Postcard From My Hometown and a Few Others

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

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

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

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.