A Long Time Between Updates and Cards from the Archives

It has been a while between updates. I'm truly not trying to make this a weekly blog, I would love it to be daily, but sometimes life gets in the way. I know my last update was Tuesday, April 26th and now it's Tuesday, May 03rd. Actually I haven't received many cards this past week and I was also waiting to do an update about my past cruise as seen through postcards that I posted to myself. Sadly not all of them have yet arrived, I am still awaiting cards from St. Vincent and Barbados. I hope thy arrive, but it's been quite a while now. I just hate it when postcards go astray. There must be a big bin of undelivered postcards out there somewhere. Anyway, I wanted to do an update much like I did after my Panama Canal cruise, which you can look back on here. Hopefully I will get to do it soon. I may just have to go ahead without the 2 missing cards.
As I said , cards have been few this past week, so I have decided to bring forth a number of cards that I received before this blog went on the air for the first time back in November of 2007. These are good cards from great places that deserve to be seen here. I have 6 or 7 for today. I still have quite a number that are in this category and will show them as time permits in the future. I like to refer to them as cards from the archives. So let's get on to it.

My first card this time comes from none other than San Marino. Let's talk about San Marino. It is a small enclave surrounded by Italy, located on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. One of the European microstates, it's size is just 61 square km, with a population of just over 31,000. It is the oldest surviving sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world. Founded on 3 September 301, it has the world's oldest constitution, enacted in 1600. San Marino is certainly on my list of places to visit before , well you know. My postcard shows a panorama of this really hilly country. Francesca , a Postcrosser who visited there, sent this card along.
She used a stamp from a 1997 block of four commemorating The 134th Alpine World Ski Championships, held in Sestriere Italy , 2-15 February, 1997.

Next is a card from another microstate, Liechtenstein. A landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland and Austria, it has an area of just over 160 square km and a population of around 35,000. Oh yes, you can add Liechtenstein to that list I mentioned earlier. Trudy sent this card and I leave it to you readers to explain the postage used. I guess P.P. means Postage Paid. It is just stuck on the card with tape. A neat trick, if one can get away with it.

I have one more card from Europe for this time. It comes from Andorra. Another small country at just 468 square km and around 84,000 people, it is landlocked and located in southwestern Europe, bordered by Spain and France. ( Maybe I should have called this update Small Country Day, as the next four cards are also from small countries or islands ) Andorra's capital is the highest capital city in Europe at 1023 metres. The picture on the card shows us Casa de la Vall.
Constructed in 1580 as a home for a wealthy family, it has served as Andorra's parliament building since 1702. Downstairs is El Tribunal de Corts, the country's one and only courtroom. The Sala del Consell, upstairs, has to be one of the cosiest parliament chambers in the world.
I was lucky enough to receive this card from The British Honorary Consulate to Andorra. Note the hand stamp lower left. The 3 stamps were issued by the Andorra French Post in 2002 and 2007. The larger stamp on the right is from a set of 6 featuring Lengends. And , yes another place on the list.
I would love to receive a postcard from Andorra with stamps issued by The Andorra Spanish Post. I only have 2 places left in Europe from which I still need a postcard, and Andorra, Spanish Post is one of them. The second place is The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Now the following cards are all from small islands, 3 of them are independent countries and 1 is an autonomous , demilitarised , Swedish-speaking region of Finland. So, let's start with Aland. This is a nice card showing an old Benz Gaggenau post bus on the way from Rovaniemi to Sodankyla in 1921. Aimo used 3 face different stamps including one from 2005 featuring a 1928 Oakland Sport Cabriolet . It is 1 of 4 in a booklet featuring classic cars. The top and bottom stamp showing a snake was issued in 2002. The middle stamp was issued 2002 and is from a set of 3 showing mushrooms.

Let's move on to Vanuatu, an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean, 1750 km east of Australia, 500 km northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji and southeast of the Solomon Islands.My card shows us a couple of scenes of Pentecost Island, 1 of the 83 islands that make up Vanuatu. I really like the middle picture, bungee jumping on Pentecost Island. Looking at that tower, it looks more like death jumping. I wouldn't even climb on that tower, let alone jump off it. Now for the stamps- they are 2 of 18 in a set of flower definitives, issued in 2006.

Just 2 more to go. Now it's Kiribati. An island nation located in the central pacific Ocean, it has an area of 3.5 million square km that straddles the equator and borders the International date Line.
Kiribati is expected to be the first country in which all land territory disappears due to global climate change.. In June 2008, the Kiribati president said that the country has reached "the point of no return"; he added: "To plan for the day when you no longer have a country is indeed painful but I think we have to do that."
This card shows a group of school kids in London, Kiritimati Island. London is the principal town on the atoll, which is also known as Christmas Island. My lovely Teena who often looks at my postcards, says this type of card, with people on them, would be her favorite, if she collected. I have no idea who sent this card- the only thing on the card is my name and address. A nice 2002 stamp was used, from a set of 6 featuring Explorers. .

And, now the last card for this day. It comes from Pitcairn Islands. A map card for all you map collectors. The card is from Dennis Christian, who writes that he is a 7th generation islander from Fletcher Christian of H.M.S. Bounty fame. I'm sure we all know that story, so I don't need to go there. Dennis used a stamp featuring a replica of the Bounty. It is from a set of 4 issued in 2005.

That does it for this time. A fine update if you ask me. Oh yes, you can also add these 4 islands to that list. A fellow can dream , can't he ?
Take care . Comments ?