Next Update October 10th

I will be away from this blog for a number of days. My next update will not be before October 10th. I am going on a small vacation , first a couple of days in Victoria, B.C. and then a week in Honolulu. So when I return there should be lots of postcards and certainly a couple of new countries in my collection. I received a couple of new country postcards today, but am too busy to update. But I can say that Country #200 has indeed arrived and I do have a winner in the competition that I had going. There were only 2 guesses and wouldn't you know , 1 was a winner. More on that when I return.
Regards all,
Glenn

Three Cards Today, But No New Country

I have just 3 cards to show today. First up is a card from Suriname. It shows The Presidential Palace in Paramaribo . I have written about Suriname in an earlier posting back in February of 2008. Suriname is a former Dutch colony and the only Dutch speaking country in South America. This card was sent by Debby, a Postcrosser, but this card is the result of a private swap. She used 4 stamps , which were issued in 1977, part of a set of 7 definitives featuring birds.

The next car is from The Azores. I also wrote about The Azores in an earlier posting in August 2008. This card shows the well known lake of the Azores- Seven Cities Lagoon. Unfortunately I can't make out the sender's name . Two nice stamps were used on this card, 1 from Portugal and 1 from The Azores. The Portugal stamp was issued in 2007 , 1 of 6 values featuring animals and birds. The Azores stamp on the right was issued in 2007 to mark the 50th anniversary of the eruption of Capelinhos Volcano. It is 1 of a set of 2 marking this event.

The last card of today shows Phoenix Dagda (June 7, 1994- Sept 5, 2008) Cards with Phoenix's picture are being sent around the world to celebrate his life and to share the joy that he spread. To be a part of The Phoenix Project or just to know more about it, visit www.phoenixdagda.blogspot.com

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That's all for today, other than this comment. I haven't really had many entries in my Country #200 Competition , which I wrote about back on Sept 22. Only 2 entries so far. It is open until I receive that card from Country #200, so get your guesses in and hope for the best. Benin and Zimbabwe have been guessed so you might want to try another country. It's just a bit of fun, but the winner , if there is one, will get a nice cover or postcard. Come on , try your luck, what have you got to lose ?

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Tbilisi and Hollywood

Two cards arrived in today's mail. One from Tbilisi, Georgia and one from Los Angeles, USA. The Georgia card was sent by Khatuna who lives in Tbilisi. She has already contributed to this blog with an earlier card from Georgia. Her card today shows a view of Old Tbilisi, dating back to the 4 th century.

There are a number of wonderful stamps on the card. The blue stamp on the top was issued in 2001 , 1 of a set of 2 featuring archeology and in this case sculpture art. The white stamp in the middle was issue in 2007, 1 of a set of 3 , issued for mountain climbing and mountains. The mountain shown on this stamp is Shkhara, the highest point in the nation of Georgia , with an elevation of 5,200 metres. The final stamp on the top was issued in 2005, celebrating 50 years of Europa. This stamp is 1 of a set of 4 featuring stamps on stamps. The stamps on the bottom left of the card were issued in 2002 and 2006. The 2002 stamp features Alexandre Dumas and the 2006 stamp features the Tbilisi Cable Railway, which celebrated100 years in 2005.

My other card today shows the famous Hollywood Sign. The card was sent by Postcrosser Kate from Los Angeles. The sign is a famous landmark in The Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles. It was created in 1923 and spells out the name in 50 feet high white letters.

I see I only have one entry for my Country # 200 competition, that I mentioned in yesterday's posting. Come on you guys, live a little , take a chance.

