Gem's World Postcards

A Painting, a Letter Box and a Monument

2012-02-16T10:58:00.000-08:00

Hello again, I have 3 cards for today. All are from my participation in Postcrossing and come from The Netherlands, The United kingdom and Germany. Let's have a look at The Netherlands card first.

It is a picture of a painting by Dutch artist J.B. Jongkind and shows an old view of Dordrecht, in 1878. Not a lot to see there way back then but a nice painting just the same. Lieve used a Postcrossing stamp from 2011, 1 of 3 in a set for international mail. I had already received cards with 2 of the 3 , now thanks to Lieve I have received the 3rd , completing the set.

Now if I could only receive the 3 Postcrossing stamps issued for mailing in Europe. Any Dutch readers or Postcrossers want to take this on ? I'll certainly return the favour with a card or two from Canada.

Card 2 for today in from The United kingdom. It's another one for my postbox postcard collection. It shows a 1874 red postbox , in a reproduction of a stamp designed by Silk Pearce, engraved by Czeslaw Slania and issued by Royal Mail on 8 October 2002. Karen used 2 Machin stamps along with a new 2012 stamp . It is from a set of 6 Roald Dahl stamps showing the original Quentin Blake illustrations of Dahl's much loved characters. The one on this stamp is Charlie Bucket from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

My last card for this time , from Germany, shows Victory Column in Berlin. This major tourist attraction was inaugurated on 2 September 1873. Ernst used 1 of 2 Greeting stamps issued in 2010.

That is today's update. Thanks to Lieve, Karen and Ernst for their cards.
Now I off to the post office to post a few cards and then to my mailbox to , hopefully, pick up a few incoming cards.
Take care, Cheers !

Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T12:07:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day

Well, it's February 14th , Valentine's Day. Hope you are all looking after your Honeys today.
Today's update will be short and sweet. No regular cards today, just two Valentine postcards, two rather old cards , possibly reproductions. They didn't arrive in my mail, they were in a batch of old cards I purchased last summer. They are kinda cute , so here they are.

This first one gives us a look at Cupid, delivering the senders heart to the card's receiver.
I think I should dedicate that one to My Valentine, My Lovely Teena. She has been My Valentine now for 40 Years.

Here's the second Valentine postcard. No commentary needed on this one , just read the little ditty and you'll get the idea.

So there you have it. Nothing too heavy , just a little celebration of today.

You know , I never see themed postcards such as these anywhere around Alberta. I don't know if they even make them anymore. I only see the normal tourist type of cards. What about in your area ? What kind of cards are available there ?

Take care . Enjoy Valentine's Day with your Valentine. I know I will.

United Arab Emirates

2012-02-13T13:08:00.000-08:00

Here I am again, back at the blog. Not a lot of cards for this time though. I received just 2 cards in today's mail and both are from the United Arab Emirates - one from Sharjah and one from Ajman.
First a little history of the Emirates. The U.A.E. is located in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federation of seven emirates. They are Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Quwain. They entered into their federation in 1971.

The first card is from Sharjah, showing a number of views of the city. Tall buildings, sand, water and warm temperatures. The stamps are interesting, at least one of them. Let's first have a look at the other one. The large stamp on the right was issued in 2006 and is 1 of 6 in a set showing Women's Traditional Jewellery. The other stamp is actually an old Sharjah & Dependences Airmal stamp from 1964. Sharjah's dependencies included Dhiba, Khor Fakkan and Kalba. The stamp shows Kalba Castle and is 1 in a set of 6. Even more interesting is the fact that it is overprinted "KHOR FAKKAN ". Khor Fakkan is a town located along the Gulf of Oman on the east side of the Emirates. Khor Fakkan belongs to the emirate of Sharjah but is geographically surrounded by the emirate of Fujairah.

Now here's the second card of today. It is from tiny Ajman, the smallest of the seven emirates. On this card you can see the Ajman Fort and Museum. The museum was opened in 1981 in a beautiful old eighteenth century fort that served as the Ruler's Palace until 1970. Housed in the museum is a collection of artifacts, manuscripts, old weapons and reconstructions of traditional life. And the stamps- the stamp on the left is from a set of 7 Bird definitives. The one on the right is again from that 2006 Jewellery set of 6.

Thanks go out to Jean Pierre for both of these cards.

A further word about the stamps , from the stamp collector in me. I have collected stamps for more than 40 years. Never collected the stamps of the seven emirates before they joined together in 1971. Their stamps were referred to and still are referred to as Sand Dunes. The only copies one might see were CTO or cancelled to order, not my cup of tea. Most of the time you couldn't give them away. These places are almost totally blank in my albums and that's fine, but now to get a stamp from Sharajah & Dependencies , postally used after 48 years , on a postcard is fine, too. I welcome it to my collection. So there you have it.

A short update today, but a good one if I say so myself. Take care, enjoy your postcards, and stamps and again, thanks Jean Pierre.

Ski-Plane , Buzz Lightyear, University of Cape Town, and a Big Guy from Sri Lanka

2012-02-11T13:36:00.000-08:00

As mentioned in my last update, postcards were scarcer than hen's teeth this past week. However I did manage to get four for this update. They arrived from Russia, USA, South Africa and Sri Lanka. Now without further ado , here they are.

First up is a card of my favourite topic- airplanes or aviation. It's a small , older ski-equipped passenger plane operating somewhere in Russia. I have seen this postcard a few times in other postcard blogs and hoped to sometime receive a copy myself. Now, thanks to Sergey and Natali , that day has arrived. They used a nice selection of fairly recent Russian stamps. The far left stamp was issued in 2009 and is 1 of 4 in a m/s honouring author N.W. Gogol. The large stamp in the center is from a souvenir sheet of 4 , celebrating 150 years of the Russian Bank, issued in 2010. The stamp on the right was issued in 2007 and is 1 of 2 in a set of Chistjakov paintings.

Here's a neat card that I'm sure my little grandson Evan will love. It shows an image from Toy Story 2. Front and center we see Buzz Lightyear. Buzz is a Space ranger famous for his catchphrase "To Infinity .... and Beyond. " This is a second card from Terry in San Francisco who used 2 more Pixar animation stamps from 2011. They are from a set of 5 and now my set is complete.

On to Cape Town and The University of Cape Town. UCT is South Africa's oldest and most famous learning institution. The school was founded in 1829 as South African College. The card comes compliments of Bruce who has often sent cards my way. He used a 2010 definitive , 1 of 27 in a set featuring Handicrafts.

Now for one of the Big guys in Yala National Park, Sri lanka. Yala is the most visited national park in the country. The elephant herd of Yala contains 300-350 individuals. The park is very important for the conservation of Sri Lankan Elephant. Ravindra used a 2009 stamp from a set of 2 featuring Madu Ganga Ramsar Wetland. He has a number of postcard blogs here , here and here . Give him a look, send him a card even.

That's about all for this time. Hopefully the mailbox will be a litter fuller with postcards next week. Thanks to all who sent these cards - Sergey & Natali, Terry, Bruce and Ravindra.
Later.

Postcards, Postcards, Postcards

2012-02-07T13:05:00.000-08:00

Hello again. It's been a few days since I've been here. Postcards have been a little scarce this past week. Without postcards , what am I going to write and who would want to read it ? Now before I get to today's postcards, I have a little blog business to address. It seems I have a new follower all the way from South Africa. Jocelyn, welcome and visit often. Let's swap a card or two ! Jocelyn has a blog, doesn't everyone, called cuckootree. Check it out.

On to the cards. First up is a card showing Stahleck Castle, a 12th century castle in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley at Bacharach, Germany. It's name means "impregnable castle on a crag ".
It was destroyed in the late 17th century but rebuilt in the 20th and is now a hostel. The 65 km stretch of Middle Rhine Valley is on the UNESCO WHS List and was added in 2002. David , who hails from Ireland, sent this card while on one of his many excursions. David used a 2011 stamp commemorating the fortified church of Biertan in southern Transylvania. The church is 1 of 7 that make up a UNESCO WHS of fortified churches. On first glance one might mistake the stamp for a Romania stamp. It is actually a Germany- Romania Joint Issue. You know as a stamp collector, I think that a collection of Joint Issues would make a nice new collection. Something to think about.

Here's a card I really like, a Penguin Books card featuring Flying Dutchman by Anthony Fokker.Above is another of the mysterious empty boxes that sometimes appear. Sorry but I don't know how to remove them.

It is from a series of 100 cards of iconic Penguin book jackets. I like this card enough that I am thinking of ordering a set of these cards. Who knows, you might eventually receive one of these from me. The card was sent from "America's Finest City ", San Diego and that's according to Marylou and Greg. I overnighted one time in the city and it seemed to be a fine city. The stamps include the 2007 American Toleware issue and the 2011 Voyageurs National Park issue.

Now another American card , this one comes from Rochester, at least according to the postmark. It certainly qualifies as a Flag Card, as it contains all 50 State Flags of The United States of America. This is an unsigned card, so I can't say who sent it, all I know is that it is a Postcrossing card. A number of stamps, 6 in fact , were used . We have 2 copies of the 2004 Chippendale Chair stamp, a 2002 3 cent Star stamp, a 2007 American Toleware stamp, a 2011 George Washington stamp and a 2011 Forever Celebrate stamp. I'm looking forward soon to receiving cards from the States with the new Aloha Shirts Postcard Rate stamps that were recently issued.
Here is a sneak peek at them.
Sadly, I think they are just rated for posting within the U.S., not for use to Canada or abroad. I think for me to receive a postcard with these Aloha Shirts, the sender will have to use at least 3 of them. So, we'll see.

The last card for today is a shaped postcard. I hope the shape gives away where it came from. If not, then I'm sure the words on the from will. It's a wooden shoe from Holland. The sender writes that she is a crime scene investigator for the police. I like watching the original C.S.I. tv show , along with C.S.I. NY . I wonder , do real CSI's watch these shows? Oh well, just a thought. This card bears one of the 3 international rate Postcrossing.com stamps that were issued back in October of 2011. I already have received 2 of the 3 , this one is a duplicate. Hopefully , I will receive the missing one soon. The 3 Europe rate ones would be nice , too.

There you have it , another update in the books. Thanks to Jocelyn, David, Marylou & Greg, and the others for there cards. Take care. See you soon.

Ny-Alesund, Icelandair, a Mailbox, Galicia and OH-PAK

2012-02-01T13:07:00.000-08:00

Here we go with another bunch of postcards to to have a look at. You know what they say, "there's postcards and then there's postcards ". I'm not sure who they are though. Well I have one of those postcards for this time. It's from Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway. I mean, how difficult is it to get a card from London, New York or Paris or any other major city, with millions of people ? You may have thought getting one from Pitcairn Islands was difficult with just 67 people. Try getting one from Ny-Alesund with a permanent population of just 36. I'm happy to say, I have finally succeeded . I have been trying for quite a while now for a card from Svalbard , from Spitsbergen or from Longyearbyen, but never with any success. So when I opened the mailbox yesterday to a Ny-Alesund card , you know the walk back to the house was an easy one.

Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, the northernmost part of Norway. Spitsbergen is its largest island and Longyearbyen is the region's capital. Longyearbyen is also the world's most northerly Town. Ny-Alesund , at 78 degrees 55 minutes N, 11 degrees 56 minutes E, is the northernmost permanently inhabited public settlement with about 36 people living there. Of course the world's northernmost post office is located here. It is a permanent settlement based entirely around research. It's a company town operated by the Norwegian state owned Kings Bay.
Now the card. It's a train card to boot. Allbeit a rough one. But a great card from a great place. Thanks Hallvar. The stamp is a 2011 Norway ATM Machine postage label featuring a Polar Bear.

Card # 2 comes from Finland, another northern country. It's an Icelandair card with a Boeing 757 on the front. Another card for my Airlines on Postcards collection. Icelandair is the flag carrier airline of Iceland. It says on the back of the card, "We fly to Iceland and America ". They actually fly to 31 cities in 13 countries. Jaana used a stamp showing a ship. It is 1 of 2 different stamps in a 2010 Norden souvenir sheet.

Here's another mailbox postcard. The more the merrier I say. This one shows a Russian mailbox attached to a tree. The stamps include a Coat of Arms stamp from 2010, a couple of 2008 definitives and a nice large stamp bearing an airplane. It is from a 2011 Aviation set of 4.

This next card shows a beautiful harbour scene from A Coruna, a city in the Galicia region of Spain. A Coruna is one part of only eight city pairs in the world that has a near exact antipodal city. Christchurch, New Zealand is A Coruna's antipode. Alberto used a 2011 international Women's Day stamp along with a recent Juan Carlos definitive stamp.

The last card today is , opps another airplane card. OH-Pak, a Piper Cub Trainer. And I always thought The Marlboro Man got around on horseback. To each his own I guess. The stamp is from 2011 and is a self adhesive Winter House issue.

That's it for this time. Hope you enjoyed the cards and do come back again.
Thanks to all card senders.

Postcrossing, and a few Cards

2012-01-27T13:20:00.000-08:00

A few words about Postcrossing.
Today, January 27, 2012 is a banner day for Postcrossing. Today Postcrossing recorded postcard 10,000,000 as received. That means postcard number 10 million was sent sometime ago from Japan and was received today in Germany. What a super feat ! Postcrossing went live on July 14, 2005 and its first 1,000,000 card was received on April 11, 2008 ; now just six and a half years later , we are at 10,000,000. Unbelievable ! Postcrossing has 284,372 members in 202 countries or places around the world. Here's a link so you can read the history of Postcrossing.

Now for some cards. My first card for today is from The Netherlands. Yes, it's another mailbox, and a British one to boot. I am receiving quite a number of these postbox/mailbox cards and that's great. Barbara from Amsterdam , along with her 2 daughters picked this card out for me. A nice selection of Dutch stamps was used on this card. The stamp on the left was issued in 1979 and commemorates Joost van den Vondel. The middle stamp is from a 2006 Joint Issue set of 5 with Germany. It shows Rembrandt's Mother. The stamp on the right , issued in 2006, is from a set of 5 entitled Beautiful Holland.

Card # 2 is from Japan and on the front is a red Snapper. I have tried a lot of fish in my time, but never Red Snapper. The larger stamp on the right is a nice , old stamp, 37 years old in fact. It was issued in 1975 for International Letter Writing Week. Do they still have such a thing ? Yes, indeed, at least in Japan and Thailand. Its aim is to contribute to World Peace by encouraging cultural exchanges among the people of the world through letter writing. A lofty goal for sure. And what about Postcards? There is a National Postcard Week and it's just 94 days away. It will be held May 1-7, 2012. I have decided to mail a postcard everyday to someone during National Postcard Week. If you're reading this, you might be the lucky one that day. How about You ? What will you do ?

This next card just reappeared yesterday after 38 years. My Lovely Teena was going through some old photos and stuff and happened upon this great card. It shows the Saint Pierre Airport . Parked out front on the ramp is a Eastern Provincial Airways, Air St. Pierre DC3. I started my airline career with Eastern Provincial way back in 1974, and St. Pierre is where Teena and I spent our honeymoon. The card was never mailed but will make a great addition to my collection.

Last card for this time. If you read my last update from yesterday you remember I received a beer card from someone somewhere in Canada. Well I think I have received another card from that same unknown person. At least the printing of the address look the same. There's no other information on the card. This one shows the skyline of Indianapolis lit up by fireworks. Same as the last one, a U.S. card posted from Canada. All I have to say to the sender- keep those cards coming. A 2011 Christmas Holly Permanent rate stamp was used on this one.

Another update in the books. Take care, come back again. Thanks to Barbara, Tsubasa, My Lovely Teena and the unknown sender.

An Update Without a Title- You Have to Read to Know

2012-01-26T13:16:00.000-08:00

It's Thursday and I have 4 cards for today. They come from Germany, Morocco, U.S.A and Canada.More about the cards in a bit. First , I have an update to something in my January 22nd entry. I had showed a postcard from Russia with the picture of some dude. I didn't know who he was or anything about him. Well Leslie of the postcard blog! was kind enough to do a little research and advise her findings. The postcard showed the painting Portrait of the Russian poet Gavril Derzhavin . It was painted in 1795 by Valadimir Borovikovsky. The dates I had mentioned 1757 and 1825 are the birth date and the date of the artist's death. The painting is in the Tretyakov Gallery in the National Museum of Russian Fine Art, Moscow. Thanks Leslie for that.

Now on to today's stuff.

Dorothee's card shows us the impressive Cologne Cathedral. Constructed between 1248 and 1880 it is Germany's most visited landmark, attracting an average of 20,000 people a day. It was added as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. We have 2 stamps on the card, including a flower definitive and a 2011 issue of an Aquarium-For Our Children.

Here's a card from Marrakesh, Morocco. Marrakesh has the largest traditional market ( souk ) in Morocco and also one of the busiest squares in Africa and the world , Djemaa el Fna. Jean Pierre's card is really a Morocco Flag card, but with four Moroccan scenes added, one in each corner. Two nice 2011 stamps were used.

Now for a different shaped card. It's a Greeting from Maine card . Molly , who visited Maine last fall, actually lives in Keene, New Hampshire, in the US Northeast. As you can see on the top of the card, Maine is a great place for lobster. Molly used 2 of the Pixar stamps issued back in August of 2011. These two feature Lightning McQueen & Mater on one and Buzz Lightyear on the other. My grandsons would love these stamps. This is the second card I have received with these Pixar stamps. I now have 3 of the 5 different designs. Who knows, I might receive all 5 eventually.

