A Blog To End August

Well the end of August is here, and am sure that must be a reason for a blog update. Of course today's cards have nothing at all to do with August, other than they arrived in my mailbox this past month. The first card today arrived from Salantai, Lithuania , a small town of less than 2,000 people in the north west of the country.
I guess like in many  small towns, it is difficult finding cards that reflect the town or area. So, this Postcrosser sent a generic card. A lady seeing off her man.

Simona's card arrived with 2 stamps. On the left is a 2014 stamp commemorating 50 Years of Heart Operations. The small stamp on the right is 1 of 6 in a 2015 set showing Old Coins.

My second card today is from Russia, showing a train to nowhere, somewhere, I don't know.  Anastasia translated a small quote located on the back of the card. It is by A.T.Tvardovsky, the Soviet poet and writer. After reading it , I now see the significance of the bleak train scene on the front. It goes like this :
 "And there is Baikal, behind that distance, it could hardly be rounded in half a day, And beyond Baikal is Transbaikal, And there is another distance that will turn into a new distance ; And the distance that I don't know, will be merged by another big, severe one. " This is from "Distance after Distance "by  Tvardovsky . Distance After Distance , a big collection of impressions and meditations on Russian life was conceived during a trip on the Trans Siberian Railway.

 Guess the card 's picture makes a little sense now. Anastasia used a definitive from the 2009 Kremlin set of 12, along with a new 2015 stamp showing a lovely lady playing piano, no doubt a painting from 1849.

Anyone familiar with Cervantes' Don Quixote ?  This next postcard shows Sancho and Don Quixote facing the windmills believing them to be evil giants. The Spanish novel was published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615. It is considered to be one of the most influential works of literature from the Spanish Golden Age.

Riccardo used a definitive of King Juan Carlos. He ruled from 1975-2014.

A vintage post box from Indonesia , and the interior of a post office are  the focus of this card from Jakarta.

On the left , Ika used a Flower Greeting Stamp from 2001. It is from a set of 8. Sorry, but I couldn't find anything about the smaller stamp on the right.

 

A number of blogs ago I mentioned that Airport postcards would make a nice collection. I haven't got a whole lot of them , but every now and then , one arrives. Here's the latest - Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand. Suvarnabhumi Airport, also known as Bangkok International Airport, is one of two international airports serving Bangkok, Thailand. The other one is Don Mueang International. The airport shown on the card started international flights on 28 September of 2006.

Preeya used some sort of ATM  or computer stamp, showing elephants .

Finally for today, here's one more for my Aircrafts On Postcards  Collection. A Lufthansa Airbus A380.

Jean Pierre used a Flower definitive along with a stamp , from 2014, celebrating the UNESCO W H Site Lorsch Abbey and its 1250 Years.

Well there you have it - so ends August . Looking forward to September and beyond. Sounding a little like Buzz Lightyear there, I do believe.  Thanks for today's card go out to Simona, Anastasia, Riccardo, IKA, Preeya and Jean Pierre.

Just back from the mailbox and received my first cork postcard. Look for that one next time to start September .
Take care, enjoy your postcards.

August Blog # 6

Well I do believe it's that time again - time for another blog posting. Let's start this day with Turkey- no not dinner, the country . The card shows an evening view of Kusadasi, a beach resort town on Turkey's western Aegean coast. It's a good jumping-off point for visiting the ruins at Ephesus. The town is also a major cruise ship stop, with a seafront promenade, hotels, restaurants and a marina.

Ana used 2 stamps from a few years ago on her card. On the left is a 2010 stamp honouring Mustafa Kemal Ataturk- the first President of Turkey. On the right is 1 of 8 stamps in a Tourism set, celebrating Turkish cities. This one showcases Izmir, the third most populous city after Istanbul and Ankara.

