Most Likely the Last Cards for August

Well August has just about come and gone. Today's title implies this is the last for this month, but who knows what tomorrow will bring. We'll just have to wait and see.
Today , let's start with Ravindra's card from Sihanoukville, Cambodia. This is a coastal city and features the country's best known beaches. Ravindra's card shows us monks , resting after a long morning along Ochheuteal and Serendipity Beaches.

Ravindra used a nice stamp from 2017. It shows a Cangzhou Iron Lion, 1 of 2 in a set and a Joint Issue with China.

Be sure to check out Ravindra's postcard blogs. His blog about trains on postcards, called " Discover the World on Trains " can be found right here .  He has another one about lighthouses on postcards.


My second card is from the Principality of Andorra. Its capital , Andorra La Velle is the highest capital in Europe at 1,013 meters above sea level. The card , one of the " Greetings From/ Flags of the World  series " gives lots of information about the country . Andorra's postal services are not operated by the country itself, but by Spain and France. This card was sent through the Spanish system. 

This is a card sent by Josep & Assumpta as they live not far from Andorra. The stamp on the left is from 2002 , and celebrates the History of the Automobile and shows a Rolls Royce. The other stamp, from 2015 commemorates the 30th Anniversary of the Adoption of the Legal Age to 18.

Josep & Assumpta also have a wonderful postcard blog located  here .


This next card arrived from Taiwan, but looking at it, one might think it's from France. The card displays the Eiffel Tower 1889 by Georges Seurat. He was a French painter who lived from 1859-1891.

A Postcrosser named Cherry sent this card along. She used 2 stamps from 1992 and 1 from 2016. The 2 Mammals stamps are from a set of 4. The stamp on the right , also from a set of 4 showing Fruits.

     Now it's a card from Thailand showing Friendship Bridge. It is the first bridge across the Mekong River in the northeast Nongkhai region. It was officially opened on April 8, 1944 and is 1,174 m in length. 

Again this is another Postcrossing card. Heart who hails from Chiang Mai is the sender. As is often the case with cards from Thailand, this one arrived with a fine selection of stamps. The 2 stamps on the left are from this year. The first one commemorates the 45th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations with Romania. It is a Joint Issue with Romania. The 2nd stamp commemorates the 60th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations with Turkey. It also is a Joint Issue with Turkey. The small stamp in the middle is 1 of 4 in a 2009 set celebrating New Year 2010. The 2 stamps on the right date from 2017. They are 2 of a set of 6 showing Thai Desserts.

There you have it, today's four cards. Thanks for them go out to Ravindra, Josep & Assumpta, Cherry and Heart.
Take care, hope you enjoyed today's cards and stamps.

Right Back At It

Time for another look at some fine postcards. That's what this blog is all about, right ? Today I am starting with a couple of cards from Family.
My son Stephen and his wife Sara recently visited Montreal  and  took the time to send a postcard my way. It's an interior look at Notre Dame Basilica. Completed in 1829, it was built in Gothic Revival style. The towers were added in 1841 and 1843. When completed it was the largest church in North America and remained so for over fifty years. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1989.

The stamp on this one is 1 of 9 issued this year . They show many of the must see places in Canada. These definitives are a Tourism set called From Far and Wide. The stamp on the card pictures rock formations in Ile-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Perce National Park.

Now that you've seen the Basilica's interior, here's what it looks like outside, at least back in 1929 when this old postcard was issued.

My second card is another from My Lovely Teena. We recently visited Dinosaur Provincial Park and she sent this card to me. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the 21st that we have visited. Still got a few to go though !
Teena's card shows a Hadrosaur or duck-billed dinosaur, and we did indeed see a full skeleton of a Hadrosaur that has been left in the ground as a permanent display. 

Teena used a Weather Wonders stamp from the set of 5 issued July 26th. It shows Light Pillars, ethereal bands of light that appear when tiny ice crystals in the air reflect light from artificial sources.

The card was posted in the Village of Duchess, The Village With A Future. Duchess is one of the closest towns to Dinosaur Park, located just 35 km away and has a population of around 1,100.



Here's another card from Dinosaur Provincial Park, showing the terrain of much of the park.

Another Weather Wonder stamp - this time a Moon Halo, produced by light interacting with ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere.

Now here's something a little different. A card from Russia showing an oil on canvas by Gaston Bussier from 1911. It's called Isolde. In medieval Arthurian legend Isolde was an Irish Princess betrothed to King Mark of Cornwall. After accidentally drinking a love potion, she became the lover of the King's knight Tristan, which led to their tragic deaths.

 Ksenia , from Nizhny Novgorod,  a large city on the Volga sent this card. The city was formerly known as Gorky. Two really nice stamps on this one. The top stamp was issued thus year and is a  Europa Stamp from a Bridge Series.  Looks more like a tourist attraction than an actual bridge. Reminds me of Glacier Skywalk in Jasper National Park, Alberta. Lets you walk out over the valley, 918 ft straight down.
The bottom stamp is 1 of 4 in a set of Bridges issued in 2010. This is the bridge over Kola Bay, Murmansk. 

