The Last Cards of 2020 - Goodbye, So Long , Farewell

BLOG # 1492 -- Still In The Time of Covid

Well we made it to the end of the year , I can't say I'm sad to see 2020 end. I only hope for better things in 2021. When I wrote yesterday's blog, I had 3 cards left for today. Well one card arrived today, so now I have four for this time. Of course the one that arrived today, is the last card for 2020. 

My first two cards are from Berlin, Germany. Both are Aviation themed cards and welcome additions to my Aircraft & Airlines card collection. The first one shows a Lufthansa Regional Bombardier CRJ900. Registered as D-ACKB this aircraft is 14.6 years old and was built in Montreal. It's last flight was on 12 Nov of this year and it's present status is  " parked " . Not sure if this is due to lack of flights due covid or if it is parked permanently. 

I received this card from Jean Pierre via Rafal in Berlin. Rafal used an ATM stamp along with a stamp from 2015. It commemorates the 175th  Anniversary of the world's first stamp, the Penny Black.

My second card shows a Germanwings Airbus A319. This aircraft D-AKNH had its first flight with Eurowings in 1998. It flew with Germanwings from 2002 until 2009. It saw service with a number of airlines since 2009 before ending up again with Eurowings in 2017. D-AKNH has been stored now since 2019. 

 Again this one is from Jean Pierre via Rafal. It has another ATM stamp along with 2 others. The left stamp was issued in 2017 and commemorates the 1000th Anniversary of the city of Neunburg worm Wald. The right stamp shows Naumburg Cathedral and was issued in 2017.

Time now for the third card, from France. It's a look at the old stone bridge in the commune of Lagrasse in the Southern part of the country. In 2016 Lagrasse had a population of 560 and has been labelled as one of the most beautiful villages in France. The Lagrasse Bridge crosses the Orbieu River and was built in the 13th century. The abbey in the background is much older dating from the 7th century. 

Dominique used a stamp from 2015, celebrating French military officer Jacques II de Chabannes. 

Here it is -- the last card for today, and the last of the week, the month, and the year. Some may even say the last of the decade. I know, some say the decade is already one year old, others say a new decade starts tomorrow. I believe one has to remember that there was no year zero . If you believe that , then decades start with a 1 and the new decade starts tomorrow. What do you think , leave me a comment and let me know. 

Fittingly this last card is also an addition to my Aircraft & Airlines collection.  It`s a HOP! Embraer 170. HOP! is an Air France regional airline with its headquarters in Nantes Airport. Aircraft F-HBXN is 16.6 years old and saw service with 2 other airlines previous to HOP!. 

  This last card is from Jean Pierre and he used a semi-postal stamp from 1992. The surcharge was for the Red Cross. 

That`s it, blog number 53 for 2020. Thanks for today`s card go to Jean Pierre, along with Rafal and Dominique. 

Along with Jean Pierre and Dominique I need to thank Ana, Johan, Gerda, Indrit, Josep & Assumpta, Bruce, Meelis, Jobbo, Barbara, Isa and Mike & Ashley for all the cards they have sent along this past year. Oh and I can`t forget My Lovely Teena, she has sent along a few to me as well. Without people like these I most likely wouldn`t have a blog. So Thank You one and all. 

So , so long 2020 , it really hasn`t been a pleasure, but I`m hoping for Big things in 2021. 

Until then- wear your mask, wash your hands and keep your distance.  

All Belgium Cards

BLOG # 1491  -   In The Year of Covid

How's it going today, the year is finally winding down, thankfully. I know of course that the early part of 2021 won't look much different than what we have now. But we got to have hope. 

Well my blog production is down somewhat for this past year. Actually it is the lowest it has been since the first year , but I only blogged 2 months in 2007. I definitely have to  and intend to do better in 2021. I guess I will make that a resolution. 

I have three cards for today, all are from Belgium, all the stamps received a First Day of Issue cancellation and all are from Johan. So thank you so much Johan. 

First let's have a look at this card showing a 1956 illustration by Roger Wilkerson, called Winter Fun. I see skating, skiing, tobogganing and hockey. Something for everyone. 

Johan used 1 of 2 Christmas stamps issued on Oct 26th.

Johan's second card shows a 1947 photo of Saint Nicolas riding along on a motorbike. Everyone knows the story of Saint Nick, or some version of it, depending on where you live.   Also , on the  back of the motorbike is Pere Fouettard, not a character that I'm going to talk about here . 

Belgium also issued 2 other Christmas stamps showing Spiced or Ginger Biscuits. Here is 1 of those 2 .

Here is the last card for today. It's a look at a large collection of mushrooms. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. 

And the stamp also shows a mushroom, it is 1 of 5 stamps in the set. 

 
 Very nice cancellations on all stamps. 

There you have it, a small update today. Thanks again Johan for all 3 cards. I hope to make it back here again tomorrow to show the final cards of 2020. Hope to see you then. Take care now, stay safe. 

Wear your mask, wash your hands and keep your distance. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2020

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL

Once again as Christmas Day is upon us, I want to take this opportunity to wish all my fellow postcard collectors , cover and stamp collectors and bloggers , along with all my readers a very Merry Christmas. My Christmas wishes for all of you are again summed up in the 3 Christmas stamps issued by Canada Post in 2007. Hope , Joy, and Peace.














