Bridges and Other Things

BLOG # 1010

Here's another bunch of postcards that arrived last week. First up is a great view of  the Singapore skyline at Marina Bay featuring the Marina Bay Sands Resort  Hotel & Casino, The ArtScience Museum and The  Flyer.

Jobbo used a nice selection of stamps on this card. Let's go from left to right. Far left - 1 of 8 issued in 2018 for Festivals, in this case it's Chinese New Year. Next, from 1993, a stamp from the Architectural heritage Series, this one highlights the Conservation of Tanjong Pagar District. Next stamp, issued in 2007, from a set of 8 Birds, this one shows the Crimson Sunbird. The last stamp, far right , Unknown - I had no luck identifying this one. Perhaps someone out there knows what it's about and when it was issued.

For Jobbo - I thing Rob Ford is just a buffoon masquerading as a politician. Seems to be a lot of that going around these days. Might even be a prerequisite  to be a leader in these times.


My next card is also from Jobbo, this time it arrived from The Philippines. The card shows a kalesa, a horse drawn cart often seen in the country. They are rarely used except in the tourist areas.

Apparently, according to Jobbo, most post offices in Manila do not sell stamps. Such was the case here as he had to settle for a postage meter. A sad situation indeed.

Now for one of the bridges mentioned in today's title. It's a bridge over the river Nevezis in Panevezys, Lithuania.

Vygandas used a Mushroom stamp from 2016. It is from a set of 6.

Card # 4 arrived from Japan. Now I don't know anything about Manga or Anime, but the sender of the card mentioned it on the card, so I guess it falls into this genre. The card mentions Wizard of Darkness by Kazushi Hagiwara.  My only comment on the card would be - it's a great way to wear lots of jewellery.

Naho used a fine semi-postal stamp from this current year, showing an Olympic venue. It is 1 of 10 in a set issued for the Olympic & Paralympic Games to be held in Tokyo in 2020.

Here's another bridge card , this time from Spain. Here we see the Pont de Pedret, a medieval bridge over the River Llobregat, about 3 km from Berga. This stone bridge is formed by a large central arch and three smaller arches on the sides. It dates from the 13th century with renovations in the 14th and 17th centuries. It is the only bridge to access the Church of Sant Quirze de Pedret , one of the oldest churches in Catalonia.

Josep & Assumpta sent this card and used a stamp from 2017. It is a UPAEP issue for Tourist Destinations.   Since 1989 Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal have issued stamps based on a common theme. In 2017 the theme was Tourist Places.

    



Song Mei-ling is the subject of this card from Taiwan. She was also known as Madame Chiang Kai-shek - the First Lady of the Republic of China. Mei-ling, the wife of Pesident Chiang Kai-shek was born in Mar 1897 and died in Oct 2003, her life having traversed three centuries.

Judy used a couple of stamps here. The large stamp on top was issued in a set of 5 in 2013. They show Qing Dynasty Embroidery. The set is quite nice. The smaller stamp underneath has stumped me.  Again I know nothing about it.

That's six cards, more than enough to end with. Thanks for cards today go out to Jobbo, Jobbo again, Vygandas, Naho, Josep & Assumpta and Judy. Thanks for reading, be sure to check back again soon.

A Lady, A Boeing 767, Libraries and The Lion of Belfort.

BLOG 1009 

Hello again. I know a week hasn't gone by since I was last here, so I guess you'll just have to put up with me so soon again. I have lots of cards on hand, it's raining cats and dogs, so that's makes for a good postcard blog day.

I will start today with a card from Russia. It shows a portrait of a Russian lady by artist A.C.Bailey.

A Postcrosser named Nastya sent this card and used a nice mini-sheet of 1 from 2012. It celebrates the 175th Anniversary of Russian Railways.

My second card today is from Austria. It shows the Prunksaal or center of the old imperial library, of the Austrian National Library. It is the largest library in Austria, with more than 12 million items in its collections. The library was built between 1723 and 1726.

Sarah used a 2018 stamp on her card. showing Contemporary Art by Hubert Scheibl.

Here's one more for my Airlines / Aircraft Postcard Collection. This time it's an East African Safari Air B767-300. The registration  is  5Y-QQQ .This aircraft is 23.7 years old , having its first flight on September 26, 1995. All planes seem to have a story and this one is no exception. This B767 has had five different registrations and has seen service with nine airlines. It is currently flying with Atlas Air. On 28 July 2004 , while flying with East African, this B767 , with 175 on board , experienced a fire in the left engine shortly after takeoff. The flight crew extinguished the fire after the second fire bottle was deployed. No one was injured and the airplane returned to Rome where a safe emergency landing was carried out.

Jean Pierre used a Marianne definitive along with a stamp from 1988. It is 1 of 12 in a Comics - Communications set.

Here's another library card. This time it's the library at St. Marienthal Abbey in Saxony, Germany. It is the oldest nunnery in Germany, established in 1234.