The beautiful and idyllic Faroe Islands is the subject of this next card , perhaps it's even Runavik, since that is where this card came from . But I'm not sure. The Faroe Islands have been in the news this year. They were voted No 1 as a travel destination for 2015 by National Geographic Traveler Magazine and their millions of readers and followers on social media. Here's an interesting fact to go along with my look at the Faroe Ialands - Irish monks , not vikings, are thought to have been the first settlers of the Faroe Islands.

Herbjorg at the tourist office in Runavik sent this card along. The card was stamped PP or Postpaid but also included 2 stamps from 1991. They made up a set of Sea Birds.

Now here is where I should be showing a card that arrived from France. It was sent by Jobbo but it is a little too risque for this blog  My definition of risque is "slightly indecent or liable to shock ".  I think this card meets that definition.  I never wanted to be a censor here but this is the first card I have received that I have not put up here. But as they say - It is what it is . I do want to thank Jobbo , just the same. It stays  in my collection, but well in the back.


A different card from France is next. Le Touquet. Le Touquet is a commune near Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France. With a population of just over 5,300, it balloons to around  250,00 during the summer. It has the reputation as the most elegant holiday resort of northern France, the playground of rich Parisians. It looks like a great spot - guess I'll just have to look from afar.

Dominique used a 2014 stamp issued to honour the Martyrs of Tulle. TheTulle massacre  refers to the roundup and execution of civilians in the French town of Tulle  by the Nazi 2nd SS Panzer Division June 1944 . On 9 June 1944, after arresting all men between the ages of sixteen and sixty, the SS ordered 120 of the prisoners to be hanged, of whom 99 were actually hanged. In the days that followed, 149 men were sent to the Dachau concentration camp, where 101 lost their lives. In total, the actions of the Wehrmacht, the SS and the SD claimed the lives of 213 civilian residents of Tulle.

Now here's the Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest. The Hungarian Parliament Building, also known as the Parliament of Budapest for being located in that city, is the seat of the National Assembly of Hungary, one of Europe's oldest legislative buildings, a notable landmark of Hungary and a popular tourist destination of Budapest. It lies in Lajos Kossuth Square, on the bank of the Danube. It is currently the largest building in Hungary and still the highest building in Budapest. 

Jean Pierre used 2 stamps from 2013. On the left is 1 of 2 issued for Stamp Day 2013. On the right is a Europa Stamp , 1 of 4 in a set showing Postal Transport Vehicles. 

The last card for today arrived from Singapore and shows The Penny Black - not the famous stamp but the pub in Singapore. It's a quintessential Victorian Public House with hearty London pub meals and a wide variety of beer on-tap , in a cosy English setting. 

Ravindra used just a beautiful and large stamp. It was issued in 2012 , with 2 stamps in the set called Gardens By The Bay. The 2nd stamp is just as beautiful as the one shown. 

This postcard was stamped and postmarked during " Singapore 2015 " - The World Stamp Exhibition , held in Singapore 14 -19 August. It must be great to attend a world Stamp Exhibition , if one is a stamp collector , of course. 

That's today's update. Thanks for cards go out to Ana, Herborg, Jobbo, Dominique , Jean Pierre and Ravindra. These were great cards indeed. Drop by again soon for more of the same - postcards and stamps. 

A Few More Postcards

I do believe it's time for another blog update. If you read to the end of my last update you know where today's card are from or at least about. So let's get to them.
Today's first card arrived from Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A. , at least that's what the cancellation reads. Mike and Ashley's card provides a grand view of Lincoln Financial Field, home stadium of the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL. Completed in 2003, it has a seating capacity of 68,532. The stadium cost $512 million to build and $139.6 million was recouped through naming rights for 21 years. In August of 2003 a soccer match between Manchester United and FC Barcelona was played in " The Linc " as it is known . Music acts to have played here include Bruce Springsteen, U2, Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney.

Again Mike and Ashley used some quite new stamps on their card. On the left is a June 2015 stamp from the Coastal Birds set of 4. These stamps fulfill the Postcard Rate and show digital portraits of coast dwelling birds. The one here is the Red Knot.  The other 2 stamps are from the July 2015 First Class Forever Rate set of 4 called Summer Harvest . They were inspired by the labels found on produce crates during America's early industrial days.

