The Most Beautiful Post Office in the World and More

    Blog # 1599 --- Day  608 of the Current  ( Second ) Russian Invasion of Ukraine

                                                                      GLORY TO UKRAINE      

 

Here we go again. New cards with wonderful stamps to show . But first this news . It`s Monday October 23, and it`s snowing here in Alberta. It is supposed to snow today and tomorrow. We are forecasted to receive up to 20 cm of the white stuff today. Did I say it sucks - well hear me now - It Sucks. Of course , with a snowy day, that means a good day to work on The Blog. 

I`ll start today with a card from Osaka , Japan. It gives us a look at some scenery around Yufuin. In addition to spectacular scenery, Yufuin has 2 or 3 main shopping streets and is home to Bussanji temple, one of two main temples in the town

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Jobbo used a single stamp on this card. It is 1 of 10 issued in a 2020 set of Doraemon Manga Aime characters. 

A card from France is next. It`s a look at the Orgues of Ille-sur-Tet - geological features formed from sand and clay , shaped by erosion. These balsalt columns are located about 30 minutes from Perpignan. The area is one of the most beautiful places in Occitania. 

Dominique used a stamp from this year on this card. It celebrates Bergheim Haut-Rhin - The Favourite Village of France. 

 

Time now for a card from Algeria. Here we see the Grand Post Office in Algiers. It is said to be the most beautiful post office in the world. I have never seen it so I can`t argue the case. 

There is actually a website by Architectural Digest listing the 11 most beautiful post offices around the world.  They are located as follows  , in order of  `beauty ` in Algiers, Ho Chi Minh City, Mexico City, Los Angeles, Madrid, Columbus Indiana, New York City, Ragusa Italy, Bonn, Kolkata and Winslow Arizona. 

I have only visited one on that list - Ho Chi Minh City Post Office and I thought it was just a wonderful place, I`m not sure I would use the word beautiful, but it was a special place and I could have stayed there all day , just wandering around and looking. 

Now here is the number 1 Beautiful Post office. 

David used 2 stamps from 2023. They are 2 of 4 in a set showing Traditional Head Coverings.

Now here`s the last card for this time. It is from Sri Lanka. On it we see Vallipuram Temple. It was constructed around the 13th century. It is a Hindu shrine situated in Vallipuram village in Jaffna District.

Ravindra used 3 stamps on this card. The top stamp was issued in 2019 to mark International Year of the Periodic Table. The lower left stamp, from 2010, celebrates the 60th Anniversary of the Sri Lankan Navy. The round stamp was issued to mark World Post Dat 2021. 

  There you have it for another time. Thanks for today`s post cards go out to David, Ravindra, Jobbo and Dominique. Thanks guys. Be sure to check back here in a couple days for more of the same. 

WPD card, Malta, Bus, Gustav Klimt, Trunks, and a Unique Stamp

    Blog # 1598 --- Day  602 of the Current  ( Second ) Russian Invasion of Ukraine

                                                                      GLORY TO UKRAINE       

Hello once again. I`m back once more with a few cards to show and talk about . Well , World Postcard Day 2023 has come and gone. I sent out a number of cards to celebrate, hopefully they received the Oct 1st cancellation date since that was the whole idea. My Lovely Teena sent one card to me to celebrate WPC Day. She used a beautiful card from the Nfld. & Labrador series based on the original art work of Peter Sobol. I think there are 5 or 6 different cards in the ` from the Edge of the North Atlantic postcards series. The card I received shows a number of dories on show . Dories are small, shallow-draft boats, about 5 to 7 metres or 16 to 23 feet long. It is usually a lightweight boat with high sides, a flat bottom and sharp bows. It is easy to build because of its simple lines. 

Teena used a stamp issued on May 23rd that celebrated the 150th Anniversary of The Royal Canadian Mounted Police. the RCMP has evolved into an internationally recognized police organization of more than 19,000 police officers

 

Today`s second card is from Mellieha, Malta., It gives us a look at Popeye Village. Mellieħa is a large village in the Northern Region of Malta. It has a population of 10,087 as of March 2014. Mellieħa is also a tourist resort, popular for its sandy beaches, natural environment, and Popeye Village nearby. The Popeye set was supposed to be dismantled after filming wrapped up but it still continues to charm visitors to Anchor Bay. 

Ana used 3 stamps on her card. On the left from 2023 is 1 of 5 in a set showing Marine Life of the Mediterranean. The other 2 are from a set of 4 issued in 2021 showing Historical Maps of Malta. 

I guess this next card , from Belgium, is not for those out there that have a fear of insects or bugs which is called  entomophobia.

Johan sent this one along. The stamp received a first day of issue cancellation. It is from a set of 5 called Spider Splendour. Neat spider web cancel.

Card number 4 arrived from Vienna, Austria. it shows 3 of Gustav Klimt`s paints. From left to right it`s The Kiss, Judith, and Portrait of Adele. 

