Jean Pierre's Cards

 BLOG # 1475

 In the Time of Covid

Hey there, it's been a week now so I guess it's time for another few cards here on the blog. First up are a couple of cards from France. Let's start with this card showing a portion of the Gorges of the Bourne, located in Vercors, an area in France consisting of rugged plateaux and mountains next to the Alps. The Gorges is a canyon formed by the Bourne River in the Vercors Massif. The largest of the gorges is home to a major road, a Balcony Road - one of the most spectacular roads in the world. The road took 10 years to build and was completed in 1871. 

Jean Pierre used a stamp from a 2020 minisheet of 4 different stamps. The sheet is called Flowers of Grasse and the Mediterranean. 

My second card is from  Clermont-Ferrand , a city in central France. Jean Pierre's card shows the Basilica of Notre-Dame du Port , a Romanesque basilica in the Port quarter of the city. The basilica dates from the 11th or 12th centuries. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list as part of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France. 

A stamp from 2019 was used on this card. It Commemorates the 150th Anniversary of the Birth of Alenandre Varenne in 1870. He was a French politician.

 The third card arrived from a not often seen place ( postcard wise ) , Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory. The card shows an overview of the island.  It's an atoll just south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean. Diego Garcia is the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago. 

Jean Pierre used 2 stamps on this one. On the left, is 1 of 12 in a 2009 set of Flora and Fauna. On the right, 1 of 4 in a 1991 Ships set.

Krakow, Poland is the focus city for my last card this time. The card shows us St. Mary's Church, a Brick Gothic church next to the main market square in the city. It was built in the 14th century and is known for its wooden altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss. 

On every hour, a trumpet signal is played from the top of the taller of the church's two towers. The trumpet tune breaks off in mid-stream to commemorate a famous 13th century trumpeter who was shot in the throat while sounding the alarm before a Mongol attack on the city. 

In 1978 the church became a UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside the Historic Centre of Krakow. 

    Jean Pierre used a nice 2019 Aviation themed stamp here. It Commemorates the 90th Anniversary of LOT Polish Airlines. 

Well that about does it for this time. Again Big thanks go to Jean Pierre for all four cards. Take care, be safe .  

All Canadian Banff National Park

BLOG # 1474

In the Time of Covid

Hello and welcome to another rendition of GemsWorldPostcards. This time it is an all Canadian special and we are not talking pizzia, burgers or donuts here. We are talking all Canadian postcards from an all Canadian place - Banff National Park. A short time ago My Lovely Teena and I journeyed out to Banff to celebrate our 46th wedding anniversary.  Banff should not feel it was a fallback destination because of the times we are in. Banff can stand on its own at any time as one of the most spectacular places on the globe. 

Our intent was to celebrate in the town of Banff and later in Lake Louise, and that is exactly what we did. As always when we travel or visit any place, My Lovely Teena always picks up a few cards and posts them back home to me. This trip was no exception. The cards she sent are the cards we will see today.  

First up is a card from Banff showing a poster image of a Bison. There is an interesting story here of course. Although there are lots of bison in Canada and in Alberta, there have been none in Banff National Park for over one hundred years. Well now there are some. In July 2018 ,  31 bison were reintroduced to the park. As of this month there are now 36 and we expect 300 or so by 2031. So after an absence of over a century, the return of wild plains bison to Banff National Park is a historic, ecological and cultural triumph.  

Banff Post Office provided a nice pictoral cancel on the card. The stamp is 1 of 2 issued this year commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the First Canadian Radio Program. 

 The next three cards are all from Lake Louise Post Office and they also used a nice clear cancel on each card. 

The first card is a look at Lake Moraine, located 14 km from famous Lake Louise. It may not be as well known as Lake Louise but in my opinion it is far and away more beautiful . Moraine Lake is a glacially fed lake situated in the Valley of the Ten Peaks. It has an elevation of 1,884 metres and a max depth of 14 metres. The lake reflects a distinctive shade of azure blue. This is due to the refraction of light off the rock flour deposited in the lake on a continual basis by the surrounding glaciers. 

Let me desribe Moraine Lake in a word or two. Amazing, breathtaking, beautiful, spectacular, awe-inspiring, stunning, awesome, incredible, magnificent, mind-blowing, impressive, majestic and jaw-dropping. Oh that is a little more than one or two. Sorry about that , but Moraine Lake is my favourite spot in Banff Park.  I would even go so far as to say, it is one of the most beautiful places I have been lucky enough to see and visit anywhere. Here is a card now, showing its fine form. 

