FRANCE - Canal du Midi

"This 360-km network of navigable waterways linking the Mediterranean and the Atlantic through 328 structures (locks, aqueducts, bridges, tunnels, etc.) is one of the most remarkable feats of civil engineering in modern times. Built between 1667 and 1694, it paved the way for the Industrial Revolution. The care that its creator, Pierre-Paul Riquet, took in the design and the way it blends with its surroundings turned a technical achievement into a work of art." -http://whc.unesco.org

Postcard 1

This view looks romantic... Thanks Nancy! =)


Postcard 2

 
Indeed a romantic view.
Thank you so much, Jean Pierre for sharing this awesome postcard with me!

Postcard 3

Nice aerial view of Canal du Midi.
Thank you so much, Jean Pierre!

FRANCE - Episcopal City of Albi

"On the banks of the Tarn river in south-west France, the old city of Albi reflects the culmination of a medieval architectural and urban ensemble. Today the Old Bridge (Pont-Vieux), the Saint-Salvi quarter and its church are testimony to its initial development (10th -11th centuries). Following the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathar heretics (13th century) it became a powerful episcopal city. Built in a unique southern French Gothic style from local brick in characteristic red and orange colours, the lofty fortified Cathedral (late 13th century) dominates the city, demonstrating the power regained by the Roman Catholic clergy. Alongside the Cathedral is the vast bishop’s Palais de la Berbie, overlooking the river and surrounded by residential quarters that date back to the Middle Ages. The Episcopal City of Albi forms a coherent and homogeneous ensemble of monuments and quarters that has remained largely unchanged over the centuries." -http://whc.unesco.org/

Postcard 1

Thank you so much Jean Pierre for your continued support in my UNESCO World Heritage Sites postcards collection! ^-^


Postcard 2

Another postcard of Albi from JP!
This time, mailed from France.
Thank you so much, Jean Pierre! ^-^

FRANCE - Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne

"Since the pre-Roman period, a fortified settlement has existed on the hill where Carcassonne now stands. In its present form it is an outstanding example of a medieval fortified town, with its massive defences encircling the castle and the surrounding buildings, its streets and its fine Gothic cathedral. Carcassonne is also of exceptional importance because of the lengthy restoration campaign undertaken by Viollet-le-Duc, one of the founders of the modern science of conservation." -http://whc.unesco.org

Postcard 1

Again, million thanks Nancy! I just love looking at this card! Amazing! =)

Postcard 2

A surprise postcard from Jean Pierre!

Finally! A written and stamped one! Thank you so much! :)

Postcard 3

 

Another postcard of Carcassonne from Jean Pierre!

Thank you so much for sending me this postcard, JP! ^-^

Postcard 4

Thank you so much, Catherine for this wonderful postcard
 with an amazing stamp showing the Champs Elysees!

FRANCE - Amiens Cathedral

"Amiens Cathedral, in the heart of Picardy, is one of the largest 'classic' Gothic churches of the 13th century. It is notable for the coherence of its plan, the beauty of its three-tier interior elevation and the particularly fine display of sculptures on the principal facade and in the south transept." -http://whc.unesco.org

Postcard 1

Thank you so much Laure for helping me out with my UNESCO cards collection! =)

Postcard 2

 

Top view of this gigantic Church!
Thank you so much, Jean Pierre for this amazing postcard!

FRANCE - Roman Theatre and its Surroundings and the "Triumphal Arch" of Orange

"Situated in the Rhone valley, the ancient theatre of Orange, with its 103-m-long facade, is one of the best preserved of all the great Roman theatres. Built between A.D. 10 and 25, the Roman arch is one of the most beautiful and interesting surviving examples of a provincial triumphal arch from the reign of Augustus. It is decorated with low reliefs commemorating the establishment of the Pax Romana." -http://whc.unesco.org

Postcard 1

This is a great card! Thanks so much, Nancy! =)

Postcard 2

 

Postcard 3

 

Thank you so much, Jean Pierre for sending the above 2 postcards from Singapore!

FRANCE - Fortifications of Vauban

"Fortifications of Vauban consists of 12 groups of fortified buildings and sites along the western, northern and eastern borders of France. They represent the finest examples of the work of Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban (1633-1707), a military engineer of King Louis XIV. The serial property includes towns built from scratch by Vauban, citadels, urban bastion walls and bastion towers. There are also mountain forts, sea forts, a mountain battery and two mountain communication structures. This property is inscribed as bearing witness to the peak of classic fortifications, typical of western military architecture. Vauban also played a major role in the history of fortification in Europe and on other continents until the mid-19th century." -http://whc.unesco.org

Postcard 1: Besançon

Thank you so much Laure for sending me this card from France!

Postcard 2: Longwy



Thank you so much for sharing the Longwy card with me, Ulla!


Postcard 3: Mont-Louis

A surprise postcard from Jean Pierre!
Maraming maraming salamat (Thank you, thank you so much) for always
helping me out with my collection.
So happy here! ^-^


Postcard 4: Saint-Martin-de-Ré

 

Thank you so much, Jean Pierre for your
unending support in my postcards collection!

