Rabati Castle, Tarte Flambee, Palace on the Dam, Postcrossing`s 20, German Airports

  Blog # 1658 --- Day 1248 ( That's One Thousand Two Hundred and  Forty Eight Days ) Since the Start of the Current ( Second ) Russian Invasion of UKRAINE .        

                                                                

                                                                    GLORY TO UKRAINE 

Hey there, thanks for dropping in. I`m back with another plethora of wonderful postcards to show-off . First up is a card from Georgia , the country not the state. It`s a look at Rabati Castle. Akhaltsikhe or Rabati Castle is a medieval fortress built in the 9th century under the name "Lomsia Castle" in the city of Akhaltsikhe in southern Georgia, recently reconstructed. 

Alena used 2 stamps on her card. The first stamp was issued in 2023 , 1 of 3 in a set, showing Edmond Kalandadze paintings. The second, from 2024, is from a set of 2 showing Actors. 

My next card is from France. I guess I could say it`s part 2 of a card in my last update. In my July 20th update Dominique`s card showed a few food items from the Alsace area. He mentioned that his favourite was not among the food shown. Well here it is on his latest card -- Tarte Flambee. 

  

We have a 2012 stamp on this one. It showcases Camp des Milles , a French internment camp, opened in September 1939, in a former tile factory near the village of Les Milles, part of the commune of Aix-en-Provence. 

Now here`s a card showing the Palace on the Dam in Amsterdam.  It is situated on the west side of Dam Square in the centre of the city,  opposite the War Memorial and next to the Nieuwe Kerk. It was constructed between 1648 and 1665.   

Barbara used 2 shaped stamps from this current year. The  stamp on the left is 1 of 6 in a mini sheet showing Camping the the Netherlands. The right stamp is 1 of 5 in a mini sheet commemorating the 750th Anniversary of the City of Amsterdam on the 27th of October. 

Postcrossing celebrated its 20th Anniversary on July 14th. Isabelle sent this celebratory card  to highlight this event. 20 years -- that`s  a lot of postcards going here, there and everywhere. 

  

The irst stamp is from 2018 , an Europa issua, and shows the Rheinkniebrucke, a bridge over the Rhine. The stamp on the right was issued in 2010 for Harvest Festival.

As any regular reader may know , I often show airline or aircraft cards. Well these next three cards are all showing airports. And they are all located in Germany. First up is DUS - Dusseldorf Airport. It opened on April 19, 1927. 

Yvonne used 3 stamps here.   The top stamp was issued this year.  It highlights Chemnitz ( Karl Marx  Stadt ) Airport. The two bottom stamps are both definitives. The Peacock one was issued last year. 

This next card shows FRA -- Frankfurt Main Airport, Germany`s busiest international airport. FRA opened on April 8, 1936.  Jean Pierre`s card shows what the airport looked like in 1952. Times have surely changed. 

The three stamps are all definitives from the years 2022 and 2024, showing a Message in a Bottle, a Fish and  Balloons. 

Here is the third airport  TXL -- Berlin Tegel Airport . It opened on April 1, 1974 and closed on May4, 2021. It saw its last flight on November 8, 2020. 

On this one we have 2 definitives along with a 2025 stamp. It shows the Rakotz Bridge , a delicately arched devil`s bridge which was specifically built to create a circle when it is reflected in the waters beneath it. It is  known as a devil`s bridge , due to the idea that such bridges were so dangerous that they must have been built by Satan himself.

This is the end for today. Thanks today go out to Alena, Dominique, Barbara, Isabelle, Yvonne and Jean Pierre. 

Take care All .  Later 

The Caryatids, Alsace Foods, Madrid and The Lumberjack`s Candle

  Blog # 1657 --- Day 1241 ( That's One Thousand Two Hundred and  Forty One Days ) Since the Start of the Current ( Second ) Russian Invasion of UKRAINE .        

                                                                

                                                                     GLORY TO UKRAINE 

Here we go again . Here`s are a few more cards to peruse. The first one for today is from Athens, Greece. It`s a look at the Caryatids on the Acropolis . Caryatids are sculped female figures used in architecture as supporting columns replacing traditional columns or pillars. The most famous examples are the six caryatids of the Erechtheion on the Acropolis in Athens.