And the final card is this one from Canada. It is actually an advertising card for Hoptober Golden Ale , brewed by New Belgium Brewing, Fort Collins, Co. USA. That my friends is all I know about this card, I have no idea who sent it, where in Canada it was posted from or anything else about it. It didn't even have my name on it, just my address. It even escaped a postmark, sadly. The stamp is a recent one though, it was issued on January 16, 2012. It is the official Diamond Jubilee Permanent stamp, issued to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. The stamp features a cameo of a photograph of Her Majesty in her royal robes and tiara.
So ends another entry in GemsWorldPostcards. Thanks go to Dorthee, Jean Pierre, Molly and the unknown stranger. Leslie , thanks again. Take care, enjoy your postcards and stamps, and hope you enjoyed your time here and do come back.

A Train, Planes and a Postbox

2012-01-24T14:33:00.000-08:00

I'm back with that one card left from last time, along with a couple of others. Today's cards come from Malaysia, Finland, Great Britain and Japan. Let's get it going with a train card from Malaysia.
The card has a great view of the Penang Hill funicular railway. The new modern one. Construction of the railway took place between 1906 and 1923. It was opened to the public on Oct 21, 1923. From February 2010 until April 25, 2011 , the railway was closed while being upgraded and for new cars to be purchased to increase the passenger capacity and the speed of the train. The new train and current railway, unlike the railway before 2010, does not require passengers to change trains half way up. Passengers have non-stop service in air conditioned cars. The blue, air-conditioned Swiss-made coaches, capable of ferrying up to 100 passengers at one go, run every half hour from 6.30am to 9pm daily. The new RM73mil system replaces the 87-year-old funicular railway, which was closed in February 2010. I have KHOR of KKKHOR STAMP COLLECTION to thank for this card. The stamp is from a set of 10 issued in 2011 entitled Nilai Nilai Murni.

My next card, a plane card comes from Helsinki, Finland. On it we see the Valmet Vihuri II , a type of trainer aircraft. Fifty one ( 51 ) were built and flown between 1951 and 1959, mostly by the Finnish Air Force. VH-18 , the one shown on this postcard and the only preserved Vihuri, is on display in the Central Finland Aviation Museum. Anne used a stamp from a 2011 souvenir sheet of 2. It commemorates the 150th anniversary of the birth of Juhani Ano , a Finnish author and journalist.

Now we have a postcard of a book cover. Flight Three U.S.A. , a Ladybird Book of Travel Adventure by David Scott Daniell. Arthur from Great Britain sent this one along . He used a 76p Machin stamp .

Here's the last card for this time. It is an illustration of an old Japanese postbox. Annie writes that Japan has fantastic manhole covers, but unfortunately no postcards of them. She must have read of my manhole postcard collection- all one card so far. But I can always hope. Annie used a couple of flower stamps.

That's a wrap for this time. Thanks for reading. Thanks to Annie, Arthur, Anne and kkkhor for the cards.

Towers, Planes, Windsurfing, A Mailbox, and More

2012-01-22T12:15:00.000-08:00

Here I am again, and why the gap of almost a week, you might ask ? I have no idea, I had the cards, I'm sure I had the time, it just never happened. I promise to do better this week. Now on the the cards.
Let's start with a card from Doha, Qatar. Compliments of Jean Pierre, it shows Aspire Tower, a 300 metre tower located in the Doha Sports City complex. The tower housed the Asian Games flame and served as the focal point for the 15th Asian Games hosted by Qatar in December 2006. Jean Pierre used 3 stamps from 2011. The large one on the right is from a s/s of 4 issued for the Qatar Classic Squash Championship. The other 2 , I wasn't able to find any info about.

Today's second card is some sort of advertising card from Beijing Capital International Airport. It shows a large 4 engine aircraft lifting off. There are a couple of slogans on the card - Small Cards-Kind Regards , and then there is , Beijing Capital Airport wishes you special happiness at the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is a pre stamped card so I can't really tell much about the stamp.

Now we move on to wind-surfing , and on this card it's windsurfing on San Francisco Bay in California. This card comes from Terry who writes-" came across your blog and thought you might enjoy a card". Terry, you are certainly right on that account, I always enjoy a card in my mail box, especially from someone who just happened across my blog. If you are reading this Terry and want an Alberta card in return, just drop me a comment at gemsworldpostcards@shaw.ca and I'll get one out to you. The 2 stamps are kind of cute. They are from a pane of 20 issued in Aug 2011, entitled Send a Hello, animation figures. This pane of 20 stamps includes five different designs featuring Pixar characters: Lightning McQueen and Mater from Cars (2006); Remy the rat and Linguini from Ratatouille (2007); Buzz Lightyear and two of the green, three-eyed aliens from Toy Story (1995); Carl Fredricksen and Dug from Up (2009); and the robot WALL*E from WALL*E (2008). 2 of the 5 are on this postcard. Evan, my little grandson certainly likes Buzz Lightyear , so I know he'll enjoy looking at this stamp. He's also a big Lightning McQueen and Mater fan and would love that one , too.

Let's have a look at a mail box card next. A very colorful card, this one comes from Ukraine and according to Anna, all the post boxes in Ukraine look like this one. They are coloured in the colors of the Ukrainian national flag. The blue symbolizes peaceful skies and the yellow, rich fields. The large stamp, top left was issued in 2010 and is 1 of 4 in a set issued commemorating the Kiev Metro. The top right stamp , also was issued in 2010 and is from a set of 2 featuring sculptures. The 3 bottom stamps are from a set of 8 Handicrafts stamps issued in 2011.

Now, who's up for another tower, actually a lighthouse. It is Eluanbi Lighthouse, located on Cape Eluanbi, the southernmost point of Taiwan. The lighthouse is 21.4 meters high and construction on it started in 1881, with the light first lit in 1883. Yu-Jhen used 3 stamps , which unfortunately I wasn't able to locate any info about them.

The next card is what I call a Person card. I don't receive many of these and for good reason. Since it's from Russia and I don't read the language, I have no idea who this fellow is or was. I can tell you though that he lived from 1757-1825.
At least that is what the card indicates. So, if you were guessing Alexander I , I believe he was born 1777, 20 years later. I'm sure someone will come up with the truth. Oxana used a number of different stamps and the 2 I want to highlight are the 2 larger top stamps. The left stamp is a 2006 Christmas stamp and the other one is a stamp issued in 2010 celebrating the end of World War II in 1945.

I think that's a good place to end for this time. I still have one card left which I will save for tomorrow. I'm a bit stuck for time here now as I have to take off to my grandson Evan's birthday party. He will be 4 years old tomorrow, Monday.

Take care .

End of Yesterday's Update

2012-01-16T14:48:00.000-08:00

Well, I never finished completely yesterday's update. By the time I called it a day, I still had 4 postcards left. So here they are. Number 1 is a card from Brazil. I don't get a lot of cards from down that way so this one is welcome. We can see a view of the city of Sao Paulo with May 23rd Avenue that connects the north to the south of the city. According to Fernanda this city is the biggest in Brazil. When the card was written, Fernanda noted that it was 28 C and sunny. Well that sounds really good as it's -27 C here as I write this. With the wind chill it feels like -37 C. That's a huge difference in temperatures. 55 degrees ! Sao Paulo looks like a big city and I guess it is. Fernanda used a 2009 stamp , 1 of 2 in a set .

Today's 2nd card comes from a Postcrosser in Duisburg, Germany. The city is located in the north west of the country and has the biggest inland harbour in the world. Unfortunately , I don't have any info on the bridge shown on the card. But it looks like a neat place for a picnic and some picture taking. Here you see the stamp used on this one.

This next card is a Lufthansa card with a Lufthansa Airbus A380 parked on the ramp. It is by far the world's largest passenger airliner. Lufthansa is one of seven airlines flying the A380. I guess I should add flying on one to my bucket list.
The stamp on the right is from a 2011 set of 5 stamps featuring postboxes. A rather neat set to own. Any takers out there ?

The final card for this time comes from St.Barthelemy, Guadeloupe, according to the postmark. Now , I think I'm going to need a little help on this one. Any of my French readers or anyone else for that matter, can leave a comment and enlighten me here. My understanding is that St. Barths is an overseas collectivity of France. It is one of four territories that comprise the French West Indies, along with Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint Martin.
I also understood Guadeloupe to be an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. Its departmental code is 971, as shown in the postmark on this card.

I see on maps of the area that St Barths is well north of Guadeloupe. So I guess the part that I have difficulty with is , why does the postmark read both places ?

Now on to the card . It shows Gustaf III Airport in Saint Jean . It is named after King Gustav III of Sweden. It is said to be one of the most dangerous airports in the world due to its short runway. I like the French stamps on this one. The one on the left was issued in 2009 and commemorates the abolishment of slavery. The right stamp was issued in 2009 and honours Aime Cesaire.
Of course these are French stamps as neither St Barths or Guadeloupe issues their own.

This is my first card from St. Barthelemy and also my first card with a Guadeloupe postmark. I actually thought that I had earlier received a card from Guadeloupe but I can't seem to find it. Anyway, I am glad to have this card in my collection.

I think that's it for now. See you soon. Thanks to those that sent these cards.
Cheers !

United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Paris, Postboxes, USS Philadelphia, SR/71, Sao Paulo, St. Barth, Lufthansa Airbus A380, and a Bridge

2012-01-15T12:51:00.000-08:00

Wow, that's quite the title, lots of cards covering lots of stuff. Another of my mishmashes. So let's get to it , I have a lot to cover today.
Card # 1 - Comes from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. On it we can see Sheikh Zayed Mosque. It is the country's grand mosque and as such it is the key place of worship for Friday gatherings. The mosque has a capacity of over 40,000. It has 82 domes and 4 minarets. Jean Pierre posted this card 17 Dec 2011 and that month marked the 40th anniversary of the creation of The Emirates on 02 Dec 1971. One of the two stamps that were used commemorates this event. The other stamp, issued in 2009 is one of 7 Bird definitives.

The next card is from Sri Lanka. Pictured is Bogawantalawa, "The Golden Valley of Tea ". And no likes a good cup of tea more than me.
Ravindra sent this card and he has a couple of postcard blogs. One is called Discover the World on Trains and another is Lighthouses on Post Cards. The 2 stamps used are the 2011 Christmas stamps.

Jean Pierre's card showing Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is next. This Roman Catholic cathedral was completed in 1345. Three Marianne definitives , along with a 2010 commemorative depicting said cathedral were used.

Japanese postboxes appear on this next card. The card snows 3 styles from 1871, 1908, and 1962. I like 1908 the best. Masayo , a Postcrosser from Japan sent this card. I worked for a number of years with a young lady named Masayo. It's not her though. Here are the stamps Masayo used.

The next 2 cards are the result of a private swap with Kate. She operates a great postcard blog called deltiolog. We've swapped a few cards in the past and I hope we do so again. She has great cards and a huge bunch of great stamps as is evident on these cards.
Here's a card showing the USS Philadelphia. Now I've been collecting postcards for over 6 years and scanning postcard blogs for that amount of time and let me say, one doesn't see many submarine cards. The USS Philadelphia , a U.S. Navy nuclear class high speed attack submarine is seen churning along on the surface. The 360 foot, 6,900 ton vessel was launched on October 19, 1974 and decommissioned on June 25, 2010.

Here is Kate's 2nd card. It gives us a look at the SR/71 Reconnaissance Aircraft. Before I go any further , let me say that the photo is courtesy of the United States Air Force. I think the photographer could have moved slightly to the right and included both engines. The SR/71 served with the USAF from 1964 to 1998. Of 32 aircraft built, 12 were destroyed in accidents. None were lost due to enemy action. The Blackbird as it was commonly called was an advanced , long range, mach 3+ reconnaissance aircraft. It operated at high speeds and altitudes to allow it to outrace threats. If a surface - to- air-missile launch was detected, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate and outrun the missile. It's top speed was around 3,530+ km/h. It landed quite fast too, requiring a parachute at the rear to slow it down. This plane brings back memories for me from 1974-1978. I was living and working at Goose Bay , Labrador and the U.S.A.F. operated an airbase there at Goose Air Base. I seen the SR/71 up close, I seen them land and I seen them take off. Take off was best, using just a small amount of runway, they lifted off and went straight up like a missile. Out of sight in seconds. Those were the days.
That's 2 great cards , Kate. I'm showing the stamps from both cards together. On the sub card we see a 1993 Joe Louis stamp and 2 of 4 Space Projects stamps issued in 1992. On the SR/71 card we have a 1994 issued Winter Olympic stamp, 1 of 5 in a set and the remaining 2 of 4 Space Projects stamps from 1992.

I think that's about it for this time. I still have 4 cards left , but I'll save them for next time. I'm calling it a day or a night , what ever it might be. Thanks to all for their cards. Take care and enjoy the coming week.

Penguins, An Aviator, Krakow, UNESCO WHS, and Marseille

2012-01-11T13:58:00.000-08:00

Hello folks, I'm back again, but not quite so soon as I expected when I ended my last update. But that's the way it goes sometimes. Actually I have been a little under the weather, a lot really. But I'm on the mend now so it's time for another bunch of postcards. Today's title gives you some idea of what's coming , so here goes.

This first card shows a crowd of King Penguins having a meeting. Reminds me of the 2005 movie March of the Penguins. There were lots of Penguins standing around in that one. The card is postmarked Dumont D'Urville, Adelie Land, T.A.A.F or French Southern and Antarctic Lands. I love the clear and perfectly placed cancellations. The small flag stamp in the center is from a set of 5 flags issued in 2008. The stamps on the left were issued in 2009 and show the mineral Pyrite. The stamps on the right were issued in 2011 and show the gemstone Zircon. Thanks to Jean Pierre for this card.

Next is another aviation related card. Surprise, it's not an airline, not an airplane but an aviator. Here we get a look at Antoine De St Exupery in July 1944. Saint-Exupery was a french writer, poet and aviator. He was one of the pioneers of international postal flight. His writings include The Little Prince, Night Flight and Wind, Sand and Stars. He has a couple of connections to Canada- In 1942, the Saint-Exuperys resided in Quebec City for several weeks and his 1939 philosophical memoir Terre des hommes was used to create the central theme ( Terre des hommes- Man and His World) of the most successful World's Fair of the 20th century, Expo 67 in Montreal, Canada, which I was lucky enough to attend. Saint-Exupery was lost at sea while flying offshore, south of Marseille, France on 31 July 1944.
The card brings greeting from Dominik in Switzerland. He writes that plane cards are hard to come by so he settled on an aviator, which is fine by me. The Priority A stamp was issued in 2009 and is 1 of 2 in a Bird set.

Next up is a card from Ana. She must have been on a little holiday as this card comes from Krakow, Poland not Skopje , Macedonia as is usual. Ana has a great postcard blog called My World of Postcards and you can see it here. On the card we see Wawel Hill. The Royal Palace and the cathedral are located here. The stamps are a little ordinary( Ana's words, not mine ). The stamp on the left was issued in 2005 and features Sieradz, a town in central Poland. The other one was issued in 2001 and is 1 of a set of 2 featuring farms. Thanks Ana

There's a great picture on this next card. It shows the boat lined , deep rocky inlet of Goudes, located on the outskirts of Marseille, France. Looks like a place where I would enjoy a short stay. The Marianne stamp was issued in 2008, 1 of a set of 13 definitives.

Now I am ending off this update with another card from my brother Dale. This one is from Canada, Quebec City in fact. The card shows the big fancy posh hotel The Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac. Quebec City, constructed by Samuel de Champlain in 1608, is the birthplace of French civilization on the North American continent. The Upper Town quarter has the only walled city in North America. The architecture, the narrow cobbled streets and the precipitous staircases transport visitors back in time. The historic district of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been since 1985. Dale used one of the Canadian Pride issue stamps from 2011. It is 1 of a set of 5 issued last January 17th. And just so you know, a new set of 5 Canadian Pride stamps will be issued on January 16th of this year. Thanks Dale for this one .
So there you have it, another update in the books. Hope you got something from it , if you did, let me know. The comment is always open .

Cards From Week 1 of 2012

2012-01-07T13:42:00.000-08:00

Hi readers, I'm back again. Today's cards are from all over. Turkey, England, Taiwan, Slovenia, Finland, Netherlands, and Russia. I don't know for sure if I'll get them all in today, but that's the idea at this time.

Let's start with a card from Turkey. On it we see Sokulla Mehmet Pasha Mosque. It is located in Istanbul and was constructed between 1571 and 1572. The mosque is officially named after Princess Esmahan , but is more commonly known for it's association with her far more famous husband. Almina, a Postcrosser used stamps from 2011. The lower stamp on the left is 1 of 4 in a set of Flower-Lilies stamps. The other stamps show a fruit- a peach.

Next up is Big Ben. Completed in April 1858, it is located in the north end of the Palace of Westminster. I really don't need to say much about Big Ben, you all know of it. I will say though, it is considered by many as the most popular landmark in the United Kingdom. As you can see here my card is rather an unusual shape. My brother Dale sent this card on his 2nd last day in London and that was actually Dec 7th. I just received the card, it's been on the go a month. Now for the stamp. It is one of those Universal Mail UK Postage stamps. It was issued Oct. 2008 and is intended for international mail only. I don't know much about it but it appears to be some sort of private mail service, which then drops its mail into the Royal Mail for onward service. A Royal Mail Postage Paid Airmail label was added on top of the stamp.Interesting.It is a nice stamp and I found a number of sheets of them online, all are quite appealing.

