Odds and Ends

BLOG # 1426

Hello again

Today it's a bunch of cards based on no particular topic. Let's start with this card from France. It's a great look at Le Cap Blanc-Nez. This is a cape on the Cote d' Opale in northern France . The cliffs of chalk , rising to 134 m , are quite similar to the white cliffs of Dover at the other side of the Channel in England.

Elodie used a 2019 stamp celebrating 130 Years of the Eiffel Tower.

My next card and stamp actually is a reproduction of an oil painting from 1562. The painting is called The Fall of the Rebel Angels and is is located at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. It was painted by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

Johan used a stamp exactly like the postcard and exactly like the painting. It was issued this year, 2019, which is the 450th Anniversary of the dealt of Pieter Bruegel the Elder. It is 1 of 5 different stamps in a minisheet.

Today's second card is from Kosice in eastern Slovakia, close to the Hungarian border. It's a look at the Museum of Aviation located there. The museum has over 60 types of civilian and military aircraft from various periods and countries. They include MiG -15, MiG-21 fighters and SU bombers.

Berta used a very attractive ( at least in my mind ) stamp from 2018. It shows an Ottoman Manuscript from the Basagic Collection. It was a Joint Issue with Turkey.

This next card arrived from Luang Phrabang, a province in the north of Laos. It shows a photo by Michel Huteau of Wat That Chomsi, built in 1804. The temple is found at the top of Mount Phousi and if you want to go, you'll have to climb 328 steps.

Jobbo used a stamp from 2016 showcasing a Lao Traditional Wedding.

Flying in now is an Air Baltic B737-300 - YL-BBL . This jet is 20.9 years old, and flew for EasyJet and Sky Europe before joining Air Baltic in 2006. It left Air Baltic's fleet in 2016.

Jean Pierre used a stamp from 2016, 1 of 2 in a Latvian Birds set.

I think it's time for a bridge card now. This is the Pont de Pierre or Stone Bridge. It is found in Bordeaux, France crossing the Garonne River. It was built between 1819 and 1822 and has 17 arches ( the number of letters in the name Napoleon Bonaparte ) , under whose orders it was planned  and designed. Interesting note about the bridge -- the bridge and its tide is an important point in the Itineraire a Grand Gabarit, the logistic schedule transporting parts for the Airbus A380 production.

Marie used a find selection of 4 stamps on her card. I'll work from left to right. The far left stamp is 1 of 4 in a Star Wars set issued in 2017. This one shows Luke Skywalker. The set were issued as Augmented Reality stamps and seem to come alive when scanned with a smart phone after the download of a special app. They were  issued to mark the 71st Autumn Philatelic Salon in Paris. The next stamp is from a booklet of 12 Flowers issued in 2016. Next , from 2019, 1 of 6 in a Sports minisheet. Last, on the far right, from 2018, 1 of 8 in a Tourism - Vacation in France set.

Up next is Drachenfels or Dragon Rock - medieval ruins located near Bonn. The area offers great views of the Rhine River Valley  .
Legend has it that a fire-breathing dragon lived atop the rock and he spent his time terrorizing residents of the surrounding villages. That is until he was slayed by a local hero.

Dominique used a Flower definitive along with a 2019 Microworld Palladium Chemical Element Stamp.

That ends another blog update . Thanks for cards this time go out to Berta, Johan, Elodie, Jobbo, Jean Pierre, Marie and Dominique. See you next time. 

People On Cards

BLOG  #  1425

Well people, today it's all people as planned . Some real, some not real !

We'll start the day with King Ludwig II of Bavaria. He became king at age 18 and was king for 22 years until his death in 1886. He was a strange fellow, to many he was the Mad King, to others the Swan King. He is quoted as saying " I wish to forever remain an enigma, both to myself and others " . True words indeed. He died under strange, mysterious circumstances on June 13, 1886 . Some say he was indeed murdered.

A German Postcrosser named Hannes sent this card along, using  one of the quite often seen Flower definitives.

 


Next is this beautiful Air Hostess from Air Baltic. She is one of 485 cabin crew at the airline.

