New Country # 267

Blog Post # 985

Hello once again. I'm back with a few cards - some of which have a story and a couple that may not. We'll find out a little later.

If you noticed the title, you'll know I have received a card from a new country. New country or stamp issuing entity # 267. And I didn't even realize it. How stupid is that ? I received a card from Guinea-Bissau back on Jan 15th. It's been sitting on my desk since then and I never thought much more about it. Then Bingo- the light went on today, so it's great to start this update with a new country.

Guineau-Bissau is a tropical country on West Africa's Atlantic coast. Its capital Bissau is a port with Portuguese colonial buildings. The country has a population of around 1.86 million.   Guineau-Bissau declared its Independence from Portugal in September 1973 and it was recognized in September 1974. The country has a history of political instability since independence , and no elected president has successfully served a full five year term. And that concludes today's history lesson.

Here's the card from Guinea-Bissau. It was mailed back in October, so it has taken quite a while to arrive. It was signed by Peter but I didn't know any Peter down that way. I have since come to know that it was sent by Peter at the request of Gerda. So Big Thanks to Peter and to Gerda. The card shows Che Guevara Square in the capital of Bissau.

Peter used a stamp from 2011 showing the country's Coat of Arms.

Now with Guinea-Bissau crossed off the list, I just have 8 places left on that list. They are Central African Republic, Congo ( DRC ) Liberia, Sierre Leone, South Sudan, Niuafo ' ou, Australian Antarctic  Territory and Transnistria- the split away republic from Moldova.


If you think that card took a long time, approximately 3 months - well it's not unique to Africa. These next 2 cards are from Las Vegas and they took just about 3 months , too. My Lovely Teena and I visited Vegas back in the middle of October. Here is her card to me. The City of Light, Las Vegas with The Eiffel Tower front and center. Sounds somewhat familiar to somewhere else I believe. The Vegas tower is half the size of Paris at 164.6 m compared to 324 m , but it still afforded a great view of The Strip.

Teena used a Wonder Woman stamp from 2016, a JFK stamp from 2017 and a City of New York Airports WPA Poster stamp also from 2017.
All received a great Downtown Sta postmark on Jan 8, 2019, even though we were there in Oct 2018. I can't explain it ! 

Card 2 from Vegas is a 3D card showing the Coke Store on the Vegas Strip. I visited the store and found this card and a few other. Whenever I see a 3D card I have to buy it. They are great to look at in your hand but don't show their effect in the scan here.

I remember as a boy , we could buy a coke or a large coke. I think it's a BIG coke on the front of the store. Here you can sample 16 of Coca Cola's international offerings, snap a selfie with the famous Coke polar bear, check out a selection of Coke bottles and cans, and shop for every possible Coke branded souvenir.

There are 3 WPA Posters stamps on this card , all with the Jan 9, 2019 postmark.

Remember when people said  they read Playboy for the articles, well, I'm showing this card for the stamp, at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it. The card shows a pin-up by Gil Elvgren. He was an American painter of pin-up girls.

Alena, a Postcroser from Zilina, in the northwest of Slovakia sent this card. She used what I think is an outstanding stamp, along with a label there on the left. It's just a good looking stamp all around with great coloring. It was issued in 2018 and is a Joint Issue with Turkey. It shows an Ottoman Manuscript from the Basagie Collection.

Next is a Flag series card from Albania. One learns a lot about a country from these cards. Shown on the card is the country's population, area, capital, and history. Flag design and Coat of Arms are also shown. So here is Albania.

Indrit used a couple of large stamps here. On the left , from 2011, is 1 of 4 stamps in a set showing Antique Silver Artifacts. The other 2 are from a 2007 set of 12 showing Albanian National Costumes.

Here we go, time for today's final card and it's from The Netherlands. Perhaps a little fun to end off  with.

My translation of the caption is " Reading can reduce blood circulation and cause impotence " . And my friends that is why I don't and never have read in bed.

Marriette used 3 wonderful Aviation themed stamps on her card. They are from a set of 10 issued in 2009 commemorating the 100th Anniversary of Motorized Aviation in the Netherlands. The small stamp if from 2008, 1 of 2 in a set called Beautiful Netherlands.

That's it, that's all I'm writing today. Thanks for cards today go out to My Lovely Teena, Peter & Gerda, Alena, Indritand Marriette.

Oh yes, one more small bit of housekeeping - I won't be here for a month or so - I'm off to follow the sun and warm temperatures. But I'll find time to send some cards out from here & there - the warm places. Take care - be sure to come back in a month or so.

All Cards From Europe Day

Blog Post # 894

Here we go again. A few more cards that have arrived since the New Year. We'll start the day with a card from Boulogne-Sur-Mer. Boulogne is a coastal city in Northern France. The country's largest fishing port, it lies on the Cote d'Opale, a touristy stretch of the French Coast on the English Channel between Calais and Normandy. It is an ancient town with a 12th century belfry recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. William's card shows how some of the older buildings are getting renovated into a more attractive urban scape.