Missing Countries

Here is a list of countries that I still need a postcard from. I thought it only fair to list these for anyone wanting to make a guess for #200.
Angola, Antigua ,Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo,
Ivory Coast, Dem Rep of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Mayotte, FSAT, Wallis and Futuna Islands, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Mali, Mauitania, Mozambique, Nauru, Tokelau, Anguilla, Brirish Virgin Islands, South Georgia, Turks and Caicos Islands, Paraguay, Palestine, Rwanda, St Kitts and Nevis, Sao Tome abd Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, American Samoa, Guam, Zimbabwe. Just see below

Ascension Island, Country #199 Of My Collection

Today, I received just 1 postcard, but it is a new country to my collection, so 1 is good. It is from Ascension Island, the 199th country from which I have received a stamped postcard. Ascension Island is an island in the South Atlantic Ocean, 1600 kms from the coast of Africa. It is a dependency of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, which is just 1287 kms to the south east. Wideawake Airfield, a joint facility of The Royal Air Force and The United States Air Force is located on Ascension. Ascension Island hosts one of the five ground antennas that assist in the operation of the Global Positioning System. The island has around 1100 persons and its capital is Georgetown, from where my postcard was posted. It is a small island with just 91 square kms and was first inhabited in 1815.

The card shows Green Mountain, with an elevation of 859 metres . Green Mountain is the only place on Ascension where the vegetation is green and lush. The oldest building on Ascension , dating back to the 1820's is Garden Cottage, located about 766 metres up Green Mountain.

The card was sent to me by a clerk in the Ascension Island Philatelic Bureau. Thanks to the clerk for a great addition to my collection. The stamp used is from a 2008 set of 12 definitives featuring fish, insects, turtles, butterflies birds and reptiles. My stamp is of a Green Turtle.

All in all just a great card. Now of course the guess is on as to what will be country #200.
I guess we wait and see. But of course if anyone wants to make a guess and it is correct, then he or she will receive a nice cover of postcard, their choice which. First email with the correct country gets the prize.

Macau, Bhutan and Japan Cards

A couple of cards arrived yesterday. First is a card from Macau. Macau is one of the two special administrative regions of the People's 'Republic of China. Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta, facing the South China Sea. It is one of the richest cities in the world. Macau was both the first and last European colony in China. The Portuguese first settled in Macau in the 16th century and administered the region until the handover to China on December 20, 1999. The Historic Centre of Macau was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 15, 2005.
This Postcard shows the ruins of St. Paul's , originally built as the Cathedral of St Paul in 1602. It is one of Macau's most famous landmarks.

There are 2 stamps used on the card, both of which were issued in 2006. The stamp on the left is 1 of 4 issued for an invention contest. This one was for computers and IT. The stamp on the left is 1 of a set of 8 featuring daily life scenes.

The card from Bhutan shows Taktshang Monastery. Taktshang is the most famous of monasteries in Bhutan. Built in 1692, it hangs on a cliff at 3120 metres, some 700 metres above the bottom of Paro Valley. The name means "Tiger's Nest", the legend being that Padmasambhava flew there on the back of a tiger. The monastery includes seven temples and can only be reached on foot or by mule.

This card was sent by Leo Van Der Velde, who happened upon this blog and decided to send a card. Thanks Leo, I appreciate that. Leo used 2 stamps , both of which represent national symbols of Bhutan. They are from a souvenir sheet of 4 issued in 2006. The Takin, shown on the left stamp, is a goat-antelope found in the Eastern Himalayas. The raven , shown on the right stamp adorns the Royal Crown.

The final card is the one from Japan. It shows an evening view of Nagano Prefecture. It was sent by Junko. She used a 2007 definitive featuring a bird.

That is today's posting.

Four Postcards For Today

I have four postcards to look at today. The cards are from France, Taiwan,ROC, Finland and Japan. The first card , from France was sent by fellow blogger Eric. His blog is at http://timbredujura.blogspot.com . His card shows Saint Michel d'Aiguilhe Chapel in Le Puy-En-Velay. Le Puy-En-Velay is a typical town in the center of France. The cathedral here is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Eric used 2 stamps on the card that were issued 06 Sept 2008. In fact they are both postmarked First Day of Issue. Thanks Eric for this great card.

My second card is from Taiwan, R.O.C. It shows the Taipei Postal Museum. The museum, established on December 1, 1965 is a stamp collector's delight. It is one of the best storehouses of information related to the history of stamps , of the city and the country. This card is both a postcard and an entrance ticket to the Postal Museum. It was used as a ticket 23 years ago. The card was sent by a regular contributor Wei Yi. He wrote this card out on a very special day for him, Sept 03 , 2008 , the day that his first child was born. Congratulations to you Wei Yi and to your wife. All the best.
I am showing the 3 great stamps that Wei Yi used , and here is some information about them.
From left to right the NT$6 was issued Oct 15, 1999 for The Taiwanese Opera. The NT$3 , issued Sept26,1990 celebrating the 50th Anniversary of The Flying Tigers coming to China and finally the NT$2, issued Oct 10,1984 , a commemorative honouring the New Postal Museum Building . Thanks Wei Yi for all this info.