The 12 Sites

• Arras, Pas-de-Calais: citadel
• Besançon, Doubs: citadel, city walls and Fort Griffon
• Blaye-Cussac-Fort-Médoc, Gironde: citadel of Blaye, city walls, Fort Paté and Fort Médoc
• Briançon, Hautes-Alpes: city walls, Redoute des Salettes, Fort des Trois-Têtes, Fort du Randouillet, ouvrage de la communication Y and the Asfeld Bridge
• Camaret-sur-Mer, Finistère: Tour dorée (lit. "Golden Tower") aka. Tour Vauban
• Longwy, Meurthe-et-Moselle: ville neuve
• Mont-Dauphin, Hautes-Alpes: place forte
• Mont-Louis, Pyrénées-Orientales: citadel and city walls
• Neuf-Brisach, Haut-Rhin: ville neuve/Breisach (Germany): gateway of the Rhine
• Saint-Martin-de-Ré, Charente-Maritime: city walls and citadel
• Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue/Tatihou, Manche: watchtowers
• Villefranche-de-Conflent, Pyrénées-Orientales: city walls, Fort Libéria and Cova Bastera

ARGENTINA / BELGIUM / FRANCE / GERMANY / INDIA / JAPAN / SWITZERLAND - The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement

"Chosen from the work of Le Corbusier, the 17 sites comprising this transnational serial property are spread over seven countries and are a testimonial to the invention of a new architectural language that made a break with the past. They were built over a period of a half-century, in the course of what Le Corbusier described as “patient research”. The Complexe du Capitole in Chandigarh (India), the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo (Japan), the House of Dr Curutchet in La Plata (Argentina) and the Unité d’habitation in Marseille (France) reflect the solutions that the Modern Movement sought to apply during the 20th century to the challenges of inventing new architectural techniques to respond to the needs of society. These masterpieces of creative genius also attest to the internationalization of architectural practice across the planet." -http://whc.unesco.org

Postcard 1: Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp, France

"I visited the site and there are still nuns living there", shares Marie.
Thank you so much Marie for sharing with me this postcard!


Postcard 2: Maisons de la Weissenhof-Siedlung, Germany


I am very happy because this postcard completes
my UNESCO postcards collection from Germany!
On the bottom left shows the Maisons de la Weissenhof-Siedlung.
Thank you so much Svenja for sharing this with me!


Postcard 3: Chandigarh Capitol Complex, India

Thank you so much for this wonderful postcard (with great stamps as well), Pulkit!

Hats off to Le Corbusier!

Postcard 4: National Museum of Western Art, Japan

 
Thank you so much Bei Hao for sharing this wonderful postcard with me! ^-^

FRANCE - The Climats, terroirs of Burgundy

"The climates are precisely delimited vineyard parcels on the slopes of the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune south of the city of Dijon. They differ from one another due to specific natural conditions (geology and exposure) as well as vine types and have been shaped by human cultivation. Over time they came to be recognized by the wine they produce. This cultural landscape consists of two parts. Firstly, the vineyards and associated production units including villages and the town of Beaune, which together represent the commercial dimension of the production system. The second part includes the historic centre of Dijon, which embodies the political regulatory impetus that gave birth to the climatssystem. The site is an outstanding example of grape cultivation and wine production developed since the High Middle Ages." -http://whc.unesco.org

Thank you so much Catherine for sharing this awesome postcard with me!

I wish to see a vineyard someday... :)

FRANCE - From the Great Saltworks of Salins-les-Bains to the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans, the Production of Open-pan Salt

"The Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans, near Besançon, was built by Claude Nicolas Ledoux. Its construction, begun in 1775 during the reign of Louis XVI, was the first major achievement of industrial architecture, reflecting the ideal of progress of the Enlightenment. The vast, semicircular complex was designed to permit a rational and hierarchical organization of work and was to have been followed by the building of an ideal city, a project that was never realized.

The Great Saltworks of Salins-les-Bains was active for at least 1200 years until stopping activity in 1962. From 1780 to 1895, its salt water travelled through 21 km of wood pipes to the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans. It was built near the immense Chaux Forest to ensure its supply of wood for fuel. The Saltworks of Salins shelters an underground gallery from the 13^th century including a hydraulic pump from the 19^th century that still functions. The boiler house demonstrates the difficulty of the saltworkers’ labour to collect the “White Gold”" -http://whc.unesco.org

Written and stamped and posted from the place itself! (look at the postmark!)

Thank you so much Jean Pierre for remembering to send me this postcard during your trip

on this UNESCO WHS!

FRANCE - Paris, Banks of the Seine

"From the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower, from the Place de la Concorde to the Grand and Petit Palais, the evolution of Paris and its history can be seen from the River Seine. The Cathedral of Notre-Dame and the Sainte Chapelle are architectural masterpieces while Haussmann's wide squares and boulevards influenced late 19th- and 20th-century town planning the world over." -http://whc.unesco.org

Postcard 1

A card with matching stamp of Seine River from Steffi!
Thank you, thank you so much! =)

Postcard 2

Great view of Eiffel Tower at night which is located within the Banks of Seine!
Thank you so much for this, Caatje!


Postcard 3

 

Thank you so much for this wonderful card, Jean Pierre!
I never thought that there's such place like this until I got your postcard!
I just love books! It must be real FUN to visit the place! :)


Postcard 4: Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris

Thank you so much Jean Pierre for this postcard with matching stamp commemorating the 850th Anniversary of the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris...
I think this is my very first quatrefoil stamp!
So happy to have this!


Postcard 5: Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris

A great view of the Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris!
Thank you so much for this, JP!
Special thanks for the stamp with matching postmark in commemoration of the
Autumn Philatelic Exhibition 2015 in Paris.