May's Last or The Last of May

Today is the last day of May, and this will be the 9th update for the month. If I could get in 9 every month, I'd be happy. This time my cards come from Uruguay, Brazil, Poland, Italy, Canada, Egypt, Italy again and Belarus. Let's get to the card from Uruguay. Not a country that I have received many cards from , I think this is just the fourth . The card gives a great view of one of the most important avenues in Montevideo : 18 de Julio. Avenida 18 de Julio  or 18 de Julio Avenue, is the most important avenue  in Montevideo, Uruguay. It is named after the date the first Constitution of Uruguay was written: July 18, 1830.
It starts from Plaza Independencia at the limits of the Ciudad Vieja (the Old City), and ends at the Obelisk of Montevideo in Tres Cruces, where it meets Artigas Boulevard . Although not the widest or longest avenue of the city, it is considered as the most important of Montevideo, both as a commercial center and because of the many tourist attractions along its length.The large building on the right is Palacio Salvo. It was completed in 1928 and was the highest building in South America for many decades. It stands at 95 meters.

This card is the result of a swap with Sofia who lives in Montevideo. She contacted me and of course I said yes. Sofia used a new stamp that was issued on March 7th of this year. It is 1 of 2 issued on that date honoring national hero Jose Gervasio Artigas. He is known as the "father of Uruguayan independence". Uruguay has a long history of featuring Artigas on its stamps, with the first stamp for the general issued in 1883. 

Here's a card from Brazil, showing Porto Seguro Airport. The airport was inaugurated in 1982 and  is located 2 km (1 mi) from downtown Porto Seguro.The card shows a couple of aircraft from a couple of airlines parked on the ramp at the airport. The closest one is a B737-500 in a RIO-SUL livery. The airline operated between 1976 and 2002. Another fine card for my Aviation and Airline Collection.

Jean Pierre used half of a 2013 tete-beche pair honoring Vinicius de Moraes.  In philately  tete-beche  is a joined pair of stamps in which one is upside-down in relation to the other, produced intentionally or accidentally.

A card from Szczecin, Poland is next. Szczecin is a city in the vicinity of the Baltic Sea. It is the country's seventh-largest city and a major seaport in Poland. As of June 2011 the population was 407,811. The card shows the National Museum in the city. It was established on 1 August 1945.

Ania , who reads  this blog, sent along this card. She used a couple of recent stamps. On the left is a Raspberry Fruit stamp from 2011 and on the right is a 2013 Priority A rate stamp.

 

Today's 4th card , compliments of David, brings greetings from Rome. On the card we can see the Spanish Steps., all 135 of them. They were constructed between 1723 and 1725. It is the widest staircase in Europe. 

 

 David used a couple of definitives from 2005.

David writes a great postcard and travel blog called "Postcards A World Travelogue ". You can find it right here  .

Famous Atlantic Shipwrecks. RMS Empress of Ireland was an ocean liner that sank in the Saint Lawrence River, Canada  following a collision with the Norwegian collier SS Storstad in the early hours of 29 May 1914. Of the 1,477 persons on board the ship, 1,012 died.  The number of deaths is the largest of any Canadian maritime accident in peace time. The Empress of Ireland was  a Canadian Pacific liner sailing from Quebec City to Liverpool.

On May 29th  Canada Post issued 2 stamps commemorating the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Empress of Ireland. On the left is the domestic permanent stamp, while on the right is the new International Rate stamp. The stamps received a May 29, 2014 cancellation  making it a First Day of Issue card.

Here's another card from David's recent trip to Egypt.  On the card we see a bit of Luxor.

On this card David used a stamp celebrating World Post Day 2013, which was held on October 9th.

And yes, another card from Jean Pierre. This time it's from Naples, Italy. The card isn't of or about Naples, but Pompeii , its ruins and Mount Vesuvius in the background. The city of Pompeii was an ancient Roman town-city near modern Naples. Pompeii was mostly destroyed and buried under 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) of ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

Three stamps from a set of 5 celebrating Stamp Day 2013 arrived on this card.

And the final card is : From Minsk, Belarus, and it took 79 days to arrive. I do believe it is a postman doing his rounds.

Dzianis used a nice topical Bird stamp from this year, from Birdlife International.

That's the end for this time, that's how May ends. Thanks for the cards  going out to Sofia, Jean Pierre, Ania, David, and Dzianis.  Take care and see you in June.

Rainy Day Post # 2

Hello again postcard people. Good to have you back on the blog. Well, it another rainy day her in southern Alberta , so a perfect day for postcards. Today I have cards from India, Germany USA, and the Netherlands.

Let's start with the card from India. It shows a five metre tall statue dedicated to Nandi, who symbolizes the ultimate in loyalty and devotion to the Hindu God Shiva. The statue is located in Chamundi Hills, in South India. More than 350 years old, this is one of the oldest icons in the area.

A Postcrosser from Hyderabad sent this card along. He used a 2008 stamp featuring Rajiv Gandhi and a 2009 stamp featuring C.V. Rahman.