William used a large stamp from 2018 celebrating Careers in Art - in this case a Ceramist. Great to see that the card received an attractive Philatelic Bureau cancellation. That's always a bonus.

Next is a lady's bike from Germany, on this card from Freiburg in Southern Germany. Freiburg touts itself as the sunniest city in the country, so I guess one can get lots of use of a bike.

A Postcrosser named Katharine sent this card along. She used a 2017 Classic Cars stamp. It shows an Opel Manta from the early 1970s.

Here's a card from Peterborough in southeast England which has had city status since 1541. The city is known for its 12th / 13th century Peterborough Cathedral. However that's not the  subject of the card here. We're looking at St John the Baptist Church. This Church of England parish church opened in 1402. Who's buried in town here - none other than Catherine of Aragon - Henry VIII's first wife. I

 Jess used a 2018 Machin definitive of Queen Elizabeth II, 1 of 4 issued together. Shown is the low value of the 4.

Happy Postcrossing From Germany. Susanne from Dusseldorf sent this card. Let's talk Postcrossing - I didn't mention it last month, but on December 27th, Postcrossing registered its 50 millionth
postcard. This took just 13 years. Amazing to say the least.

Of course this is not postcard  # 50 million. That one was sent from Israel to Russia.

Susanne used a 2018 stamp featuring Harz Mountains Forest along with a Flower definitive.

It's time for today's final card. It's another Postcrossing card from Austria. It advises of a Postcrossing Meetup in Vienna on December 8, 2018. Eleonnora  from Linz was lucky enough to attend.

Eleonora used 2 Christmas stamps from 2018. On the left is one commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the song Silent Night. On the right one celebrating the Birth of Christmas.

The 3rd stamp is 1 of 14 in a 2018 set of Coats of Arms of Austria. The whole set is a great looking set of stamps.

Well that's it for today. Hope you enjoyed it all.
Thanks for cards today go out to William, Katharine, Jess, Susanne and Eleonora. See you again soon.

Ghent, Merry Everything, A Dog's Life, and Aeropostale

Blog Post # 893

 Hello again, here's a few cards for this time. My first is from Ghent. This is a city in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It has a population of just over 260,000 . For all you foodies out there be advised that Ghent has the world's largest number of vegetarian restaurants in the world. Ana's card shows a very tranquil scene along the city's  waterfront.

Ana recently visited Belgium and took time to send along this card. She used a number of stamps all of which were issued a few years ago. The top left stamp is from 2007 and celebrates the Tour de France. The other 2 stamps along the top are from a set of 10 issued in 2002. They are a Tourism set and feature Belgium Castles. The last stamp, the vertical one , is from a set of 10 issued in 2003 called This Is Belgium.

 Merry everything. A late arriving Christmas wish card from Barbara in the Netherlands.  The card was designed by Sanny van Loon, a graphic designer and illustrator in Amsterdam.

Barbara used 2 Christmas stamps that were issued in November. A total of 11 different Christmas stamps made up the issue. Like the postcard, Ms van Loon designed the stamps, too.

A Dog's Life - a yawning puppy on a bookshelf. Who wouldn't yawn over those heavy books - Money by Zola, Origin of Species by Darwin and The Complete Works of Shakespeare ?  Who said reading was this hard ? I'm tired just thinking about those books.

A Postcrosser named Raymonda used a fine selection of stamps on this card, as you can see below.

The top left stamp is 1 of 10 in a set of December Stamps, much like Christmas stamps I guess. It was issued in 2004. The top right red stamp is 1 of 6 in a 2006 set highlighting Safe Futures. The green stamp underneath is also from a set of 6 , issued in 2005. It commemorates the 50th Anniversary of Children's Book Character Nijntje. The bottom stamp is 1 of 6 in the Children & Paint set issued in 2002. The last 3 stamps are all semi-postals.





My next card , an aircraft related card , is a welcome addition to my Aircraft / Airline Postcard Collection. I guess you could say it shows two means of transport - one fast and one not so.

Dominique sent this card along and filled it with great wishes for 2019 for me and my family. The postage is preprinted on this card and is an exact duplicate of the picture on the card.

I think that's it for today. A little shorter than my usual but that's how it goes sometimes. Thanks for cards today going out to Barbara, Raymonda , Ana and Dominique . Take care .

Lesotho Malta, Hungary, Austria and a Few Others

Blog Post # 892

Well it's been just over a week since my last appearance here, so I do believe it's time for another update. Cards have been arriving at a furious rate since the New Year began. I have received 21 cards so far in 2019. I can only hope it continues at such a pace.

Today's first card is from the Kingdom of Lesotho .It shows Maletsunyane Falls , a 204 m drop. This falls holds the world record for a commercial abseil, a controlled decent of a vertical drop using a rope. The Maletsunyane Abseil is the longest commercially operated single drop abseil in the world. A Guinness World Record Certificate was issued for this in October 2005. 