Just 2 cards left for today. Both are from Papua New Guinea. It's a rare day when you get a card from there , but how lucky are you when you get to show two. This first one is a look at Hanuabada Village in Port Moresby, the capital .  With a population of roughly 365,000 the city is set to host the APEC summit in November 2018.

The stamp on the left is from 2012 and shows us a Hiri Lagatoi - a traditional double-hulled watercraft of Papua New Guinea. The stamp on the right is 1 of 6 issued in 2017 to showcase the country's Chairmanship of APEC - the Asia Pacific Economic Conference.

That card was from David and here's his second one . This one is from Kokopo, the new capital of New Britain province, about 12 km from Rabaul, the former capital. Rabaul was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash from a volcanic eruption. 80% of the buildings in Rabaul collapsed under the weight. David's card shows the Mask Festival, and a rare sight - tubuan dancing off-shore on canoes. The Mask Festival is a cultural tribute to the people of East New Britain- the Tolai, Baining, Pomio and Sulka. The first day of the festival will include the " Kinavai " - the arrival of the Tolai Tubuans at dawn. The festival has been held annually since 1995.

David used a 2017 Year of the Rooster stamp from a set of 4.

So ends another update. All great cards I think. Thanks for cards this time go out to Stephen & Sara, My lovely Teena, Ksenia and David.  I should be back in a day or two, drop by for more of the same.

Back so soon - who would believe ?

Well here we are again. who would have thought ? Strange how things happen - one time there's a week between blogs and them bam , you get a couple running one after the other. That's the kind of day it is , today running right after yesterday.  Even though I haven't received any mail for 2 days - not even a bill or sales flyer I still have a few great cards on hand. So let's get to them.

Today's first card arrived from Krakow, Poland. It shows a pile of old postcards on someone's desk. A postcard of postcards - it doesn't get better than that. I have a pile or two like that lying around too. 

A Postcrosser named Ewa sent this card. She used a 2016 stamp from an ongoing Flowers and Fruits set.

Next is the latest card from My Lovely Teena. It's from a town called Okotoks, in Alberta. It's located on the Sheep River, 18km south of Calgary and has a population of around 25,000. The name Okotoks is derived from a Siksika word meaning " stoney " , referring to a crossing site of the Sheep River.
 Okotoks is famous for its glacial erratic which was transported there by the continental glacier of the last Ice Age, roughly 10,000 years ago,  likely from Mount Edith Cavell. Called Big Rock or the Okotoks Erratic , it is located about 7 km west of the town .  it weighs in at 16,500 tonnes.
Teena's card shows the Olde Towne Plaza area, and the Heartland Cafe, located in a former church.

Teena and I were in Okotoks to attend a baseball game hosted by the Okotoks Dawgs of the Western Major Baseball League at Seaman Stadium. We also enjoyed a wonderful meal at the highly recommended British Chippy. Teena used a 2018 Year of The Dog Stamp and received a great clear circular cancel. It's from a pane of 20, not to be confused with the booklet stamps.

From The Foothills of The Rockies, we head out to The Solomon Islands, a long way from Okotoks. From what I've seen and read about The Solomon Islands, just 10 words are enough to get the feel for them , Cultural, Natural, Pictorial, Explorable, Historical, Lovable, Immersible, Hospitable, Delectable and Unforgettable. The view on David's card alone is enough to make you want to go.

David used 2 stamps on his card. On the left, issued in 2005, is 1 of 4 showing Skinks. Shown is the Prehensile-Tailed Skink. On the right is a stamp from a set of 2 featuring Solomon Hawk-Owls . I couldn't find out their date of issue.

This next card is from Germany. It is a picture of a famous art nouveau building at the Mathildenhoehe in Darmstadt. It is called the Wedding Towerand it was commissioned on the occasion of the wedding of the Grand Duke Ernst-Ludwig in 1908.

Dominique used 2 stamps on his card. I don't know much, not anything actually, about them. If stamps aren't pure postage stamps issued by the post office, I'm pretty much in the dark. Personal postage, computer generated postage and ATM stamps are all foreign to me.  Here they are.

I'm sure someone knows something about them and will leave a comment to enlighten me.


Here's another card from Germany. This one is a photo by Klaus Ender of a young lady contemplating life and all it has to offer, by the sea.

Norbert from Dorsten used a couple of stamps on his card. Both are from 2017. On the left is 1 of 2 in a set celebrating Astrophysics. On the right , another from the long running Flora - Flowers set.

Just 2 more cards for this edition of the blog.
Up now is the ``L`` Train in Chicago. This historic elevated rail system has been in operation since 1892 and serves the City of Chicago through eight rapid transit lines. The system is 165.4 km long, has a top speed of 89 km per hour   and has a daily ridership of 767,730. The L has been featured in a number of movies such as The Fugitive, Planes Trains and Automobiles and also the old ER tv series. 

Kristin used 2 stamps on this one. On the left is a current year stamp from the Bioluminescent  Life set. A very nice set of stamps. On the right is the 2011 Save Vanishing Species First Class stamp.