Card # 3 comes from Republic of China ( Taiwan). I know nothing about the picture on the card, I can't read what's written on the front. Let's just say, it's a relaxing scene. The stamp was issued 01 Nov 2011 and celebrates the Centennial of Scouting in Taiwan. It is 1 of 2 in a set.

Now we have a card from Slovenia, an aviation related card. Looks like a small private airfield with a number of small planes and a glider out front, but it is actually The Ajdovscina Flying Club, located in Ajdovscina, Slovenia. The flying club is named after famed aviator Josip Krizaj. The stamp on the left is from a set of 11 definitive Flowers issued in 2009 and the one on the right was issued in 2011, from a set of 4 Christmas/New Year stamps.

A winter scene from the Finnish countryside appears on the next card. At least that's what winter should look like. We here in Alberta should be experiencing that type of winter, but not so this winter, yet. We have next to no snow, mild temperatures and lots of wind. The Postcrosser who sent this card on Dec 27th, wrote that there was very little snow but that on Dec 26th , they experienced the worst storm in 50 years. What can I say, winter is not what it was ! The rather large stamp , issued in 1999 is from a souvenir sheet. It was issued to honor Mika Hakkinen, Formula One World Champion in 1998.

The Canals of Amsterdam are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list and this next card shows one on them, Keizersgracht. The canals were dug during the 17th century and were added to the UNESCO list in 2010.
Peter used a 2011 stamp from a set of 6 entitled Netherlands- South Africa. I guess that's why this stamp shows an elephant.

That's 6 cards for this time. More than my usual 5 , so I think I'll call it a day. I still have 3 left for another time, maybe tomorrow. Thanks to all who sent these cards. Enjoy the rest of your day.

First Card of 2012

2012-01-06T14:16:00.000-08:00

This will be a really short update, with just a single card.

Well, here it is, my first card of 2012. And, it's a great start to the New Year. A new Year , a New Country or Entity in my collection. Number 255 , leaving just 18 more to collect. This one is from Ross Dependency Agency. I know purists out there will say this one doesn't really qualify as a new place and I guess they are right. But until I actually receive a card I know is truly from Scott Base , I am accepting this one for my collection. My collection- my rules.

I know this Antarctica card was nowhere near Antarctica but it's a great card nonetheless. First a little history. Ross Dependency is a region of Antarctica defined by a sector originating at the South Pole, passing along longitudes 160 degrees east to 150 degrees west and terminating at latitude 60 degrees south. The scientific bases of Scott Base and McMurdo Station are the only permanently occupied places in the area.

Ross Dependency stamps have been issued by New Zealand for use on mail from Scott Base since 1957. The actual post office at Scott Base was closed in 1957 and mail from the base was handled in Christchurch. Ross Dependency stamps ceased to be issued until 1994. The stamps are not generally valid on New Zealand mail. Mail from the Ross Dependency is processed by the Ross Dependency Agency, located at a post office in Christchurch. Members of the public are able to post mail bearing Ross Dependency stamps at the office. Mail is cancelled with the postmark reading "Ross Dependency Agency Christchurch ".

Vivienne , a Postcrosser from Christchurch sent this Antarctica card to me. It shows storm clouds over Mt Erebus behind Scott's Cape Evans 1910-12 base, Ross Island, Antarctica. Vivienne used 2 of 5 stamps in a 2011 Race to the Pole set, and they are clearly postmarked Christchurch, Ross Dependency Agency. A reader left a comment on my Nov 24 update to the effect that the Christchurch post office doing the Ross Dependency Agency cancellations was no more due to the recent major earthquakes. This postcard shows that they are again back in business.

As I mentioned above, this card is not from Ross Dependency, but only from Ross Dependency Agency. I'm glad to have it though, it is new to my collection and I'm going to cross off another place from the list on the left, leaving just 18 more. And, I'm not one to brag, but I have received a card, actually sent from Antarctica. If you check my entry for Dec 23rd, 2007 , you will see a card sent from Halley Base on the Brunt Ice Shelf, British Antarctic Territory. I believe that does actually count as bragging. Now, inquiring minds want to know- how many of you reading this has a card from Ross Dependency or even one from Ross Dependency Agency, or any card actually sent from Antarctica ?
Don't be shy, leave a comment and let me know.

Thanks to Vivienne for a wonderful card. That's it for this time.

I will try and be back here tomorrow. See ya !

The Last Card Remnants of 2011

2012-01-03T14:17:00.000-08:00

Hello all, hope you all survived the New Year. The first mail of 2012 arrived today, just a single card , but it's a keeper. However that's for another day, hopefully tomorrow. Today I have to finish up 2011. During the past year I received 552 cards, bringing my grand total since March of 2006 to 2154. Not too shabby, hey ? Now let's get to those cards. Today's cards are the last cards, the last remnants of 2011. Let me just add here, that during the past year I added in my Postcrossing profile and also mentioned here on the blog a couple times , that I have aquired a liking for a couple of postcard types. These include Airlines, Aircraft, Post Boxes, Post offices and Manhole Covers. I have started to see an increase of these type of cards arriving, with the exception of Manhole Covers. Of course, that's not to say that I wouldn't welcome other types, any and all cards are welcome here. So with that in mind, my cards for this time just happen to center around these types for the most part. Without further ado, let's get to it.

My first card for today comes from Macau, one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China. The front of the card gives us a look at the casino night scene located there. The back of the card is even more interesting for me. Michael used a beautiful souvenir sheet from 2004. The sheet has just a single stamp but the remainder is filled with Air Macau aircraft, flight crew and logos. The stamp and sheet commemorates the 10th anniversary of Air Macau. Thank you Michael for a great surprise. Michael operates a couple of blogs and a website and you can find them here , here and here.

Card # 2 is from Tampere, Finland. It shows a post office box with a hand dropping a letter into it. A Postcrosser named Elisa sent this one and used a really nice stamp. She writes that it is a special stamp issued for the Hameenlinna Medieval Market and Fair of 2011. I couldn't find any information on this stamp so therefore I believe it is a personalised stamp that Elisa or someone she knows had issued. It is a nice stamp though, much better that Canada's so called personal postage.

The next card, another postbox card comes from Oakland, Ca., U.S.A. I believe these boxes to be located in The Netherlands or somewhere over that way. There is nothing about their location anywhere on the card itself. Lynn used 2 fine stamps on this card. The 2011 Tiger stamp is a First Class Rate , Save Vanishing Species stamp. The Zora Neale Hurston was issued in 2003 and honors Hurston who was a novelist, folklorist and anthropologist.
Here is a postcard showing a Post Office. It was the first automated post office and is located in Providence, R.I., U.S.A. It was completed in 1960. I'm not going to detail all the stamps here, but you can see 6 different Christmas stamps from different years. Also , there is a 1957 , 50th anniversary of Oklahoma Statehood stamp.

Now for a couple of aviation related cards. First up is a card from Ukraine. The card though shows a number of views of Frankfurt Airport. Not that I'm counting but I can see over 45 aircraft on this card. The views on the top left and top right of the B747s, these are great views, in my opinion the best. Now let's look at the stamp. It was issued in 2011 , 1 of 2 in a set, issued for the 1st Ukraine Movie-Opera. I hope I got that right, I had trouble finding information on this one.

This next card is an ad card for Air Finland, advertising flights to Alicante and Malaga , Spain.
It is flight or airline thematic so will fit well in my collection of cards. That guy sitting there, looking out the window could be me , come March, looking out over Santiago , Chile on landing. I won't be dressed like that , though. Now of course, we've all seen the Finland flag stamp before, but here it is one more time. It was issued in 2006.

The final card for today, another aircraft card, not really it's actually a ship card. A nice card though. The ship is the Pacific Notus. It is 293.55 m in length and has a gross tonnage of 111,553 ton. Koichi , a Postcrosser sent this card from Japan. She wrote that she did not have any airplane cards and hoped that a ship card would do. And it does. Koichi used a 2008 stamp from a m/s of 10.
That does it for this time. Hope you enjoyed reading , as much as I enjoy receiving them. Leave a comment and tell me about it, if you want. Take care, be back soon.

Last Call For 2011

2011-12-31T14:17:00.000-08:00

I'm back with what is the last update for year 2011. I realize the New Year has arrived in some places around the world, but it's still 2011 here in Canada, so here is a final posting for this year. Cards for this time are from The Netherlands, Finland, U.S.A., and 2 from Australia. Let's do them in that order so we start with The Netherlands.

Jessica sent this card but what it is of or where it is , I know not. The card has nothing written about the picture on the front, anywhere on the card. Perhaps some reader will recognize the picture and leave a comment. The card arrived with 3 nice stamps, which is rare from The Netherlands. There I've said it , stamp collectors know what I mean. Two of the stamps on the card are from a 2005 sheet of 10 different issued for 50 Years of World Press Photos.The 3rd stamp is a semi-postal issue. Thanks Jessica for these great stamps and the card, of course.

Elk, Moose take your pick. This card , from Finland, says Elk and I say Moose. In North America we call them moose, in Europe, I guess it's elk. Whatever you call them , they are quite majestic when you come across one. The Postcrosser that sent this card used a timely stamp, a hockey stamp. The 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship is currently underway in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The stamp wasn't issued for this championship, but for the 2011 World Hockey Championship, held in Slovakia. The stamp shows Finland hockey hero Mikael Granlund scoring his beautiful lacrosse-style goal during Finland's 3-0 semifinal victory against Russia. While skating behind the net- Granlund scooped up the puck with the blade of his stick and shoveled it into the top corner of the net over the right shoulder of Russian goalie Konstantin Barulin. It was a classic goal, all the other players appear to stand around and wonder just what happened. If you have a chance check it out on YouTube, it's worth it.

The U.S.A. card comes from Albuquerque, New Mexico. The city is nestled between the towering Sandia Mountains and the Rio Grande Valley. I don't know a lot about Albuquerque, but I do know this nugget of fact. We used to have a minor league, Triple A baseball club, The Calgary Cannons, play here, up until 2003. That year they moved to Albuquerque and became The Albuquerque Isotopes. I still miss The Cannons and Triple A ball . Erin used a 2004 Navajo Jewelry stamp and a 2009 Zion National Park stamp.

The next and final cards for today and year 2011 both come from Australia. One from Sydney and one from Melbourne. Here's the Sydney one- showing the million dollar view of the city, at least according to the card. It is a cool view , though. Paul used the dingo stamp from the set of 5 Jungle Babies issue of 2011.Here's the Melbourne card. It's a look at a well known landmark in Melbourne, Flinders Street Station , a hub of the city's metropolitan rail network. Joanne also used the dingo stamp, so just look up and there it is.

So ends another blog entry, the last one for this week, this month and this year. Thanks to all who sent these cards.Thanks also to everyone all year who sent cards, a total of 552 for the year including 12 new countries. Now on behalf of me and GemsWorldPostcards I want to wish you all, my readers , a Happy New Year . I hope you all get what you want and want what you get during the year.

Possible Final Update For 2011

2011-12-30T14:22:00.000-08:00

Hello there, as the title says, this might be the last blog entry for year 2011. It might be and it might not be, we'll see how tomorrow goes and what tomorrow brings. I am just back from my little grandson Will's first birthday party. A good time was had by all but Will may have been a little overwhelmed with all the people. But he had fun with and enjoyed the cake . It was like Christmas all over again, presents, wrapping paper and lots of food and family.

Today's cards come from Poland, China, Switzerland , China again and the USA.

First , let's have a look at the card from Poland. It was sent by Magda, a Postcrosser who lives in Kalisz, a building of which is shown on the card. Kalisz is a city of just over 100,000 inhabitants located in central Poland. It has long been considered the oldest city in Poland because it was mentioned by Ptolemy in the 2nd century A.D. , but that claim is now often doubted. Magda refers it it as one of the oldest in Poland. Magda used a number of stamps including a 2011 Karol Wojtyla, Pope John Paul II stamp with attached tab.

My next card shows us a traditional Chinese painting. I really don't know much about this type of painting, so I leave it up to you, my readers. But, I do indeed like the stamps on the reverse. The large horizontal stamp dates from 1998 and is 1 of 4 in a set issued for forestry district Shennongjia. The stamp on the right, also issued in 1998, is 1 of 4 in a Ceramics set.

It is the opinion of the sender of my next card, that Zurich is the most beautiful city in the word. Of course since I have not visited Zurich or many other cities, I can't offer an opinion on this .
And that's unusual for me, to have no opinion. But what about Venice and Bruges. They must be well up on a list of beautiful cities. What do you consider the most beautiful city in the world ? Let me know, leave a comment. The stamp on this one was issued in 2009, 1 of 2 bird stamps in a set of Priority A stamps.

Now another card showing a traditional Chinese painting, although quite different from the one posted earlier. The stamps on this one are quite often seen, so I won't elaborate on them.

The last card for today is of Times Square, New York City, a place that will be buzzing tomorrow night, New Year's Eve. Over a million revellers will be there with millions more watching on TV as the New Year's Eve Ball drops , starting at 11:59 P.M. At midnight, over 1 ton of confetti will be released over the square. So if you happen to be in the area, have a small drink for me. This card is compliments of Igor of www.covercity.de
Igor used the 2011 Voyageurs National Park stamp, one we have all seen before.

Well, that's another update , number 8 for December and number 90 for 2011, up from 82 in 2010. And, with any luck at all, I might just squeeze another one in tomorrow. Be sure to check back and see.
Thanks for reading, Cheers !!

Uluru, Queen of the Skies, Silent Night, Brussels, and An Old Castle in Lyubcha

2011-12-27T13:33:00.000-08:00

Well I survived all the festivities. I'm shopped out, turkeyed out, visited out and beat out. Finally getting a day on the blog , hopefully will revive me. That's not to say it's all over, I have dinner out tonight, a World Junior hockey game tomorrow afternoon, friends in tomorrow night and my youngest grandson's first birthday party on Friday. So on we go, like the Eveready Bunny. Okay the cards, that's why you're here , right ?

Card # 1 - ULURU, Central Australia. I really don't need to write anything about this place , it's all been written before. I don't think I can add anything new. It has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. I do believe it's one of Dale's last cards. He's been home for about 3 weeks now, so I doubt there are any more on the way. Dale used 2 copies of a single from the 2006 Wildlife set of 6 and 1 of the 6 Christmas stamps issued in 2011.

Card # 2- It's always good to get a airplane card and this one is a great one, another addition to my collection. The Queen of the Skies, that about says it all. Well , not quite. It is a Sikorsky VS-44A, a large four-engined flying boat, dating from the early 1940s. It was designed primarily for the trans-Atlantic passenger market, with a capacity of 40 + passengers. Only 3 were produced: Excalibur, Exter and the one shown here Excambian . The one on the card is shown in the livery of American Export Airlines. Excalibur crashed on takeoff in 1942 at Botwood, Newfoundland, killing 11 of the 37 aboard. Exter crashed on Aug 15, 1947 while landing in River Plate off Montevideo when allegedly returning from a smuggling flight to Paraguayan rebels. Four of seven on board were killed. After service with American Export Airlines, Excambian was sold to Tampico Airlines to run freight in Peru. The enterprise was unsuccessful and the flying boat was left stranded in Peru. Later ferried to Long Beach, the aircraft was restored and carried thousands of passengers until 1967 when it was sold again to run passengers in the Virgin Islands. On January 3, 1969, she was extensively damaged by rocks while taxing at Charlotte Amalie, US Virgin Islands. Damaged beyond economic repair the Excambian was beached in 1972 and converted into a hot dog stand. In 1976, Excambian was donated to the Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola, Florida and put on permanent load to the New England Air Museum in Connecticut. That is where she is pictured on my postcard. Mary used a number of small definitive type stamps, including 2 copies of the 2003 American Clock stamp, a 2011 Foxglove stamp and a 2011 First Class Forever Statue of Liberty Stamp.

Next we have a card with a reproduction of a winter scene painting by famous Czech painter Josef Lada entitled Silent Night. Well it is Christmas time. The stamps on this one include 2 small flower stamps and a stamp issued in 1994 showcasing Slany, a town about 25 km northwest of Prague. The larger stamp on the far right was issued this year and honors Agnes of Bohemia.

Card # 4- This one comes from Belgium, specifically Brussels. On it we can see a large Christmas tree on The Grand Place, the central square of the city. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. Anne-Catherine used a 2011 Atomium stamp.

Today's final card is from Belarus, Minsk in fact. On it though we see an old castle in Lyubcha, a small village in southwestern Bulgaria. I guess Alex was visiting and picked up this card. A number of Belarus definitives were used.

That is the update for this time. Thanks for reading.

It's Christmas Eve 2011 - Merry Christmas To One and All

2011-12-24T08:42:00.000-08:00

Once again as Christmas Day is just about upon us, I want to take this opportunity to wish all my fellow postcard collectors , cover and stamp collectors and bloggers , along with all my readers a very Merry Christmas. My Christmas wishes for all of you are again summed up in the 3 Christmas stamps issued by Canada Post in 2007. Hope , Joy, and Peace. What more could we ask for ?

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year , Joyeux Noel et Bonne Annee , Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo ,Feliz Navidad y Prospero Ano Nuevo, Mele Kalikimaka me Ka Hou'öli Makahiki Hou.

A Flag Card, A Map Card and a couple of others

2011-12-20T12:03:00.000-08:00

Hello again. Well, time is running out , leading up to the big Christmas splash. I hope if you partake , that all is going well and most things are ticked off your list. I'm pretty well done I think, or as they used to say in a television commercial a few years ago, I'm crispy, I'm so done. I just hope we can keep the snow we have on the ground , but with sunny days and temperatures like today's plus 7 , it may all be gone by Dec 25th. Anyway, on to the postcards.