The Finland card is from Postcrosser Hanna. The card shows a work of art by Jan-Erik Andersson entitled The House By The shore. Hanna used 2 stamps that a connection to her home town of Espoo. Espoo is celebrating its 550 anniversary this year and the stamp on the left is celebrating that event. It is 1 of a set of 3 honouring Espoo. The bright colour is said to represent summer. The clock stamp on the right was issued for The Espoo Museum of Modern Art, which houses a clock museum. Great stamps , both. Thanks Hanna.

The final card is from Japan and was sent by Yuko another Postcrosser. The card shows a hearth in the floor. Yuko used a couple of stamps on the card. The one on the left I have mentioned before. The larger one on the right was issed this year to promote local festivals. It is 1 of a set issued in a minisheet of 10.
That's all for today.
See you tomorrow.

Seychelles, New Country #198

In closing yesterday, I mentioned that I had just received 5 new postcards, but what I didn't mention was that one of the cards was from a new country in my collection. I am glad to welcome Seychelles , country #198. Depending on who's country list one uses, and of course I used a list that I myself compiled, I now have just 56 to go.

So it's on to The Seychelles. Seychelles is an island nation in the Indian Ocean. It has the smallest population of any sovereign state of Africa. The postcard shows a typical beach scene from the island of La Digue, the 4th largest island of 115 islands that make up the Seychelles. It certainly looks like a great place to hang one's hat for a week or two. This card was sent by Hazel T of Mahe, the largest and main island of the country. Hazel used a 2008 Beijing Olympics stamp showing a javelin thrower. The stamp has a beautiful SON cancellation from the capital Victoria. Thanks Hazel for this great card and stamp.

The next card is from Taiwan, ROC. I'm not sure of the significance of the front of the card. Maybe if I could read the local language on the card, I would be a little wiser. Anyway, it was sent by Postcrosser Beva H. She used 2 Taiwan stamps from 2007. Both feature flowers and are from a set of 4. Thanks to Beva.

Next up is a card from Ostfriesland, Germany. Ostfriesland is an area located in northwest Germany. The card shows a map of the area and a couple of views from some of the surrounding towns in the area. Wilhelm J , a postcrosser from Riepe sent the card. He used 2 recent German stamps of which I have written before. Thanks Wilhelm.

Now a simple card from India. It appears to be a card issued by the government to get a message out to the people. And in this case, it's safety first. The card was preprinted with postage showing Mahatma Gandhi, to which the sender has added a new 2008 stamp showing a giant tortoise. This is the first hexagonal stamp issued by Indian Post. This card was sent by Mayank G.

Finally, is some sort of advertising card from Germany. Sent by Petra from Cologne. She used a 2006 stamp commemorating 650 years of the Golden Bull. The Golden Bull of 1356 was one of the most important fundamental laws of the Holy Roman Empire. Thanks Petra.

That's it for this time. Again, today's mail has arrived with 2 postcards , so be sure to come back tomorrow.
Cheers.