Here  it is . The last one. It arrived from China, Beijing in fact. A good look at a part of the Summer Palace. Located in northwest Beijing, it is said to be the best preserved imperial garden in the world and the largest of its kind in China. It was added to the  UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 1998.

Xinxin used a few nice stamps on this card. The top left stamp was issued in 2016 for the Rio Olympic Games. It is 1 of 2 in the set. The long stamp on the right , also from 2016, is 1 of 5 in this Lighthouse set.The 3rd stamp, the Ship stamp , was issued in 2013.

There you have it my friends. Another update from GemsWorldPostcards. Today, thanks go out to Ewa, My Lovely Teena, David, Dominique, Norbert, Kristin, and Xinxin. 
I`ll be back here soon , join me , why don`t you ! 

Another August Post

I know, I know, it's been awhile. What can I say ? I don't know - how about excuse number 9 ? That's covers it I think.
Now it's on to the good stuff - postcards.

Let me start with these two sent by Dominique. This first one was sent from Lorraine, France. I received it here in Airdrie on August 7th. It pictures some of the equipment used in the mine , and now found in the mine museum located there.

Dominique used 2 stamps from days gone by. On the left is a stamp from 1965 celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Youth Clubs (1945-1965). On the right , from 1975 a stamp celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Mine Clearance Service ( 1945-1975 ).

Now here's Dominique's second card, this one from Germany. It arrived in Airdrie on August 8th, one day later than the card from France. Here we see The Pompejanum, a replica of a Roman villa, located on the banks of the river Main in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, Germany. It was constructed during the 1840s.

This card arrived with a couple of copies of the 2018 Darber Ort Lighthouse stamp.

 It seems these 2 cards were posted the same day, so it looks like the French Post is a little faster.


Next up are 3 cards from Vanuatu, a regular postal service card, an Underwater Post Office card and a Volcano Post card.
First it`s the regular card posted in Port Vila, the capital and main hub of the country, showing a few scenes one might find around the island - coral, a hammock, a cruise ship and a local pretty lady.

All 3 of these Vanuatu cards were sent by David. A couple of nice stamps on this one. On the left , from 2017, it`s 1 of a set of 4 issued as Tourism set featuring Blue Swimming Holes. The other stamp was issued in 2012, 1 of 12 in a Birds of Vanuatu issue.

David`s 2nd card is one of those rare cards you most times only hear about. It`s Hideaway Island on a card from Vanuatu`s Official Underwater Post Office . Their motto is `` We go to great depths to deliver your mail ``.  This is the world`s only Underwater Post Office. Congratulations David on diving down under and dropping off the mail.

The card is a prepaid card , maybe because regular stamps won`t stick, but I`m just guessing here of course. Unfortunately this card missed receiving the special cancellation from this unique underwater paradise. Maybe next time !

So that was the Underwater Post , did I just hear someone mention Volcano Post, hey I`ve got one of those too. Who knew that Vanuatu has the World`s only Volcano Post , not me for sure . The postbox is located near the fiery rim of Mt Yasur`s crater on Tanna Island. Opened in May 2005 the postal outlet is the only post box in the world on a live volcano.

Again it`s a postpaid card , but this one received a special volcano cancellation . Too Hot To Handle.

That`s Dominique and David taken care of . Next it`ll  be Carla, Josep & Assumpta and Ravindra.

Here's Carla's card. It shows a painting by Italian painter Francesco Mazzola. The same painting was the subject of an Italian stamp issued in 2003, commemorating the 500th Anniversary of Mazzola's Birth.

Carla used a 2016,  B Rate - Zone 2 stamp. It is 1 of 8 in a set of Italian Squares.

Oops, looks like the Great Defacer struck again, with his or her heavy handed pencil or marker. I guess we can add Italy to the ever growing list of countries who employ at least one of these despicable people. What a way to ruin a good stamp ? Shame on You. Shame on you.

We're getting there, just 2 more cards to go. Now it's a card from Spain, sent by Josep & Assumpta. Here we see Cadaques, a small village in Catalonia region. This beautiful little village is the easternmost place in Catalonia and and on the Iberian Peninsula. It has a population of around 2,500, but it snowballs in summer to near 10 times that. Lots of big names have spent time in Cadaques, including Salvador Dali, Walt Disney, Pablo Picasso and Melina Mercouri. Visible front and center on the card is the Church of Santa Maria of Cadaques.

Two stamps on this card. On the left is a 2015 King Felipe VI stamp. On the right , a 2017 Europa stamp , from the series Palaces and Castles.

It's last call , sorry last card time. It's from the Island of Sri Lanka, compliments of Ravindra. It's a look at Medirigiriya Watadageya, an ancient monastery located in the old kingdom of Polonaruwa, dating back to over two millennium.

All the stamps on this card are from this current year. The larger stamp on the left celebrates World Health Day 2018. The other stamps are from a Wild Animals of Sri Lanka set.

There you have it. Thanks for the cards today go out to Dominique, David, Carla, Josep & Assumpta and Ravindra. Be sure and drop by again soon, now it's off to the mailbox to see what new treasures await me .
Just heard about the bridge collapse in Genoa. Hope all is well with you Carla, and with your family and friends.