKJfNBD7_ZaSL8Xat0YAhQafN4qvYwtSpBL4nMcpfeJSt3fr2R6zlm9g/s640/Edinburgh+Castle6.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Simsun;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</span> </span></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpQ4Pyb4brob_6_Crl7nq9wF03JWUMZOgkrzJEI8ycmPQnY2D5zrXv86N5iPYHbeDpT1x6LhGanN2CFV1X3D4Er6F7G3lPvXAlHEdg1EZl8y_Fa-QRlS8tY2rNqIusPOkIZe5K-v0Zw/s1600/Edinburgh+Castle7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpQ4Pyb4brob_6_Crl7nq9wF03JWUMZOgkrzJEI8ycmPQnY2D5zrXv86N5iPYHbeDpT1x6LhGanN2CFV1X3D4Er6F7G3lPvXAlHEdg1EZl8y_Fa-QRlS8tY2rNqIusPOkIZe5K-v0Zw/s640/Edinburgh+Castle7.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Simsun;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</span> </span></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcC0rjMJ-yaZBJLzOv43apNWdqJYXAuKrbjkTGVF4XKbeQjA4tL-paeNKVCZDgyB_Gm0qINJR9va-jt3OYhZsnmCN5QKbepAXDjH3yNDbC9YovZ8O3M2yi7BzJmWwUMrOHQPJ1mOVaw/s1600/Edinburgh+Castle8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcC0rjMJ-yaZBJLzOv43apNWdqJYXAuKrbjkTGVF4XKbeQjA4tL-paeNKVCZDgyB_Gm0qINJR9va-jt3OYhZsnmCN5QKbepAXDjH3yNDbC9YovZ8O3M2yi7BzJmWwUMrOHQPJ1mOVaw/s640/Edinburgh+Castle8.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Simsun;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</span> </span></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-N0Cl3bYEFMPcVEJU1q1jXpRcbHbNM24i1HFWQCTg8K3P3t2N_3Yzhk70x9f0UxSb0lo4bsF-pT-PvuA9rfAZAzcApgnpwJ39sUhRnyRUe0LjW7HL8sr8hQBiQQWHe4yVloGGQYcw1g/s1600/Edinburgh+Castle9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><img border="0" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-N0Cl3bYEFMPcVEJU1q1jXpRcbHbNM24i1HFWQCTg8K3P3t2N_3Yzhk70x9f0UxSb0lo4bsF-pT-PvuA9rfAZAzcApgnpwJ39sUhRnyRUe0LjW7HL8sr8hQBiQQWHe4yVloGGQYcw1g/s640/Edinburgh+Castle9.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Simsun;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Stamp Issue:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"> 30 Nov </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">2006</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Simsun;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</span> </span></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Edinburgh Castle is an ancient stronghold which dominates the sky-line of the city of Edinburgh from its position atop Castle Rock. It is Scotland's second-most-visited tourist attraction. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC. As it stands today though, few of the castle's structures pre-date the Lang Siege of the 16th century, with the notable exception of St Margaret's Chapel, the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh, which dates from the early 12th century.<br />
As with all castles, Edinburgh's fortress has been a centre of military activity. As an ancient fortress, Edinburgh Castle is one of the few that still has a military garrison, albeit for largely ceremonial and administrative purposes. The New Barrack Block is now home to the official headquarters of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and 52 Infantry Brigade, as well as home to the regimental museum of the Royal Scots and Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. The Governor of Edinburgh Castle is Major General David MacDowall, GOC of the British Army's 2nd Division. The Governor of the Castle has always been the head of the Army in Scotland. Direct administration of the castle by the War Office only came to an end in 1923 when the army formally moved to the city's new Redford Barracks. Nevertheless, the Castle continues to have a strong connection with the Army. Sentries still stand watch at the castle gatehouse after opening hours, with responsibility for guarding the Honours of Scotland.</span></span>enigmaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04302006178479625721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230739139228658451.post-49437865223083519462010-05-17T15:05:00.001+01:002010-05-19T23:45:46.922+01:00Germany - Cologne Cathedral<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4VGstMB8vuM0vPPioELxWjSrGLgel6EKcMHnVSGYSSl7VPOUd9iv8fwn2yT_Mz8xWyBc02knXCPurE2nXSNGCRjDKeUYLGwHRlvH2vwjad1hqmbt3ZciIgMVdmqGyge6X_ITftBwGA/s1600/1105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="451" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4VGstMB8vuM0vPPioELxWjSrGLgel6EKcMHnVSGYSSl7VPOUd9iv8fwn2yT_Mz8xWyBc02knXCPurE2nXSNGCRjDKeUYLGwHRlvH2vwjad1hqmbt3ZciIgMVdmqGyge6X_ITftBwGA/s640/1105.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div>Stamp Issue: 6 Mar 2003</div><div><br />