Jean Pierre sent this card from Riga, and it has a map of Air Baltic's flights system on the reverse of the card. The stamp , issued in 2019, commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the Art Academy of Latvia.

My next card is also from Latvia. However I'm not too sure of the card's meaning. First I thought she might be a nun or a nurse but I think I'm wrong on both counts. Maybe someone who knows the language will leave a comment and sort the card's meaning out for the rest of us. I also thought it might be something about fake items or fraud of some kind. She is holding a pair of Ray Ban glasses and maybe wondering if they are real or a knockoff. I have no idea.

The stamp is from 2015 and is 1 of 2 in a set showing Latvian Birds.

Next is a card showing a couple from Lithuania. Not sure if they're dancing or just hanging around. I don't seem to be sure of much today.

Dalia used a stamp from 2015 showing a Lithuanian Bridge.

Next is a lady relaxing on some smooth rocks by the shore. It is a photo by Klaus Ender.

Sabine used 2 of the long Flower definitive set.

Now we have a shopkeeper in Hong Kong. No doubt you can find everything you want and even some you might not want in his shop or the next one to it.

Cora used an Airmail stamp from 2019.

Now , here's a card from Korea. It shows an Iris Fairy. This is an illustration from the 1934 book A Flower Fairy Alphabet by Cicely Mary Barker. It`s a book of illustrated poems, in which fairies introduce the letters of the alphabet by describing the flowers among which they live. This is the poem for the Iris.

I am Iris : I`m the daughter
Of the marshland and the water.
Looking down, I see the gleam
Of the clear and peaceful stream;
Water-lilies large and fair
With their leaves are floating there;
All the water-world I see,
And my own face smiles at me.

Eunbin used these stamps:  The 2 on the left are Flora- Bird stamps from 1979. The middle stamp is 1 of 2 issued in 1999 celebrating World Heritage Sites in South Korea. The stamp on the right is dated 1984 but was issued in 1983. It is 1 of 2 stamps issued for the International Stamp Exhibition  Philakorea 84. It marked the 100th Anniversary of the Korean Postal System.

That`s all the People for this time. Thank for today`s cards go out to Sabine, Dalia, Hannes, Jean Pierre, Cora and Eunbin. Thanks for dropping in and do do it again. Take care.

Aircraft , Airplanes and Aviation

BLOG # 1424

It's time for a few more postcards. I have received quite a few cards lately and putting them all up here on the blog has proved quite challenging. I decided to put them in groups of what they represent. Last blog was European Cities. Today I was torn between Aircraft or People. I thought the only fair way was with a coin toss. I actually tossed a coin and Aircraft won. Now I know not everyone is as enthusiast about aircraft as I am , but fair is fair. Blame the coin toss not the tosser. The People cards will be next time.

Here's the first of today's aircraft line-up

JA8130 , a Japan Asia Airways B747.
It entered service with Japan Airlines in 1979. In 2004 it flew with Japan Asia Airways and in 2005 with Kalitta Air. It's time with Kalitta Air was short, it ended up stored and later scrapped. Note the Sumo Wrestler on the fuselage, just past the wing.

Pai, a Postcrosser from Taiwan sent this card along. The left stamp if from a set of 4 Fruits stamps issued in 2016. The other 2 stamps, from 2013, are from a set of 6 Greetings / Tourism stamps.

C-FYLD Air Canada A340
Part of Air Canada's fleet from 1998 to 2008. Subsequently operated by Gestair Cargo, Iberia and Aerolineas Argentinas. The card shows this aircraft in a Star Alliance livery.

This card arrived from
 Canada, compliments of Jean Pierre. The stamps are a couple of Beneficial Insects from 2007 and a Circus Stamp from 1998, 1 of 4 in the set.

RA-75909 , IL-18 of  Aeroflot Russian Airlines
This 4 engine turboprop airliner first flew in 1957.

Diana from Southern Siberia sent this card. She used a nice selection of stamps. On the left is a 2018 issue commemorating the 2100th Anniversary of the Birth of Alekandr Solzhenitsyn. The middle stamp is 1 of 4 in a 2004 set featuring Wolverines. On the right, from 2003, 1 of 3 from a Contemporary Russian Art set.

