L'Oise

Hello everyone. Sorry for my long absence! I am currently very occupied with setting up my own postcard webshop and therefore I have a lot of obligations coming towards me like inscribing my webshop into the chamber of commerce, ordering/designing postcards, setting up/designing the website, book keeping etc. This takes a lot of time but especially asks for a lot of investing.  The latter is one of the logical reasons why I can't permit myself anymore to send lots of postcards and decided to put the collecting hobby on a low. So unfortunately I will not update my blog regularly due to lack of time, naturally, but also simply not receiving postcards (which I will miss a lot!). Maybe later this year I will have more time and money to get back to sending postcards and bringing you informative posts on this blog, although studying in the Netherlands with the current plans will become even more expensive in 2014, so I have yet to see that.

I do want to share this postcard with you which Alex has sent me from the L'oise region in France. I really really love these French départements postcards and therefore a big thank you goes out to Alex! He has recently began a blog which you can find through the following link. Be kind to take a look and become a follower. http://jazzstamps.blogspot.fr/

This summer I will be heading to Spain (Salou, Barcelona, Tarragona, Reus) to spend my holidays and during that time I do want to send some postcards from there despite all this. If you want to receive a postcard from there, do not hesitate to send me a message and I will put you on the list :)

For now, see you all soon!

Bas-Rhin

Dominique has sent me a nice illustrative map of Département 67, Bas-Rhin. It is a long time ago since I have received a new map for my French départements collection!

The Bas-Rhin is one of the two departments that form the picturesque region of Alsace. It accounts for a population of more than one million inhabitants, and the main towns are Strasbourg, Haguenau and Séléstat. The Rhine River flows across Alsace from the north to the south and marks a natural border between the Bas-Rhin and Germany.

The Bas-Rhin departement has plenty of vestiges and patrimony such as ancient churches or medieval castles. Indeed, it has the most important numbers of fortified castles of France! Numerous pretty villages have to be visited, as it offers a good glimpse of what is really the Alsatian culture in all its senses (dialect, architecture, gastronomy…). For instance, Hunspach or Seebach shelter beautiful examples of Alsatian half-timbered houses decorated with many flowers as the geraniums, definitely the most widespread and popular ones.

The famous vineyards are stretched at the foot of the Vosges mountains. It benefits from the special weather of Alsace that is due to the Vosges mountains that form a natural barrier. The departement offers marvellous landscapes and has an unspoilt nature. One third of the Bas-Rhin is covered by forest and this various and important nature enabled the area of the northern Vosges to become “Regional Natural Park” and to receive the label “world reserve of the biosphere”.

Bas-Rhin is also rich in surprises. Thus, many interesting activities can be done such as the visit of a leisure park completely dedicated to storks which are numerous in this region. The volerie des aigles offers spectacles with eagles or either a walk in the site called “monkeys mountain” is entertaining.

This department is definitely a place satisfying multiple expectations. Wine lovers will appreciate the wine route and its fantastic wines. The people who want to discover another facet of France and a picturesque region will not be disappointed while the families will be fond of the various activities the Bas-Rhin offers, whether it is sport or culture. [source: french-property.com]

Thank you very much Dominique

Dijon

I've already featured Dijon in a previous post, so no story this time. Just a beautiful nightview (again, everyony is seriously spoiling me with nightviews!) with a very pretty stamp just for viewing pleasure.

Thank you very much Tamayre!

La route des vins

Dominique is becoming a regular contributor on this blog and I absolutely don't mind that as I simply love receiving postcards from France! This time a postcard showing the wine route in the Alsace region. Seems like a very scenic route with interesting landscapes & towns. Dominique, n'arrête pas de m'envoyer ces cartes postales magnifiques! J'apprécie ça énormément! :)

Over the past 60 years, the Alsace Wine Route has contributed to the success of Alsace wines. It has become famous the world over for its exceptional natural beauty, its simple course and for the instant connection its visitors feel with the region and its growers. The Alsace Wine Route winds its way from north to south, for more than 170 kilometres (106 miles) along the eastern foothills of the Vosges. This delightful itinerary leads visitors across rows of undulating, vine-covered hills, and through quaint villages with narrow streets and charming flower-decked houses clustered around the local church steeple.

Visitors can easily explore the heart of the vineyards, along numerous vineyard paths leading to the crest of each slope, where signs explain the work of the winegrowers and the diversity of the grape varieties grown. They are welcomed into “winstubs” (local cafés) and tasting cellars which constantly celebrate their passion for wine.

[source: vinsalsace.com]

Thank you very much Dominique! / Merci beaucoup Dominique!

Nantes

Ooh, a nightview! Every city looks better during the night.

You can take Nantes out of Brittany (as happened when regional boundaries were redrawn during WWII), but you can’t take Brittany out of its longtime capital, Nantes (‘Naoned’ in Breton).

Spirited and innovative, this city on the banks of the Loire, 55km east of the Atlantic, has a long history of reinventing itself. Founded by Celts around 70 BC, in AD 937 Alain Barbe-Torte, the grandson of the last king of Brittany, established the duchy of Brittany here following a series of invasions. A landmark royal charter guaranteeing civil rights to France’s Huguenots (Protestants), the Edict of Nantes, was signed in the city by Henri IV in 1598. Its revocation in 1685 led to a Huguenot exodus from the region.