</div><div>Cologne Cathedral (German: Kölner Dom, officially Hohe Domkirche St. Peter und Maria) is a Roman Catholic church in Cologne, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne (currently Cardinal Joachim Meisner), and is under the administration of the archdiocese of Cologne. It is renowned as a monument of Christianity, of German Catholicism in particular, of Gothic architecture and of the continuing faith and perseverance of the people of the city in which it stands. It is dedicated to Saint Peter and the Blessed Virgin Mary. The cathedral is a World Heritage Site, one of the best-known architectural monuments in Germany, and Cologne's most famous landmark, described by UNESCO as an exceptional work of human creative genius. It is visited by 20 thousand people every day.</div><div>Construction of Cologne Cathedral began in 1248 and took, with interruptions, until 1880 to complete. It is 144.5 metres long, 86.5 m wide and its towers are approximately 157 m tall. The cathedral is one of the world's largest churches and the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe. For four years, 1880-84, it was the tallest structure in the world, until the completion of the Washington Monument. It has the second-tallest church spires, only surpassed by the single spire of Ulm Minster, completed 10 years later in 1890. Because of its enormous twin spires, it also presents the largest façade of any church in the world. The choir of the cathedral, measured between the piers, also holds the distinction of having the largest height to width ratio of any Medieval church, 3.6:1, exceeding even Beauvais Cathedral which has a slightly higher vault.</div><div>Cologne's medieval builders had planned a grand structure to house the reliquary of the Three Kings and fit its role as a place of worship of the Holy Roman Emperor. Despite having been left incomplete during the medieval period, Cologne Cathedral eventually became unified as a masterpiece of exceptional intrinsic value; and a powerful testimony to the strength and persistence of Christian belief in medieval and modern Europe.</div></span></span>enigmaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04302006178479625721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230739139228658451.post-50401697415267614392010-05-17T14:25:00.004+01:002010-05-17T14:33:19.946+01:00Greece - Acropolis of Athens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QRGQn_IYAux8YTiHLRTnHoXsi80n-jyTK3Zn8mdf0nHVlopaP9A1v_x9H7E3QU_Z5s45q2U5ioq7PhybRvMrbZ7-r109Olf21C7MEFtikkWfD2NkEQdizKyM2Dflc4989k2srxed_A/s1600/562.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QRGQn_IYAux8YTiHLRTnHoXsi80n-jyTK3Zn8mdf0nHVlopaP9A1v_x9H7E3QU_Z5s45q2U5ioq7PhybRvMrbZ7-r109Olf21C7MEFtikkWfD2NkEQdizKyM2Dflc4989k2srxed_A/s640/562.jpg" width="448" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #111111; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">The Acropolis of Athens and its monuments are universal symbols of the classical spirit and civilization and form the greatest architectural and artistic complex bequeathed by Greek Antiquity to the world. In the second half of the fifth century bc, Athens, following the victory against the Persians and the establishment of democracy, took a leading position amongst the other city-states of the ancient world. In the age that followed, as thought and art flourished, an exceptional group of artists put into effect the ambitious plans of Athenian statesman Pericles and, under the inspired guidance of the sculptor Pheidias, transformed the rocky hill into a unique monument of thought and the arts. The most important monuments were built during that time: the Parthenon, built by Ictinus, the Erechtheon, the Propylaea, the monumental entrance to the Acropolis, designed by Mnesicles and the small temple Athena Nike. </span>enigmaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04302006178479625721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230739139228658451.post-69011667846344772562009-12-06T17:34:00.002+00:002009-12-06T17:38:29.885+00:00UK - Tower of London<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMU6D6YXfAsXpN7jDFvSc_AKUl9vPjCqm0cXbmMKf4ZgXBT5B-jbpDSX6JUlm1sQI1mQ3FGT8Yk-yTK6Gy7eR1BAEhNGODk5nU8Fc7MmPGil_qreKwGOy0-4DQszr873bwLvr-Li8vjQ/s1600-h/1173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMU6D6YXfAsXpN7jDFvSc_AKUl9vPjCqm0cXbmMKf4ZgXBT5B-jbpDSX6JUlm1sQI1mQ3FGT8Yk-yTK6Gy7eR1BAEhNGODk5nU8Fc7MmPGil_qreKwGOy0-4DQszr873bwLvr-Li8vjQ/s640/1173.