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Christmas Stamps, Air France and Postage Due

BLOG # 1489 -  In the Time of Covid

Hello again, here I am with three cards this time and they arrived from Ottawa, Canada along with France and Hong Kong.

My first card was received from Canada Post. The card shows a 1960s painting by Maud Lewis called Family and Sled. It can be found in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. This painting is the subject of Canada's international rate Christmas stamp. Two other of Lewis' works are also the subject of two other of Canada's Christmas stamps - Winter Sleigh Ride for the domestic Canada rate and Team of Oxen in Winter for the transborder U.S. rate. Here's a look at the card. 

  This is a postage paid card with the International Christmas stamp inscribed on it. 

Now here's a look at the three Christmas stamp showing Maud Lewis' work.

Canada also issued , as it always does, a single religious themed Christmas stamp, featuring a Nativity scene. . Have a look at it . 

That's the story of Canada's Christmas stamps for 2020. 

Here's a fun fact - Canada issued the first Christmas stamp in the world. It was way back in 1898, Canada issued the two cent Mercator Map stamp, with the words XMAS 1898. Here have a look --

 

I think that's your history lesson for today, now on to postcards. 

My second card is from France and it shows an Air France poster from 1964. It says that Air France was the world's largest airline at that time. I think American Airlines might have that title now, at least before Covid. 

Jean Pierre used a semi-postal stamp from 1989. It highlights a Quimper or Brittany Ware plate .The surcharge benefitted the Red Cross. 

The last card for today is from Hong Kong. It's a look at Endless Summer, - not exactly what I see looking out my window now. I see East Lake frozen solid, Kids sliding down hill and more kids playing ice hockey on an outdoor rink. Not to mention winter starts in two days. 

Kristie used a  , sorry no she didn't , this card arrived without a stamp ,  funny how that happens. The marking on the card shows what I think might indicate that postage was due. Well no one collected it, I didn't pay . I guess Hong Kong Post is out a little. 

That ends today's update Three cards , two stamps. Thanks for cards go to Canada Post, Jean Pierre and Kristie. 

Things are looking up a little, vaccines are rolling out but we still have to wear a mask, stay home, wash your hands and keep your distance. 

Mt Fuji and Seville

 BLOG  #1488 -- In the Year of Covid

Hey there, I'm back with a rather short update. I have just two cards for this time, the two cards I left off last update, from Spain and Japan. 

Let's start with this nice look at Mt. Fuji and surrounding Cherry Blossoms. Mt. Fuji is an active volcano  located about 100 km southwest of Tokyo. It last erupted on Dec13, 1707 and and ended on Jan 1, 1708. Fuji-san is the tallest peak in the country at 3,776 meters. Mt. Fuji was added  to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list as a Cultural Site in 2013. 

Jean Pierre used 3 definitives from 2015 on this card. They are part of a set of 12. 

Today's second card if from Seville, Spain. The city is the capital and largest city of Andalusia, located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula.  The card is a look across the Plaza Virgen de los Reyas at the Cathedral of Seville. Officially the Catherdal of Saint Mary of the See, it was built between 1401 and 1528. It is the fourth largest cathedral in the world, and was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1987.

This is another card from Jean Pierre. He used 2 stamps, the left one from 2020 and the right one from 2019. Both stamps received , I think, special pictorial cancellations. The left stamp is from the 12 Months, 12 Stamps series. The right stamp marks the 1st Anniversary of the Death of Montserrat Caballe, Spanish operatic soprano.

Well there it is , a short one this time. Thanks to Jean Pierre for today's cards. 

Thanks for reading and stay safe. Be sure and follow all the covid protocols in your area. That's the best way to be safe. 

A Lighthouse, Castles and More

 BLOG 1487   - Still in The Time of Covid

Hey, how's this for recurring fun - two days in a row ?  Must be a bit of a record !

My cards this time are from France, Japan and Spain. 

My first card is a lighthouse themed card. It is the Ile De Batz Lighthouse on Ile de Batz island in Brittany. Dating from 1836, it is a round stone 43 m tower. 

Jean Pierre used a Flower stamp from this year. It is 1 of 4 different stamps in a Minisheet of Flowers of the Mediterranean. 

Card # 2 is also from France - a multi-view card shows 6 of the many castles of Bourbonnais , a former province of the country. Note the clocktower in the top left corner, on the Chateau of the Dukes of Bourbon in Montlucon . 

Jean Pierre used a 2020 stamp showcasing the Castle of the Dukes of Bourbon. The card also received a First Day of Issue cancellation in the shape of the clocktower of the castle.

Card # 3 -- A scenic view from Le Mas, a commune in south-eastern France. It is located about 45 km northwest of Nice. The commune is alpine in nature with high mountains and lovely alpine valleys throughout. The area is also quite old with remains of a chateau from the 11th century and the Church of Notre-Dame  dating from the 12th century. 

 Dominique used a 2018 stamp celebrating the Spring Stamp Exhibition in Sorgues, France.

