A very nice card featuring an illustration of a mushroom—the sender decorated the back with washi tape, an “I just Kant” sticker, and a wax seal. I usually don’t put that kind of effort into the cards I send, but I appreciate it when others do. Hildesheim is home to the Knochenhaueramtshaus (Butchers’ Guild Hall). It was originally built in 1529 in a Gothic style and served as a meeting place for the butchers’ guild, which was a very wealthy and influential guild in the area during the Middle Ages. The cellar walls were 1.4 metres thick, helping keep temperatures low for storing meat and sausages. During World War II , many of Hildesheim’s neighbouring cities were bombed by the Allies, and numerous historic buildings were destroyed. The town council considered dismantling the Butchers’ Guild Hall to preserve it, but this proved impossible. Instead, plaster casts were taken of the most valuable wooden carvings, detailed wooden models were made, and extensive photographs were taken an...

The sender comes from  Kurtuvėnai, a small town of 256 people. The card is a aeriel photo of  Tytuvėnų vienuolynas ( T ytuvėnai Monastery).  Tytuvėnai Monastery was established in 1614 and dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. It was de-established (secularized) in 1832 by tsarist authorities as the friars were accused of anti Russian activities. It did reopen a few decades later, but was closed again during Soviet occupation. It was used as a warehouse in 1969 causing much of the interior art to deteriorate.  There are architectural elements of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles. Inside there are ornate altars and sculptural details. It has been on Lithuania's UNESCO Tentative List since 2006.  Today the monastery serves both as a museum and a pilgrimage site, notably as a component of the Pope John Paul II Pilgrim's Way. A drop of John Paul II's blood is preserved within the complex.