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div>Stamp Issue:22 Aug 2008<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically as The Tower), is a historic fortress and scheduled monument in central London, England, on the north bank of the River Thames. It is located within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and is separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space known as Tower Hill. It is the oldest building used by the British government.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />The Tower of London is often identified with the White Tower, the original stark square fortress built by William the Conqueror in 1078. However, the tower as a whole is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and moat.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />The tower's primary function was a fortress, a royal palace, and a prison (particularly for high status and royal prisoners, such as the Princes in the Tower and the future Queen Elizabeth I). This last use has led to the phrase "sent to the Tower" (meaning "imprisoned"). It has also served as a place of execution and torture, an armoury, a treasury, a zoo, the Royal Mint, a public records office, an observatory, and since 1303, the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />The White Tower is a central tower at the Tower of London. The great central keep was started in 1078 by William the Conqueror who ordered the White Tower to be built inside the south-east angle of The City walls, adjacent to the River Thames. This was as much to protect the Normans from the people of the City of London as to protect London from outside invaders. William ordered the Tower to be built of Caen stone, which he had specially imported from France, and appointed Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester as the architect. The tower was finished around 1087 by his sons and successors, William Rufus and Henry I.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />In the 12th century, King Richard the Lionheart enclosed the White Tower with a curtain wall and had a moat dug around it filled with water from the River Thames. The moat was not successful until Henry III, in the 13th century, employed a Dutch moat-building technique. Henry refurnished the Chapel and had the exterior of the building whitewashed in 1240, which is how the tower got its name.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />The White Tower is a massive construction, 90 feet (27.4m) high and 118 feet (35.9m) by 107 feet (32.6m) across, the walls varying from 15 feet thickness at the base to almost 11 feet in the upper parts. Above the battlements rise four turrets; three of them are square, but the one on the north-east is circular. This turret once contained the first Royal observatory. The four weather vanes on the turrets of the tower date from 1669. At the southeast corner is a semicircular protrusion which houses the Chapel of St. John.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Its walls are now home to displays from the Royal Armouries, including original armours worn by Henry VIII and Charles I plus a reconstructed display of the massive collection of weapons once housed in the Grand Storehouse. The 'Spanish Armoury' contains the Tower's historic instruments of torture, including the infamous block and axe.</span><br />
</div>enigmaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04302006178479625721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230739139228658451.post-72754190551707245792009-12-01T01:12:00.002+00:002009-12-01T01:16:29.377+00:00China - Old Town of Lijiang<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqjGLX0T9a2kS3RMonzDlRuG7CUSBgxd_blk77odKA16wRZ06VriXnBALeBHinxQv0-MszlL587UYIjK2k2IN7RLQM2VDM8fvZqXtLKCHEZFoiDJc35SDhHNWqSe_rZrft6kV8LC0bw/s1600/377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqjGLX0T9a2kS3RMonzDlRuG7CUSBgxd_blk77odKA16wRZ06VriXnBALeBHinxQv0-MszlL587UYIjK2k2IN7RLQM2VDM8fvZqXtLKCHEZFoiDJc35SDhHNWqSe_rZrft6kV8LC0bw/s640/377.jpg" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">Stamp Issue:1 May 2002<br />