My next card comes from Leipzig, in the federal state of Saxony, Germany. It's a front on view of  the St. Alexy Memorial Church with the Russian Honour, a Russian Orthodox church in Leipzig. The church is a free replica of the 1530-1532 built Church of the Resurrection in Moscow. 

Karin-Ute used a strip of 3 of a flower definitive. 

Here's a card that arrived from a Postcrossing Meetup , held in Cologne, Germany , back on Feb 15, 2014. The card is signed by 11 Postcrossers from the area. It is an Official Postcrossing card sent by Shantalya. I leave you to decide on the theme or topic of the card. Here it is. 

The stamp on this one was issued in 2013. It celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the Fehmarn Sound Bridge. The 963 metre long structure connects the island of Fehmarn with the German mainland. 

 

That's 2 cards  from Germany, so here's another. It pictures a cablecar of the Nebelhornbahn in Oberstdorf, Germany.  The city in the Bavarian Alps is the most southern settlement in Germany.

Detlef used a regular stamp from 2002 along with a ATM stamp. The stamp on the left showcases the Voluntary Fire Corps and the Brandenburg Gate can be seen on the other. 

Not enough Germany yet ? I have room for one more. This one shows the  Villa Hügel , a mansion in Bredeney in Germany. It belonged to the Krupp family of industrialists and was built by Alfred Krupp in 1873 as a residence. The house has 269 rooms and occupies 8,100 m². It is situated in a 28-hectare  park that overlooks the River Ruhr.

Sabine used a 2013 stamp celebrating  Ludwig Leichhardt,  a Prussian explorer and naturalist, most famous for his exploration of northern and central Australia.

Bellingham, Washington, USA is on deck next. The card shows some graffiti on the side of a museum in Bellingham. The city  is acclaimed for its small-city flavor, easy access to outdoor opportunities in the San Juan Islands  as well as its proximity to the cosmopolitan cities of Vancouver ,  and Seattle . I'm not sure how I'd feel living in a city that has an unofficial motto in graffiti that reads  "City of Subdued Excitement ". Sabine wrote that the graffiti painting has been on the side of the building for years - she thinks most people agrees with the message and don't feel the need to repaint.

Theresa used a 2012 stamp from a set of 4 self adhesive Forever stamps. They are the Pixar Films : Mail Me A Smile issue. Not exactly my kettle of fish, if you know what I mean. 

And, finally we have Amsterdam Airport. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the main international airport of the Netherlands, located 20 minutes southwest of Amsterdam, in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer. It is the fourth busiest airport in Europe in terms of passengers.

Kitty used a stamp from a set of 6 issued in 2013. It is from the set called Borderless Netherlands-Belgium , Paintings. I'm not sure what that means, perhaps someone from the area will enlighten me.

That's the end for this time. It's still raining a little, but starting to brighten up somewhat. Thanks for cards this time going out to Suyasini, Karin-Ute, Shantalya, Detlef, Sabine, Theresa and Kitty. Thanks for dropping by and having a read. Hopefully you can come back again. Take care.

A Short 3 Card Update

Hello again, the weather has been so good the last couple of days, it's hard to justify sitting inside and doing an update. But I have received a few choice cards this past week and I thought I'd do a short 3 card update. So here goes.

My first card is from The Vatican. On it we see Pope Francis. Affectionately called Papa Francesco he is the 266th and current head of the Catholic Church, in which capacity he is Bishop of Rome and absolute Sovereign of the Vatican City State. Francis is the first Jesuit Pope, the first Pope from the Americas, the first Pope from the Southern Hemisphere and the first non-European Pope since Pope Gregory III  in 741, 1272 years earlier.

 

David used a stamp featuring Pope Leo X. It is one of 2 in a 2013 set. 

 My next card comes from Panama. It has 3 views on it which we can talk about. On the left is the waterfall "El Macho ". It thunders 120 feet and is part of the river known as "Quebrada Maravilla ". On the top right, we have one of the many species of hummingbirds that can be found in the El Valle de Anton area. On the lower right is the famous Golden Toads, which measure a half  inch - 1 inch in length.  They can only be found in the mountains surrounding El Valle de Anton.

This card is the result of a swap I did with Javier back in Dec of 2013. I am just now getting my card, it was actually only posted on May 8, of this year. As they say, Good Things come to those who wait. 

Javier used 2 stamps from 2001. They celebrate the independence of Panama from Spain, on Nov 28, 1821. 

The last card for today. It comes from SMOM. The Sovereign Military Order of Malta. The prepaid card  was actually issued by the Order on 27 April of this year. It celebrated Pope Francis declaration  that  two of his predecessors, John Paul II and John XXIII, were now saints of the Roman Catholic church in an unprecedented double-canonisation mass in St Peter's Square.

Obviously the prepaid postage wasn't enough to get the card to Canada. David used a number of new stamps from 2014. There are 3 Maltese Cross stamps from a set of 6 and a stamp showing a portion of Raphael's 1504 painting  "The Marriage of the Virgin ".

It's certainly great that Canada is one of the countries that mail from Order of Malta can be sent. Not everyone is so lucky. 