This next card really doesn't need much introduction. Anyone collecting postcards will be familiar with this view or this bridge. It's featured on many cards in some form or another. Stari Most is a reconstruction of a 16th century Ottoman bridge in Mostar crossing the river Neretva. The Old Bridge stood for 427 years , until it was destroyed during the recent war there. The new bridge was opened in July 2004 and interestingly some of the stones from the old bridge were recovered from the river and incorporated into the new bridge. The site around the bridge was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

 

Jobbo , continuing his vacation sent this card along. He wrote that the post office in Mostar was badly stocked , so there wasn't a lot of choice in stamps. He used 1 of 2 in a 2006 Europa set highlighting Europe Integration .

A catamaran on the beach in Negombo is the subject of this next card. Negombo  is a city in Sri Lanka, located on the west coast of the island, at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon. The area is a tourist and  fishing  area known for sandy beaches.

Ravindra used 2 stamps from the 2014 Solar System souvenir sheet of 10. These 2 show Venus and Mars. I have already received the Moon from this set on an earlier postcard.

Albrecht-Durer-Haus . Located in Nuremberg this was the home of artist Albrecht Durer from 1509 until  his death in 1528 . The house was built around 1420 and since 1871 has been a museum dedicated to Durer's life and work.

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Ruth , a Postcrosser from Nuremberg sent this card along. She used a 2015 stamp highlighting Ludwigslust Castle, a stately home in Ludwigslust, northern Germany. It was built as a hunting lodge around 1725 by Prince Christian Ludwig.

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Last card for today. Another Postcrossing one from Germany. A little different view of an aircraft, from under the flight path, but quite nice.

Maria use a Flower definitive along with a commemorative from 2012. It commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the German National Library . The library was founded in Leipzig in 1912.

There you have it - another update completed. Thanks go to Mike & Ashley, Jobbo, Ravindra, Ruth and Maria. Hope you all enjoyed this update , Be sure to join me back here for another, soon. Take care

Water, Water, Water and Michael Jackson

Hello again, yes I'm back again with a few cards. Three of today's cards give us a look at water - ocean water to be precise and the 4th card - M. J.  himself, the King of Pop. Let's start with the Clonakilty Bay, Cork, Ireland card. Clonakilty is one of the chief towns in West Cork. The town of just over 4,700 is located at the head of the tidal bay. 5 kms from Clomakilty is Inchadoney and its fine sandy beach. The famous Irish resistance leader, Michael Collins was born just 6 kms from Clonakilty.

This card is from David , sent from his Irish holidays.  On the left is a single stamp issued on July 30th of this year. It commemorates Pearse's speech at the graveside of O'Donovan Rossa.  Rossa's life is well documented , but he is perhaps known best in death for the graveside oration given at his funeral by Padraig Pearse.  It ended with these words " Ireland unfree shall never be at peace ".  The stamp at right , issued on July 16th , is 1 of 4 in a set called Ireland - The Food Island.

My second card for this time shows Sveti Stefan, a small islet and hotel resort in Montenegro, about 6 km from Budva. Jobbo's card was posted in Perast, an old town on the Bay of Kotor. In 2003 its population was all of 349.

Jobbo used 2 copies of a stamp issued for Stamp Day, 2008.

Even though this next card arrived from Singapore, it shows a lovely beach scene in Malaysia. Looks to me like a great place to spend a week or two.

Mark used an ATM stamp from the City in a Garden issue.

The King of Pop is up next. Now I was never a big fan of Michael Jackson or his music, but I do admit to listening to his songs Billie Jean, Beat It and Thriller. I even owned a copy of the Thriller album, the best selling album of all time worldwide, selling over 65 million copies. I also can remember Jackson as a little kid singing in The Jackson Five.

How this card ended up in Finland - who knows. Tero used a 2015 stamp, 1 of 5 in a Summer souvenir sheet. Eating an ice cream cone certainly qualifies.