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</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"><div style="text-align: justify;">The town has a history going back more than 800 years and was once a confluence for trade along the old tea horse road. The Lijiang old town is famous for its orderly system of waterways and bridges. The old town of Lijiang differs from other ancient Chinese cities in architecture, history and the culture of its traditional residents the Nakhi people. Lijiang old town (including Dayan, Baisha and Shuhe) was registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List in December 4, 1997.<br />
</div></div>enigmaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04302006178479625721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230739139228658451.post-45501396036914839932009-11-29T19:05:00.000+00:002009-11-29T19:05:51.681+00:00China - Summer Palace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNcW1T0GYDtKddXkez6sedkd55S9yA8IvqeraL5oQ_tYF12h0i1tOefrKLN6sDGq2z75HRFtSNUGNcXh96pd-ISyov_Wpm-qnVQI9rck-ZKYsH4l4FznjN83ivM6eVPxx6f_n_1ZBpA/s1600/Long+Corridor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNcW1T0GYDtKddXkez6sedkd55S9yA8IvqeraL5oQ_tYF12h0i1tOefrKLN6sDGq2z75HRFtSNUGNcXh96pd-ISyov_Wpm-qnVQI9rck-ZKYsH4l4FznjN83ivM6eVPxx6f_n_1ZBpA/s640/Long+Corridor.jpg" /></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">Long Corridor<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXLUyELPYMHm54e27re53KvAgbi0eEN_k6XJLl9O410P2XzIUyAZ7WgG7duiK1iLEX1yOA0aOEPmaYKt6Jc4roxUVYAmiUdHCTCOYWkz2iPItYynRpzB7trQ6C7Jgw835YDnQEtDbjng/s1600/Seventeen-Arch+Bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXLUyELPYMHm54e27re53KvAgbi0eEN_k6XJLl9O410P2XzIUyAZ7WgG7duiK1iLEX1yOA0aOEPmaYKt6Jc4roxUVYAmiUdHCTCOYWkz2iPItYynRpzB7trQ6C7Jgw835YDnQEtDbjng/s640/Seventeen-Arch+Bridge.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Seventeen-Arch Bridge<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Marble Boat<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Garden of Harmonious Pleasure<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTz2ungeKz0Qb7E-4CSsBOfbVTlOCH7RiU6_I_98N3y53jai10dZtvi4Cko0OV840UNXeTidqTjSq3dMpBmUK1GSxKG-FEp5GUxXGRT0xjuQ3vNmB2IdYEI5tBr_4hJgrvri9BgUiAHw/s1600/Jade+Belt+Bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTz2ungeKz0Qb7E-4CSsBOfbVTlOCH7RiU6_I_98N3y53jai10dZtvi4Cko0OV840UNXeTidqTjSq3dMpBmUK1GSxKG-FEp5GUxXGRT0xjuQ3vNmB2IdYEI5tBr_4hJgrvri9BgUiAHw/s640/Jade+Belt+Bridge.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jade Belt Bridge<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYYlp2cKycCuTdaI3B5gdLRYLcTEPYPPsfNM7xl9TMMOzk_ngBLbjoqfcpBhzj_WU51nIRjJW2RnvgumOixEKOXskwxkKf_UpH5xyLZml8BqRPmVH9QLB_w0fx9CAcyra8Fl1TTf4ug/s1600/Back+Lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYYlp2cKycCuTdaI3B5gdLRYLcTEPYPPsfNM7xl9TMMOzk_ngBLbjoqfcpBhzj_WU51nIRjJW2RnvgumOixEKOXskwxkKf_UpH5xyLZml8BqRPmVH9QLB_w0fx9CAcyra8Fl1TTf4ug/s640/Back+Lake.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Back Lake<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Stamp Issue:10 May 2008<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">The Summer Palace or Yihe yuan (literally "Gardens of Nurtured Harmony") is a palace in Beijing, China. The Summer Palace is mainly dominated by Longevity Hill (60 meters high) and the Kunming Lake. It covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometers, three quarters of which is water. The central Kunming Lake covering 2.2 square kilometers was entirely man made and the excavated soil was used to build Longevity Hill. In the Summer Palace, one finds a variety of palaces, gardens, and other classical-style architectural structures.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />The Summer Palace started out life as the Garden of Clear Ripples in 1750 (Reign Year 15 of Emperor Qianlong). Artisans reproduced the garden architecture styles of various palaces in China. Kunming Lake was created by extending an existing body of water to imitate the West Lake in Hangzhou. The palace complex suffered two major attacks--during the Anglo-French allied invasion of 1860 (with the Old Summer Palace also ransacked at the same time), and during the Boxer Rebellion, in an attack by the eight allied powers in 1900. The garden survived and was rebuilt in 1886 and 1902. In 1888, it was given the current name, Yihe Yuan. It served as a summer resort for Empress Dowager Cixi, who diverted 30 million taels of silver, said to be originally designated for the Chinese navy (Beiyang Fleet), into the reconstruction and enlargement of the Summer Palace.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />In December 1998, UNESCO included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List. It declared the Summer Palace "a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value." It is a popular tourist destination but also serves as a recreational park.</span><br />