Earlier I mentioned cards from Japan and Spain. Well I'm going to hold off on those until next time. Three cards from France will have to do for today. Thanks for those cards go to Jean Pierre and Dominique. 

Wear a Mask, Wash your Hands and Keep your Distance and Stay Home if you Can.

Sarlat, Ile de Batz and Ljubljana

 BLOG 1486 --  In The Time of Covid

Well another week has come and gone. Not much has changed since last time, one day seems to just flow into the next. We just got hit with another round of covid restrictions and closures, here in Alberta. These will be with us for 4 weeks, to see if we can bring our daily case count down, or as they say bend the curve back down. We can only hope . Sadly, all social gatherings, both inside and outside are banned. Only persons living in one's house are permitted , so no getting together with our sons and their families over Christmas. It's Zoom or nothing for 4 weeks.   

 For today's update, I have 2 cards from France and 1 from Slovenia. First up is this card  showing a roof-top view of Sarlat-la-Caneda, a medieval town in southwestern France. The large building near the center of the card is Sarlat Cathedral, and its belltower dates from the 12th century. Because modern history has largely passed it by, Sarlat is one of the towns most representative of 14th century France. The center of the old town is largely car-free. 

 Dominique used a stamp from 1968 celebrating the link of Black and Rambouillet Forests. 

My 2nd card provides us a great look at Ile de Batz, an island off Rascoff in Brittany, France. It's a small island , with an area of 3.2 sq km and a population between 550 and 600 . Its inhabitants are called Batziens. The island beaches are a big attraction with Greve Blanche the pick of the bunch. Ile de Batz is also blessed with a micro-climate, of which  Bretons love to boast, and is home to plants from all over the world including palm trees. 

Jean Pierre used a stamp from this year, commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of French Poet Rene Guy Cadou.

Today's last card is from Ljubljana, Slovenia's capital and largest city. Again an overhead view of some of the buildings, houses and streets.

Postmarked Ljubljana, Jean Pierre's card arrived with 2 stamps from 2019. They are from a set of 5 showing Hayracks of Slovenia.

Well that's another update completed. Thanks for today's cards go to Dominique and Jean Pierre. 

Take care , and be safe. 

One more time - wash your hands, wear a mask and keep your distance. 

One Castle, Lots of Buildings and 2 Jets

 BLOG # 1485 --  In The Time of Covid

Hello again,  well it's December and the end of this year is approaching. I can say it will be good to see the end of 2020 .  Sadly, I think though, 2021 will start off just like 2020 will end. I think we have to look down the road at least six months. I'm sure you may not have wanted to hear that and God knows I take no joy in writing it, but I think that will be the reality of it. 

I still receive a few cards every now and then to keep me sane. I have four this time around. They come from France, China and two from Russia. 

First up is this card from France showing Lichtenberg Chateau. This castle is located in Alace in north eastern France. It was first mentioned in 1206, left in ruins in 1870 during the France Prussian War and then restored in the 1990s. 

Dominique used a 46 year old stamp on this card. It was issued for Stamp Day 1974. 

My next card arrived from Shanghai, China and was sent from the Shanghai Postcrossing Meetup held there on July 18th of this year. The theme of the card is a look at some of the older , large buildings in the city. Shown are the Chinese Maritime Customs Building, Bank of Communication, St Petersburg Russo-Asiatic Bank, Bank of Taiwan, North-China Building and the Chartered Bank Building. The oldest of these is the St Petersburg Bank , built between 1901 and 1905. The newest building is the Bank of Communication, built in 1947. 

 YeQin used 3 stamps from 2016. They are from a set of 6 showcasing Chinese Towns. 

My next 2 cards are from Russia, both arrived the same day and both feature an Aeroflot Aircraft. This first one shows a Tupolev TU-154, a three engine narrow body airliner from the mid 1960s. Many regard the TU-154 as a copycat of the Boeing 727. Opinions are varied as to which was the better aircraft. 

Svetlana used 2 Aviation themed stamps from 2005 along with a stamp from 2019. The 2 stamps featuring aircraft are from a set of 5 commemorating the 100th Anniversary of A.J.Mikoyan. The other stamp is 1 of 4 in a set showing Public Art of the Moscow Matro.

 

 Now for today`s last card. Again featuring an Aeroflot aircraft at Sheremetyevo A.S. Puskin International Airport. This is 1 of 4 international airports serving the city of Moscow. It is the busiest airport in Russia and the eighth busiest in Europe. In 2017 the airport handled 40.1 million passengers and 308,090 aircraft movements. 

Nata used a couple of stamps here. The small stamp on the left is 1 of 12 Definitives in a set called Eagles. The larger stamp, from this year is 1 of 4 Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Gokhran of Russia. I`ve mentioned the Gokhran before , so if  you want to know what it is , check out my blog for July 24th of this year. 

Well, as they say, all goods things come to an end , and this is the end of my blog for today. Thanks for cards go out to Dominique, YeQin, Svetlana and Nata. 

One more time  -- wash your hands, wear a mask and keep your distance. Staying home helps too. 

Take care, stay safe.