There you have it , another successful update. Thanks going out to David, Jobbo, Mark and Tero . Hope you can come back again - next time cards will be from the U.S., Mostar and Sri Lanka, and maybe a couple others. We'll see.

Rainy Day Blog # 29

Well as the title of today's update says, it's a rainy day and that's a good thing right now. We haven't had rain in I don't know how long, so it's a welcome thing.  Now in my last update I mentioned about today's cards , so let's get to it.

We're going to start with the Stephenville card. Stephenville is a town of about 6,700 located on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland in Canada. On a personal note, I lived in Stephenville from 1978 until 1985. The town was formerly home to Ernest Harmon Air Force Base which was operated by the United States Air Force from 1941 - 1966. Mel's card shows a few of the local Stephenville and area sights including Little Port Harmon, Our Lady of Mercy Church and an aircraft mounted near the Town Hall. The aircraft is a F-102 Delta Dagger- one of the interceptor aircraft based at Stephenville with the 323d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. The F-102 was universally known as the "Deuce"
and was the last fighter aircraft operated at Harmon Field.

 

Mel used a 2014 definitive from the Young Animals set of 5 , all self adhesives.

Next we have a very thin Wooden postcard from Berlin. On the left side is the Brandenburg Gate. The 18th Neoclassical arch is one of the best known landmarks in all of Germany.

Dale used a Flower definitive from 2014.


Here's another card from Mike and Ashley from West Chester. This one shows the Ballonfest in Albuquerque, New Mexico.The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a yearly festival of hot air balloons that takes place during October. The Balloon Fiesta is a nine day event , and has over 500 balloons each year. It is the largest hot air balloon festival in the world.

Mike & Ashley used a couple of nice stamps on this card. On the left is the 22 cent Additional Ounce Rate Emperor Penguins stamp that was issued on June 1st of this year. It features a digital rendering by Illustrator Nancy Stahl. The other 2 stamps are from the 2014 Vintage Circus Posters pane of 18. I consider these stamps and this sheet to be the best stamp issue from the United States in many , many years. I really have to get one of these panes and add it to my collection. It was good to see 2 of the stamps arrive on this postcard.

The Park Guell in Barcelona is the subject of this next card. The park is a public park system located on Camel Hill in Barcelona. It was opened in 1926 and in 1984, UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site. Shown on Johan's card is the uniquely shaped mosaic serpentine bench which enables peolpe sitting on it to converse privately.

Johan used a 2004 Valencia stamp, 1 of 4 issued that year honouring the city. The definitive stamp on the right shows former King Juan Carlos.

Be sure to check out Johan's blog right here .

Just 2 more cards left for this time and they are both from Bucharest, Romania and both are from Jean Pierre.
First  let's look at the one showing the Central University Library in Bucharest. That's King Charles I sitting atop his horse out front.

Let's check out the stamps on this one. Top left is a 2015 stamp issued for Easter. The longer stamp on the right was issued in 2014. It commemorates 150 years of the Senate of Romania. Lastly, the flower stamp is 1 of 6 in a 2013 set showing Flowers and Clocks.

Jean Pierre's 2nd card is of Bran Castle with an insert of Vlad himself.
Bran Castle , situated near Bran, is a national monument and landmark in Romania. The fortress is located on the border between Transylvania and Wallachia. The 14th century castle is now open to tourists as a museum.

Here's  the final stamps of the day. On the left , the Flower & Clock stamp that I mentioned earlier. In the middle is a Christmas stamp from 2012 and on the right is an Easter stamp from 2014.

 So ends another update , and so has the rain ended. Just in time I guess. Thanks for cards today go out to my 2 brothers Mel and Dale, Mike & Ashley, Johan, and Jean Pierre. This blog wouldn't  be much without all your contributions.  Drop by again - next time cards are from Ireland, Montenegro, Singapore and a Michael Jackson from Finland. Sounds worthwhile , so see you then.