 Bruce used a stamp from 2022. It was issued to mark the 150th Anniversary of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences. 

Those were the days. There was a time when it seemed that you took just about everything with you when you travelled. If you did that today, it would cost a leg and an arm.  I think those old wooden trunks would make great conversation pieces today.  The card arrived from Finland.

Vuokko used 2 stamps on her card.

The stamp on the left is 1 of 4 in a Birds set issued in 2017. The stamp on the right , from 2021, is 1 of 5 in a set called Glimmer of Fall.

Here`s the last card for this time. It`s a nude pic , from German photographer Uwe Ommer. He has photo books of ladies he has snapped photos of. This is one of them. 

 

The card arrived from Switzerland with a wonderful stamp. It is the St. Gallen Embroidery Flower stamp from 2000.

WE have now come to the end of another issue of The Blog. Thanks for cards this time go out to My Lovely Teena, Ana, Johan, Bruce, Vuokko and Michael. Do drop in again soon. Take care.

Budapest, Buildings, Cyprus Airways , Guernsey and Alderney

     Blog # 1597 --- Day  589 of the Current  ( Second ) Russian Invasion of Ukraine

                                                                      GLORY TO UKRAINE       

Hello once again postcard people. I'm Back , no it's not the song by Eminem, it's just me here again with a few postcards . My first card for today arrived from Budapest, Hungary. It's a look at some of the buildings and structures in the city. Budapest is famous for its Roman, Ottoman, Gothic, Renaissance and Art Nouveau influences. 

Ana used 1 of 2 stamps in a 2015 set of Greetings stamps. 

Card 2 is from Germany. It shows Castle Neuschwanstein, located in South Bavaria. It was built by King Ludwig II during 1869 and 1886. The castle has appeared in several movies such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Spaceballs and The Great Escape. 

Dominique used a stamp from 2022. It celebrated the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of German Businessman Heinrich Schliemann.

A Cyprus Airways Airbus A320 in the subject of my next card. I wasn't able to make out the registration , so I can not give any of the history of this particular aircraft. The airline is the flag carrier of Cyprus, based at Larnaca International Airport.

Jean Pierre used 2 stamps on this card. The stamp on the left is 1 of 2 Europa Think Green stamps issued in 2016. The other stamp, is a 2022 Christmas stamp.

My next card is from Spanish Andorra. It's a view of Església de Sant Serni de Nagol , a church located in Sant Julià de Lòria, Andorra. It is a heritage property registered in the Cultural Heritage of Andorra. It was built in the 11th century. Sant Julià de Lòria is one of the parishes of Andorra, in the far south of the country. It is also the name of the main town of the parish, which at 908 m is the lowest settlement in Andorra.

The large stamp on this card was issued this year. It is a Landscape issue highlighting the Extension of the Ral de la Massana Path. 

A card from Amsterdam is next. The card's subject is not Amsterdam, but Lesbos, Greece.  Lesbos (also called Lesvos or Mitilini) is a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea off the coast of Turkey. It’s famous as the birthplace of the ancient Greek poet Sappho. Lesbos is also known for its ouzo (an anise-flavored liqueur). Capital city Mitilini is home to the University of the Aegean and the Teriade Museum, whose modern art collection highlights Greek artists. 

Charlotte used a nice Flower stamp from a minisheet of 5 International rate stamps issued this year. The set is called Truly Holland. 

I have 2 more cards for this time. One from Guernsey and one from Alderney. 

First up is Guernsey. David's card gives a nice look at St. Peter Port. Guernsey is one of the Channel Islands in the English Channel near the French coast, and is a self-governing British Crown dependency. It's known for beach resorts like Cobo Bay and the scenery of its coastal cliffs. Castle Cornet, a 13th-century harbor fortification in the capital of St. Peter Port, now contains history and military museums. Hauteville House is the lavish former home of French writer, Victor Hugo. St. Peter Port is a town and one of the ten parishes on the island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. It is the capital of the Bailiwick of Guernsey as well as the main port. The population in 2019 was 18,958.

David used a stamp showing Sea Kale along with 3 stamps from a 2023 set of 4 that paid homage to old Guernsey regional  stamps issued prior to 1969.

Here we go  - last card time.  It arrived from St. Anne, Alderney. 

Alderney is the northernmost of the inhabited Channel Islands. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency. It is 3 miles long and 1+1⁄2 miles wide. The island's area is 3 square miles, making it the third-largest island of the Channel Islands, and the second largest in the Bailiwick. St Anne or Saint Anne is the capital and the main town of Alderney in the Channel Islands.

David used a nice selection of Bird  stamps on this one.  I especially like the far right stamp of the Atlantic Puffin in flight. It was issued this year. 

That's it for today. Thanks go out to Ana, Dominique, Jean Pierre Josep and Assumpta, Charlotte and David for all the great cards and wonderful stamps. 

Take care All..