A Journey of Postcards: Greece

Showing posts with label Greece. Show all posts

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Rhodes Island | Greece

10:56 PM Greece, Harbour, Island, UNESCO No comments

Postcard

Rhodes is the largest of the twelve Dodecanese islands located in the Aegean sea.

Throughout its long history the different people who settled on Rhodes left their mark in all aspects of the island's culture: art, language, architecture. Its strategic position brought to the island great wealth and made the city of Rhodes one of the leading cities of the ancient Greek world. The Medieval City of Rhodes is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Stamp

Usually I only swap for "send from country of origin". But when arranging this swap, I might be blinded by the beauty of the view. So it was sent from Italy.

Spinalonga, the leper island | Greece

9:49 PM Greece, Island No comments

Postcard

In 1903, a leper colony was established on Spinalonga island, to isolate people suffering from this disease from the healthy population. The cure for leprosy had not yet been discovered, and the contagious disease was regarded with horror. The island was one of the last active leper colonies in Europe. The last inhabitant left the island in 1962.

Today, the uninhabited island is a popular tourist attraction in Crete.

Stamp

The stamp is part of a set called 'Diving Tourism' featuring colorful scenes of shipwrecks and underwater finds (issue 2015).

The island of Kos | Greece

4:45 PM Greece, Island No comments

Postcard

The Dodecanese are a group of 12 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands of which 26 are inhabited. Kos is the third largest of the 12 main islands. The island is located just off the Turkish coast. Patmos is also part of this island chain.

Stamp

The stamp is part of a set called 'Diving Tourism' featuring colourful scenes of shipwrecks and underwater finds (issue 2015).

Drops of lava in the Aegean Sea: Santorini | Greece

10:13 PM Greece, Island No comments

Postcard

Santorini It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago which bears the same name and is the remnant of a volcanic caldera. The whole complex of Santorini islands is still an active volcano. However the last big eruption occurred 3,600 years ago.

The Santorini islands are part of the the Cyclades, a group of Greek islands, southeast of the mainland in the Aegean Sea. One of the islands that is part of this archipelago is well known Mykonos.

Stamp

Part of a series of 4 train stamps, issued 2015.

The holy Island of Patmos | Greece

10:00 PM Greece, Island, UNESCO No comments

Postcard

Patmos is a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea with only 3,000 inhabitants. The island's historic center Chora, along with the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse, were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1999. All can be seen on this postcard.

Stamp

A stamp picturing watermelons and figs, issued 2014. There are twelve stamps in the series, each one representing something particular to that month. This one is for August.

Heraion of Samos | Greece

1:23 PM Greece, Island, Ruins, UNESCO No comments

Postcard

Samos is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, close to the Turkish coast. The island's population is 33,000, which makes it the 9th most populous of the Greek islands.

The ruins of the temple of Hera is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temple was a large sanctuary to the goddess Hera, constructed in the 6th century B.C.

The Acropolis - Athens | Greece

4:59 PM Greece, Ruins, UNESCO No comments

Postcard

Acropolis means 'high city' in Greek. The Athenian Acropolis is home to one of the most famous buildings in the world: the Parthenon. This temple was built for the goddess Athena, the goddess of wisdom and military victory. She was Hercules' half-sister.

In 480 BC, the temples on top of the Acropolis were destroyed by the Persians but rebuilt in the next century.

The Greek island of Crete

9:00 AM Cruiseship, Greece, Harbour, Island 1 comment

Postcard

Greece counts 6.000 islands and islets scattered in the Aegean and Ionian Seas. About 200 are inhabited.

Agios Nikolaos is a coastal town on the island of Crete, the largest island in Greece. Crete is the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.

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Each year, the Aegean Regatta is based at a different harbour and is a major sports and cultural event in the Archipelago.

The Island of Lefkada | Lefkas: Katsiki beach

8:31 PM Beach, Greece, Island 1 comment

Postcard

The Ionian Islands are a group of islands in Greece. The seven main islands are Corfu, Paxos, Lefkada, Ithaca, Kefalonia, Zakynthos and Cythera. But the group includes many smaller islands.

One of the most famous beaches on Lefkada island, Porto Katsiki is really unique for the strange shape and formation of its coast. An amazing white-sand beach is hidden right below the steep slopes.

Stamp

In 2012 Greek post issued a set of 6 stamps about popular outdoor activities. This stamp pictures kayaking on the Acheron River.

A temple from Greece: the Erechtheion | Ἐρέχθειον

10:58 PM Greece, Temple No comments

Postcard

The Erechtheion is an ancient Greek temple on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens in Greece. The temple as seen today was built between 421 and 406 BC.

On the south side, there is a large porch with columns, and on the south, the famous "Porch of the Maidens", with six draped female figures (caryatids) as supporting columns

(Wikipedia)

Stamp

From a series of five stamps “Destination Greece”.

A postcard from the center of the world: Delphi, Greece

2:54 PM Greece, Ruins, UNESCO No comments

Postcard

Delphi in ancient times was considered the center of the known world, the place where heaven and earth met. This was the place on earth where man was closest to God.

In Mythology, Delphi was the meeting place of two eagles, released by Zeus and sent in opposite directions. Where they met indicated the center of the earth.

The oracle of Delphi was a spiritual experience whereby the spirit of Apollo was asked for advice on critical matters relating to people's lives or affairs of the state.