Brasília Postcards

Brasília is the capital of Brazil and is the only city in the world built in the 20th century to be awarded (in 1987) the status of Historical and Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. The city was planned and developed in 1956 with Lúcio Costa as the principal urban planner and Oscar Niemeyer as the principal architect. In 1960, it formally became Brazil's national capital. When seen from above, the city's shape resembles an airplane or a butterfly.

Brasilia Postcard 1Aerial view of the Monument Axis, TV Tower and Central Area

The Monumental Axis ("Eixo Monumental" in Portuguese) is a central avenue in Brasília's city design. The avenue begins on the National Congress of Brazil building and is considered part of the DF-002 road. It's first section is known as "Ministries Esplanade" ("Esplanada dos Ministérios"), as it's surrounded by ministries buildings. Many important government buildings, monuments and memorials are located on the Monumental Axis.

Brasilia Postcard 2Palacio do Planalto

The Palácio do Planalto is the official workplace of the President of Brazil. The architect of the Palácio do Planalto was Oscar Niemeyer, the "creator" of most of the important buildings in the new capital of Brasília. The idea was to project an image of simplicity and modernity using fine lines and waves to compose the columns and exterior structures. The Palace is four stories high, and has an area of 36,000 m². Four other adjacent buildings are also part of the complex.

SOURCES:UNESCO World Heritage: Brasília
Monumental Axis Wikipedia Entry
Palácio do Planalto Wikipedia Entry

Great Blue Hole, Belize Barrier Reef Postcard

The Belize Barrier Reef is a series of coral reefs straddling the coast of Belize. The Belize Barrier Reef is a 300 km (185 miles) section of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. It totals 960 km² (370 miles²) in area, including the Great Blue Hole. Because of its exceptional natural beauty, significant on-going ecological and biological processes, and it contains the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity (criteria VII, IX, and X), the Reserve System has been designated as a World Heritage Site since 1996.

Great Blue Hole Postcard

The Great Blue Hole is a large underwater sinkhole that lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 60 miles from the mainland and Belize City. The hole is circular in shape, over 1,000 feet across and 400 feet deep. It was formed as a limestone cave system during the last ice age when sea levels were much lower. As the ocean began to rise again the caves flooded, and the roof collapsed.

SOURCES: Belize Barrier Reef Wikipedia Entry
Great Blue Hole Wikipedia Entry

The Grand Palace, Brussels Postcards

The Grote Markt (Dutch) or Grand Place (French) is the central market square of Brussels. It is surrounded by guild houses, the city's Town Hall and the Bread House (Dutch: Broodhuis, French: Maison du Roi). The Grand Place was named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1998.

The Grand Palace Postcard

The Grand Place was first laid out after the construction of the town hall, at the centre of the city's commercial district. Neighboring streets still reflect the area's origins, named after the sellers of butter, cheese, herring, coal and so on. The original Grand Place was a medley of buildings constructed between the 15th and 17th centuries in a variety of styles.

Hotel de Ville (Town Hall) Postcard

The Town Hall (French: Hôtel de Ville, Dutch: Stadhuis) was constructed between 1402 and 1455. The original architect was probably Jacob van Thienen. The 96-meter-high tower in Brabantine Gothic style emerged from the plans of Jan van Ruysbroek, the court architect of Philip the Good. Atop the spire stands a 5-meter-high gilt metal statue of the archangel Michael, patron saint of Brussels, slaying a dragon or devil. The tower, its front archway and the main building facade are conspicuously off-center relative to one another. According to legend, the architect upon discovering this "error" leapt to his death from the tower. The facade is decorated with numerous statues representing nobles, saints, and allegorical figures.

Bread House (Maison du Roi) Postcard

In the 13th century the predecessor of the Bread House was a wooden building where bakers sold their bread in a covered market. Its Dutch name Broodhuis recalls this function. It was replaced in the 15th century by a stone building for the administration of the duke of Brabant. When the duchy fell to the Habsburgs, the Maison du Duc (Duke's house) became the Maison du Roi (King's house), the latter being the current French name of the building. Charles V rebuilt the building in a late Gothic style during his reign in the 16th century, similar to its appearance today. In 1873, the city entrusted architect Victor Jamaer to restore the battered structure in neo-gothic style.

SOURCES:Grand Place Wikipedia Entry
Brussels Town Hall Wikipedia Entry

Qal'at al-Bahrain Postcard

After my bridges collection, it is time for me to show my UNESCO postcards. Actually this was the first "topic" I had when I began collecting. Some of my cards were YG prizes or were bought in thrift shops.

Qal`at al-Bahrain is an archaeological site located in Bahrain. It is composed of an artificial mound created by human inhabitants from 2300 BC up to the 1700's. Among other things, it was once the capital of the Dilmun civilization, and served more recently as a Portuguese fort. For these reasons, it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

Qal'at al-Bahrain Postcard

Qal`at al-Bahrain is a typical tell – an artificial mound created by many successive layers of human occupation. The strata of the 300x600-metre tell testify to continuous human presence from about 2300 B.C. to the 16th century A.D. About 25% of the site has been excavated revealing structures of different types: residential, public, commercial, religious and military. They testify to the importance of the site as a trading port over the centuries.

On the top of the 12m high mound, there is the impressive Qal`at al-Burtughal (Portuguese fort), which gave the whole site its name, qal`a, meaning fort. The site was the capital of the Dilmun, one of the most important ancient civilizations of the region. It contains the richest remains inventoried of this civilization, which was hitherto only known from written Sumerian references.

SOURCE:Qal`at al-Bahrain Wikipedia Entry

Patapat Viaduct Postcard

The Patapat Viaduct is elevated 31 meters over sea level and 1.3 km concrete coastal bridge connecting Maharlika Highway to the Cagayan Valley Region that was constructed along winding/rocky headlands near the northernmost roadway section in Ilocos Norte. According to the locals, it was actually built with the help of Koreans. This viaduct was constructed to solve the problem of landslides in the area which have caused so many vehicular accidents in the past.

Patapat Viaduct Postcard

I have passed thru this viaduct four times already, and I always enjoy the view of the ocean below and the mountains! Picture perfect!!!

Me and the Viaduct

Built on the slope of a mountain, the Patapat Viaduct provides an unobscured view of the South China Sea. The bridge is often referred to as the French Riviera of the North. While at the middle of the bridge you can take a look at the awesome view of the sea below and the verdant mountains at the other side. Footed on the rocky seashore just several meters from the mountain side it gives motorists a spectacular view of Pasaleng Bay.