Even though the card has a German subject, it arrived from the Czech Republic, hence these stamps. On the left is a shaped stamp of the Flag of the Czech Republic. It was issued in 2015. On the right, from 2016 is 1 of 2 stamps issued showing UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Prague. On this stamp we can see Prague Castle and Charles Bridge.

The Lion of Belfort - that's the subject of my next card.  The Lion of Belfort is the monumental sculpture by Frederic Bartholdi, of Statue of Liberty fame, located in Belfort, France. It was completed in 1880 and is made entirely of red sandstone. The Lion stands 22 meters long and 11 meters high. The sculpture symbolizes the heroic French resistance during the Seige of Belfort, a 103 day Prussian assault.

    

Mary used an older stamp dating from 1967. It is 1 of 2 issued as Publicity for Tourists.

That`s the end for today. Thanks for cards this time go out to Nastya, Sarah, Jean Pierre, Martin and Mary. Great cards and stamps all around.
There`s still lots of cards on my desk so I`ll be back here quite soon. Take care.

A Queen, Planes and a Tri-Spiral

BLOG 1008

Another week has come and gone. I never of course mean for a week to go by but often it does. So without further ado --

Card # 1 for today- another Aviation themed card. This time it's a Lancaster Bomber, registration PA474.  Avro Lancaster PA474 is a four engined, Second World War era heavy bomber operated by the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight as a tribute to the members of Bomber Command during the Second World War.
PA474 is one of only two Lancasters in flying condition in the world. The other one is owned and operated by the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. PA474 was built in 1945 and is now based at RAF Coningsby. Today's plans call for PA474 to be airworthy until 2065.

Bruce from South Africa sent this card along, the last of a bunch of historical aircraft cards he found a while ago. He used a Small Registered Letter stamp from 2017. It shows Camdeboo National Park. It is one of a set of five.

Card # 2 -- Here we have Queen Victoria wearing her Robes of State in 1859. The card is reproduced from a stamp issued by Royal Mail this year. It celebrates the 200th Anniversary of Queen Victoria in 1819. The card and the stamp feature a painting by Franz Xaver Winterhalter.

Now here's the stamp, 1 of 6 in the set, used by Troy.

Card # 3 -- A Virgin Atlantic A340-600. Registration V-VSHY as seen in London ( LHR ). This aircraft is 17 years old, it was delivered to Virgin Atlantic in 2002 and flew for them until 2012. Since then it has flown for Hi Fly Malta, Al-Nase Airlines and Mahan Airlines under different registrations.

I have yet to fly on a A340 - maybe someday.

Jean Pierre used a Marianne definitive along with a 1988 stamp.
It is 1 of 12 in a Comics Communications set.

       


    Card # 4 -- It arrived from Cork, Ireland. It's a look at the Tri-Spiral that was found in Newgrange, Ireland. The symbol is engraved on one of the stones inside the chamber of Newgrange. It is often referred to as an ancient Celtic symbol , but it actually dates to at least 2,500 years before the Celts arrived in Ireland.   Newgrange has been a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.

    

   Kodzo used a 2019 stamp, from a set of 4. They celebrate Great Irish Songs. This stamp is for " With or Without You " by the great U2 . 

    

I do believe that's it for this time.    Big thanks for cards today go out to Bruce, Troy, Jean Pierre and Kodzo.

Drop back again when you can.                                                                 

No Title Blog Today

BLOG 1007

Hello again. I have a nice selection of cards for today. They arrived from France, Albania, Sri Lanka, and Sweden. I might even get in one from the Netherlands if all goes well. Let's start with two from France.

The first card shows the main railway station in Metz, France. It has been a Historic Monument since January of 1975. Inside are displayed the apartments of the German Kaiser Wilhelm II. The station was opened in August of 1908.

Dominique used a rather large stamp from a set of 2 issued in 2015. It commemorates the 20th Anniversary of the Death of Gilberto Bosques Saldivar ( 1892-1995 ) . The set is a Joint Issue with Mexico.

The second French card is from Millau, a town of 23,00 or so in southern France. The card shows a part of the Millau Viaduct. This cable stayed bridge spans the gorge valley of the river Tarn near Millau. It's total length is 2,460 m with the longest span at 342 m .
 It is 336.4 m above ground and was constructed between 2001 and 2004. It is considered one of the greatest engineering achievements of all time.

Jean Pierre used a 2019 stamp, 1 of 2 in a souvenir sheet of 2 different stamps celebrating Museum Treasures. The sheet is a Joint Issue with Morocco.

We're off to Stockholm, Sweden next. Ana's card shows Riddarholmen, a small islet in central Stockholm. The island forms part of Gamla Stan, the old town, and houses a number of private palaces dating back to the 17th century.

Ana used a 2018 stamp , 1 of 2 , commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Ingmar Bergman ( 1918 - 2007 ) .

That's a nice postmark from the PostMuseum in Stockholm.


Next we skip over to Albania. Indrit`s card is a look at Elbasan showing the Castle of Elbasan to the right and the Sultan Abdulhamid Clock Tower to the left.