First up is a flag card. I know many postcard collectors collect flag cards. So we have The National Flag of Latvia. The RedWhiteRed Flag. I like this flag, simple design , clear lines and great colors. The flag was earlier used by independent Latvia from 1918 until 1940. It was then re-adopted on Feb. 27, 1990 and in continuous use since. Mihail sent this card and used a number of different stamps. From the left : 1 of 3 Coat of Arms stamp from 2007, 1 of 4 Coat of Arms stamp from 2011, 1 of 3 Christmas stamps from 2003 and a 2010 Flag stamp , marking 20 years of the Latvian Declaration of Independence.
I know Bruce in South Africa likes and collects flag cards , so I'm sure he'd love this one.

Here's another card that fits a postcard collection for many collectors. Map Cards. This one shows The Russian Empire. I'm not sure what date this map might represent, but Nina says it's a map of her lovely Russia. You be the judge. It is a nice looking card though. Impressive looking map, looks like one that belongs on your wall. The stamp is from a set of 15 definitives , all showing animals issued in 2008.

I don't really collect either of these card types, flags or maps. That been said of course, I welcome them, when they arrive I keep them, they become part of my collection. I have a number of each in my albums.
Speaking of map cards, I have 39 of 50 U.S. state map cards, which I purchased as part of the 10,000 postcards purchased earlier this summer. They are mint, unwritten. If anyone of the map collectors out there needs a particular state map, drop me an email or leave a comment and we can swap, a map for anything with a nice stamp.

On to business. Today's 3rd card comes from Brazil. It shows a central market, loaded with handicrafts. This one arrived without a postage stamp. It just has a rubber hand stamp where the stamp would normally be. ( Not Shown )

Alice Springs, Northern Territory , Australia. Another card from my brother Dale. He's long home, but cards are still arriving. Another one actually arrived today. This Craig Lamotte photo shows the mostly dry Todd River and the Macdonnell Ranges, landmarks of Alice Springs. Dale used 2 stamps on this one. The sideways stamp on the left was issued in 2007 and shows Maria Island, Tasmania. The 2nd stamp is a Christmas Island 2011 Christmas stamp, 1 of 2 in a set.
If you're interested in having a look at other Christmas stamps from around the world , here's a link.

With that, here's today's last card. It's a multi view card of Frankfurt Airport. Note the Airbus A380 top center. Air Canada B747 taking off , bottom left. An older picture , I guess. Tina , who sent this card, writes that she works in the control tower that you see in the bottom right view.
The stamp , issued in 2011 , is a joint UNESCO WHS issue with Romania.

There you have it, another day another update. Until next time , take care and come back if you can.

A Christmas Postcard, Led Zeppelin, Coober Pedy , A Couple of Flying Machines or Not and a Beautiful Equestrian Stamp

2011-12-15T15:14:00.000-08:00

Again, quite the title above. It certainly explains what this update is all about. Since it's 10 days until Christmas Day, let's start with the Christmas postcard. For those of you who don't celebrate this holiday, I'll keep it somewhat short. Stay with me, though. I don't get many of these cards, maybe 3 or 4 per season. The one today, is the season's first. Pretty simple, a Christmas bulb hanging on an evergreen branch. It comes to me from Nadia , a Postcrosser in Belarus. She used a number of flower definitives from 2008.

There, that wasn't too difficult , now was it ?

Card # 2 comes from Coober Pedy, South Australia. Dale's card shows a huge dust storm approaching the town of Coober Pedy. Located in northern South Australia, it is best known for its unique style of underground residences, museums, shops, galleries and churches. Coober Pedy is also called the "opal capital of the world". Opals were discovered there in February of 1915 and the area has since supplied the world with a majority of the gem. The name Coober Pedy comes from the Aboriginal term kupa-piti, which means " white man's hole . "
Dale used a 2011 stamp celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Australia- Korea Diplmatic Ties.

Led Zeppelin is featured on my next card. A band from my era. They are standing on the ramp in front of The Starship in New York , in 1973. The Starship was a former United Airlines Boeing 720. It was also the first Boeing 720 built. Sort of like driving around in the first Ford Mustang ever built. English rockers Led Zeppelin used the aircraft for their 1973 and 1975 North American concert tours. Many other great bands and musicians , including Deep Purple, The Rolling Stones, The Allman Brothers, Alice Cooper and Peter Frampton have flown on this aircraft. The Starship, registration N7201U has since been dismantled for parts. Kerry from my next door province of British Columbia sent this card as part of a private swap. She used quite a varied selection of The Beneficial Insects stamps. Kerry also did an exceptional job of drawing an airplane and incorporating my name and address into. Outstanding.

Here comes another aircraft card, another one for my Aircraft on Postcards collection. This time it's a Douglas F5D Skylancer. Only four of this type , which could reach speeds of 850 mph, were constructed. The one pictured here was flown by Neil Armstrong, of The Moon fame. It is now on display in Wapakoneta, Ohio, USA, at the Armstrong Air & Space Museum. Cherie a Postcrosser from Toledo, Ohio saw fit to send this card. She used a 2008 Latin Jazz stamp, a 2011 Mark Twain Forever stamp and a couple of 2003 American Clock stamps.

The next card won't make it into my Aircraft collection even though it has some of the same qualities of a airplane- wings and speed. It's Ralph the ostrich of the Indian Point Ostrich Ranch in Tehachapi, Ca, USA. The ostrich is the largest living species of bird and lays the largest egg of any living bird. They have a top land speed of 70 kph, the fastest of any bird. If interested , I do believe Ralph is on Facebook. Tanya used 3 Liberty Bell Forever stamps from 2009.

Now here's my last card for this time. It comes from Belarus. It is a card showing the National Library of Belarus. It opened on June 16, 2006. Impressive. Just ignore the empty box above. They sneak into my blog sometimes, so I just reserve them for invisible stamps.

Nadya used a quite nice stamp of 2011. It showcases the equestrian sport of Dressage. I think Kerry , who sent the Led Zeppelin card above, might like this stamp as she is a person who likes and works around horses.

I think that's a wrap for this time. See you soon.

Number 254 and a Whole Lot More

2011-12-11T13:43:00.000-08:00

Hello again. I've got a great update for you this time. A new stamp issuing entity , # 254 , leaving just 19 more on my list.

Number 254 is Andorra- Spanish Administration. Postal services in Andorra are not operated by the principality itself, but by Spain and France. Correos of Spain and La Poste of France operate side by side. Spanish mailboxes are red and French ones are yellow. Both postal administrations issue their own postage stamps for Andorra. I have received a number of postcards from Andorra- French Administration over the years but was never able to secure one posted in the Spanish Administration. Until now. Fabienne who writes as a follower of this blog thought to send a card posted through the Spanish Administration. Fabienne's card is of the 12th century Church of Sant Joan de Caselles. The 2 Andorra- Spanish Administration stamps were both issue in 2011. The one on the left was issued for Escaldes-Engordany one of the parishes of Andorra. The other stamp shows a letterbox and commemorates UPAEP. Fabienne collects UNESCO World Heritage Site postcards and authors a blog called UNESCARDS and you can see it here . Thanks Fabienne. With your card I can now cross off another one from the list on the left side. That's 254 in the bag, with just 19 left to go, 12 of which are in Africa. Europe is now complete along with South America.

Up next is another one for my Airlines/Airplanes collection. This one is a Convair CV-580 operated by Air Resorts Airlines. Convairs were produced between 1947 and 1954 with a total of 1,181 built. Some still operate into the 21st century. The Convair on the card is pictured at Lindberg Field , San Diego, CA. Dutch Postcrosser Nicolet was good enough to send this card along. I'm not showing the stamp as it is one of the Postcrossing stamps which I have shown a number of times already.

Another card from my brother Dale is next. He's no longer Down Under, having arrived back in Canada on Dec 08th. However his cards are still arriving. His card was posted in Canberra and shows Parliament House which was opened in 1988. It's flag pole rises to a height of 81 metres. Dale used the 2 stamps from Australia Post's first ever issue of Remembrance Day marking this year's significant November date of 11.11.11.

It's a card from Turkey next. The card shows an illustration of The Library of Celsus. It is an ancient Roman building in Ephesus. It was built in honor of Roman Senator Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus. It was completed in 135 A.D. The Postcrosser who sent this card wrote that it's wasn't easy to pick a postcard for me. I'm not really sure why that would be, as I like just about all postcards. I do have a thing for cards of aircraft, postboxes, manhole covers and post offices, but other than those , I'll take anything. If I've given any indication here or on my Postcrossing profile of any cards not to send, I take it back. Send any and all cards. On to the stamp. The stamp was issued in 2011 and unfortunately that's all i know about it. Feel free to enlighten me .

Gisela's card of a Postbox is next. She lives in Germany so I guess it's a German mailbox. I'm not sure if this is a box that she might receive her mail in or one she would drop mail in to send abroad. It looks like a personal mailbox to me. Either way it's a mailbox and I collect mailbox cards. Gisela use a flower definitive and a 2011 stamp commemorating the 50th anniversary of the new Kaiser Wilhelm Gedachtnis Kirche Berlin.

Now for a card from frequent contributor David from Ireland. This time he's in France. His card is of Neptune's Fountain on Stanislas Square in Nancy, a city in northerneastern France. David used 2 Marianne stamps and a round stamp , 1 of 2 issued in 2011 honoring Reims Cathedral.I think I'll call it a day here. I was going to add a few more cards, but I think this will do . All in all , a good update, of course, any time I can knock one from the list on the lift, is a good day. Thanks to Fabienne, Nicolet, Dale, Gisela, David and the Postcrosser from Turkey. Take care and see you soon.

Super Connie, China Airlines, Candi Prambanan, Table Mountain and Bournemouth

2011-12-08T15:20:00.000-08:00

I made it, I'm here as I said I would be. Two days in a row looks good. I got some good news yesterday. Way back on 06 Oct I sent a cover with some postcards to a friend overseas. The cover was franked with a very special stamp. I had given up hope that it was going to reach its destination, but yesterday I received email confirmation of its arrival. It arrived in good shape after 2 full months. Where has it been, who knows ? But it's finally arrived , that's what counts.

Today's cards come from the Netherlands, Taiwan, Indonesia, South Africa and The United Kingdom.

We begin today with a really nice card, in my opinion of course. I guess I have a bias , too. It will be part of my Airlines /Aircraft on Postcards collection. It is an old card advertising KLM's Golden Circle Service of the 1950's. It shows a KLM Lockheed Super Constellation L 1049 aircraft. A Gem of an airplane. Super Connies were introduced in 1945 and flew until about 1990. Dutch Postcrosser Marleen found this card while rummaging around in an antique shop. She used one of the Postcrossing stamps issued back in October. I'm not showing it as it is one that I have previously shown. Thanks Marleen , for this Super card.

That was a great way to start an update.

Now for a more modern up to date aviation related card. This one commemorates China Airlines launch of a new route between Taipei, Osaka and New York on April 28, 2011. We can see a China Airlines B747 flying above one of its pretty flight attendants and Lady Liberty. Yanshin used quite an array of stamps on this one. On the far left is a 1988 60th Anniversary of China Broadcasting Corp stamp. Next to it is a 1987 Speedpost stamp. The middle stamp is from 1981 and commemorates the 1981 Rocpex Taipei, an International Philatelic Exhibition. The top right stamp commemorates the 90th anniversary of the National Postal Service. Of special interest to me on this stamp is a Boeing 747SP. The bottom right stamp was issued in 1976 and commemorates 80 years of Postal service. Wow, that's a lot of stamp.

My next 3 cards are all from regular contributors of postcards, guys who seem to get around a lot. The first card is of Candi Prambanan in Indonesia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Posted in Denpasar, the capital of Bali province, Jean Pierre used 4 new 2011 stamps.

The next card comes from South Africa and is compliments of Bruce. It gives us a look at Table Mountain, Cape Town. It shows a rare electric storm over the mountain which took place on the 10th March 1995. Bruce a Rhino stamp from 2010. It is from the set of 5 Big Five animals of South Africa. The Big Five are Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo and Rhino.

Now the last card for today. It is compliments of David and he sent it from Bournemouth, England. It looks like a great beach area and resort. A great place to spend a few days I think. It is one of the country's leading resorts where visitors are attracted by its safe, sandy beaches. David used a 2011 Machin definitive along with one of the six new Crown Jewels stamps.

So there you have it, another in the books. Thanks go to Marleen, Yanshin, Jean Pierre, Bruce and David. Great cards from all.

Take care and as always comments, good or bad , are welcome.

A Catch Up Post

2011-12-07T13:08:00.000-08:00

It is certainly time to catch up, I have been silent for over a week. But that hasn't stopped the postcards from arriving. I have more than enough for a few updates. So let's get to it.

First up is a card from New Zealand, offering picture perfect scenery. This is a KiwiRail card that my brother Dale wrote while travelling on the train as it went over the Southern Alps from Akaroa to Arthur's Pass. Travelling across Canterbury Plains and then over the Alps, some of the scenery you encounter is only accessible by the

train. This card arrived without a stamp other than a hand stamp reading Permit Post, New Zealand, Permit No. 89456.

Today's second card is certainly a welcomed card. I only just recently announced here in the blog that I was starting a collection of cards showing mailboxes, and now I have another one. I guess it never hurts to advertise. O. K . I collect cards showing manhole covers, mailboxes, post offices, civilian aircraft and airlines. There you have it now . This mailbox card comes from Evgeniya in Moscow. The stamp on it is from a strip of 2 with a center tab, a Joint Issue with Armenia, issued in 2011. The other stamp on the left is just a regular issue from 2009 which has been mentioned many times before. Evgeniya wrote that she is new to Postcrossing, but that she loves the hobby. I second that motion.

Card number 3 is a really nice appealing card. On it is what I think might be an early airmail pilot dressed in his uniform from days gone by. I'm not sure what the words on the top of the card means, maybe something along the lines of "air mail post for heroes ". I 'm sure some of my Finnish readers will let me know. I think this card will go in my group of best or favorite cards. Not sure why, I just like it. Gertrud who lives near Helsinki sent this card and wrote that it's from Finland, land of a thousand lakes. Reminds me of the Thousand Islands in Ontario, Canada. Gertrud used a 2008 Braille flower definitive.

Here's a card from Holland or The Netherlands. The card says Holland and shows a typical scene in Zaanse Schans. This is a village on the banks of the river Zaan, with wooden houses, gardens, small hump-backed bridges, workshops and windmills all restored as they would look in the 17th or 18th centuries. The Zaanse Schans is one of Holland's top tourist attractions. Matty used one of the new Postcrossing.com postage stamps issued back in October. There are 3 international stamps in the set and this is the second of the three stamps that I have received. I hope to receive the last international one soon. Then I'll have to work on the 3 domestic issues of the set.

Today's last card comes from the U.S.A. It will be of interest to the lighthouse postcard collectors out there. It shows Wood End Light and Bell Tower on the beach at Provincetown, Mass. Provincetown's youngest light ( 1872) was built between Race Point Light ( 1816) and Long Point Light ( 1827) midway along the barrier beach sandspit protecting Provincetown Harbor. In 1902, a wooden bell tower and 1,000 pound fog bell were added. Today, only the lighthouse remains - unmanned and running on solar power. A sign of the times , I guess. Julie writes on her card that the beach is a good place to fly kites in summer. She also used a number of older stamps. The Progress in Electronics stamp was issued in 1973 in a set of 4. The 22 cent Massachusetts stamp was issued in 1988 on the 200th anniversary of the state. The 3 Railroads or train stamps were issued in 1987 in a set of 5.

So ends another update, that's one more in the books. Thanks for cards to Dale, Evgeniya, Gertrud, Matty and Julie. This was my first update for December, a little late I know, but it won't be the last. I will be here tomorrow. So if you're reading this today, drop by again tomorrow for more of the same. See you then, Cheers !

Famagusta, Tulips and Bikes, Break on a Beam, Ireland and Ostrava

2011-11-28T15:29:00.000-08:00

It's new update time. I have 5 cards for this time. Today's cards come from Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Netherlands, Germany, Ireland and Czech Republic. Let's have a look at the Northern Cyprus card first. It shows some of the Salamis Ruins in Famagusta, a city on the east coast of Cyprus, east of Nicosia. The ruins we see today at Salamis are from the Roman period. The site was first excavated in 1882 and include: the Gymnasium, the Roman baths, the Amphitheatre, the Basilicas and the Forum. This card is from Leslie and she has a wonderful postcard blog called "the postcard blog ! "and you can find it here . The stamp is 1 of 4 issued in 2011 , all showing local politicians.

My next card comes from Almere, a city of about 191,000 people , near Amsterdam. It is a planned city, the youngest city in the Netherlands, the first house was finished in 1976. The postcard is one of the Images of Holland series, a number of which I have shown other times. On this one we are shown a couple of old bikes and a couple of dozen tulips, perhaps been delivered, who knows. The Postcrosser who sent this card lives in Almere but the card is cancelled in Amsterdam. The stamps are from 2010 and are 2 of 3 in a set entitled Business Stamps.