Dominique used a 2022 Worldwide Postcard Rate stamp on this card. 

Card number 2 is from Madrid, Spain. It`s a multiview of many interesting sights and buildings in the city. 

Francesca used 2 stamps on her card. On the left is a King Felipe stamp and on the right is a 2025 stamp celebrating the First Spanish Postage Stamp from 1850.

 

Card 3 -- From France . Dominique`s card highlights some of the trendy, fashionable food items of the Alsace area. His favourite is tarte flambee but it didn`t make it onto this card. 

One stamp on this card but it`s a winner for me. It shows a postcard and a plane - what more needs to be on a stamp  . The stamp is part of a Joint Issue with Israel issued in 2008. It commemorates the First Flight between France and Israel. 

This next card is the last for this time. It`s from Finland. and the bridge shown on it is often referred to as the Lumberjack`s Candle.  It is the  Jätkänkynttilä bridge in Rovaniemi, Finland. This iconic landmark, opened in 1989, spans the Kemijoki River and is named after its twin pylons which are illuminated and designed to resemble a "lumberjack's candle" – a traditional Finnish torch made from wood that lumberjacks used. 

Alisa used 3 stamps on this one. The left stamp is 1 of 2 Coat of Arms definitives issued in 2002. The other two stamps are from 2024 and show Norden or the north Mythology. 

 

Well that`s all there is this time. More next time.  Thanks for todays cards go out to Dominique, Francesca and Alisa. 

Take care now until next time. 

Gibraltar, Republic of Congo, and Air Saint Pierre

  Blog # 1656 --- Day 1240 ( That's One Thousand Two Hundred and  Forty Days ) Since the Start of the Current ( Second ) Russian Invasion of UKRAINE .        

                                                                

                                                                     GLORY TO UKRAINE 

Howdy folks. Before we get to a few cards today, here is a little update to my blog of July 12th. I had mentioned that stampede attendance was running high and might get to a record. Well it wasn't to be --- final attendance was 1,470,288 which was just over 7000 short of last year's record attendance .

Now back to postcards. Let's start with this one from Gibraltar showing the airport runway and the frontier with Spain.  Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory and headland, on Spain's south coast. It’s dominated by the Rock of Gibraltar, a 426m-high limestone ridge. First settled by the Moors in the Middle Ages and later ruled by Spain, the outpost was ceded to the British in 1713. 

Many visitors to Gibraltar cross the international airport’s runway to get in to the city. It is one of the many unusual tourist attractions of Gibraltar. Visitors are often surprised that they are walking across the runway they had just landed on only minutes before. And that's exactly what Jean Pierre and Bruce did sending this card.

Jean Pierre used 2 stamps on his card. The left stamp was issued in 2012 and is from a set of 6 Visit Gibraltar stamps. The right stamp is from 2019 and 1 of 14 in a set issued for the 18th Island Games. 

My next card is from Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.  Brazzaville is the capital of the Republic of the Congo, in central Africa. It's on the Congo River, opposite Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

My card shows a spectacular view of The August 15,1960 Bridge , an iconic bridge located along the Corniche Highway in Brazzaville and named in honor of the county's proclamation of independence on August 15, 1960.

Bruce used a stamp from 2012. He wrote that finding a postcard was extremely difficult and getting a stamp was even more so.

That's one Congo off the list, now if only I would find a card from the other , the Democratic Republic of Congo , in my mail box. That would be great. DR Congo is 1 of the 8 countries in the world from which I do not yet have a card. 

 

Here is the last card for today. It's always nice to end with an Aircraft / Airline card. This time it's an Air St Pierre Hawker Siddeley 748. Not the best or nicest airplane around , but that's just my opinion and what do I know ? Jean Pierre's card shows it on the ramp in Halifax in January 1989. This airplane was first delivered to Bahamas Airways in 1967. After that it saw service with many different airlines - Eastern Provincial Airways, Air St Pierre ( 1986-1995), Ibis Air, Kamaria Air, Ar Espace, Abakan Avia and finally Gabon Express 2000 - 2001 , after which it was written off. 