Indrit use 3 great stamps. On the left is 1 of 4 from 2017.showing Distinguished National Personalities. Shown is Musine Kokalari, writer and politician. She founded the Social Democratic Party of Albania in 1943. In the middle , from 2005, is 1 of 12  stamps showing Regional Costumes. On the right , 1 of 2 Europa stamps, featuring Festivals, and National Celebrations.

Nice postmarks here , too.


This next card arrived from Sri Lanka but I do believe the scene portrayed is English. The lovely lady is gathering a few Blue Bells that grow wild in the English countryside. Just to bring another country into the mix, the card was issued by Singapore Airlines.

Ravindra used 3 stamps on his card. On the left , from 2013, a stamp celebrating the life of Dr. Tissa Abeysekara - filmmaker, actor, writer and director. In the middle, a stamp commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the International Labour Organization. It was issued this year. The stamp on the right, also issued this year, on May 8th to be exact. It celebrates International Thalassaemia Day.

Here's the bonus card from the Netherlands. I'm told by the sender, Miek, that this was a cover for Maxim magazine. I can believe that.

Miek used a fine assortment of stamps. Let's look at the 2 stamps on top first, both were issued in 2002. The left stamp, from a set of 10 highlight Industrial Heritage. The right stamp, from a set of 5, showcase Fairy Tales Characters. The botton left stamp is 1 of 20  stamps issued for December in 2002. The final stamp was issued in 2003 and is 1 of 2 issued for the 85th Anniversary of the Birth of Nelson Mandela.

So ends another update. Big thanks folr todays cards go out to Dominique, Jean Pierre, Ana, Indrit, Ravindra and Miek.

Thanks for reading, Come back again.

A Mixed Bag of Cards

BLOG # 1006

It's been a week and two days since last time, so it's about time to get back at it.
As today's title says, I have a mixed bag of cards today. No big theme just cards of different things from different places.

I will start with this fine Aircraft / Airline card. I can't go wrong with those. My collection of this theme continues to grow and grow. Here's a CSA Czechoslovak Airlines IL-62 card sent from the Czech Republic. The aircraft is pictured at Prague's Vaclav Havel International Airport in 1986. There were a total of 292 IL-62s built . This particular airplane OK-ABD was delivered to CSA in 1971 and finally scrapped in 1991. 

Jirina used 2 stamps on this card, both of them issued last year 2018.  On the left is 1 of 2 in a Locomotives train set. The stamp on the right celebrates The Castle Guard.

My next card shows a brick bridge and arrived from Germany. It is the largest brick bridge in the world. The Goltzschtalbrucke spanns the Goltzsch River in Netzschkau, Saxony. It was built between 1846 and 1851. This arch style bridge was built with 26,021,000 bricks and is 574 metres long and has a height of 78 metres. It has 98 arches in total and carries two railway tracks.

    Volker used one of the regularly seen Flower definitives along with another stamp from 2017. It is 1 of 2 in a Baby Animals set.

Here`s another card from Ana showing scenes of Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Ana used a really nice mini-sheet of 2 stamps issued in 2010. It was issued for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games.

It`s over to Africa for this next card, Ethiopia in fact. It`s a look at the stained glass window of Africa Hall. Africa Hall is the permanent headquarters of UNECA, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, UNECA is based in Addis Ababa. Africa Hall opened in 1961.
Bruce`s card shows a portion of the 150 square meter stained glass window in the foyer of Africa Hall. It was designed by the world famous Ethiopian artist Afewerk Tekle. The artwork is divided into three parts and tells the story of  `Africa Then ` , Africa Then and Now ` and `Africa Now and in the Future `.

Bruce used stamps from 2016 and 2018. The top stamp is from a set of 5 commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia.  The other stamp is 1 of 4 in a Waterfall set. Shown is Ajora Falls.

Here's one for all you Map people / collectors out there. The island of Sri Lanka. You can see the beaches, the airport, Botanical Gardens, the plantations, the National Parks and much more. Who needs a big map to unfold, just take this postcard.

Ravindra used 3 stamps on his card. The stamp on the left is from 2013 and celebrates the Life of Tissa Balasuriya. The top right stamp , from 2019, commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the International Labour Organization. The bottom right stamp is 1 of a set issued in 2018 showcasing the Traditional Exorcism Ritual.

My next card doesn't look like much of a tourist attraction, but each to his own. Old industrial complexes  and expired mines can be interesting if they are safe. I guess that's the case in Lorraine where iron, coal and other minerals fueled many industries until the early 1970s.

Dominique used 2 older stamps on this card, which he often does. On the left is a Gallic Cock definitive from a set of 19. This set was issued first in Corsica following the Allied landings. It was later released in Paris on Nov. 15, 1944. The stamp on the right was issued in 1973 and commemorates the 46th Anniversary of the French Federation of Philatelic Societies Congress , in Toulouse.

With that, it's another wrap . Thanks for cards today go out to Ana, Jirina, Volker, Bruce, Ravindra, and Dominique. Thanks to anyone who's reading this, drop by again.
Take care.