By the 18th century Nantes was France’s foremost port, and in the 19th century – following the abolition of slavery – it became a cutting-edge industrial centre; the world’s first public transport service, the omnibus, began here in 1826. Shipbuilding anchored the city’s economy until the late 20th century. When the shipyards relocated to St-Nazaire to the west, Nantes transformed itself into a thriving student and cultural hub. The city centre has now nudged past Bordeaux’s as the country’s sixth-largest metropolis, and it’s growing, with one in two Nantais today aged under 40. Buoyed by its Breton heritage, the city’s renaissance extends from the extensive redevelopment of the former shipyards to its iconic former biscuit factory–turned–cultural centre, and a brand new museum in the former Dukes of Brittany’s magnificent medieval castle. [source: lonelyplanet]

Thank you very much Irina!

Dijon

Dijon, mustard capital of the universe, is one of France’s most appealing provincial cities. Filled with elegant medieval and Renaissance buildings, the lively centre is wonderful for strolling, especially if you like to leaven your cultural enrichment with good food and shopping.

Dijon wears its long and glorious history with grace, and with a self-confidence that’s never smug or off-putting because it’s so obviously deserved. The city’s 25, 000 students get much of the credit for keeping the nightlife scene snappy, though people of all ages participate in the city’s thriving cultural life. [source: lonelyplanet]

Thank you very much Míša! / Merci beaucoup Míša!

France collection (1)

Bonjour tous le monde! Today I'm featuring some of the French postcards I have received during the past years, and that's quite a bunch. Therefore this post will be continued with more postcards of France later on. I'm an absolute fan of anything that is related to France and a sucker for the French language. When I receive a postcard from France, I'm definitely a happy man! So you can imagine what joy the following postcards brought me. This time with a lot of information so you can submerge yourself in the history of places of interest I will show.

Dunkirk (Dunkerque), made famous and flattened almost simultaneously (in 1940), was rebuilt during one of the most uninspired periods in Western architecture. Charming it may not be, but the port city has two worthwhile museums, a mellow beach and several colourful pre-Lent carnivals.

Under Louis XIV, Dunkirk – whose name means ‘church of the dunes’ in Flemish – served as a base for French privateers, including the daring Jean Bart (1650–1702), whose hugely successful attacks on English and Dutch merchant ships have ensured his infamy in British history and, locally, his status as a national hero: the city centre’s main square, suitably adorned with a dashing statue (1845), bears his name, as does a high school.

To clarify, Midi is the word used for Southern France by the French.

A justifiably popular destination the region of Provence combines historic sites a warm climate striking scenery and some of the best restaurants in France.

From the beaches and posh towns of the Riviera such as Nice, Monaco or Cannes to the hilly and mountainous hinterland constantly smelling of perfume and thyme, the Provence offers something to every kind of traveler.

Marseille is the largest town in this region and is really the capital of the South. When you talk to one of the locals, don't mention that you like Paris.

The Dordogne river valley and de Ardeche offer great hiking and water sport opportunities. Ancient towns, most of Roman origin, such as Orange, Avignon or Arles dot the countryside.

Among the wonderful culinary regional specialites are anchoiade (anchovy oil and garlic paste) daube (braised meat poultry fish or game) marcassin (young wild boar) and panade (fruit tart). Provence is also prime truffle territory. During the season (fall through December) stop at a truffle fair—the prices are steep but the taste and mystery surrounding this delicacy are definitely worth the cost. At any time of the year you can enjoy a variety of markets including the Marche des Antiquaires at L’Isle sur la Sorgue (Sundays).

When you go closer to the Pyrenees, you enter the Languedoc: the land where they say "Oc". The Occitans are still proud of their own language and culture. A visit to Toulouse, Montpellier or Carcassone gives you some impression of the richness of their culture.

Further in the east, the Atlantic coast region is quite spectacular as well. Bordeaux is famous for its wines, Gascogne for its cognac. But also for those not primarily interested in alcoholic beverages this region has a lot to offer, Beautiful mountains in the Pyrenees, great beach resorts such as Biarritz and many medieval towns and castles.

Lourdes deserves special mention as well, this is the place to go if you need to be cured of something and you think religion is your best bet. For other travelers the town is also a fascinating place to visit.

The Basque region is the country of the Euskari people as the call themselves. They have lived in this region since the dawn of times and their language is apparantly unrelated to any other language in the world. Their battle for independance has been going on for centuries, but on the French side of the norder things are safe. 

The Côte d’Azur, otherwise known as the French Riviera, has been synonymous with chic elegance and lofty living for well over a century, however, its heyday was during the 1950s and ’60s, when practically everyone who was anyone seemed to have upped sticks and bought a duplex apartment along its pebble-strewn shores. It’s still a playground for the rich and beautiful, especially at stylish resorts such as Nice, Cannes, St-Tropez, and of course the epitome of extravagance, Monte Carlo – but less well-heeled visitors will find plenty to entertain them too. Elsewhere there are the perfumed streets of Grasse, the balmy beaches of Menton and the history stained cobbles of Fréjus & St-Raphaël to explore.