Four Postcards From Friday

I received four postcards on Friday past. They arrived from Belgium, The USA, Taiwan, ROC, and The Netherlands. My first card shown today is from Leuven, Belgium and shows the University Library Building. It was sent by Thomas , who lives in Ieper. Thomas writes the blog My stamps and covers, and you can find a link to it , over on the leftside.Leuven is in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is located about 30 kms east of Brussels. Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, one of the largest Belgian universities and the oldest Catholic University still in existence, is located here. It was founded in 1425. This library was deliberately destroyed by the German Army on August 25, 1914. It was completely rebuilt after the was , a gift from the American people. The library tower houses one of the largest carillons in the world. Thomas used 3 different stamps on this card. The 2 smaller bird stamps on the left are from a set of 3 definitives , issued in 2008. The larger stamp on the right was issued in 2006 , 1 of of a set of 4 showing paintings. The painting on this stamp is the 1907 painting "Woman With Hat" by Leon Spilliaert (1881-1946). Thank you Thomas.
The next card from The USA , is from Evansville, Indiana. It was sent by Postcrosser Alison M of Evansville. Evansville is the 3rd largest city in Indiana with a population of 121,582. Settles in 1812, the city is situated on a gentle horseshoe bend on the Ohio River and is often referred to as River City. This postcard shows a view of the pagoda with a sculpture of the founding fathers of Evansville. Alison used 2 new US stamps , neither of which I had in my collection. They were both issued in 2008. The one on the left is from a set of 4 showing Disney Characters , Mickey himself in this case. The stamp on the right, from a set of 16 featuring art and antique objects, honours Charles and Ray Eames. Thank you Alison.
My 3rd card for today shows Marroad International Hotel in Narita, Japan. Also included on the card is a night view of Narita International Airport. The card though is not from Japan, but from Taiwan, ROC. It was sent by a regular contributor to my postcards, Wei Yi. He used 2 great stamps. The one on the left was issued in 1990, 1 of a set of 4 featuring butterflies. The one on the right, issued in 1977, is 1 of 2 issued for industry and railways. It was operprinted to honour Little League Baseball Championships and 1977 World Little League Champs- Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Thanks Wei Yi for this.
My last card shows a multi view of Friesland, Netherlands. it was sent by Postcrosser Ingeborg, who lives in Leeuwarden, the capital of the province of Friesland. Leeuwarden is the starting and finishing point for the Elfstedentocht, a 200 km-long speed skating race over the Frisian waterways, held when winter conditions permit. A couple of interesting people born in Leeuwarden include, William IV, Prince of Orange and Mata Hari, who was executed by firing squad for espionage during World War I. One more thing that I must mention about Leeuwarden is the following: During World War II, after extensive occupation by the German forces, on 15 April 1945, the Royal Canadian Dragoons, disobeying direct orders, charged into the heavily defended city and defeated the Germans, who were driven out by the next day. Thanks to Ingeborg.
Today's mail just arrived and what did it bring but 5 more postcards. There will certainly be another posting tomorrow . Be sure to come back then.
As always, your comments are welcome.

New Postal Entity #197

Three cards arrived yesterday, from Portugal, Oklahoma, USA and Madeira, Portugal. The card from Madeira is entity #197. It is the latest stamp issuing country or entity from which I have received a stamped and posted postcard.
I acquired this card through a private swap with Sara P , a Postcrosser who lives in Funchal. Funchal is the capital of Madeira. Madeira is an autonomous region of Portugal in the north Atlantic Ocean. Located closer to North Africa, it has always been a part of Europe. It is a popular year round resort, famous for its wine and its New Year's Eve fireworks , which is the largest in the world, according to Guiness World Record. Madeira, first settled in 1420 now has a population of approximately 246,000. The island's motto is : of all islands, the most beautiful and free.
Sara's card shows a view of Funchal and Cabo Girao, the world's second highest sea cliff. She used a Portugal, Madeira stamp that was issued in 2007. It is 1 of a set of 2 issued for marine life.
The card from Oklahoma was sent by Lance , another Postcrosser. Í think the card is self explanatory but Lance says that his state is known for cowboys and that if it has legs and a place to tie a saddle on, those cowboys will ride it. Now , I live in Alberta, also known for cowboys, but I'n not sure our cowboys would go that far. They like their bulls and horses , even including wild broncos. I'm not sure they would saddle-up a Richardson Ground Squirrel. Oh well, each to their own, I guess.
The final card today is another card from Portugal. It was sent by Paula who lives in Lisbon, and need I say another Postcrosser. As I have said in earlier posts, if you like postcards , Postcrossing is the place to be. It's free to join at postcrossing.com. Paula used a prepaid postcard which is valid for mailing anywhere in the world. The postcard shows an old tram car operating as part of the transit system in Lisbon. Also interesting is that the picture representing a postpaid stamp is actually a part of the tram.

As always, if inclined , leave your comments . I certainly welcome them.