</div>enigmaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04302006178479625721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230739139228658451.post-36443721407195844302009-11-24T22:02:00.003+00:002009-11-25T14:29:47.983+00:00France - Bourges Cathedral<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDVJJSUY_m88ANeZ1hb7_izuAvzRrYRERckj9te-xkTowq-gPZ6rGLFYAOaSl-rbrnvFvmVWMcw_R84Rb9yHx9k9YKXsuOPTk46P20itEXfIVIC7kbTKggMloWIFI1eudUe12WPHjPA/s1600/Bourges+Cathedral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDVJJSUY_m88ANeZ1hb7_izuAvzRrYRERckj9te-xkTowq-gPZ6rGLFYAOaSl-rbrnvFvmVWMcw_R84Rb9yHx9k9YKXsuOPTk46P20itEXfIVIC7kbTKggMloWIFI1eudUe12WPHjPA/s640/Bourges+Cathedral.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Stamp Issue:5 Jun 1965<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Bourges) is a cathedral, dedicated to Saint Stephen, located in Bourges, France. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Bourges.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Construction on Bourges Cathedral began on in 1195, the same time as Chartres Cathedral. The choir was completed by 1214 and the nave was completed in 1225-1250. The west façade was finished in 1270. The architect was Paul-Louis Boeswillwald and the master builder was Philip Berruyer.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />The cathedral was added to the list of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1992.</span><br />
</div>enigmaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04302006178479625721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230739139228658451.post-45755066575772480732009-11-24T21:49:00.004+00:002009-11-25T19:13:21.123+00:00Germany - Reichenau<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2jfVr4zFWOq1S6qksUEN9ktLhR7oGZz2WVzOSxQ2prTrrwEEP48A6mZay978YhyphenhyphenH_FSVDYzxdEbXlm5fhGAsIRoeYZpA2v3kCZ6LcVgevwgPXAMlBunnV31CBlt9NNVayYvLItzYHuA/s1600/675.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2jfVr4zFWOq1S6qksUEN9ktLhR7oGZz2WVzOSxQ2prTrrwEEP48A6mZay978YhyphenhyphenH_FSVDYzxdEbXlm5fhGAsIRoeYZpA2v3kCZ6LcVgevwgPXAMlBunnV31CBlt9NNVayYvLItzYHuA/s640/675.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Stamp Issue: 2 Jan 2008<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Reichenau Island lies in Lake Constance in southern Germany. It lies between the Gnadensee and the Untersee, almost due west of the city of Konstanz. The island is connected to the mainland by a causeway that was completed in 1838. Nevertheless, the island is separated from it by a 10-meter-wide Bruckgraben, which is spanned by a low road bridge that allows passage of ordinary boats but not of sailboats through its 95-meter course. The highest elevation on the island, the Hochwart, reaches 438.7 meters, or 43 meters above the lake surface.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />It was declared a World Heritage Site in 2000 because of its monastery, the Abbey of Reichenau. The abbey's Münster is dedicated to the Virgin and Saint Mark. Two further churches were built on the island consecrated to St Georg, and to Sts Peter and Paul. The famous artworks of Reichenau include the Ottonian murals of miracles of Christ in St Georg, unique survivals from the 10th century. The abbey's bailiff was housed in a two-storey stone building that was raised by two more storeys of timber framing in the 14th century, one of the oldest timber-frame buildings in south Germany.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Among the Abbey's far-flung landholdings was Reichenau, a village in the municipality of Tamins in the canton of Graubünden, named for the Abbey.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Today the island is also famous for its vegetable farms and wineries. The Wollmatinger Ried next to the island is a big nature preserve, a wetland area of reeds which is used by many birds for the stopover during their annual migration.</span><br />
