No Man Is An Island

    Blog # 1621--- Day 875 of the Current  ( Second ) Russian Invasion of Ukraine 

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If you remember from my last blog, I mentioned that the next update would be on the theme of Islands. 

Well here it is. 

I'll start with the famous words of John Donne. " No Man Is An Island. "  It means that  " no one is self-sufficient ; everyone relies on others ."

And what does that have to do with postcards ? Not a heck of a lot I'm afraid. But today's theme is islands so I thought I'd just throw it out there. 

I was born on the island of Newfoundland, so I may have some affinity for islands. So far in life I have been to 56 islands around the world. I hope to get to a few more. 

My first card shows a few of the blue roofs of Santorini Island,  Greece. Truly a beautiful spot. 

Ana used a 2022 stamp showing some of the blue roofed building , much like what is on the card.

Island # 2 -- Martinique, located south in the Caribbean. Jean Pierre's card is a fine look at a Flamboyant tree in Le Diament , Martinique. 

Since Martinique is a Department of France, Jean Pierre used a 2024 French stamp, showing Bougainvillea. Flowers. 

Next is a card from the island of Malta, however the card itself shows a view of the island of Filfla. It is a barren, uninhabited islet south of Malta. In the past it was used as a practice area for bombing runs by British and U.S. forces. Unexploded bombs still litter its waters. 

Jean Pierre used 2 of 4 stamps in a set of Autobuses, issued in 2022. 

Now here's another Caribbean island. I'm not sure what the name of the island is or if it even has a name. This is where Sint Maarten and Saint Martin are located. Sint Maarten, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is a country on the southern part of a Caribbean island shared with Saint Martin, a French overseas collectivity. The capital of Sint Maarten is Philipsburg and that's where the cruise ship terminal is located. That is the focus of David's card. 

 

David's stamp is 1 of 6 issued in a 2023 mini-sheet featuring Butterflies. 

Bonaire is up next. It lies off Venezuela’s coast in the southern Caribbean. Bonaire is a Caribbean island in the Leeward Antilles. Officially it is termed a special Dutch municipality. 

David used 1 of 6 stamps in a 2023 mini-sheet of Butterflies. 

It time for the last island  for this update. Reunion. La Réunion, officially Department of La Réunion, is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. Réunion Island located in the Indian Ocean, is known for its volcanic, rainforested interior, coral reefs and beaches. Its most iconic landmark is Piton de la Fournaise, a climbable active volcano standing 2,632m (8,635 ft.).

This card from Jean Pierre shows another Flamboyant tree.. 

Again since Reunion is a French Department a French stamp was used. It was issued in 2024 and shows a Bird of Paradise flower. 

That is the end of my island update. Thanks for the cards go out to Jean Pierre, David, and Ana. Of the 6 islands featured I have been to 3 of them, I am going to 1 of them in Nov and Reunion is on my bucket-list.