San Marino, Madrid and a Swissair DC-4

   Blog # 1652 --- Day 1205 ( That's One Thousand Two Hundred and Five Days ) Since the Start of the Current ( Second ) Russian Invasion of UKRAINE .        

                                                                

                                                                     GLORY TO UKRAINE 

Written on Friday the 13th

Published Saturday 14th

Happy Friday The Thirteenth. Watch out for black cats, ladders and try not to break any mirrors, spill salt or walk on any cracks. All signs of bad luck. So there , you've been warned. Now on the bright side, talking about postcards, receiving or sending postcards, and even blogging about postcards will surely bring you only Good Luck. 

The Good Luck starts with a card from San Marino. Located in Southern Europe, it is a landlocked country completely surrounded by Italy. San Marino is the fifth smallest country in the world. Printed on David's card is this fact " San Marino - the smallest and oldest Republic in the world. " Now I agree that San Marino is the oldest republic but not the smallest. I say Nauru is the smallest at 21 sq km, while San Marino is the 5th smallest at 61 sq km.  

David used 3 lovely aviation themed stamps on his card. They are 3 of the 4 in a set issued in 2024 entitled City of Air . This set is one of the best aviation designs I’ve seen in a long time. These four are poster and t-shirt worthy. Can you imagine them mounted on a hallway wall? I’d never get tired looking at them. 

That was a great start for my blog today. 

My next card arrived from Madrid. Francesca's card shows a plethora of buildings and sights in Madrid. 

Francesca's stamps  -- The left stamp was issued in 2020 and shows King Felipe VI. The right stamp marks the 175th Anniversary of the First Spanish Postage Stamp. It was issued this year. 

This will be a rather short blog today, so here's the last card. A nice Swissair card, another one for my ever expanding Aircraft / Airline card collection. This one shows a Swissair Douglas DC-4. HB-ILU was initially delivered to Swissair in 1952. It was the last of five DC-4s that Swissair acquired between 1946 and 1952. The aircraft was later transferred to Balair and then to Aer Turas.

Jean Pierre used 3 Swiss stamps , two of which are Aviation themed stamps. The left stamp is from 2022 and is 1 of 3 in a set showing Swiss coins. The middle stamp if from 2010 and from a set of 4 issued for 100 Years of Aviation in Switzerland. The right stamp , from 2016 celebrates Aerophilately. 

That's another blog in the Blogsphere. Thanks to Francesca, David and Jean Pierre for these cards.

One Turtle Dove, Paris Games, Alfons Mucha, Hallstatt and a Windmill by Barbara

  Blog # 1651 --- Day 1202 ( That's One Thousand Two Hundred and Two Days ) Since the Start of the Current ( Second ) Russian Invasion of UKRAINE .        

                                                                

                                                                     GLORY TO UKRAINE 

Hello once again, good day to all. Here`s a few cards , again from here, there and everywhere. I am starting with a card from Hallstatt, Austria. David`s card shows a nice view of the village. Located on Lake Hallstatt's western shore in Austria's mountainous Sazkammergut region. Its 16th-century Alpine houses and alleyways are home to cafes and shops. A funicular railway connects to Salzwelten, an ancient salt mine with a subterranean salt lake, and to Skywalk Hallstatt viewing platform. A trail leads to the Echern Valley glacier garden with glacial potholes and Waldbachstrub Waterfall. The village has a population of just over 800.

The left stamp was issued in 2023 and signifies Congratulations , while the right stamp , from 2025, signifies Deep Sadness. 

 

My next card arrived from s`-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. It shows a drawing , by the sender of the card, of a windmill that was located behind her parent`s house in Overasselt. The mill was originally built in 1736 and moved a number of times . It was rebuilt in Overasselt in 1982 where Barbara`s Mom was the miller.

Barbara used 2 stamps on her card. The left stamp was issued in 2023 in a sheet of 10. The stamps were issued to highlight the Windmill Preservation Society. Each stamp was attached to a windmill label. The second stamp is a mystery to me. I couldn`t locate any info on it, no year of issue either. 

Here`s a card from Germany . It is a reproduction of Alfons Mucha color lithograph `Emerald ` from the cycle `The Gemstones  ` from 1900. 

A Postcrosser named Carolin sent this card and used 2 copies of a 2022 definitive showing Paper Letters as Birds. 

Time now for a card issued by LaPoste for the 2024 Olympic Games . 

Jean Pierre`s card is postmarked Bora Bora in French Polynesia. He used 2 stamps and they are . On the left, from 2023, a stamp celebrating Heiva Tuàro, a cultural festival that brings together cousins, brothers and friends from throughout the Polynesian Triangle. The right stamp was issued this year and celebrates the Paris Olympic Games. It was issued for the Surfing event held at Teahupo`o Reef on the island of Tahiti. Located 15,716 km from Paris, it was the longest distance in history between an Olympic event and the host city. 

Here is the last card for today. It is from Salisbury, England, An interesting city to  a medieval cathedral city in the southern English county of Wiltshire. It’s 9 miles south of the iconic prehistoric stone circle at Stonehenge, which stands on the grassland of Salisbury Plain. An interesting city to be sure, but not the subject of Vickie`s card. Her card shows a Turtle Dove , on a reproduction of a British stamp . 

Seven swans a-swimming
Six geese a-laying

Five golden rings
Four calling birds
Three French hens
ONE turtle-dove
And a partridge in a pear tree

ONE turtle-dove ------ doesn`t quite sound the same  with just one turtle dove.  I know, it`s only June  and not December.

Vickie used a couple of Queen Elizabeth II definitives from 2022. They are 2 of 7 in a set.  The other stamp is from 2023, showing Paddington Bear. 

There you have it , my latest entry in the Blogosphere. Thank for today`s cards go to David, Barbara, Carolin, Jean Pierre and Vickie. Drop in again soon.