</div>enigmaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04302006178479625721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230739139228658451.post-23398417825417108172009-11-24T17:24:00.001+00:002009-11-25T19:13:04.357+00:00UK - Giant's Causeway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzjb1YT9mR7iX5hqxGzxPTuC5yh5F_NMJD6MwP6xpcT6qTUFXsBExgDiZjgY4sJ_9DcrVqZOh8Xaou7ZT7i-Pf_SmwjwKAE4653Lkrq3RVoe96Ykc7FIuIJLJBBQfI7am7RGo3I-54g/s1600/454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzjb1YT9mR7iX5hqxGzxPTuC5yh5F_NMJD6MwP6xpcT6qTUFXsBExgDiZjgY4sJ_9DcrVqZOh8Xaou7ZT7i-Pf_SmwjwKAE4653Lkrq3RVoe96Ykc7FIuIJLJBBQfI7am7RGo3I-54g/s640/454.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Stamp Issue: 24 Jun 1981 (Honeycomb)<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Stamp Issue: 8 Jun 1999?<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Stamp Issue:16 Mar 2004 (Antrim Parlour)<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Stamp Issue:11 Mar 2008 (Wishing Chair in the Honeycomb)<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">The Giant's Causeway (or Irish: Clochán na bhFómharach) is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It is located on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland, about two miles (3 km) north of the town of Bushmills. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986, and a National Nature Reserve in 1987 by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, the Giant's Causeway was named as the fourth greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom. The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although there are also some with four, five, seven and eight sides. The tallest are about 12 metres (36 ft) high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28 metres thick in places.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />During the Paleogene period, Antrim was subject to intense volcanic activity, when highly fluid molten basalt intruded through chalk beds to form an extensive lava plateau. As the lava cooled rapidly, contraction occurred. While contraction in the vertical direction reduced the flow thickness (without fracturing), horizontal contraction could only be accommodated by cracking throughout the flow. The extensive fracture network produced the distinctive columns seen today. The basalts were originally part of a great volcanic plateau called the Thulean Plateau which formed during the Paleogene period.</span><br />
</div>enigmaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04302006178479625721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230739139228658451.post-32591807880200804402009-11-24T14:40:00.003+00:002009-11-25T19:11:33.302+00:00UK - St Kilda<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4aG53MsCJ8swp4Do91OeUnUDCmuQ3sk0dgh-N2oiioGFeBDAAnPcge2h8ZTa9Tb1W7xNNrpLBYOL67UNTO4HBzcBVB9C2gR2nesq_Ql6rMr6pBpH1ipy6Yue-7J2A_gYAa3J11hCzGw/s1600/590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4aG53MsCJ8swp4Do91OeUnUDCmuQ3sk0dgh-N2oiioGFeBDAAnPcge2h8ZTa9Tb1W7xNNrpLBYOL67UNTO4HBzcBVB9C2gR2nesq_Ql6rMr6pBpH1ipy6Yue-7J2A_gYAa3J11hCzGw/s640/590.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8yGCjj7qFGz4p9DjwrIFQf8CdXoV6qBDwDN8Kvv8irJdFFX0r38c6zi2cOUDoUgfD_LLfBfN3fZvSY3Q7o2kijku43dYMVE4uFIFtuGHJgQhrj5qwcBd3q3ucztUihM-_y9y5VJL9g/s1600/593.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8yGCjj7qFGz4p9DjwrIFQf8CdXoV6qBDwDN8Kvv8irJdFFX0r38c6zi2cOUDoUgfD_LLfBfN3fZvSY3Q7o2kijku43dYMVE4uFIFtuGHJgQhrj5qwcBd3q3ucztUihM-_y9y5VJL9g/s640/593.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Stamp Issue: 24 Jun 1981<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">St Kilda (Scottish Gaelic: Hiort) is an isolated archipelago 64 kilometres (40 mi) west-northwest of North Uist in the North Atlantic Ocean. It contains the westernmost islands of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The largest island is Hirta, whose sea cliffs are the highest in the United Kingdom. The Gaelic-speaking population probably never exceeded 180 and was never more than 100 after 1851. Although St Kilda was permanently inhabited for at least two millennia, and despite the inhabitants' unique way of life, the entire population was evacuated in 1930. The only residents are now military personnel. The islands are administratively a part of the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar local authority area.