E is for Elizabeth Tower, England

For letter "E" --

It shouldn't be mistaken that Big Ben is the nickname for the bell on the clock in the tower. The clock tower itself is "Elizabeth Tower". It used to be just the Clock Tower until year 2012 when it was renamed during the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.

Sent: 31 May 2012 from Southampton, UK
Received: 19 Jun 2012, Traveled 10,880.8 km in 20 days

It was a celebration that I missed! I didn't know at all and my train out of London was booked on 19 May, that exact day of the parade. I could have seen the Queen! After that trip, I am now more prudent on checking events in places I visit; I don't want to regret missing an important celebration that could have happened just once in my lifetime!

Below are two souvenirs from that visit. For the photo on the right, I think it turned out well with the sun being blocked by the tower. I was standing directly facing the sun and I hid behind to take the shot. Back then, I didn't know at all that the English were renaming this significant structure where I was having my photo taken. How ignorant of me sometimes!

I am also sharing this clear blue sky to Sally's Blue Monday. Head over to her page for more blues!

~maria

D is for Ducal Mansion, England

From temples to castles, for letter "D" --

Sent 31 May 2012 from Southampton, UK
Traveled 10,880.8 km in 20 days

Presently, the Nottingham Castle is known as the "Ducal Mansion". The estate was originally a traditional castle inhabited by kings and queens. It was purchased in 17th century by William Cavendish, first duke of Newcastle upon Tyne, hence the name.

I had the pleasure to visit it back in 2012. But perhaps the more interesting part of my visit to this side of England more than the Ducal Mansion itself were the caves underneath the mansion, the stories of Sherwood Forest and the folklore hero Robin Hood, and the Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem Inn which is just nearby.

Did you know the name on which the Nottingham Castle was built on? Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, England's oldest pub was also built on the same foundation.

~maria

C is for Causeway of Angkor Thom, Cambodia

When the first two entries were about temples, it is quite different for letter "C" --

On the postcard above is the causeway leading into the entrance of Angkor Thom, which according to Uncle Wiki, "is the last and most enduring capital city of Khmer Empire". This fact actually didn't sink in to me while I was doing the tour. Through reading, I learned that Angkor Thom literally means "Great City". I thought Angkor Thom is the name of that temple we visited inside the complex. We were brought to that temple specifically because it is one of the locations for Angelina Jolie's famous Lara Croft: Tomb Raider movie. 

For a closer look into the figures on the towering gate and the causeway:

The postcard in the middle is viewed from one of the sides of the tower gate. There are Buddhas facing all four cardinal directions. For the causeway, it is lined with asuras (power-seeking deities) on one side and devas (benevolent deities) on the other side.  They are "holding a naga in the attitude of tug-of-war.". The causeway appears to be from the Hinduism myth, Churning of the Sea of Milk.

~maria

B is for Bayon Temple, Cambodia

I am happy that for the first three letters of the alphabet, I am able to share Buildings and Structures that I've both visited and kept or received in the mail a corresponding postcard. Oh wait, I think not just for the first three letters but for the first five actually! ;-)

For the first three though, all are from Cambodia. Now for the second letter, "B" --

Bayon Temple looks a bit chaotic for me, judging from the view from the outside. On top is a photo I took in front of the temple. It is impressive nonetheless for the countless towers with carved Buddha faces. Our tour guide said there are around 200 but since a lot might have fell into ruin over the years, there is no actual count. Below are two close-up looks to two of the Buddha faces: one was courtesy of our tour guide and the other one is on a postcard.

~maria

A is for Angkor Wat, Cambodia

The Buildings and Structures on Postcards that I will be sharing for the April 2015 A-Z Challenge will be a mix of those I've had the pleasure to visit and those I have not. Although, fingers crossed for the latter that I'll have the chance to see them for real.

For the entry for letter "A" - 

Angkor Wat is one of the temples I've visited back in October 2014. I went with my bestfriend to fulfill a dream I had since 2009. 

We had the pleasure of being toured around the temples of a local, Mr. Vann Seila. The plan was to see the sunrise so we started off really early. Alas it was raining on the day we picked to go. Now, my feet are just itching to go back there during the dry season. I couldn't wait to experience the sight below in person.

Normally my postcards are labeled, with information about their travel through the post. Please check previous posts for reference. However, for these 2 and the ones I'll share for letters "B" and "C", I couldn't label. These Cambodia postcards were from a pack of 10 that were hand-delivered to me by a friend who visited Cambodia back in 2013.

~maria