Cards From Week 1 of 2012

Hi readers, I'm back again. Today's cards are from all over. Turkey, England, Taiwan, Slovenia, Finland, Netherlands, and Russia. I don't know for sure if I'll get them all in today, but that's the idea at this time.

Let's start with a card from Turkey. On it we see Sokulla Mehmet Pasha Mosque. It is located in Istanbul and was constructed between 1571 and 1572. The mosque is officially named after Princess Esmahan , but is more commonly known for it's association with her far more famous husband. Almina, a Postcrosser used stamps from 2011. The lower stamp on the left is 1 of 4 in a set of Flower-Lilies stamps. The other stamps show a fruit- a peach.

Next up is Big Ben. Completed in April 1858, it is located in the north end of the Palace of Westminster. I really don't need to say much about Big Ben, you all know of it. I will say though, it is considered by many as the most popular landmark in the United Kingdom. As you can see here my card is rather an unusual shape. My brother Dale sent this card on his 2nd last day in London and that was actually Dec 7th. I just received the card, it's been on the go a month. Now for the stamp. It is one of those Universal Mail UK Postage stamps. It was issued Oct. 2008 and is intended for international mail only. I don't know much about it but it appears to be some sort of private mail service, which then drops its mail into the Royal Mail for onward service. A Royal Mail Postage Paid Airmail label was added on top of the stamp.Interesting.It is a nice stamp and I found a number of sheets of them online, all are quite appealing.

Card # 3 comes from Republic of China ( Taiwan). I know nothing about the picture on the card, I can't read what's written on the front. Let's just say, it's a relaxing scene. The stamp was issued 01 Nov 2011 and celebrates the Centennial of Scouting in Taiwan. It is 1 of 2 in a set.

Now we have a card from Slovenia, an aviation related card. Looks like a small private airfield with a number of small planes and a glider out front, but it is actually The Ajdovscina Flying Club, located in Ajdovscina, Slovenia. The flying club is named after famed aviator Josip Krizaj. The stamp on the left is from a set of 11 definitive Flowers issued in 2009 and the one on the right was issued in 2011, from a set of 4 Christmas/New Year stamps.

A winter scene from the Finnish countryside appears on the next card. At least that's what winter should look like. We here in Alberta should be experiencing that type of winter, but not so this winter, yet. We have next to no snow, mild temperatures and lots of wind. The Postcrosser who sent this card on Dec 27th, wrote that there was very little snow but that on Dec 26th , they experienced the worst storm in 50 years. What can I say, winter is not what it was ! The rather large stamp , issued in 1999 is from a souvenir sheet. It was issued to honor Mika Hakkinen, Formula One World Champion in 1998.

The Canals of Amsterdam are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list and this next card shows one on them, Keizersgracht. The canals were dug during the 17th century and were added to the UNESCO list in 2010.
Peter used a 2011 stamp from a set of 6 entitled Netherlands- South Africa. I guess that's why this stamp shows an elephant.

That's 6 cards for this time. More than my usual 5 , so I think I'll call it a day. I still have 3 left for another time, maybe tomorrow. Thanks to all who sent these cards. Enjoy the rest of your day.