F-GSPD , Air France B777.
One of the earliest 777 to enter the AF Fleet. It is 20.8 years old and was delivered to Air France on January of 1999. As I write this on Sunday Oct 13, F-GSPD operated from Paris to Toronto and back to Paris.

Jean Pierre used a stamp from this current year on this card. It is 1 of 2 in a mini-sheet Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations Between France and Poland. Featured on the stamp is Josef Haller von Hallenburg.

N2059, Air France A318
This aircraft was built in 2003 and delivered to Air France , registered as F-GUGB. The A318 is the smallest airliner in the Airbus A320 family. Only 80 were built and Air France is the largest operator of the aircraft. There was an incident involving this particular aircraft on March 28, 2017 at Paris - Charles de Gaulle.  Now I'm not a pilot so I leave it to those interested and their research to figure out just what happened. Suffice to say, there were no injuries.

Jean Pierre used a 2019 Marianne International rate stamp.

F-GMVD , Air France Express Saab 2000.
This aircraft was delivered to Air France in 1996 and is pictured at Geneva in 1998. It has seen service with  Hendrick Motorsports in 2006, Canal Air in 2009, and Meregrass in 2010 . The last Saab 2000 built was delivered in 1999 , with a total of 63 built.

Once again Jean Pierre used a most wonderful stamp, an Airmail stamp no less. How often do you see an airmail stamp ? It was issued in 1979 to celebrate the International Aeronautics and Space Exhibition held at Le Bourget.
The stamp shows an Ariane Rocket and a Concorde.

     YL-BAL, Air Baltic British Aerospace Avro RJ70
The Avro RJ70 first flew in 1983 and was first operated by Air Baltic in 1996. This particular aircraft flew for Transwede in 2007 and Malmo Aviation in 2009. Air Baltic is the flag carrier of Latvia with its headquarters in Riga. This picture of Air Baltic was taken at Hamburg in June of 1996.

Jean Pierre sent this card from Vilnius, Lithuania. His stamp is from 2018, 1 of 2 issued for the Winter Olympic Games , that were held in PyeongChang, South Korea.

There you have it, another update , even if they are all aircraft, but that's how it goes sometimes. For these great cards, I have to thank Jean Pierre, Pai, and Diana. As mentioned earlier, next time it will be People, so stay tuned.

European Cities

BLOG # 1423

European cities - that's the focus of my update today. All cards will show some aspect of a city in Europe. A building, a square, a tower or some statue , etc - so pay attention, there might be a quiz at the end.

Prague , Czech Republic- The Old Town Square
The square is located between Wenceslas Square and the Charles Bridge. The card shows the Old Town Square and the Church of Our Lady before Tyn. On the right is the Jan Hus Memorial and on the left is the Old Town Hall.On the southern side of the Town Hall Tower , not visible on the card , is Prague Orloj, a medieval astronomical clock. The clock was installed in 1410, making it the third oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still in operation.

Meelis used 2 wonderful stamps on his card, two fine additions to my Aviation Stamp Collection. They are the 2 in an Airplanes stamp set issued in September of this year. The set is called " The World in Clouds " . Both stamps show an Electra 10A. This aircraft type operated Trans Canada Air Lines  ( now Air Canada ) first commercial passenger flight from Vancouver to Seattle on September 1, 1937.

Lviv, Ukraine - St. George Cathedral
The city of 124,700 is located in western Ukraine . Ana's card is a great view of St. George Cathedral, built between 1744 and 1760 and overlooking  the city. The historic city centre has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.

Ana used 2 great stamps , too. The left stamp from 2014 is another addition to my Aviation Collection. It commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the first Ilya Muromets Airplane.   They were the first multi-engine aircraft ever produced. The right stamp was issued in 2019 and is one of two in a EUROPA set of National Birds.

Sadly the Great Stamp Defacer struck again with his or her pen cancel.