Now , a card posted from Germany. Matthias who lives in Lubbecke sent this non German card along. It is a scene from a famous picture taken in New York City. It's the 11 steelworkers sitting out on the bean having a smoke, and lunch. Not too shabby, are they ? Charles C. Ebbets took the picture and it dates from 1932. Matthias used a 2008 stamp , honouring Stefan Andres.
Now before I go on with another postcard , some thoughts and questions. This card of New York , but from Germany , raises some issues for postcard collectors. I really don't have a problem with it , but maybe others do. What do you think ? Is it okay to send a card if that is a card of another place ? Does the recipient of a card have a right to expect a received card to be from or about the place it was sent from ? I usually try and send a card along the lines of the collecting interests of the person I am sending to. I just recently sent a card showing elephants to a collector in Australia . Now we all know elephants aren't native to Alberta or Canada and my card showed African elephants in the wild. So what do you think ? Right or wrong ? I recently bought over 10,000 postcards covering every province of Canada, every state of the U.S and many, many different countries all over the world. I really think I'll be able to send cards along people's collecting interests but maybe not from my area. What do you think ? I really want to use these cards, there are lots of great cards there. Let me know your thoughts on this as I know you all have an opinion.

Ireland is next. It's just a landscape , side of a hill type view of Ireland. This card is covered with 6 stamps. Five are flower stamps from 2004 and the one on the far right is a hermit crab stamp from 2011.

Today's final card comes from Ostrava. Ostrava is the 3rd largest city in the Czech Republic. It is located near the Polish border at the confluence of 4 rivers, the Ostravice, Oder, Lucina and Opava. Ostrava has a history as an industrial city , but sadly is one of the most polluted in the EU. We see on the card some of the iron and steel works in the city. Simona used a 2010 art srtamp featuring the work of Alfons Mucha.

That about does it for me for this time. Thanks to all who sent cards. Appreciate it . If you have any thought or views on my rant above , let me know. Fill my comments box. Take care.

Three Dale Cards, A Beautiful Plane Card, Olive Grove on Lesbos and My First Postcrossing Stamp

2011-11-24T19:25:00.000-08:00

Hello again postcard people. Collectors and collector want to be's. I'm back with another bunch of cards. From reading this update's title , it's another mixed bag. let's get to it.

I want to start with another 3 cards from my brother Dale , all sent from Australia or New Zealand. He's still Down Under. Actually as I write this, I believe he's on a 10 day walkabout in the Outback.
Let's start with this card showing a number of Outback Aussie expressions. My 2 favorites on this card are "Bog in and have some tucker and It's gone walkabout ". "It's ridgie didge " isn't bad, either. Dale posted this card in Adelaide, capital of South Australia and used 1 of 2 stamps in a set commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Australian Korea Diplomatic Relations. The stamps were issued on the 28th of October and are a Joint Issue with Korea. They are a beautiful set of stamps and the Korea set are just as beautiful.

Dale's second card was posted in Hobart, the capital of Tasmania. This card is elf explanatory , it's the Tasmanian devil, himself. This guy's large head and neck allow it to generate the strongest bite per unit body mass of any living mammal. Let's just say, you don't want his jaw chomping down on any part of you . The 3 stamps are from a set of 5 issued late September commemorating the hosting of the Presidents Cup at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in November.

Dale's last card for this time was posted in Wellington, New Zealand. On it we can see some of the architecture ( both old and new ) of Wellington. Top left is the Wellington City Corporation. Top right is Landcorp House. Bottom left is the Bank of New Zealand . Bottom right is the Dominion Farmers Institute. Now the stamp and I have a lot to say about this one. It is a Ross Dependency stamp, 1 of 5 is a Race to the Pole m/s, issued this year. Ross Dependency stamps have been issued by New Zealand postal authorities for use on mail from Scott Base, Antarctica since 1957. The post office at Scott base was closed in 1987 and mail from the base was handled in Christchurch and as a result, the issuing of Ross Dependency stamps ceased. New Zealand Post resumed the issue of stamps inscribed Ross Dependency in 1994 due to local and international demand. Mail from Ross Dependency is now processed by Ross Dependency Agency located at a post office in Christchurch. Members of the public (mostly philatelists) are able to post items bearing Ross Dependency stamps at this office. Mail is cancelled with the inscription "Ross Dependency Agency, Christchurch ." Sadly my stamp doesn't have this inscription for 2 reasons. Firstly, it was posted in Wellington, not Christchurch and secondly, it escaped the post office cancellation completely.

That was a bit of a spiel now wasn't it ?

Here's a card from Russia that will go in my Aircraft on Postcards collection. It's a neat little propeller job equipped with skis for use in winter. Julia, who lives in Rubcovsk, Altaskiy Kray, Russia writes that the city in in the southern region of Siberia , near the Kazakhstan border. Julia used a couple of small definitives from 2008 along with a wonderful aviation stamp. It is 1 of a set of 4 featuring Fighter Planes. A great set, a set I would love to have complete.

My next card comes from Germany, compliments of another Postcrosser. The card doesn't show anything German, but an olive grove on Lesbos, a Greek Island in the northeastern Aegean Sea. It is one of the sunniest islands in the Aegean sea. The stamp is one of those atm type stamps , not my favorite stamp.
Today's final card comes from the Netherlands. I sent Jo a couple of cards of the type that she collected and this one arrived as a thank you. I'm not really sure what the picture on the front is all about. It looks like some sort of pagan ritual been enacted somewhere. Anyway, the stamp is more interesting than the card this time around. It is my first Postcrossing.com stamp. It was issued on October 14 of this year . It is 1 of a set of 6 ( 3 different for Europe mail and 3 different for international mail ) . The stamp features all kinds of traditional postcards strewn about, as is scattered on your doorstep.

As I mentioned it's my first Postcrossing stamp , I hope to receive the others, at least the other 2 international ones , in the weeks to come. I receive quite a few cards from the Netherlands , so I'm hoping.

So ends another report. Thanks to all for their cards. I''ll be back soon, I got the cards, just have to find the time, more Christmas shopping !

Take care. Comments ?

Cards From Perth, Texas, Finland, Portugal, Amsterdam, Pennsylvania, and New York City

2011-11-22T14:05:00.000-08:00

Howdy Folks, it's been a while. Almost a week. How come ? Your guess is as good as mind. Maybe I can chalk it up to say, Christmas shopping. Anyway, moving right along, I may not have been active here, but that didn't stop the cards from arriving. I have at least 21 to chose from over the next few days. I have in front of me 7 cards for today, I'm not sure I'll get that many in but it's a nice thought. So on with the cards.

First up is a card from Perth, in Western Australia. Yes, it's another one from Dale. The card gives you a good view of the Perth city skyline from a distance. Dale used a beautiful 2011 4 value m/s
from Australian Antarctic Territory featuring AAT Landscapes ( Icebergs).

Today's second card was posted in Dallas, Texas, USA. On it we can see a Texas Longhorn sitting in a bed of Bluebonnets, the state flower of Texas. KC used the 2009 Grand Teton National Park stamp, which I have showed many times.

Now for a card from Finland. On this one we can see a Steam Engine Museum. The Postcrosser who sent this card used a 2010 stamp featuring the Torronsuo National Park.

Portugal is next with a card from Porto, a northern city and second largest city in Portugal. My lovely Teena and I visited Portugal many moons ago, way back in Feb of 1975. So long ago, that we flew in a Boeing 707. How many of my readers can say they flew on a B 707 ? This card shows what looks to be the train station in Porto but I may be wrong on that and someone will probably correct me. Maybe a city commuter train . The stamp is from a set of 4 issued this year for Universities.
Sriwarni's card from Amsterdam is the next card for today. A little similar to the last card in that it shows a city commuter tram . The stamp is from a 2011 set of 2 issued for the Environment.

A card from Middleburg, Pennsylvania, USA is next. It's a homemade or at least home decorated card done around the stamps theme. The front is a reproduction of a group of worldwide stamps. Even though you can not see all of the back, it is decorated with a number of pre used stamps from the USA. The 3 stamps Julie used for postage on this card include the 2003 American Clock stamp and 2 large Forever stamps from a 2011 m/s of 12 showcasing Industrial Design.
Today's final card is from San Antonio, Texas but it showcases the Rochester, New York skyline on the Genesee River. LilibethJean who hails from New York City used a 2008 Tiffany Lamp stamp and a 2009 Zion National Park stamp to send this card up north to Alberta.
So there another update in the books. Thanks to everyone who sent these cards, because you know, I can't do this without other people's help. Take care.
Comment anyone ?

A Mismash of Cards

2011-11-16T10:25:00.000-08:00

It's certainly time for a new update and I've got the cards to prove it. Today's cards come from Serbia, Australia, USA, Canada and Belarus. It will be a mismash of cards with no general theme or train of thought. Here they are.

First up is a somewhat large card showing the Museum of Military Aviation in Belgrade, Serbia. The museum was established in 1957 with the current facility opening in 1989. The museum ranks among ten leading museums of its type in the world. It has over 200 aircraft , rockets, and other aviation related equipment in its collection along with over 20,000 books and 200,000 photographs. The building is quite impressive, a geodesic glass structure. Many aircraft are on display on the grounds of the museum as shown on the card. The card is from Ana who was attending the first PostCrossing meeting held in Belgrade. Ana had the card signed by 6 other Postcrossers who attended. These Postcrossing meetings have been held for a couple of years now and take place periodically just about anywhere. Thanks Ana for this card. The stamp is a 2009 definitive , 1 of 2 in a set.

Card # 2 is from Melbourne, Australia. It's another from the ongoing saga of my brother Dale and his Down Under trip. It's a panoramic view of Melbourne, a former capital of Australia. Dale used a 2011 International rate Christmas stamp on his card.

My next card is another addition to my aircraft on postcards collection. It is a B-2A Stealth Bomber , quite the impressive aircraft and card. This comes from a private swap with Kate who operates a wonderful postcard bog called : deltiolog - a journal of collected postcards and you can see it here . I hope I can swap with Kate again as she has a number of great postcards available. Kate used the 2011 Voyageurs national Park stamp , which I showed on this blog back on Tuesday, Nov 1 2011. Thanks Kate.

Now for a card I mailed to myself. It is an old card showing a very dark and sinister post office. I have started collecting postcards showing post offices so this is a new addition to that collection. However, here is why I posted it to myself. I wanted a postcard with the 11-11-11 postmark date. It's the last time that date combination will be around for quite some time. Luckily it came out pretty clear, with the date reading 2011 - 11 - 11 . Did any of you readers remember to get one of these for yourselves ? Oh yes, the stamp. A 2011 Ginette Reno stamp from the set of 4 Canadian Recording Artists issued back on June 30th. A Permanent rate stamp.

Now we have a postcard picturing a section of the Trans Alaska Pipeline. Built between 1974 and 1977 the 800 mile pipeline carries oil from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Valdez, Alaska. The first barrel of oil flowed through the pipeline in 1977 and as of 2010 almost 16 billion barrels of oil have flowed through the line. A rather timely card if I do say so, considering the protests and negotiations , currently underway for the Keystone XL pipeline project to move oil from Alberta to Texas. As I write this the US has just delayed a final decision till sometime late 2013 , well after the next presidential election. Caitlin used 3 stamps, 2 of which are Forever stamps. The American Clock stamp was issued in 2003 while the other 2 are from 2011.

Now, here is today's final card and it comes from Belarus. It shows a page of the Belarusian manuscrift Tetracevangelion from the second half of the 16th century. Natalie used a beautiful Railway Train stamp from 2010 , 1 of 2 in a set along with a flower definitive from 2008. Thank you Natalie.

Thus ends another update. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. See you again soon.
Take care.

Remembrance Day 2011

2011-11-11T10:34:00.000-08:00

Today , November 11th is Remembrance Day in Canada . It is a national holiday, so no mail service means no postcards today. Today is a day to commemorate the sacrifices of members of Canada's Armed Forces in times of war. It is observed on November 11 to recall the end of World War I on this date in 1918. Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.

Lest We Forget.

Every year on this date we share a moment of silence to honour the memory of the men and women of Canada's Armed Forces who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country.In Canada the spirit of remembrance is captured on a commemorative stamp issued in 2009. The stamp features a close-up photograph of Canada's National War Memorial in Ottawa. Red poppies are given prominence on the stamp. Here is the stamp issued by Canada Post , to honour the courage of our soldiers and to remember all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Thanks to Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae and his well-known poem, '' In Flanders Fields" the poppy and Remembrance Day are deeply linked in the minds of Canadians.

I also have 2 cards to show that have some meaning today. The first is Canada's National War Memorial , located in the country's capital , Ottawa . It consists of twenty-three bronze figures on a granite pedestal and arch representing all who have served.
The second card gives us a look at The Canadian Memorial in Vimy , France. The Canadian National Vimy Memorial is a memorial site in France dedicated to the memory of Canadian Expeditionary Force members killed during The Battle of Vimy Ridge. It also serves as the Place of Commemoration for First World War Canadian soldiers killed or presumed dead in France who have no known grave. During The Battle of Vimy Ridge , the Canadian Corps suffered 10,602 casualties : 3598 killed and 7,004 wounded.

Cote d ' Ivoire, New Country # 253

2011-11-10T15:44:00.000-08:00

New country # 253, a great way to start a new update. Cote d ' Ivoire. A country located in West Africa bordering Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana. Its population is around 21,000,000. Its capital is Yamoussourkro while the biggest city is Abidjan. My card is the result of a private swap with Natalia and shows a number of different sights around the port of Abidjan. So I get to cross off another one from the list over on the left, leaving just 20 to go. Natalia used 2 copies of a 2005 stamp called The African Braids.

My next card is from Moscow, Russia. Ksenia's card shows a number of Russian Matryoshka dolls. A set of matryoshkas consists of a wooden figure which separates, top from bottom, to reveal a smaller figure of the same sort inside, which has, in turn, another figure inside of it, and so on. The number of nested figures is traditionally at least five, but can be much more. A nice card actually. Ksenia used a number of different stamps on her card. The large vertical stamp was issued in 2009 and is 1 of 4 in a M.W. Gogol multi sheet. The large stamp on the right was issued in 2006 and is also 1 of 4 featuring Ivanov Vasnetsov paintings. Then we have the small rabbit stamp from 2008 and a Kremlin stamp from 2009.

Next up is another card from my brother Dale who's traveling Down Under. This time his card is of various views of Sydney Harbour including Watsons Bay, Sydney Opera House and Manly Beach. Dale used a 2011 stamp featuring a baby Dingo, from a set of 5 Jungle Babies issue.

Now we have another Jean Pierre card , this one coming from Bahrain. On it we can see Bahrain International Airport, the premier hub airport in the Middle East. Strategically located in the Northern Gulf between the major markets of Saudi Arabia and Iran, the airport has the widest range and highest frequency of regional services with ideal connections to major international destinations in Europe, Asia , Africa , the Far East and Australasia... The smaller stamp was issued in 2002 and is 1 of a set of 16 featuring the King. The larger stamp was issued in 2010 , 1 of 3 celebrating National Day.

Here is another card from Dale. This one shows some of the rice terraces on Bali's well-watered volcanic slopes. Though this card is of Bali, Indonesia, it was posted in Australia, and the stamp is the baby Dingo stamp as mentioned earlier.

Today's last card comes from Juliane in Schmallenberg, Germany. Juliane's card is one more for my Airline/Airliner Card Collection. This time we have a Lufthansa Boeing &37-400. Beautiful aircraft with a cruising speed of 800 km/h. Stamps include a flower definitive and some sort of ATM stamp.

That wasn't too bad of an update. Thanks go to Juliane, Dale, Jean Pierre, Ksenia, and Natalia.
That's all for this time but be sure to drop by again tomorrow for a special update.

Friday's Update on Sunday

2011-11-06T09:28:00.000-08:00

It's Sunday , I know but I really thought I would get this update in on Friday. It wasn't to be. Then no time on Saturday- with grandkids all day and evening. Now with the extra hour I gained today due to standard time replacing daylight saving time, I can finally get to postcards. At least for an hour ! I have just four cards from Czech Republic, Ukraine, Poland and Finland. All four are from Postcrossers.

Card # 1 -Czech Republic - Kubina wrote that he read on my Postcrossing profile that I liked postcards with Airliners on the them, so he went out and bought one for me. Thanks so much. Another great card for my Airlines/Airliners collection. This one is a B-737 of XL Airways Germany. From looking at their livery I think they may be a charter airline . The stamps include a 2007 flower definitive and a 2011 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart stamp. You know , I have been looking at and collecting stamps for over 45 years and every now and then a stamp sticks out and this is one of them . I have seen a number of beautiful stamps and this Mozart stamp rates with the best of them. It gets my vote. A great card and a great stamp.

Today's 2nd card id from Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. Olya sent this card called The Newborn and I guess in a way it is. She writes that Pottery is a tradition in Ukraine. My lovely Teena saw this card and said it was a nice card. She sees most of my cards as they arrive but reserves her comments for those that depict people and objects like this pottery one. Olya used a 2007 definative, 1 of a set of 7.

Card # 3 give us a look at Stargard Szczecinski, a city of just over 70,000 located in northwestern Poland. Stargard was first mentioned in 1140 and received city rights in 1243. During World War II, the large prisoner-of-war camp Stalag 11-D was located near Stargard. Thousands of Canadians captured at Dieppe were imprisoned there. The stamp on this one is from a 2001 set of 2 featuring Farms.

Today's final card , entitled Birds of Finland, from Anu, is of course from Finland. On it we see the Eurasian Hobby, a small falcon. The Hobby is certainly not on any threatened or endangered list. Anu used a 2009 Aurora Borealis stamp from a set of 3 Polar Light stamps.