The Ardeche is known for its fast-flowing river that has carved narrow gorges into the valley creating one of the most breathtaking canyons in France.

The gorges can be explored by canoe or on foot along the many tourist trails. White water rafting is also popular.

The department has a gentler side to it - with castles, picturesque villages, gracious Belle Epoque spa towns, historic caves & rolling vineyards.

Protestantism has left its mark in the many austere churches of Les Vans, Privas & Lamastere. The Ardeche is France's leading producer of chestnuts enjoyed in soups, ragouts and gratins and more commonly sampled under the guise of 'marron glace'.

The Ardeche is France's leading producer of chestnuts, enjoyed in soups, ragouts and gratins and more commonly sampled under the guise of 'marron glace'.

This blessed island roughly takes the shape of a cross on the map. Its name, Monks’ Island, derives from the fact that it was owned through medieval times by the monks of Redon Abbey, in southern Brittany. L’Ile aux Moines isn’t battered by ocean waves, as it lies, like neighbouring Arz, within the protective arms of the Golfe du Morbihan. The boat crossing to the island is extremely short, just a few minutes from Port-Blanc. This, plus the exceptional beauty of the place, makes l’Ile aux Moines highly popular with tourists.

The horsemen of the Cadre Noir in Saumur, the beautiful Loire valley, and the Royal Abbey at Fontevraud with its Plantagenet tombs are just some of the delights that attract visitors to the Maine-et-Loire.

The historical towns of Angers and Saumur are overflowing with churches, castles and museums and serve as a great base for exploring the region.

Here you'll see rows of vineyards and sunflowers which get you in the mood for wine-tasting. Almost every wine imaginable is produced here from just two varieties of grape, so take your pick!

To the east and west of Saumur you'll find impressive troglodyte dwellings which are generally used today for storing wine or growing mushrooms.

Sources:

- Lonelyplanet
- Justtourfrance
- Iles du Ponant
- World66

Sent by: Margaux, Anastasia, Dominique, Christine & Cathy

The castle of Haut-Kœnigsbourg

A big thanks goes out for very friendly Dominique who sends me this wonderful postcard of this even more wonderful castle called le château du haut-Kœnigsbourg in French. This is the the 4th postcard to reach me thanks to this blog which makes me rather happy! A nice postcard of the Netherlands will be heading Dominique's way real soon :) About the stamp, it shows an Outarde-canepetière (Little Bustard - Tetrax Tetrax) issued in 2012.

Since its construction in the 12^th century, the Haut-Koenigsbourg castle has been a constant witness to both European conflicts and rivalry between lords, kings and emperors.

A number of illustrious owners each left their mark on the castle’s history, and successive events even led to changes in the castle’s structure…

The first records of a castle built by the Hohenstaufens date back to 1147. Taufenberg, as it was called at the time, sat high above the Alsace plain at an altitude of more than 700 metres. This rocky, promontory site was ideal for observing the main routes in the region, and provided a strategic fall-back point. The fortress changed its name to Koenigsbourg (royal castle) in around 1192.

The castle was handed over to the Tiersteins by the Habsburgs following its destruction in 1462. They rebuilt and enlarged it, installing a defensive system designed to withstand artillery fire. This was the golden period for the Hohkoenigsbourg ("Hoh" meaning… "High"!). [source: official site]

Thank you very much Dominique!/Merci beaucoup Dominique! Une bonne année pour vous aussi.

Colmar

I'm pleased to announce that this is the very first postcard sent to me through this blog!

Colmar is one of the prettiest towns in the Haut-Rhin with cobbled streets, Alsatian buildings and brightly coloured half-timbered houses. The canal quarter known as Petite Venise is particularly well preserved and includes the tanner's quarters. It is not hard to imagine 16th century wine merchants shipping their wine along these waterways.

In fact, wine is a good reason to come to Colmar as it sits conveniently in the heart of the Alsace Route du Vin. Those who enjoy flowery white wines should investigate the route that runs from Marlenheim to Thann. From Colmar you'll be able to take trips out to ancient medieval towns such as Eguisheim where two grands crus are produced - Eichberg and Pfersigberg.

Back in Colmar try to make time for the Musee d'Unterlinden which is situated in a Dominican monastery. Here you'll find the famous Issenheim Altarpiece. [source: justtourfrance.com]

Thank you very Much Dominique! / Merci beaucoup Dominique! Vraiment un bon additif pour mon collection cartes françaises. Demain j'enverrai une carte de remerciement avec plaisir!

Charente-Maritime

The Charente Maritime is the joint second most visited part of France, behind the Var and level with neighbouring Vendee.  Whilst 85% of visitors were from within France, of the 15% from outside the country, the overwhelming majority were British 37%.  It is not hard to see why so many people come here, with a sunny and warm climate, fantastic beaches and a huge diversity of attractions, the Charente Maritime is now more accessible than ever, with the ever increasing number of budget airlines servicing the area, and the superb road and rail links.  [source: guide2poitoucharentes.com]