Two lovely stamps arrived on this card, of course I think most St. Pierre & Miquelon stamps are lovely. I think they are right up there with stamps from French Polynesia and French Southern and Antarctic Territories- three of my favourite countries to collect. 

The left stamp was issued in 2016 for the 200th Anniversary of the French Repossession of St Pierre, which took place on 22 June 1816.  The right stamp was issued in 2024. It shows art by a French Navy painter, Olivier Desvaux . His painting is called  " The Souls of Miquelon " .

There you have it, another update in the books. Thanks to Jean Pierre and Bruce for todays cards. 

Postcrossing - 20 Years old , Falklands

     Blog # 1655 --- Day 1235 ( That's One Thousand Two Hundred and Thirty Five Days ) Since the Start of the Current ( Second ) Russian Invasion of UKRAINE .        

                                                                

                                                                     GLORY TO UKRAINE 

                                          

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                        Postcrossing is 20 years old today. I have been a member since March 9th, 2006  , a total of 7067 days.  During those 7000 plus days I have received 3373 postcards as a result of participating .  

Here is one and the only card for today. It is from The Falkland Islands, Gateway to Antarctica, It shows a very up close look at an elephant seal. 

Jean Pierre used 2 stamps on this card. The left stamp is from 2022 and is 1 of 12 in a definitive set. The right stamp shows a Rockhopper Penguin.  

That is today's short update.  Thanks to Jean Pierre for today's card. 

Cheers.  

Canadian Museum for Human Rights , and EPA Memories

     Blog # 1654 --- Day 1233 ( That's One Thousand Two Hundred and Thirty Three Days ) Since the Start of the Current ( Second ) Russian Invasion of UKRAINE .        

                                                                

                                                                     GLORY TO UKRAINE 

Hi guys and gals. As I write this the Calgary Stampede is underway in nearby Calgary. With just two days to go, attendance has passed the one million mark so far . So let's hear a big cowboy holler  "  YAHOO ! "  for The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth. 

Moving on  --Here's a card from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, home to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.  

The purpose of the museum is to "explore the subject of human rights with a special but not exclusive reference to Canada, to enhance the public's understanding of human rights, to promote respect for others and to encourage reflection and dialogue." 

The card arrived with the 2025 Canada Post Community Foundation Stamp. A registered charity, the Canada Post Community Foundation's mission is to improve the lives of Canadian children and youth. Through its grassroots, community-based approach, the Foundation plays a key role in helping Canada Post achieve its purpose, A Stronger Canada – Delivered. Supporting initiatives that benefit children and youth helps strengthen communities for all Canadians.

This next card, an Airline / Aircraft card will be a treasured addition to my collection. It shows C-FEPO, a B737 In its EPA livery. EPA was Eastern Provincial Airways, the Atlantic Canada airline that I started my airline career with. I have many memories of C-FEPO between the years 1974 and 1987.  During those 14 years my family and I had many flights on C-FEPO. We enjoyed many breakfasts on board , flying from Newfoundland to Labrador . We also flew on it between Goose Bay and Montreal. As an airline employee of EPA I actually prepared the weight and balance load sheet for the Captain flying C-FEPO on many occasions. This plane was delivered to Eastern Provincial in August 1970. After numerous airline mergers it and I both saw service with CP Air and Canadian Airlines International. C-FEPO later flew with Braathens Safe , Viscount Air and Cambodia Airlines. Then as many airplanes do , it met its demise in the Mojave Desert in 1998.

 

This card arrived from Montreal, compliments of Jean Pierre. It arrived with a Raven stamp from the 2016 Birds of Canada set. 

That's my blog for this time. Thanks to Jean Pierre for his card. 

Take care.

Canada Day 2025, Ohrid, Glasgow and a couple of Art Ladies

    Blog # 1653 --- Day 1223 ( That's One Thousand Two Hundred and Twenty Three Days ) Since the Start of the Current ( Second ) Russian Invasion of UKRAINE .        