Just Postcards

Hi there, just a short post today. And as the title indicates , it's just postcards today, little else. No time for heavy blogging. Just a couple of postcards to show, one from Spain, one from Washington State, USA and one from New England, USA.
First we look at the card from Spain. It was sent by Carmen, a Postcrosser, who lives in San Roque a small village just across the Bay of Gibraltar from Gibraltar. San Roque was formed as a result of The Exodus of Gibraltar in 1704. Carmen used a 2007 stamp , 1 of a set of 2, issued to highlight cartography and astronomy. The card itself shows The Rock from Spain.
The next card shows Washington State University. It was sent by Amanda, a student at WSU , who is studying abroad for a year. She is from Australia. Washington State is located in Pullman, Washington and was opened in 1892.
The last card for today is a multiview card from New England. It was sent by Mae, aka The Postcard Collector. You can find a link to her blog on the left in the list of blogs.
That's it for today.
Later.

More Uzbekistan , Moldova and Switerland

Samarkand, Uzbekistan- My first postcard today shows Sher-Dor Madrasah, one of 3 madrasahs forming The Registan. A madrasah is a medieval Moslem clergy academy. The Registan is a place where people gathered to hear proclamations, and attend or observe parades, festivals and bazaars. Sher-Dor Madrasah was built in the 17th century.
Samarkand, with a population of 412,300 in 2005 is the second largest city in Uzbekistan. It is noted for its position on the Silk Road between China and the west. In 2001 , UNESCO added the 2750 year old city to the World Heritage List as Samarkand- Crossroads of Cultures. Samarkand is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world and is a crossroad and melting pot of thr world's cultures. Founded around 700 BC, it was conquered by Alexander the Great in 329 BC.
Until I received this card from Valeriy Ogay of Tashkent, I knew very little of Samarkand. Now, it has become a city that I very much would like to visit.
As one of the ancient poets said " you can travel through the whole world, have a look at the pyramids and admire the smile of the Sphinx; you can listen to the soft singing of the wind at the Adriatic Sea and kneel down reverently at the ruins of the Acropolis, be dazzled by Rome with its Forum and Coliseum, be charmed by Notre Dame in Paris or by domes in Milan; But if you have seen buildings of Samarkanda, you will be enchanted by its magic forever''.
The stamp that Valeriy used if from 2005 and features a coat of arms.

Chisinau, Moldova- The second card today is from Chisinau, Moldova and was sent by Elena Bondina .It shows the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Moldova. Established in 1946 it is the main scientific organization of Moldova and cooridinates research in all areas of science and technology. Chisinau is the capital city and largest city of Moldova . Located on the river Bic, Chisinau has among the highest proportion of green spaces of any major city in Europe. Chisinau dates it founding back to 1436 and now has a population of 592,900 , as of 2007.
Moldova is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located between Romania and Ukraine. It gained its independence from the Soviel Union in 1991.
Elena used 2 different stamps on the card. The smaller 10b value was issued in 2008 and is one of a set of 4 featuring village wells. The larger stamp, also issued 2008, commemorates Euro 2008, the European Football Championship, which was hosted by Austria and Switzerland. The tournament was held between 07 June and 29 June and was won by Spain.

Bern, Switzerland- Another old city. Founded in 1191 , Berne, with only a small population of 130,000 is the capital of Switzerland . One of its most famous sights is the Zytglogge, an elaborate medieval clock tower with moving puppets. Of note is the fact that Albert Einstein worked out his theory of relativity while employed as a clerk at the Berne patent office.
In 1984 the old city of Berne was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site List.
This card was sent by Yves, a fellow Postcrosser. He used a very beautiful bird stamp from 2007. It is 1 of a set of 4.

A few comments to end off with today. Uzbekistan, long thought a difficult country from which to receive a postcard, in the space of 9 days , I now have a second card. You never know, do you ?
Take note of the clear circular postmark on the card from Switzerland. I know Canada could certainly learn something about postmarks from the Swiss. The postmark from Uzbekistan is pretty good also. Take note Canada Post.

That is it for this time. Hopefully I will have another update tomorrow or Sunday, when I see what arrives in todays mail.
Cheers.