Nancy, France - Neptune's Fountain, Stanislas Square
This city of 105,100 is a riverfront city located in the northeastern part of the country. The grand square dates from the 18th century. In the northwest corner is located Neptune's Fountain. The square has been a UNESCO WHS since 1983.

Dominique used a stamp from 2015 celebrating the life of Jacques II de Chabannes ( 1470-1525 ) .

Kaunas, Lithuania -
This city in south central Lithuania sits at the confluence of the Neris and Nemunas Rivers. The city is quite old , having been granted city status in 1408. Jean Pierre's card shows views of a number of buildings, streets and monuments in the city. I'll just mention the three larger ones. At top left is Kaunas Castle, at bottom left is Church of Saint Michael the Archangel and at bottom middle is the House of Perkunas.

Jean Pierre used a couple of great stamps on his card. On the left is a stamp issued in January of 2016. It commemorates the 25th Anniversary of the January 13th Events. These events were the January 13, 1991 Bloodbath in which more than a dozen people lost their lives for their country's independence. Some were crushed by Soviet tanks and others were shot to death.  The stamp on the right , also from 2016, is a Contemporary Lithuanian Art issue.

Nice pristine circular cancel. Much nicer than a pen scratch-out.


Cesena, Italy - La Rocca of Cesena
This city is located in the north east of the country. The Malatesta Fortress was built to defend the city. Indrit's card shows the fortress an seen from above. The two buildings in the walled area are known as the Male and Female Towers of the Rocca Matatestiana of Cesena.

Indrit used an Italian Post self adhesive stamp from 2015, along with a 2018 commemorative celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Death of Salvatore Quasimodo.

  Leuven, Belgium - Saint Michael's Church
Leuven is located about 25 km east of Brussels. It's known for its breweries and is headquarters for Anheuser-Busch. Leuven is an old city, its central square dates to the 15th century. Johan's card provides a great view of Saint Michael's Church. The church was built between 1650 and 1666. It was almost completely destroyed by fire during bombardment of the city in 1944.  Saint Michaels was reconstructed and completed in 1950.

Johan used 1 of 5 stamps in a 2019 mini-sheet featuring Leuven Squares.

Zagreb, Croatia - Ban Jelacic Square
This central square in the city is named after Ban Josip Jelacic and has existed since the 17th century. The man and horse statue of Josip Jelacic was installed in 1866 facing north. In 1947 the statue was removed by the new Communist government of Yugoslavia. It was later replaced in 1990 but now faces south.

There is an old postcard, but not in my collection , from 1880 showing the statue facing north, with the Zagreb Cathedral before the 1880 earthquake and here it is.

Jean Pierre used a 2019 stamp, 1 of 4 in a Castles of Croatia set.

Vilnius, Lithuania
Vilnius, Lithuania's capital , was granted city status way back in 1387. With a population of just over 570,000, the city is known for its medieval Old Town, which was given UNESCO WHS designation in 1994.

Another card from Jean Pierre. This time , 2 stamps. On the left, from 2019, 1 of 3 stamps showing Lithuanian State Symbols. On the right, from 2015, 1 of 2, showing Lithuania Mammals.

Rimini, Italy -   Tourist destination
Rimini, on the Adriatic coast in northern Italy. It has a population of about 150,000.

Indrit used a stamp from 2016, 1 of 8 in a set featuring Squares of Italy.

Riga, Latvia - View of bridges over the Daugava River
Riga is the capital of Latvia and is located on the Baltic Sea at the mouth of the River Daugava. The city was founded in 1201 and its historical centre was declared a UNESCO WHS in 1997.

One more from Jean Pierre. This time he used
a Bird stamp from 2019.

Well that's all for today. Ten cards this time, I'm impressed, I usually never exceed six. My thanks for all these cards go out to Jean Pierre, Johan, Indrit, Dominique, Meelis and Ana.

Now for all those that stuck around, you may remember I said there might be a quiz. Well, it's not really a quiz, but a nice postcard with great stamps will go to the first correct answer to this question.
What happens when Prague Orloj, the astronomical clock strikes the hour, from 9 AM to 11 PM ? Leave your answer in a comment. First correct answer wins.