Toulouse, Dusseldorf, Kukesi, Valbona and Charlie Lim

Hello again, I'm back with a few more cards.
I'm starting off today with a card showing the Basilica of Saint-Sern, located in Toulouse. Constructed between 1080 and 1120 , it is the only remaining part of the Abbey of Saint-Sernin. It is the largest Romanesque building in Europe , and perhaps the world. The church was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 1988.

Dominique used 2 older stamps on his card, both were issued in 1973.  On the left is a stamp showcasing the Red Cross. It is 1 of 2 in a set. On the right is a stamp honouring Polish Refugees for the period of 1921-1925.

My next card is another Airport card, this time Dusseldorf International. It is the 3rd busiest airport in Germany, handling 23.5 million passengers last year.

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Jean Pierre sent this card and used a 2017 Europa Castles stamp along with a Flower definitive.

 A couple of cards from Albania are up next. This first one gives us a look at Kukesi, a town in northeastern Albania, with a population just over 48,000. It is a rather new town, having been built in the 1970s. The old town was submerged in 1976 beneath the Fierza Reservoir. Kukesi was the first town in history to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. This was because 450,000 Kosovo Albanian refugees crossed the Frontier and were housed in camps in and around Kukesi, during the Kosovo conflict.

Both of my Albania cards today are compliments of Indrit. He has a fine postcard blog called  Albania Postcard .  Indrit used a 2016 stamp, 1 of 2, issued for the 2016 European Football Championships in France.

Indrit's second card shows a path on the hike from Valbona to Thethi. This hike follows an old mule path and is one of the most popular in the Accursed Mountains or as they are often called the Albanian Alps.

Indrit used the same stamp as was on his first card, so no need to see it again.

That was card # 4700 , that I have received since I started this collection way back 10 plus years ago. Who would've thought ?


Today's last card is an Oil-Painting photograph by Charlie Lim. Lim's pictures are taken in the dark. His process is called Light Paintography and when put on canvas his photos resemble a Rembrandt painting.

Chan used a International definitive, 1 of 8 in a set, this one features Wildlife.

A short update today, with thanks for cards going out to Dominique, Jean Pierre , Indrit and Chen. Take care , back soon.