That's the update for this time. Thanks to all who sent cards. So now my extra hour is no more. Put to good use I think.
See you next time. Leave a comment if you have anything to say . Cheers !

Confucius, Ghent, and R.M.S. Titanic

2011-11-03T12:32:00.000-07:00

It's me again, four updates in four days. What can I say, I've never been this good before. But you know, it'll end sometime, maybe tomorrow. If I am to have an update tomorrow, my mailbox today will have to have some postcards, as after this update, I'll be up to date, postcard wise. Here we go, let's get to it, the reason why you're reading this.

card # 1 - Comes from Beijing, People's Republic of China. The card is entitled The Tomb of Confucius. But I think the card actually shows the entrance gate to the Confucius Family Cemetery. This is a prestamped postcard and the stamp is exactly like the card.

Card # 2- Elodie sent this card from Ghent, Belgium. Ghent is a city located in the Flemish region of Belgium. The castle on the card is The Gravensteen. It originates from the Middle Ages, having been built in 1180. The name means "castle of the count"in Dutch. It was built by Count Philip of Alsace. The stamp used here is just a common Priority Mail Stamp.

Card # 3 - This one is from Maria who lives close to Cobh which was formerly called Queenstown. The card shows us the R.M.S. Titanic and everyone knows what happened on the night of 15 April 1912. Queenstown was the last port of call for RMS Titanic. 123 Passengers boarded there, only 44 survived that fateful night. Maria used 4 flower definitives from 2005 and 2008.
Another update in the books. A short one this time, as I've run out of cards. So I'm off to the mailbox to see if I'll be here tomorrow. Thanks to Maria, Elodie and Timmy in China .

Take care , see you soon.

Sudan, Italy, Mauritius, Ukraine and Russia

2011-11-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

Here I am again, the third update in three days. I have a few cards for today from Sudan, Italy, Mauritius, Ukraine and Russia. Here we go.

Sudan is up first - This card from David was sends greetings from Meroe, Sudan. Mero is an ancient city on the east bank of the Nile., about 200 km north east of Khartoum. The city is marked by more than three hundred pyramids in three groups. We can see a few of the pyramids on David's card. In June 2011, the Archaeological Sites of Meroe were listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. David used 2 nice large stamps here. The top stamp was issued in 2008 and is 1 of a set of 4 issued for the 5th Sudan Population Census. I like the slogan on the stamp "Stand Up And Be Counted ."The stamp on the bottom was issued in 2009 and is 1 of 3 put out for the Merowe Dam and Transmission Line.
Now let's look at the Italy card, and it comes from Turin. The card celebrates the 150th Anniversary of the Unity of Italy (1861-2011). Turin is well known as the home of the Shroud of Turin and the home of Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo. It is sometimes called The Detroit of Italy. Turin was also the host city for the 2006 Winter Olympics. Three great stamps were used on this card. The smaller stamp on the left was issue in 2011 to mark the 150 years of Italian unity. The middle stamp , 1 of a set of 4, was issued in 2004 to celebrate the upcoming 2006 Olympics to be held at Torino. The final stamp is a Europa issue for forests, 1 of a set of 2 , issued this year.

Next we have a card from the island of Mauritius. It's a multi view card showing many of the flowers of Mauritius. David used 2 indigenous flower stamps from a set of 12 definitives from 2009.

Card # 4 is from Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It gives us a look at the Church of St. Stanislaus in Chortkov, Ukraine. Quite impressive looking. Lots of stamps to talk about on this card. Let's do the top row first. Far left is a Red Jug Handicrafts stamp issued in 2011, in a set of 8. Now from next let to right : 1 of 4 issued for The Kiev Metro in 2010; 1 of 4 issued in 2009 Nature Reserve; 1 of 4 issued in 2009 for the National Song. The 3 alike stamps were issued in 2008, a definitive featuring a Pipe.

And, now the last card for today. It comes from Svetlana who lives in Tomsk, Siberia, Russia. The city of a half million is located on the Tom River. One of the oldest towns in Siberia, Tomsk celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2004. Winters in Tomsk are long and sometimes cold. The average temperature in January is between -21 C and -13 C. The lowest temperature recorded in Tomsk was -55 C in January 1931. Now that's COLD. Svetlana's cards is of the main building of Siberian State Medical University. It is one of the oldest and highest rated medical schools in all Russia. Svetlana used 2 stamps , the top stamp is from 2008 and is 1 of 2 issued for the Russian Federal Council. The second stamp was issued 2011 and features a Panda Bear.

So ends another update. Thanks to all who sent the cards mentioned, especially David L and David O, along with the Postcrossers for their cards.

One other item , a small carry over from my last update. I mentioned a card from Romania sent by Danut. I always give a plug here for anyone with a postcard blog, at least once. Well I didn't know that Danut had a postcard blog until today when I discovered it. It is called "World, Come To My Home ! "and here it is . I also like his subtitle "A Day Without A Postcard Is A Wasted Day . "
Take care and I'll be back here tomorrow , for the 4th day in a row.

Rex, Mr Potato Head, Sinaia, Cezanne, Wangerooge, Dongba Paper and Huntington Beach

2011-11-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

Here I am back again, Two days in a row, I must be trying for a record. I'm going for it so keep tuning in. That's quite a title above, for this update, covers just about everything. So let's get to the cards.
First up is a Toy Story card featuring Rex the green dinosaur and Mr Potato Head. The card is 1 of 100 in a set called "The Art of Pixar: 100 Collectable Postcards." I found the set on Amazon at a ridiculously low price, so anyone needing postcards , there you go. Amanda a Postcrosser from California set this card along. She used 2 Adopt a Shelter Pet stamps from a 2010 set of 10. Thanks Amanda, my grandkids will enjoy looking at this one.

Card # 2 for this time is a card showing the Casino in Sinaia , Romania. Sinaia is a town of about 15,000 persons located about 60 km northwest of Ploiesti which in turn lies 56 km north of Bucharest, in the historical region of Wallachia. Ploiesti was established in 1596 and in the mid 19th century, the region was one of the world's leading oil extraction and refining sites. The world's first large refinery was opened there in 1856-1857. This was an unexpected card, it arrived a few days ago. It's from Danut who writes that he reads and enjoys this blog and just decided to send a postcard. My kind of guy. Danut used a 2005 stamp from a set of 7 Pottery definitives and a 2007 stamp from a set of 4 Ceramics stamps.

Today's 3rd card comes from Chicago , USA I do believe. On it we can see a picture of Paul Cezanne's oil on canvas "Study for Railway Cut ." The Postcrosser who sent this card used a 2011 George Washington stamp along with 2 Forever stamps from 2011. The middle one is part of a set of 12 issued for Pioneers of Industrial Design and the ship stamp is from a set of 4 Ships issue.

Now we have a card posted from a place that I have to honestly say that I had never heard of before, and that's after collecting stamps for over forty years and also considering myself a bit of a geography buff. Where am I talking about , none other than Wangerooge, that's were. Wangerooge is an island in the North Sea located close to the coasts of the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. A part of Germany, Wangerooge is the easternmost and smallest of the inhabited islands in the Frisian Islands. Approximately 1000 people live there but in summer more than 7000 visitors a day show up. The island's slogan is "God created time, but he never mentioned haste. "So, cars are prohibited on the island . The island can be reached by ferry or plane. Postcrosser Christine used a 2011 stamp of the Biertan World Heritage issue. It is a joint issue with Romania. I like the socked-on- the-nose cancel by the post office. The way all stamps should be cancelled.

Now here's a card from China. The sender writes that it's a special card with special stamps. Well let's see. The card is made of Dongba paper and the symbols on the front are called Dongba symbols. This kind of handmade paper is believed to never rot. The symbols are a system of pictographic glyphs used by the Bon priests of the Naxi people in Southern China. They have existed for about 1000 years. Dongba is on the edge of extinction but nowadays the government is trying to revive it. The symbols on this card show a poem of Li Bai, one of the greatest poets in the Tang Dynasty. The 2 stamps along the top are from 2009 and show Guangji Bridge. The 3 together make a nice picture. The stamp at lower right was issue in 1998 and is 1 of 3 showing cave paintings. Sounds like a special card to me. I just hope that I have the card right side up.

Finally , the last card for today comes from Huntington Beach, California, USA. Actually it was posted in Santa Ana, 15 km away. Huntington Beach - Surf City USA. A nice shot of the pier . The red building at the end of the pier is Ruby's Diner. It was built after the last restaurant was washed away in a storm. Let's hope this one survives. I don't know about the city but I think I could spend a week in the area shown on the card. Looks great. The stamp was issued in 2011 and shows Voyageurs National Park, one more in the long line of national park stamp issues.

That's the update for this time. Thanks to all who sent the cards used today. Hope you enjoyed today's time here. Come back again tomorrow. I'll be here. Leave a comment if you're so inclined.
Cheers!

HAPPY HALLOWE'EN

2011-10-31T15:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloweén to all who celebrate. Here are a few Halloweén postcards to get you in the mood.
Okay, now that we have that out of the way, I know that I haven't been very active here on the blog for well over a week. Sadly, I have no really good excuse for that. Cards have been arriving , but I've been putting them aside for the next day. Which seems to have never come around. Well I'm back now and I'll be back again tomorrow. Got a piece of Good news today. A contact in Cote d 'Ivoire emailed that a couple of cards were dropped in the mail for me last week. I'll certainly blog their arrival as I love a new country in the collection

I just have a couple or three cards for today. Two are from my bother Dale and the other is from Jean Pierre. Dale's first card is from New Zealand and shows an upside down map of the world. As the card says, When everything goes "arse up," NZérs come out on top.
Dale's stamp was issued this year for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, which the New Zealand All Blacks team won over France.

My second card today is from The Kingdom of Bahrain. It shows a number of towers that are located in the country. The theme of the card is " Bahrain towards Vision 2030 " . Vision 2030 is a comprehensive economic vision for Bahrain providing a clear direction for the continued development of their economy and at its heart is a shared goal of building a better life for every Bahraini. Vision 2030 has been developed over the course of four years in consultation with over 1000 Bahrainis from the public sector, private sector, academia and civil society. The Vision will be underpinned by a national economic strategy detailing strategic initiatives across a range of sectors which together will deliver the long term aspirations outlined the within the Vision. I'm not sure if just building towers will help Bahrain get to Vision 2030.
Jean Pierre posted this card in the capital Manama and used 2 stamps. The large stamp on the right is from a 2010 set of 3 issued for National Day. The smaller stamp is a charity stamp. I wonder if it should be called something other than a charity stamp as I believe it is compulsory when mailing abroad. I'm also not quite sure that everyone using this stamp would be in support of where the money goes. But that's another story for another blog.

Last card for today , another one from Dale, is from Brisbane, Australia. Here we see 3 cute Koalas at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Founded in 1927, Lone Pine is the world's first and largest Koala sanctuary, with over 130 Koalas. The park's motto reads " The earth is not only for humans. "
Dale used a 2011 stamp from a set of 3 issued for skiing and snowboarding.

That's it for this time. Thanks to Dale and Jean Pierre for their cards. Enjoy your Hallowe'en evening. Don't scare the kids too much and don't eat too many treats.

I will be back here tomorrow for sure. See you then.

Airplane Cards, Bulawayo, A Nice Cover, Vincent Van Gogh, French Polynesia, Rainbows and Church of St. Stanislaus

2011-10-22T18:13:00.000-07:00

Hello again. I'm back with lots of cards, at least according to the title of this update. I have the cards but I'm not sure I'll get to all of them this time. We'll see how it goes.

Let's start with this fine old 1988 card. It is No 4 of the Air France Collection commissioned to interpret "The Fine Art of Flying . " On it we see an Air France Concorde on the ramp somewhere. A great addition to my Airlines on Postcards collection. Bruce who lives in south Africa sent this card along. He used a new 2011 International Small Letter , Springbok stamp commemorating the 2011 Rugby World Cup. I do believe it's from a set of 10.

Here we have another card from Bruce. It's a card of his hometown , Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The city of around 2,000,000 people is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital of Harare. In recent years Bulawayo has experienced a sharp fall in living standards coinciding with the severe economic crisis affection the whole of Zimbabwe. Today it is home to the strongest opposition to the government of Robert Mugabe. The bird stamp that Bruce used is from a 2005 set of 10 definitives, all birds.

Next is another card from Bruce, but this one arrived in an envelope with 3 wonderful stamps. The card shows a Volar Airbus A321-200. Volar's fleet consisted of 3 A321's and 2 A320's. Volar Airlines was an airline based in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. It was a successor to LTE International Airways and was again rebranded as LTE back in 2005. As I say, it's another one for my Airlines on Postcards collection. Bruce used 3 beautiful bird stamps on this cover. They are part of a set of 10 in a Birds of Prey Miniature Sheet issued in 1998. The sheet actually calls them South African Raptors. Just a great set indeed.
Thanks Bruce, you did well, great cards and great stamps.

Now for something a little different, a card from The Netherlands. It shows a class of students and teachers from a middle school in Tilburg, Netherlands , Willem II College . This is the class of 1866-1867 and includes one 13 year old lad named Vincent van Gogh. I'm not sure how well this will scan, but feel free to take a guess as to which of the lads is Vincent. This card is from a Dutch Postcrosser who used 3 stamps. They are, starting from the left : a 2001 Moving stamp and then 2 from a 2008 set issued for 100 Years of Mycological Association.

Next are a number of cards sent by my brother Dale. He is currently on a 54 day cruise and a 10 day Australian Outback trek. He started in Honolulu, which his first card shows. Ah Honolulu, and Waikiki, I think it's time to go back. Are you reading this Teena ? Dale actually posted this card in Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia, so it arrived with an even better stamp than if it was posted in Honolulu. The French Polynesia stamp was issued in 2011 commemorating the 50th Anniversary of The Pearl of Tahiti.

From Honolulu, we follow Dale to Papeete and then Bora Bora. The first card shows various scenes in and around Papeete, Tahiti. Quoting his card "Ah Tahiti, fabled island of swaying palms, and pretty vahines". Tahiti has been the sometime home of Herman Melville of Moby Dick fame, Robert Louis Stevenson of Treasure Island and Kidnapped fame, Paul Gauguin, even Marlin Brando of The Godfather fame. Dale posted this card in Bora Bora and used a 2011 stamp from a set of 3 featuring sculptures for Heiva.

Dale's next card gives us a bird's eye view of the white sand of Matira Beach on Bora Bora. Just another beautiful place one could spend a week . The stamp on this one , issued 2011 actually shows the island of Bora Bora from offshore.
Thanks Dale and keep those cards coming, I love to get them.

I think I'll call it a day here and leave the other two cards for another time. This seems to be a pretty good update, so I'll quit while I'm ahead.
Take care , see you soon. Comments anyone ?

The Burj, Balloons, Saint Paul de Vence and more Burj

2011-10-18T20:24:00.000-07:00

Hello again, it's Tuesday and I'm here with a new update. Four cards arrived in yesterday's mail, so here they are.

Card # 1 - The Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, located in downtown Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With a height of over 828 metres, the Burj holds a number of world records as follows :
Tallest Building in the world,
Tallest free standing structure in the world,
Highest number of stories in the world,
Highest occupied floor in the world,
Highest outdoor observation deck in the world,
Elevator with the longest travel distance in the world and
Tallest service elevator in the world.
I need say no more. To quote Jean Pierre, "Dubai, where everything is bigger, taller and better than everywhere else on earth ".
Jean Pierre used 2 large stamps. The one on the left was issued in 2009 and is 1 of 7 in a definitive bird set . Note Large , the way all definitives should be. The other stamp was issued in 2010 and is 1 of 4 in a set commemorating DP World. DP World operates more than 60 freight terminals across six continents.

Card # 2 - A Postcrosser named Sandra sent this card from Warstein, a small town in Germany, famous for its beer, Warsteiner. It is the home of the Warsteiner Internationale Montgolfiade since 1986. The festival is pictured on Sandra's card. Brings back memories of my hot air balloon ride here in Calgary a number of years back. Great ride but the landing was quite rough, we were dragged sideways about 150 feet. But we all survived. Sandra used a 2011 stamp, 1 of 2 in a World Heritage issue, a joint issue with Japan.

Card # 3 - Comes from France, Cote d' Azur, French Riviera in fact. It shows the Grand Fountain at Saint Paul de Vence.

The town is one of the oldest medieval towns on the French Riviera. It has always been a haven

for the famous, including artist Marc Chagall who lived there. Nice stamp on this card. It was issued this year for the G20-G8 Summit in France, the motto of which is New World, New Ideas. Let's just hope they come up with some, or else it wi

ll be the same old world.

Now the last card for this time. As the title above

indicates, it's another Dubai card showing another view of The Burj. Same information as above applies .

Thanks again Jean Pierre. Different stamps though, which is good. The stamp on the right is another of the large bird definitives from 2009. The other stamp was issued in 2010 , 1 of 2, commemorating the Universal Postal Union's World Post Day.

So ends another postcard update. Thanks to all

for their cards. Take care, see you soon.

A No Theme Update

2011-10-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

Hello again. I'm back with another update. Today's update is an average update with average cards from average places, and mostly average stamps on them. That's not to say that I'm not glad to receive them , but it seems that I have kind of been spoiled lately. Nice cards , exciting and exotic locals and great stamps. Today's cards come from Romania, Russia, Ukraine and the U.S.A.