Bruce used 2 stamps on this card. On the left is a stamp from a 1997 set of 15 showing Flowers. On the right, from 2016 is 1 of 6  showcasing Lesotho's Postal History.

Now it's on to Malta. Dominique's card shows the Mosta Rotunda or the Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady, a Roman Catholic church in Mosta, Malta. It opened in 1865 and its design is based on the Pantheon in Rome. At one point it had the 3rd largest unsupported dome in the world.

Dominique used a 2018 Christmas stamp. It is 1 of 3 in the set.

Hungary is up next. Mihaela's card is a look at a V43 electric locomotive of the Hungarian State Railways at Keszthely station on September 7th 2014.

Mihaela used 2 stamps on her card. On the left is a 2018 stamp, 1 of 6 in a set celebrating Postal History. On the right , from 2017, a stamp celebrating Hungarian novelist Magda Szabo.

Would you believe it's Austria now ? Sure getting around today.
It's an Austrian Airlines Super 80 DC-9.  The DC-9 first flew in 1965, with the last , number 976 completed in 1982. I flew on this type of aircraft a couple of times and I have to say - it wasn't my favourite aircraft to fly on.

Friedrich used a 2018 definitive, 1 of 3 in a set.  He also used a second stamp from 2018, 1 of 3 in the set highlighting Sports on Water. A rather attractive stamp if I may say.

I can`t believe it - another airline -  aircraft card. Must still be Christmas. This times it`s a Condor B737-300. Aircraft D-ABON was delivered to Condor in June of 2000.  It`s last flight was yesterday from Hurghada to Frankfurt. It`s next flight is tomorrow from Frankfurt to Lanzarote.

Michael used a 2018 stamp entitled Microworld.

Just 2 cards left for today, so the end is in sight. One is from the USA and the other Canada.
The American one arrived from Mesa, Arizona and shows an evening view of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Sky Harbor celebrated it`s  75th Anniversary in 2010. It handles more than 44 million passengers per year ( arriving and departing ) and roughly 440,000 landings and takeoffs.

Ken used an 2017 Additional Ounce Uncle Sam`s Hat stamp along with a much nicer stamp. The larger stamp , from 2018 , is 1 of 3 Statue of Freedom stamps. It`s an engraved stamp and all 3 in the set are outstanding, as all stamps should be.

As I mentioned earlier  the last card is from Canada, Airdrie in fact. I wanted to have an end of year cancel, so I had My lovely Teena send this card to me. It received the last day of year , 2018-12-31 cancel. Job complete.
The card shows a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman sitting atop his steed out west in the Rockies. It is one of a number of Mountie prints by Arnold Friberg.

Teena used 2 stamps from 2006. They are 2 of 4 in an Endangered Species set. 

Well that`s all for this time. Be sure to drop in again soon for more of the same - postcards and stamps.
Thanks for cards today go out to Bruce, Ken, Michael, Friedrich, Mihaela, Dominique and of course My Lovely Teena.
Take care - Comments anyone ......

Postcrossing From San Marino, King Kashyapa's Palace Ruins and The Coca Cola Polar Bears

Blog Post 891

Hey how's 2019 going for you so far ? I know we're only 2 days in, but I hope you have lots to look forward to. I know I do . I have a great cruise coming up soon, lots of grand kid's birthdays, and lots of indoor soccer ( grand kids again ) , and a whole lot more. And that's just in the first two months. Then there's all the great cards that will find their way into my mailbox. Speaking of postcards, here are the first 3 received in 2019, today actually.

Let's start with a Postcrossing Meetup card from San Marino. I don't get many cards from there, this will be just my third. The meetup in Dogana was held on December 15th. The card shows Guaita Tower, the oldest of 3 towers on Mount Titano. Guaita was built in the 11th century and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 2008.

As is the case with most Postcrossing Meetup cards, it is signed by a number of Postcrossing members, 11 for this one. I only recognize one name , Carla, so I'll say this card is from her. Carla is from Genoa and we often swap cards. Carla used 2 fine stamps here. They are 2 of 6 issued to mark the addition of the Old City of San Marino to the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

Today's second card comes from the Island of Sri Lanka. It's a look at the ruins of King Kashyapa's Palace high atop Sigiriya rock.

Ravindra used a nice selection on stamps on this card. On the left is a 2014 stamp celebrating World Children's Day. The top stamp on the right was issued last year, 2018, to celebrate World Post Day. The Kandy Post Office from 1897 is featured . The bottom stamp, from 2015, is 1 of 2 issued to mark the visit of Pope Francis.

So here's the last card for today. It's from Canada, Airdrie in fact, as I posted it myself to secure a Christmas Eve Dec 24th cancel. And that's what I got. 2018-12-24.
It shows a couple of Coca Cola's Polar Bears from the " Always Coca-Cola advertising campaign of 1993. Coke first used Polar Bears in their advertising in 1922.

The stamp is 1 from the Canadian First Responders series from last year.

That completes the blog for this time. Thanks to Ravindra and Carla for their cards. Have a good day, Take Care.