                                                                

                                                                     GLORY TO UKRAINE 

Yesterday was July 1st  Canada Day . The 158th Canada Day.  I never got to do an update yesterday, but I can not let time pass without celebrating.  I want to wish belated Canada Day greetings to all my Canadian readers, all my family and friends. Celebrating Canada Day this year was more meaningful considering all the noise from the The Orange Head dictator down south. But we are still here , still Independent  -  The True North - Strong and Free. We will Never be the 51st  anything. 

Let me just highlight some of the things that make me proud to be a Canadian. We have Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Choice, Free Medical Care, Northern Lights, Cultural Diversity, Maple Syrup, The Canada Pension Plan, Lacrosse, Hockey, Our Flag - The Maple Leaf, Terry Fox, The World's Longest Undefended Border - although I'm not sure for how much longer, considering the noise from the south, Free Public Restrooms, Tim Hortons, Ketchup Chips, The Canadian Passport - it lets me travel to 172 countries without a visa, I'm proud of Gander - re 9/11, Stompin Tom Connors. Here is a few more great Canadian things ,  things that make me proud to be a Canadian. These would include Our Democracy,  Peace Keeping, Lester Pearson, and The Montreal Expos (sadly they are no more) .We ban guns not kinder Surprises, unlike our neighbours to the south. And finally, just let me say, in my humble opinion, My Canada is one of the Best places to live on this Earth. Hope I didn't piss anyone off with my Canada Day rant, but it is a Free country after all.

 

                                                     So Happy Canada Day , 1 day late. 

                                             Here`s our flag , The Maple Leaf , as we call it. 

Now my first card for today is from Glasgow, Scotland. It was however sent by 2 Canadians. It shows Queen Victoria on Horseback , in George Square. This monument commemorates the Queen's visit to Glasgow in 1849 .

My sister- in- law and her husband , Debbie and Bill,  sent this card. They recently were on a tour of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Their card arrived with 2 United Kingdom, Universal Mail, International Postcard stamps. One shows a Scottish Blackface and the other shows a Highland Cow.  

Card 2 arrived from Ohrid, North Macedonia. Alena`s card gives us a look at St. Naum Monastery. It was built in 905 and is located along Lake Ohrid, 29 km south of the city. Ohrid is known for once having 365 churches, one for each day of the year, and has been referred to as the "Jerusalem of the Balkans". In 1979 and in 1980, respectively, Ohrid and Lake Ohrid were accepted as Cultural and Natural World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

Alena used a number of stamps on her card. The 2 same stamps on the left were issued in 1999 as Architecture definitives. The middle stamp , from 2022 is 1 of 4 in a set of Animals. The right stamp , from 2017, is 1 of 4 in a Flora set.

 

Card 3 arrived from Munster, Germany. It shows art by Margarita Ado. She is a contemporary Lithuanian artist known for her realistic paintings, distinguished by their intricate plots and classical techniques. Each piece she creates tells a compelling story, engaging viewers in a game of interpretation and exploration. In addition to her painting, Margarita is an accomplished sculptor, creating striking metal sculptures from recycled materials, and she is also a poet. To say her work engages viewers in a game of interpretation certainly seems true. I`m sure we would all interprete this painting in different ways. I will keep my interpretation to myself. 

  

Yvonne used a 2025 Pride stamp on her card. 1 of 4 in a set.

 

 

Card 4 - the last for this time. Another  `art `card sent by Yvonne,  from Austria this time.  This one is by the Brazil based creative Fashion Studio  `Paste in Place `. This piece is called Venus Chillout Mood.  Why  - your guess is as good as mine. Guess I`m not a very artsy kind of guy. 

Yvonne used 2 stamps from a 2025 set of 12 Tree definitives. The large stamp on the right , from 2022, showcases Kiki Kogolnik , Austrian painter. sculptor and printmaker.

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Well folks , that`s all for this time. Thanks for cards  going out to  Debbie and Bill, Alena , Yvonne and Yvonne again. 

Thanks for dropping in , do so again soon .