First let's have a look at the card from Romania. It comes from the city of Sighisoara, a city of about 32,000 on the Tarnava Mare River in north central Romania. It is located in the historic region of Transylvania. Central Sighisoara has preserved in an exemplary way the features of a small medieval fortified city. The city is a popular tourist attraction thanks to the beautiful Clock Tower, a 64 m high tower built in the 13th century. It was added to UNESCO's World Heritage Sites List in 1999. On the card we can see a street scene of the city along with the famous clock tower. One of its most famous native born sons is Vlad III the Impaler ( Dracula ) , the Prince of Wallachia. I guess this is why the card sender wrote, hello from the land of vampires and said for me to eat lots of garlic constantly. The stamp on this one is from a set of 4 featuring ceramics issued in 2007.

Today's second card is from a small town called Kirovsk located 175 km south of Murmansk. Murmansk, Russia is the largest city located north of the Arctic Circle. Its hockey team, the Murman Hockey club is the most northerly ice hockey club in the world. The card gives us a look at the Monument to the soldiers or heroes of the 6th Komsomol Battery. There are 2 nice large stamps on this one. The left stamp was issued in 2010 and is an Europa stamp. The stamp on the right , also issued 2010, is from a set of 4 featuring native costumes.

Now for a card from Dnipropetrovsk, a large city in central Ukraine. There's a lot on this card. it shows Karl Marx Avenue, the main street in the city and also an alley along the street with a tram that is a replica of a 1900's tram. It is not a common form of transport as there is only one such tram on the line. To the right is the Central Post Office of Dnipropetrovsk. Quite timely to receive this card as I just recently started collecting postcards of post offices. Olga, a Postcrosser used a bunch of stamps, 5 different in fact , to send this card on its way to me. Here they are. Far left , issued 2004, 1 of 4 featuring Kiev by artists. Top center, issued 2004 , 1 of 6 costumes set. Bottom center, issued 2007, 1 of 6 Folklore Costumes set. Top right , a 2009 definitive. Bottom right, issued 2005, 1 of 4 in a paintings set. Thanks Olga, really appreciate the stamps.

Now the last card for this time. From the U.S. it shows a World War II theme. A U.S. battleship softens up enemy positions for a Marine amphibious landing at the Battle of Okinawa during April to June of 1945. The stamps include a 2011 Forever Love stamp and 2 spice stamps, also issued in 2011.

That's all for this time. Thanks to all for the cards. Looking forward to lots of cards in the week ahead.

Thanksgiving Day 2011

2011-10-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

It's Thanksgiving Day here in Canada. So to all readers of Gem's World Postcards, Happy Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Day in Canada is always the second Monday in October. It is a celebration of being thankful for what one has and the bounty of the preceding year. We celebrate by spending time with family and feasting in the Thanksgiving Day dinner, in which turkey seems to play a big part. The Moores family , me and My Lovely Teena, our sons, their wives and our 5 grandkids, celebrated with turkey dinner yesterday. A great time was had by all.

On the Thanksgiving subject, I was able to come up with a few Thanksgiving postcards. Here are the first two and for some reason they all include a turkey.

Now here are a few regular postcards. First is a card from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. This municipality was founded on 24 June 1478. On the card we can see the first church in the Canaries. Construction on Santa Ana Cathedral was started around 1500 and was not completed until almost four centuries later. Thanks to David for this card and also for one from Playa Del Ingles showing a beautiful beach and resort. The 2 stamps on David's card were both issued in 2011. The one on the left is 1 of 4 in a set issued for Civil Duties . The other stamp was issued for Biodiversity in the Oceans.

Card # 2 is from a Postcrosser in Oklahoma, U.S.A. This card shows a sight found along historic Route 66 at Catoosa, Oklahoma. Originally built as a one of a kind wedding anniversary present, the Blue Whale is one of the most unique attractions on Route 66. The 80 foot grinning whale can be viewed along the road. A little different look at a Blue Whale , from the one on the Canadian stamp here. I'm not showing the stamp, the Grand Teton National Park issue, as I have shown it many times already.

My next card is one more from Wallis & Futuna Islands. A nice looking card showing the power and beauty of Wallis . Thanks go to Jean Pierre for this one. The stamp is 1 of 2 crab stamps in a 2010 crab shaped souvenir sheet.

The last card for this time is somewhat of a mystery. It is from Sofia, Bulgaria , but I have no idea who sent this one. The front of the card shows a number of Bulgaria Treasures. Bulgaria is a country with an ancient cultural heritage- third in Europe after Italy and Greece. Among these treasures is the oldest worked gold in the world, dating back to the 6th-5th millennia B.C. The large stamp is 1 of 2 in a beautiful 2011 souvenir sheet celebrating 50 years of manned space flight. If you sent or know who sent this card , leave a comment , I would love to know also.It would have been cool to have the complete souvenir sheet but that's the way it goes some times.

That wraps up another update, but before I sign off , I just want to end this Thanksgiving Day update with a couple more Thanksgiving postcards. Here are the final two cards.
Like the two up top, turkeys again. What can I say ! Thanks to all who sent these cards and have a good day.

Giant's Causeway, Saint Pierre, Andorra and More

2011-10-06T17:18:00.000-07:00

Here we go again, a few more cards to have a look at. First up is a card showing the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. I have written about this before so just the card and picture for this time. It is on the UNESCO World Heritage Site List and has been since 1986. Laura who has a blog on archaeology stamps called Stamp Raider sent this quite unexpected card. Her blog is here. She was living in the UK for a year and she sent this card on her last day there. Thanks Laura. The causeway has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list since 1986. Laura used 3 stamps, 2 of which show Giant's causeway.

Next we have a great view of Saint Pierre, Saint Pierre and Miquelon. A great place to visit for a weekend. I'm not sure who sent this card as it arrived blank, but my guess is Jean Pierre. . Nice stamp on this one, issued for the St. Pierre Stamp Expo , 2-4 June, 2011.

I know Jean Pierre is responsible for this next card, from Andorra. On it we can see Sant Julia, which stands at 909 m above sea level. The flower stamp was issued in 2011 and is 1 of 2 in a Flora set issued by the French Postal Administration. Now if only I could get one from The Spanish Administration.Thanks Jean Pierre for this one and maybe the St Pierre one as well.

Now a card from Romania. This one is from a Postcrosser in Bucharest. It shows 3 burnt clay statuettes of the Tanagra type. These come from the Dobrogea area and date from the 3rd to 2nd centuries B.C. The stamp was issued in 2007 and is 1 of a set of 4 definitives featuring ceramics.
Today's last card is from The Netherlands. It is from Hennie who lives in the small town of Olst.
The card shows a Dutch Postbox or mailbox. Interestingly, Ive just recently started collecting postcards of postboxes. So this is a welcome addition. Hennie used 3 older stamps, 2 of which are also semi-postal. The stamp on the left was issued in 1997 , 1 of 3 in a Summer Flowers set. The middle stamp, issued in 1984, also is 1 of 3 issued for Philately. The stamp on the right is 1 of 4 issued in 1992 for Olympic Games.

Thus ends another update. Thanks to all who's cards showed up here today. I don't think I'll get another update in this weekend. Pretty busy weekend, it's actually a long weekend in Canada, Thanksgiving Day weekend. Grandkids, Family, Thanksgiving Dinner (Turkey), Going to a showing of Cirque Du Soleil's OVO. Will try to have a Thanksgiving Day update on Monday.
Till then.

Card # 2000 Has Arrived and The Winner Is Ana

2011-10-03T19:05:00.000-07:00

Here I am again. A little unusual for me to be back so soon after just yesterday. But, that's the way it goes sometimes. Of course , I have news, my contest which I started back on 26 August is now concluded. I have a winner, and as they say at the circus, one winner and one winner only. The winner is Ana of Skopje, Macedonia. Nobody guessed the correct answer, which was today, Oct 03, the day that card # 2000 arrived. Ana was the closest, back on Sept 04, she emailed her guess of Sept 28. She was just 5 days off. Congratulations Ana. Here's how the card arrivals went: 08 Aug card # 1900, 26Aug card # 1943, 22Sep card # 1982 and 03Oct card # 2000. Ana wins the big Blue Whale stamp from Canada Post. It is the largest stamp and the highest denomination stamp ever issued by Canada Post. Ana, let me know how you want to receive your stamp- Mint NH, on a cover or on a postcard. The choice is yours.

Her is my 2000th card. It comes from Naples, Italy. The card shows the plaza and Church of San Domenico Maggiore. The obelisk in the center of the square was erected after the plague of 1656. This card is from a Postcroser who used 2 nice large stamps. The one on tthe left was issued in 2011 and celebrated the 100th anniversary of the birth of Carlo Dapporto, an Italian actor. The stamp to the right was issued in 2009 and is 1 of 2 issued for Italia 2009, the stamp exposition.

Now, let's have a look at a few more cards. First up is Malta. The card shows some brightly painted Maltese fishing boats in Marsaxlokk. With all the different colours, they make a great picture. Postcrosser Kristi used a 2009 stamp. It is from a set of 17 definitives , all of which are large and also different. Too bad , all definitives are not like this.

Here's another card, this one from Norway. Ingunn sent this card showing Multer berries. Here in Canada we call them bakeapples or cloudberries . They must be really popular in Norway and Finland as the Norwegian town of Nesseby has a cloudberry in its coat-of-arms and a cloudberry is also displayed on the Finnish 2 euro coin. Here in Canada we just eat them or make bakeapple jam.Ingunn used a 2009 stamp from a set of 6 Tourism issue.

Next we have a card showing a Sea King helicopter of the Belgian Air Force. Sea Kings have been used for transport and also for Search and Rescue. At least 17 nations have operated Sea Kings including Belgium, Canada, U.S.A., Denmark, and Italy. A number of stamps were used on this card including 3 bird definitives from 2010 and 2011. The larger stamp on the right was issued in 2010 for the movie Largo Winch.

The last card for this time comes from The Netherlands. It shows a Reebok, much like an antelope. Wilma sent this card along and used 2 stamps of which I have little to say. Here they are anyway.
That the update for this time. I'll be back again soon. Enjoy your time with your postcards, stamps and covers. Comments ?

Aitutaki # 251 and Eritrea # 252 - 21 More To Go

2011-10-02T17:51:00.000-07:00

Well it's been quite a while, just about a week since the last update. Cards continue to arrive , so I really have no excuse. But, I''m coming back on a up note. Two new countries or at least stamp issuing entities. Aitutaki # 251 and Eritrea #252. With these two in the bag, I now need just 21 more and I will have done it - receive at least one stamped postcard from every country or stamp issuing entity in the world. Twenty one may not seem that many , but obviously they are the more difficult ones.
So let's have a look at #251 , Aitutaki. One of the cook Islands, Aitutaki, is located north of Rarotonga. It has a population of around 2000 and is the second most visited of the Cook Islands. Aitutaki had its first known European contact on April 11, 1789, when Captain Bligh and the crew of HMS Bounty first discovered the island. My card shows the typical view of a South Pacific island. Kaleena , who works at one of the local hotels sent this card along. She used 2 of 15 Tourism stamps in a 2010 m/s , all of which show scenes of the island.

Now for # 252, Eritrea. Eritrea is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south and Djibouti in the southeast. Its capital is Asmara. Not only is this a card from a new country, but a card showing an Eritean Airlines B767 aircraft. Another for my airlines on postcards collection. The much traveled David sent this card along from the capital of Asmara. He used 3 new 2011 stamps , all of which were issued to mark the 20th Anniversary of Eritrean Independence on May 24th.

Card # 3 is another card from David, this time from Sudan. When I took it out of the mailbox, all I could see was the front, and it read "Welcome to Sudan ". Let me tell you , I was hoping for the new South Sudan, but no, it was from Khartoum in the old Sudan. But still a great card. David's card shows a number of buildings including El Nilein Mosque, Friendship Palace Hotel, Presidential Palace and the White Nile Bridge. David's stamp is 1 of a set of 3 issued in 2011.

My next card is from Ethiopia. Compliments of a Postcrosser ( one of only a few in the country ) .
There are only 3 or 4 active members and they have combined for a total of 451 cards sent. Mine is #446 of that 451. The front of this card shows the Timket Celebration in Fasiledas Swimming Pool in Gondar. There are 2 great topical stamps on this card. First, on the left is a 1997 bird stamp featuring a woodpecker. On the right is a 2000 stamp showing a bushbuck. Two really nice stamps.

Now the last card, but as they say, last, but not least. It is from Toronto, Canada. It is a card showing Toronto's first post office, located at 260 Adelaide Street East. It was built in 1833 and has been restored and reopened by The Town of York Historical Society. This card stems from a private swap with Deanna. She actually works in this post office. She wrote that visitors can write letters with quills and seal their letters the old fashioned way. She didn't say what that was, but I can imagine people sealing letters with hot wax. The card has a special red hand stam, reading City of Toronto, U. C. ( Upper Canada), Mr 6 1834. Deanna used a 2011 Robbie Robertson permanent stamp from a set of 4 of Canadian recording artists. The stamp is cancelled with a special commemorative post mark. This card will now be part of my new collection of cards of post offices. I think I am at 6 so far.

This ends this update. I can now stroke out 2 more countries from the want list on the left top. Thanks to David, Kaleena, Deanna and Chitra in Ethiopia. Take care and see you again soon.

Manhole Covers, The Dodo, Stone Posts and More

2011-09-26T12:23:00.000-07:00

Time for another postcard update. Today's cards are some of those that awaited me on my return from Newfoundland last week. They are from Germany, Mauritius, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Canada and 2 from The U.S.A. Here we go.

First up is Germany. This photo by Ralf Oldenburg shows a Berlin manhole cover. When you look at it, it could actually be called a piece of art. Many towns and cities showcase themselves on their manhole covers. The internet has many examples of manhole covers from all around the world. Last evening I was out for a walk around my neighbourhood of Airdrie, and after receiving this card, I looked down and actually saw the Airdrie manhole covers. The Postcrosser that sent me this card writes that Berlin has over 30 different manhole covers in use. I think I have found a new collecting theme- manhole covers. This is my first , but now I want more, many more.
Now for the stamps. On the left is a flower definitive and on the right is a 2011 stamp showing a Caspar David Friedrich painting.

My next card is from Mauritius, an island nation in the southwest Indian Ocean. Bruce from South Africa posted this card of the elusive Dodo. He was recently there for a short visit. The dodo was a flightless bird endemic to the island of Mauritius. It has been extinct since the mid-to-late 17th century. We often use a couple of phrases related to the dodo. The phrase "dead as a dodo" means undoubtedly and unquestionably dead, whilst the phrase "to go the way of the dodo" means to become extinct or obsolete, to fall out of common usage or practice, or to become a thing of the past. Bruce used a nice new 2011 stamp , 1 of 4 in a World Heritage issue.

Card # 3 comes from Saint Pierre and Miquelon, 2 small French Islands off the south coast of the island of Newfoundland, which is off the east coast of Canada. The islands' status is that of an overseas collectivity within France. It is France's oldest remaining overseas territory. The card gives us a look at Pointe Aux Canons. The Pointe aux Canons Battery is located just before the jetty to the lighthouse on the site of a much older fort that defended the Saint-Pierre & Miquelon islands during the British raids of 1690-1713.My brother Mel and his wife Ollie recently visited the island and sent this card to me. On it are 2 French definitives overprinted SPM and 2 stamps issued in 2010 , one issued for fishing and the other a bird issue. I've often said in the past that St. Pierre stamps make a good collection and I rate them top of the line , along with French Polynesia for beauty.

Here now are 2 cards from the U.S. The first one is from Wichita , Kansas. It is entitled Post Rock. Fence posts made from rock. The card speaks of the resourcefulness of Kansans , using stone fence posts where trees are scarce. Melissa used 3 stamps, including the clock definitive, the Lunar New Year Forever stamp and a Love themed forever stamp.

Here's the second U.S. card. It advertised the Miami International Film Festival of last year March 5-14, 2010. It's kind of timely getting this card at this time. The Calgary International Film Festival is currently happening, just 15 km to the south of Airdrie. Jeanine used 2 Forever stamps, another of the Love stamps and a ship stamp from a 2011 set of 4.

Finally, the last card for this time. It shows a lady in a room at the Drake Hotel in Toronto. A nice looking card, just something about it. The card says The Drake Hotel, A Hot Bed For Culture. The Drake is a cultural destination for travelers of the mind, an architectural gem set amongst Toronto's vibrant Galleries, Lounges and Boutiques on Toronto's Eclectic Queen St. West. Travel & Leisure Magazine , in Jan 2006 , called The Drake "One of the 500 Best Hotels in the World " Thanks to Pam, a concierge at The Drake for this card. She used the Royal Wedding Day stamp from earlier this year.
That's about it for this time. In summing up, I mentioned about that I have now started a collection of postcards showing manholes. I really don't know if there are many of them out there, but if you have one, feel free to send it along. I also have just started collecting cards of Post Offices. I have 4 of these so far. Same goes for these, if you have one, feel free. Swaps for manholes and post offices are certainly possible.

Thanks for cards go to Bruce, Mel & Ollie, Melissa, Jeanine and Pam.
Take care. Comments ?

The Return of The Blog

2011-09-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

Sounds like a new movie title to me, no, I guess that would be The Blob. Anyway, I'm back, and The Blog's back. I was away for a couple of weeks in Newfoundland. I bought a few postcards, mailed a few postcards, so if you feel lucky look in your mailbox. If you aren't one of the lucky ones this time, maybe next time. Moving along, my mailbox was quite full on my return, stuffed with 27 postcards. Some of these will be showing up here on the blog in the coming days. Today's blog will feature cards from Thailand, Finland, Pakistan, Taiwan and Poland.

