Laon, Stamps of Portugal, Tallinn and Raleigh

     Blog # 1626--- Day 940 of the Current  ( Second ) Russian Invasion of Ukraine 

                                                                       GLORY TO UKRAINE 

Here's a few more cards to peruse. This first card arrived from Laon in northern France. The city has a population of just over 24,000 people. Jean Pierre's card shows the Cathedral of Notre-Dame of Laon. It was built during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. 

Until August 2016, the town had the only fully automated municipal cable car system in the world, called the Poma 2000. It linked the upper town (the historical centre, located on a plateau) with the lower town, had three stations and ran on rubber tyres. In contrast, the San Francisco cable car system is manually operated. Another automated cable car called the Minimetro may be found in the city of Perugia in Italy.

Jean Pierre used a 2023 stamp showing an image of engraver, designer and pastellist Robert Nanteuil on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of his birth.

I've left the image of this stamp quite large so you can see the overprint or fancy cancel of a dog or wolf and the words - for safe delivery -. I don't know what it means or who would have printed it on the stamp. Is there anyone out there  with any info on this  ? 

My 2nd card is from Portugal. The front of the card is a mini Portuguese stamp collection. 

Rob from Czechia sent this card while on vacation. He used 3 stamps on the card. From left to right, they ere : from 2024, 1 of 4 showing Musical Instruments. Next, from 2019, 1 of 2 showing Traditional Desserts. The right stamp , from 2023, 1 of 3 issued to celebrate 150 years of Carris, a public transportation company in Lisbon. 

Next up is a card from Tallinn, Estonia with a bevy of cruise ships in Tallinn Harbour. The two Aida cruise ships in the foreground are no longer with Aida Cruises, having been sold to other cruise lines. 

Meelis used 3 stamps on this card. The left stamp is 1 of 3 in a 2017 Definitives set. The middle stamp, from 2016, commemorates the city of Otepaa`s 900th anniversary. It is a city in southern Estonia. The right stamp was issued in 2019 and shows a nasty looking Mole. 

Now here`s the last card for today. It is the latest in my Postmarks é Towns of Newfoundland collection. This time it`s Raleigh, a small village on the located Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland.  This fishing village wraps around Ha Ha Bay , which actually was the town`s name early on, but it was changed to honor Sir Walter Raleigh. In the area is a massive limestone cape , home of the Burnt Cape Ecological Reserve. The climate here allows the growth of about 30 rare dwarf flora, including the arctic bladderpod, the alpine arnica, the dwarf hawk`s head and Fernald`s braya. The rarest is the Burnt Cape Cinquefoil, and Raleigh is the only place in the world it is found.

Mona`s card shows fishermen waiting to offload caplin at the Raleigh community wharf.

   The stamp was issued this year, 1 of 3 showcasing Indigenous leaders. This stamp shows award winning Inuit singer , songwriter, actor, director, producer and activist Elisapie.

Quite visible is the clear Raleigh postmark and cancellation.

Well that`s all for this time . Thanks for cards go out to Jean Pierre, Rob, Meelis and Mona, the Postmaster in Raleigh. 

Be back here again soon. 

l