Saint - Michel Mount, France

I got this card as a RAS sent from a lady in France but on the behalf of someone else...i was really happy and totally surprised to find it in my mailbox....its really thoughtful....and even though i got it time ago, the thoughtfulness somehow manages to soothe me on such a hectic day...and ive also started receiving my first christmas cards from some very dear people, but you wont get to see them until after New Year actually...sorry :)

This very beautiful image comes from The Saint-Michel Mount....at nightfall.
It is a rocky tidal island and a commune in Normandy, France. This year it celebrated its 1300th birthday!

Rising from a hazy expanse of sand and waves, Mont Saint-Michel appears like Man’s defiance of the elements and of time. A rock lost in a landscape smoothed by the wind.

The long history of Mont Saint-Michel is thought to date back to 708, when Aubert, Bishop of Avranches had a sanctuary built on Mont-Tombe in honour of the Archangel. Through the centuries, Mont Saint-Michel has accumulated a long heritage, and is listed by UNESCO as World Natural and Cultural Site since 1979.

For its 13th centenary, conferences, concerts and exhibitions are organized, and a major photo exibit was displayed both inside and outside the abbey church from the 2nd of June to the 11th of November. Many conferences were organized on the question of the future of Mont Saint-Michel, which is part of the biggest renovation project ever undertaken in order to restore its maritime character ( Mont-Saint-Michel is surrounded by a magnificent bay, which is the theatre of the greatest tidal ranges in Europe, a grandiose spectacle. )

Bretagne, France (02)

I really like this card, and the image on it

on the back it says...well its in three different languages, so ill write them all

Quel temps fera-t-il aujourd'hui (French)
What will the weather be like today (English)
Wie wird das Wetter heute (German)

Well...its a useful phrase actually, in case you happen to be at a country where youd need one of the above mentioned languages....
and regarding the card itself...its areally nice looking window...i like the colours, blue against green...give the feeling of freshness and youth and joy...though  i wouldnt be surprised if there are many mosquitos inhabitted there as well :)
and i love the cat of course..really cute ....

Bretagne, France

Another one of the great cards Valerie had sent me..

the back of the card says: The house is close, but the lighthouse protects it.

Bretagne is one of the 26 regions of France. It occupies a large peninsula in the north-west of the country lying between the English Channel to the north and the Bay of Biscay to the south. Its capital city is Rennes.

The card is just magnificent. I hope you can see the rainbow over the house.
And since small details always leave an impression on me, so did this one...under the name Bretagne, you can see a small map of the region itself...well, its not visible from this point, but that map is actually a cut-out hole...i really like it :) Funny how such small details can be an immense contribution to what a card looks like....

France

An amazing, breathtaking view of a lighthouse, thanks to Valerie!

It is called The Four Lighthouse.
It was first operating in 1874 and was put in automatic in 1992. The rock on which it was built, is a natural barrier for breaking the waves coming with the strong west winds. 
The Four lighthouse indicates the south-west entry of the English Channel. It is certainly one of the most approached lighthouse on the French littoral. His light, 30 metres above sea level, is covered most of the time.

Chambord, France

A lovely card that i won in a lottery! My first one!


I think this is another magnificent view!
Shows the castle of Chambord in France, which is one of the most recognizable châteaux** in the world because of its very distinct French Renaissance architecture, that blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Italian structures.

It was constructed by King Francois I, in part to be near to his mistress the Comtesse de Thoury, a member of a very important family of France, whose domaine the château de Muides was adjacent. Her arms figure in the carved decor of the château.

It is the largest castle in the Loire Valley.

**châteaux - plural of château, which is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally - and still most frequently - in French speaking regions.

Strasbourg, France

My first official from France comes from Strasbourg. I love the tranquility which this picture portrays!

FR-26197

Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in northerneast France.
The city's Gallicized name is of Germanic origin and means "town (at the crossing) of roads". The modern Stras- is cognate to the German Straße / Strasse which itself is derived from Latin strata ("street"), while -bourg is cognate to the German -burg ("fortress, town, citadel"), the English borough and the French bourg ("village").
Strasbourg is the seat of several European institutions such as the Council of Europe with its European court of human rights, its European Directory for the quality of medicines, and its European Audiovisual Observatory, the Eurocorps, as well as the European Parliament and the European Ombudsman of the European Union.
Strasbourg is an important centre of manufacturing and engineering, as well as of road, rail, and river communications.

On the picture you can see the lurking of the Strasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of our Lady of Strasbourg, built between 1176 and 1439. Being 142m tall, it was the world's tallest church until 1880.

Cannes, France (03)

Paris, France

France

Paris, France

Paris, France

Paris, France

Nice, France

Paris, France

Cannes, France (02)

Paris, France

France

Paris, France

From my European trip and our stay in Paris

I got so many cards from Paris back then that right now i don't think id like to see another Parisian card in my mailbox...even though I've seen some really nice views out there, its sites I have, more than once....i just don't find it thrilling to have it again.

The card here shows Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris...we didn't manage to visit it coz it was closing like at 5 or 6pm and we arrived just before closing time....
There is a book called "The hunchback of Notre Dame" by Victor Hugo....haven't read it, though i think I should....its Victor Hugo...should be worth reading....

I have many things to write about our visit to Paris....but there are many postcards as well from there, so we'll take it really slowly

Rocamadour, France

From my pen-pal Tine

Rocamadour, nestled in the Lot department of southwest France, is a name familiar to travelers, as well as appreciators of fine dining and rich history.
The exquisite natural setting and beautiful buildings have made Rocamadour France's second-most visited site.
Rocamadour's religious roots are the source of the town's name. According to legend, St. Amadour, a witness to the martyrdom of St. Paul and St. Peter, traveled to the location and took up hermitage following his wife's death. The story might be part myth and part history, but the legend, beloved of locals, adds to Rocamadour's charm and magic.

Cannes, France (01)

This card was sent to me by one of my former pen-pals, Marianne Schuttauf from Germany, when she went on a summer holiday in Cannes.

As with the rest of my pen-pals, i lost contact with her as well...and i always think it my fault coz once i got to University, all of a sudden, time was pretty scarce, plus for some reason i got lazy in general, and time simply flied too fast, and eventually you realize that its been months since you were supposed to answer that letter....and it lingers and lingers....by the time you write back, its terribly late.....on the other side people also have obligations and cant immediately reply...so before you are able to realize, you've simply lost contact....who knows, maybe a letter had got lost as well.....but its all reasons which contribute to ceasing communication.
Its a pity...Marianne was one of the first people i met who loved Depeche Mode (I met her during my summer course in London) and after she got back in Germany, she sent me a tape of Depeche Mode cover songs...you know, different artists performing DM songs....which was really thoughtful of her...i still keep that tape...its a shame i dont keep my contact with her....