First up is Thailand. The card shows a reproduction of a Thai classical painting of Loi Krathong. This is an annual festival celebrated ion Thailand. It takes place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar, usually November. During this night, Thais float their Krathong on a river, canal or lake. The festival is believed to originate in an ancient practice of paying respect to the spirit of the waters. Today it is simply a time to have fun. The stamp here is from a 2007 multi sheet issued for Tourism.

This next card comes from Finland. It is a reproduction of a poster from the 1950's, put out by the Finnish Railway Museum. The young dude here looks to have just arrived by train to one of the local ski areas. The stamp was issued in 2007 and is 1 of 2 in a set featuring antiques.

Card # 3 is from Pakistan. I haven't received many cards from this country. So to get this one is good.On it we can see a Hunza woman making bed sheets. The stamps are from a set of 12 definitives issued in 1994 featuring Mohammed Ali Jinnah.

Next up is a black and white card from Taiwan. The picture , from 1988, is from a Jan Pang Hsu exhibit entitled Taiwan Retrospective Exhibition on Farming with Black and White. Ho-Nan , a Postcrosser in Taiwan sent this card along and used a number of different stamps as you can see.

Today's final card is from Poland. Asia who sent this card lives in Olkusz. This is a town in south Poland and was first mentioned in a written document in the year 1299. It has a population of around 38,000 inhabitants. Asia used 2 stamps, the one on the left is 1 of 2 issued in 2001 showing farmhouses and the one on the right is 1 of 2 issued for Easter in 2011.

That's it for postcards today. Just a couple more items before closing.

First, I have a little 3 part cartoon for you. It's for all of us who send postcards or like stamps and often complain about postage costs. Here it is , enjoy.
And, finally, a last call for entries to the contest that I wrote about in this blog back on August 26th. Check it out , it has a great prize . One last clue for you- as of this writing, card # 1982 has arrived.

Blog Hiatus, Again

2011-09-06T17:55:00.000-07:00

Hello Readers,

GemsWorldPostcards will be on a short hiatus. Actually , maybe not that short.

The next real update will not be before Sept 21 . Of course, the good news in this

is , my mailbox should be stuffed with postcards, so will have lots of stuff to put on the

blog. Now before I go , how about a few more entries for my contest as I mentioned in

my blog of Friday, August 26th. The prize is a great one . Check it out.

So long for now , but I'll be back. And, I hope you will, too.

Postcard From My Hometown and a Few Others

2011-08-31T12:53:00.000-07:00

Well, I am going to start this update with a special card. It's from Grand Falls Windsor, Newfoundland, Canada. Of course I have other cards too, from Pilisvorosvar in Hungary, Valencia in Spain, Cilaos in Reunion, Douglas on Isle of man, Narva in Estonia along with Nauru, England and Thailand. So , quite a mix of cards. Let's get to the first one.

1. Grand Falls Windsor, Newfoundland, Canada, where I was born and grew up. I lived there for about 20 years and now I finally received a card from there. How cool is that ? This card shows a part of the old paper mill that operated in the town when I lived there and continued to operate till about 2 years ago when it finally closed. The town of Grand Falls was established in 1905 and the paper mill was opened in 1909. This winter view of The Exploits River and the paper mill is taken from the other side of the river. The town is located on the right side of the river in the picture. Brings back a lot of memories for me. Trevor , who also hails from Grand Falls Windsor , but now works in Qatar sent this card while on a short visit back home. As Trevor wrote on the card, this was my old stomping ground. Trevor used a really great stamp , one for my aircraft on stamps collection. It is a stamp commemorating the first aircraft flight in Canada, in 1909. The aircraft shown on the stamp is the Silver Dart. Trevor, thanks for a great card and a great stamp, along with some great memories.

Card # 2 This one is from Pilisvorosvar, a small town in Pest county, Hungary. This multi-view card gives us a number of the sights in the town. Peter sent this card and he has a postcard and cover blog here. Peter used a mixture of older and new stamps to move this card along. The top left stamp is from a 2001 set of 6 definitives featuring chairs. The top center stamp is from 1970 is from 1970 and commemorates Liberation from Concentration Camps. The top right stamp is 1 of 4 in a 2010 Bio- Diversity set. The stamp in the 2nd row is a 1972 stamp commemorating ICONOS. The last stamp , the pink one is from 2000 and is again 1 of 6 definitives featuring chairs.

Card # 3 Another one from Ana. You can find her here. Ana recently travelled to Spain and sent this card from Valencia. This city of just over 800,000 people is quite old, it was founded in 137 BC. Valencia has a slight connection to Calgary, Alberta, Canada where I am located. One of its famous citizens , Santiago Calatrava , the award winning architect has designed a very contentious foot bridge here. The pedestrian bridge, called The Peace Bridge, crosses the Bow River and will when completed cost between 22 and 25 million dollars. The architectural designs alone cost 3.903 million dollars. It hasn't opened yet due to a number of delays including cracks in the welding. Many , many Calgarians are opposed to the bridge due to its high cost , although it is a fait accompli. A similar bridge in Toronto , although not designed by Mr Calatrava , cost just 8 million dollars. Well, I think I got a little off track there, but that happens now and then.
To finish up , Ana used a 2011 International Women's Day stamp.

Card # 4 This is a card from Reunion. Postmarked from Cilaos, a small town on the French island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean. Jean Pierre used a couple of recent French stamps on this one.

Card # 5 Comes to me from England and shows a number of views of Hadrian's Wall. This is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern England and was begun in AD 122. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. David used a Worldwide Postcard rate stamp featuring Queen Elizabeth.

Card # 6 Another one from Jean Pierre. This one is of The Tower of Refuge in Douglas Bay, Isle of Man. Designed by John Welch the Tower of Refuge, as it came to be called, was completed in 1832. Situated upon Conister Rock in Douglas Bay a granite haven in the form of a small castle took its place as a lifesaver for sailors. Built at a cost of £254, the tower was kept well stocked with fresh water and bread, ready to offer shelter from the weather and sea. John Pierre used a 1998 Flower stamp from a set of 6. He also use 2 cat stamps from a 2011 set of 6.

Card # 7 is from Narva , Estonia. Narva is located at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, 200 km east of Tallinn and 130 km southwest of Saint Petersburg. The Old Town Hall shown on the card was built on the orders of King Charles XI of Sweden. It was constructed between 1665 and 1671 . At that time Narva was the eastermost point of the Kingdom of Sweden. Olga who lives in Narva used a 2001 Coat of Arms stamp and a 2006 horse stamp from a souvenir sheet of 2 commemorating 150 years of The Tori Stud Farm. The final stamp Olga used is a 2007 badger stamp.

I think that is enough for this time. I usually only show 5 or so cards , so 7 this time is certainly a bonus. Thanks to Olga, Jean Pierre, David, Ana, Peter and Trevor for their great cards and stamps. Hope you readers enjoyed seeing the cards as much as I enjoyed receiving them. Take care and see you all again soon.

Cards From Evan, Ryann and Sara, Jean Pierre, David, Ana, Ravindra and 2 Postcrossers

2011-08-26T10:30:00.000-07:00

Hello again. Well, my cards today mostly come from named individuals. Of course all my cards come from individuals but some are more often mentioned than others. These are the ones that keep me going with postcards, stamps, and covers ( First Flight and First Day) . Very few days go by during which I don't find something in my mail box from these good people. Very BIG THANKS go to Ana in Macedonia, Leslie in Turkey, David in Ireland, Michael in Australia/Hong Kong, Jean Pierre in France and Bruce in South Africa and Ravindra in Sri Lanka. Now on to the cards of today.

My first card is from Canada, Niagara Falls in fact. I don't receive many Canada cards so this is somewhat of a rarity. It's from Evan and Ryann, 2 of my grand kids and their mom, Sara. It is a great view of Canadian Horseshoe Falls with The Maid of The Mist. My Lovely Teena and I along with our 2 sons were on the Maid of The Mist many years ago. And, yes you do get wet. I don't think I have to say anymore about Niagara Falls, do I ? Here's the stamp . Sara used a 2007 lighthouse definitive to mail her card.

Next up is a card from Isle of Man. On it we see The Laxey Wheel, the largest surviving working waterwheel in the world. It was built in 1854, in the village of Laxey. It's a must see for all visitors to the Isle of Man. Jean Pierre used a total of 5 stamps on this card. Four of them are from a set f 5 flower stamps issued in 1998. The other stamp is from a set of 8 issued in 2009. They showcase the photography of Chris Killip.

CONTEST CONTEST CONTEST

This card from Isle of man is the 1900th card I have received since starting this way back in 2006. I think it's now time for another of my famous contests, so famous that only a very few ever enter. The contest is as follows: You have to try and select the date that I receive Card # 2000. Here are some clues to keep in mind. I received card 1900 on Aug 08. Today , Aug 26th I received card # 1943. I usually receive an average of 39 cards per month, however so far in Aug I have received 57 cards. If you guess the correct date, you get a great prize. If no one guesses the correct date, then the first entry with the nearest date to the correct date wins. Any ties will be broken by random draw by My Lovely Teena. Here is The Prize. A Mint Copy of The Blue Whale, Canada's High Value Definitive, issued on October 4, 2010. This is both the biggest and highest stamp denomination Canada Post has ever produced. Of course , if the winner wants to receive it on a postcard or cover , that can be arranged. Otherwise you get it Mint, Unhinged.

So get your guess in sooner than later, it might mean your guess winning or not. Sent your guess to gemsworldpostcards@shaw.ca
GOOD LUCK

Card # 3 for this time- David sent this card of Turks and Caicos Islands from Cockburn Town, Grand Turk Island. Cockburn Town is the capital of the Turks and Caicos . It was founded in 1681 and is known for its long narrow streets and old street lamps. David's card gives us an aerial view of Grand Turk Island. The stamp he used is dated 2007 but was actually issued in 2008 as 1 of 4 stamps in a multi sheet of entries in a underwater photo competition.

A card from Ana is next. Ana was recently on vacation in Spain and took the time to send me a postcard. It is a general view of Toledo, which is located in central Spain, about 70 km south of Madrid. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 for its extensive cultural and monumental heritage as one of the former capitals of the Spanish Empire and place of coexistence of Christian, Jewish and Muslim cultures, as well as the place where religious persecutions were held against the Jews. Ana used a 2011 International Women's Day stamp.You can see Ana's postcard blog here.

My next card is from Sri Lanka and was sent by Ravindra. It is a view of the Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya , near the historical city of Kandy. Looks like a beautiful place to take a relaxing walk. Ravindra used 3 great stamps from 2010 and 2011.You can find him here and here.

Another card, this one from a Postcrosser in France. It's a great black and white card and could even be a top favorite of mine. It's a photo taken by French photographer Robert Doisneau, back in 1947. It is titled The Typing of the Vert Galant. Compare it to today. The lady would most likely be using a laptop or be reading a kindle, certainly no typewriter would be in sight. I like the Eiffel Tower/Paris handstamp up next to the 2 Marianne definitives.
While checking out this Doisneau photo, I came across one called Hell 1952 and one called The Cellist 1957. Both of these are superb and would make great postcards.

The final card for today is from China. Postcrosser Chen Qi sent this card of Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3. In order to serve the Beijing Olympic Games , Terminal 3 was built in 2008. The 2,900 meter long , 790 meter wide and 45 meter high Terminal 3 , covering an area of 986,000 square meters, is the largest single terminal in the world. Chen Qi used a nice assortment of stamps on this card. The 2 on the right and the top center stamp are from a set of 4 Views of Hong Kong issued in 1995. The far left stamp is from a set of 6 issued in 2008 called Summer Palace.

Well folks, that's all the cards for this time. But I'm not quite finished as I want to show a couple of choice items I received in the mail a week or so ago. Leslie in Ankara was nice enough to drop these in the mail to me. She knows that I like aircraft on stamps so picked these up for me. They commemorate a hundred years of the Turkish Air Force. First we have a First Day Cover, the first day was June 01, 2011. It It is franked with a Souvenir Sheet of 4 military stamps. Next is an imperforate , numbered vertical Souvenir Sheet of 4 different military aircraft stamps. Now lastly is the Souvenir Sheet as shown on the First Day Cover. These are just perfect and will be great additions to my collections. And let's not forget the great folder they came in. Here is the front and back of the folder.Thank you so much, Leslie.

O. K . That my update , a rather long one , I think. Don't forget the contest, The prize is really beautiful . I know you'll want it.
Thanks to Ravindra, Jean Pierre, David, Ana, Leslie and Evan, Ryann and Sara.

2 from the U.S. , Brazil, Lithuania and a KLM Plane at Schiphol

2011-08-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

Hello again, I'm still short on time, but will try for a short update. My first card for this time is from the United States. On the front we see Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in Women's Rights National Historical Park . The chapel, located in Seneca Falls, New York was built in 1843. The first Women's Rights Convention was held here in 1848. Craig , a Postcrosser sent this card from Bay City, Michigan. The stamps used include definitives from 2007 and 2004. The 29 cent Foxglove stamp was issued this year and the larger Forever Gilbert Rohde electric clock stamp was also issued in 2011. The most interesting thing is the Mailer's Postmark Permit # 25, which I hope you can see on my scan. This is the first postcard with a Mailer's Postmark Permit that I have actually received . I certainly think they are cool and I only wish Canada had this same system. I would love to have my own permit.

My next card is from Brasilia, the capital city of Brasil. This 3 view card gives us a look at The National Theatre and a couple of Sculptures. This is another Postcrossing card and Nathan used a 2002 trumpet stamp from a set of 10. The other stamp is from a 2009 mini sheet of 9 bird stamps, issued for Lubrapex 2009, a Portuguese-Brazilian Philatelic Exhibition.

Card # 3 comes from Lithuania. It shows us Ocalona by Katarzyna Sokolowska who created it to illustrate a dance performance choreographed by her friend Anna Maria Krysiak. The stamp that Laura used is a current 2011 stamp. It is one of three in a Personalities set.

Here is another card from The United States. This one comes from Christy in Buckeye, Arizona, a small town of just over 50,000 folks. On her card we can see a rider and her steed startled by a bolt of lightning. Christy used 2 nondenominated commemorative Forever stamps from 2011. The first one celebrates Messenger Mission and the second commemorates 100 years of racing at The Indianapolis 500.

My final card for this time is from The Netherlands. It is another card for my Airline/Airplane on postcards collection. This one sent by Bruce from South Africa shows a KLM aircraft at Schiphol Airport.
With tat , another update comes to a close. Thanks for cards go to Bruce, Christy, Laura, Natan and Craig. As they often say on TV , keep those cards coming. that's it for now. See you soon I hope.

More Nauru, Isle of Man, Estonia and Planes

2011-08-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

Here we go with another update. I think I have said this in the past, you can go years without a card from some place, then you get one and it feels great. Then you get another and maybe another. Well, I went 5 years without a Nauru card, then I made the correct contact and received my first. Now within a span of about 2 weeks, I have received a total of 10. Who would have believed ? That has happened a few other times , also.

Moving on to the cards. Let's have a look at a Nauru card first. Not only is it a card from a so called rare country, but it is an airplane/airline card. Even better for my collection. This one shows a Air Nauru aircraft. It is one of the seven cards received from Sinei. This card is another Nauru Post Paid card , so no stamp to talk about. But a great card for my Aircraft/Airlines on postcards collection.

Now we have another Nauru card. This one is another Air Nauru card, on which we see a B737 in an older paint scheme. On the back of this card, Air Nauru is called the airline of the Central Pacific. Sinei used a 2000 stamp that commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Nauru Phosphate Corporation.

Today's 3rd card comes from Douglas, Isle of Man. Located in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland, The Isle of Man is a self-governing British Crown Dependency. It is not part of the U.K. but Queen Elizabeth is the head of state. This card gives us a look at Mooragh Park in Ramsey, a popular public gathering place for the island. I have Jean Pierre to thank for this card. The stamps are 2 of a set of 6 Manx cat stamps, issued in 2011. There is a Victorian saying: “There is no end of cats in the Isle of Man because they have no ends. These are the totally tailless”. There is a cute little ditty on the 37 pence stamp , the one on the left. It goes like this:

No tail bearers are we
If we go on the spree
We've never a tail at all
To set off on our shanks
We are cats of the Manx
And no tail have we got great or small.

Next card up is from Estonia. Sent by Postcrosser Julia, it shows the old Tallinn town hall. This building is one of the oldest town halls in Europe. It was first mentioned in 1322. Julia used a beautiful set of 3 stamps issued for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Now, the final card for this time comes from Delaware, U.S.A. It's a great card in my opinion. It is a line of C-5 Galaxy aircraft at Dover Air Force Base. At the time this card was printed these aircraft were the largest cargo planes in the U.S. Three dozen of these 247 foot long planes were assigned to Dover Air Base. It was the only all C-5 wing in the U.S. Air Force. Many, many years ago when I lived in Goose Bay, Labrador there was always one or two of these massive planes coming or going at Goose Air Base. They were a wonderful sight to behold either landing or taking off or just parked on the ramp. Caitlin , another Postcrosser used a 2009 Grand Teton National Park airmail stamp to get this card to me.

That the update for this time. Thanks for cards going to Sinei, Jean Pierre, Julia and Caitlin. Hope you enjoyed reading and seeing the cards. If so, let me know, if not, still let me know. Your comments are always welcome. Later.