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />The origin of the name St Kilda is a matter of conjecture. The islands' human heritage includes numerous unique architectural features from the historic and prehistoric periods, although the earliest written records of island life date from the Late Middle Ages. The medieval village on Hirta was rebuilt in the 19th century, but the influences of religion, tourism and the First World War contributed to the island's evacuation in 1930. The story of St Kilda has attracted artistic interpretations, including a recent opera.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />The entire archipelago is owned by the National Trust for Scotland. It became one of Scotland's four World Heritage Sites in 1986 and is one of the few in the world to hold joint status for its natural, marine and cultural qualities. The islands are a breeding ground for many important seabird species including Northern Gannets, Atlantic Puffins, and Northern Fulmars. The St Kilda Wren and St Kilda Field Mouse are endemic sub-species. Parties of volunteers work on the islands in the summer months to restore the many ruined buildings the native St Kildans left behind. They share the island with a small military base created in 1957.</span><br />
</div>enigmaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04302006178479625721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230739139228658451.post-29028178581983708402009-11-24T10:52:00.004+00:002009-11-25T19:10:44.457+00:00UK - Westminster Abbey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2GGAqLrIWMMQpAXkNcYw4c-ZDyvHjVXm3hHwVwiUXKOyVxkfS7LEaaWmnqPnzjg0_ubtXyL0sDBfbUVfqxkoBgH3AiJl6g-QZGpq-CDgglkegyV8AjOMuR-hmcnziSEU3u_HHIeptw/s1600/1229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2GGAqLrIWMMQpAXkNcYw4c-ZDyvHjVXm3hHwVwiUXKOyVxkfS7LEaaWmnqPnzjg0_ubtXyL0sDBfbUVfqxkoBgH3AiJl6g-QZGpq-CDgglkegyV8AjOMuR-hmcnziSEU3u_HHIeptw/s640/1229.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUEbKRGdhy7IoPmDt7Xv-ruewuv88mVd29FjGpBF7ff7ttl5opyQsY-lYEumwIW2xmyz1SGIaXwex4iVcnS6OjEf4Lf6I10-1fKciUjxOYPGlarenYv8E_3BXpm7RobE6-P3Kahx9Y5Q/s1600/1230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUEbKRGdhy7IoPmDt7Xv-ruewuv88mVd29FjGpBF7ff7ttl5opyQsY-lYEumwIW2xmyz1SGIaXwex4iVcnS6OjEf4Lf6I10-1fKciUjxOYPGlarenYv8E_3BXpm7RobE6-P3Kahx9Y5Q/s640/1230.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Stamp Issue: 9 Apr 1980<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Above two stamps are slightly different. (The face value 50 and the top of the Queen's crown)<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to popularly and informally as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English, later British and later still (and currently) monarchs of the Commonwealth Realms. It briefly held the status of a cathedral from 1546–1556, and is a Royal Peculiar.</span><br />
</div>enigmaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04302006178479625721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230739139228658451.post-11121344029347319762009-11-24T10:05:00.004+00:002009-11-25T19:10:18.520+00:00UK - Tower Bridge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAiO7X1mRKHw6HIKg_JxGaQy0vxgBLpdK2i1z1OVoLSF_iT6RK7Lkk2JN-tt11WJKqKk62XkWVnSWevoGAWuj39X9db2hSWdT4ma_dd6aiDiWZKiWCTuq2EoJ8K1OuomYIIE_IzUvzA/s1600/435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAiO7X1mRKHw6HIKg_JxGaQy0vxgBLpdK2i1z1OVoLSF_iT6RK7Lkk2JN-tt11WJKqKk62XkWVnSWevoGAWuj39X9db2hSWdT4ma_dd6aiDiWZKiWCTuq2EoJ8K1OuomYIIE_IzUvzA/s640/435.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvy6UMV9HdeuzoUeF1TlzksF4ZhFqns4MOOaEOsWAaTDzBUtUKBA3mfZYnpx8z3rJW3S9oNkQAV7QWgTk8VRwdyOkJpLkL5-PwiEqWCpkMW8jXsRyYpWKShec_gbGFWwTK7hj67Ik8g/s1600/436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvy6UMV9HdeuzoUeF1TlzksF4ZhFqns4MOOaEOsWAaTDzBUtUKBA3mfZYnpx8z3rJW3S9oNkQAV7QWgTk8VRwdyOkJpLkL5-PwiEqWCpkMW8jXsRyYpWKShec_gbGFWwTK7hj67Ik8g/s640/436.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Stamp Issue:10 Sep 2002<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, England over the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, which gives it its name. It has become an iconic symbol of London. Tower Bridge is one of several London bridges owned and maintained by the City Bridge Trust, a charitable trust overseen by the City of London Corporation.