That's all for this time Folks. Thanks going out to David for his 2 cards and to Javier . Be sure to check back again soon . Take care.

A Rainy Day Post

As the title says, it's a rainy day here in Alberta so that makes it a good day for postcards. Today's entries come from Tahiti in French Polynesia, Honk Kong, India , Switzerland , Czech Republic , and the Netherlands. Let's start with Tahiti. That's a place that's always been on my list to visit, and sadly, it still is on the list. Maybe someday, who knows. This card shows the beautiful scene at Opunohu Bay . Opunohu Bay is a bay on the island of Moorea, Tahiti. It is a narrow, straight, 3-km long bay with a water depth of about 80 metres at the mouth. It is located about 20 miles west of Papeete,  the capital of  French Polynesia. French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic. It is made up of several groups of Polynesian  islands, the most famous island being Tahiti  in the Society Islands group.

Jean Pierre used 2 stamps on this card. The one on the left is from 2012 and shows Bora Bora Airport. It is 1 of 3 stamps showing airports in French Polynesia. The 3 airports are Bora Bora ( BOB ) , Tikehau ( TIH), and Ua Pou ( UAP ). The stamp on the right is the 2014 Year of the Horse issue. It was issued on Jan 31and the card received a special First Day of Issue post mark in Papeete, marking the Year of the Horse.
The story doesn't end there however. Even though the card was dated Jan 31st, I didn't receive it until a few days ago, just about 4 months later. And, it arrived in an envelope postmarked from the Philatelic Center in Mahina, Tahiti on March 25th, almost 2 months ago .
Here are the stamps and then the envelope.   

My next item isn't a postcard but another cover . I just want to show it for the neat stamp. I recently received a nice set of aviation stamps from Michael of cddstamps. I was the lucky winner of one of his stamp quizzes. His blog on aircraft & aerophilately can be found  here .  The envelope arrived with a nice dinosaur stamp, 1 of 6 in the recent issue.

Nice stamp from a nice set.


The SRI Channakeshara Temple in Somnathpur, India can be seen on my next card. It was built by the Hoysala rulers.

Nagi, who writes that he is a regular reader of this blog sent this card along. He used 2 stamps from the 2011 set of  6 celebrating Legendary Heroines of Indian Cinema. There is also the Dr B.R.Ambedkar stamp on the left.

Next is a card from San Antonio, Texas - home of The Alamo. "Waiting to hear from You "is the theme of this card and it's 90 plus mailboxes. I'd like to be there nearby someday, when Mr Postman had to open every box and put a postcard inside. I guess he'd curse Postcrossing more than once.

Ashley , who likes T.S.Eliot and Roald Dahl, according to her card, used a number of recent definitives and Forever stamps. The only one new to me is the Phlox stamp from 2013.

Here's a Day of Issue Maximum Card from Switzerland. It was issued March 7th , 2013 and marks the 100th anniversary of the Lotschberg Railway that runs through the Swiss Alps. The Lötschberg line is a major railway through the Swiss Alps, which connects Spiez in the Bernese Oberland with Brig in the Valais.
Shown on the stamp and the card is Kander viaduct near Frutigen.  The viaduct is 265 m long and towers roughly 60 m above the valley floor. It consists of 11 stone arches.

Gabriella who lives in the small town of Buren used 3 different stamps on her card. On the left is a 2008 self adhesive stamp , 1 of 4 issued for Wheat. In the middle is a 2013 stamp with bfu, bpa and upi on it. I really have no idea what this stamp is about. Anyone out there know ? On the right is 1 of 3 stamps issued for Pro Juventute in 2012. Pro Juventute is a charitable foundation in Switzerland established in 192. It is dedicated to supporting the rights and needs of Swiss children.
Since 1913, the Swiss Post Office has issued an annual charity stamp series to support the work of Pro Juventute.

 Prague and some of it's bridges. Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. It is also the 14th largest city in the European Union. How many bridges, I'm not sure ? I've read 100 , I've even read upwards of 300 . Someone must know, maybe they will  let me know. Comments ? 
Canada has a City of Bridges also. It's Saskatoon, on the shores of the South Saskatchewan River. It has 8 river crossings. This one I know .

Hana's stamps include a 2007 Flower definitive and 2 copies of an A rate Architecture stamp from 2011.

The last card of the day  - It's called Confetti, a 1894 lithograph by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

Anneke form Broekland in the eastern part of the Netherlands posted her card in Zwolle. On the left is a 2002 Christmas stamp from a set of 20. The other 2 are from a 2001 set of 10 Congratulations stamps.

That does it for today. Thanks going out to Jean Pierre, Michael, Nagi, Ashley, Gabriella , Hanna and Anneke for all the great cards and envelopes. Tomorrow is Victoria Day in Canada, a National Holiday , there won't be any mail delivered. If you want to partake in our holiday tomorrow, and have a bit of fun, here's all you need to do. Just click on the Victoria Day label over on the left and go to the May 23rd , 2011 update. Read all about Victoria day and be sure to listen to the Gravel Pits Song and watch the lads as they have all the fun. Enjoy.

See you again soon.