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />The bridge consists of two towers which are tied together at the upper level by means of two horizontal walkways which are designed to withstand the horizontal forces exerted by the suspended sections of the bridge to the left and the right. The vertical component of the forces in the suspended sections and the vertical reactions of the two walkways are carried by the two robust towers. The bascule pivots and operating machinery are housed in the base of each tower.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Tower Bridge is sometimes mistakenly referred to as London Bridge, which is actually the next bridge upstream.A popular urban legend is that, in 1968 Robert McCulloch, the purchaser of the old London Bridge which was later shipped to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, believed mistakenly that he was buying Tower Bridge, but this was denied by McCulloch himself and has been debunked by Ivan Luckin, the seller of the bridge.Its present colour dates from 1977 when it was painted red, white and blue for the Queen's Silver Jubilee. Previous to this, it was painted a chocolate brown colour.</span><br />
</div>enigmaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04302006178479625721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230739139228658451.post-37804760023093853832009-11-24T01:02:00.004+00:002009-11-25T19:09:17.744+00:00UK - Caernarfon Castle (Caernarvon Castle)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Stamp Issue: 1 Mar 1978<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Stamp Issue: 18 Oct 1988<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Stamp Issue: 24 Mar 1992<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Stamp Issue: 22 Mar 2005<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Caernarfon Castle (Welsh: Castell Caernarfon) was constructed at Caernarfon in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, by King Edward I of England, following his conquest of the country in 1283.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Edward I built castles and walled towns in North Wales to control the area following his conquest of the independent principality of Wales, in 1283.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, prince of Wales, having rejected a bribe of one thousand pounds a year and an estate in England, if he would surrender his nation unreservedly to the king of England, had been lured into a trap on 11 December 1282, and put to death. His brother Dafydd ap Gruffudd had continued the struggle for continuing independence, but had been captured at Bera Mountain in the uplands above Garth Celyn, in June 1283.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Edward surrounded and overshadowed Garth Celyn, the royal home and the headquarters of resistance to English domination, with Caernarfon and Conwy castles, and later Beaumaris Castle. The other fortress in the iron ring encirling Snowdonia was Harlech Castle.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />The site selected for Caernarfon was strategically important, located on the banks of the River Seiont where it flows into the Menai Strait. It had been the site of a Roman fort, and a later motte and bailey castle built c. 1090 by Hugh d'Avranches. The castle was, at the time, surrounded on two sides by water, and the other by the Caernarfon city walls, but in the 19th century, the area on the River Seiont was filled in to enlarge the port of Caernarfon, and is today part of the castle's car park.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Begun in 1283 after Snowdonia - the heartland of Gwynedd - had been overrun by the massive army, it reached something like its current state in 1323. It was never completed, and even today there are joints visible in several places on the internal walls ready to accept further walls which were never built. Contemporary records note that the castle's construction cost some £22,000 – an enormous sum at the time, equivalent to more than a year's income for the royal treasury. The castle's linear design is sophisticated by comparison with earlier British castles, and the walls are said to have been modelled on those of Constantinople, Edward being a keen Crusader. The castle dominates the Menai Strait.</span><br />
</div>enigmaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04302006178479625721noreply@blogger.com0