The stamps that Teena used on this card and the next two are all from a set called the Group of Seven. They were issued this summer to showcase the work of the Group of Seven , Canadian landscape painters from 1920 - 1933. On this card we see a painting called " Labrador Coast " by A.Y. Jackson . 

Teena's next card is a nice picture of Lake Agnes. This is a small mountain lake with a surface of 0.57 sq km. It is located 3.5 km hiking distance from Lake Louise. A lovely teahouse is situated on the eastern shore of the lake at an elevation of 2134 m. 

Here is another of the Group of Seven stamps. This time it's Frank H. Johnston's  painting " Fire Swept, Algoma ".

Teena's last card shows us one of the reidents of Banff National Park. He doesn't need a park pass, he can come and go as he sees fit. Usually he steers clear of us loud tourists, but if you are hiking you do need to be super vigilant, as you don't want to be his next meal. 

Here is the last Group of Seven stamp. It is " Stormy Weather, Georgian Bay " by F.H. Varley.

That's it for this All Canadian update. Big thanks for all this going out to My Lovely Teena. 

It was great to get out to the mouintains with you Teena and let's do it again soon . Take care, love you. 

To you readers, take care, stay your distance and wear a mask. Cheers.

Bits of France

 BLOG # 1473

In the Time of Covid still

Hello again , I have three cards for this time, all of which arrived from France. First up is this old image of the Cathedral Of Reims. It was constructed between 1220 and 1288. It is famous as the site of the coronations of many of the Kings of France. I believe the image on the card shows the time around the coronation of Charles X. The cathedral was selected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. 

 Dominique used a stamp from this year, Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Death of French writer Frederic Dard in 2000. He was born in 1921  and that leads to one of my pet peeves. Would it not have been much nicer to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of his Birth next year, 2021 . 

 

My second card was also sent by Dominique and shows us a part of Sarlat, a medieval town in southwestern France. Because modern history has largely passed it by, Sarlat has remained preserved and is one of the towns most representative of 14th century France. The centre of the old town consists of impeccable stone buildings and is largely car-free. I think you can see this on the card.

The stamp on this card Commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of French Polymath Boris Vian this year. Looks like they got it right this time. Need I say more ! 

Card # 3 is an overhead look at Belle-Ile-En-Mer, an island off the coast of Brittany in northwest France. On the card we see the 1868 lighthouse at Poulins Point. 

Jean Pierre used a nice Lighthouse stamp and got a nice lighthouse cancellation. The stamp was issued on Aug 28. 

That is about it for this time. A little shorter than my usual but that is the way it goes sometimes. Thanks to Dominique and Jean Pierre for the cards highlighted today. 

Take care. Remember stay safe, wash your hands , no touching  your face and keep your distance. 

Air Baltic, Taormina, Bucharest, Kaunas and Riga

 BLOG # 1472

In the Time of Covid

It's time for another installment of GemsWorldPostcards and here it is.

This time around all the cards are compliments of one sender -- Jean Pierre. The cards are from Italy, Latvia , Lithuania and Romania. So let's get to it. 

First up is Italy. The card shows a number of sites around Taormina, a hilltop town on the east coast of Sicily, near Mount Etna. In the lower left is the Greek Roman Theatre which is still in use today. 

Jean Pierre used a recently issued stamp highlighting the New Genoa Bridge. 

The next two cards are from Riga. The first one is the latest addition to my Aircraft / Airlines Collection. It shows YL-AAU,  an Air Baltic Airbus A220. This aircraft is quite new, it was delivered to Air Baltic in December of 2019, after being built in Montreal.   The A220 fits the 100 - 150 seat market. They are designed to give the feel of a wide-body jetliner in a single-body aircraft. 

The reverse side of the card in addition to the stamps shows a partial system map of Air Baltic flights. Direct flights from Riga, Tallin and Vilnius are shown. The stamps are 2 Flower definitives f4rom 2014 and 2019. The larger stamp on the left was issued for Magnetic Latvia. That's the sum of what I know of this stamp.

The next card is a look at two quite old buildings in Riga. On the left is St Peter's Church, an Evangelical Lutheran Church. Earliest records of the church indicate it was around in 1209.  The building on the right is the House of Blackheads. It was erected during the early part of the 14th century in 1334. It was built as a venue for meetings and banquets held by Riga's various public organizations.

This card's stamp was issued in 2019 and Commemorates the 250th Anniversary of the Birth of Garlieb Merkel. 

From looking at my next card, it's obvious there is a lot to see in Kaunas. This city in south central Lithuania is located at the confluence of the Neris and Nemunas rivers. From top to bottom the card shows the following : Kaunas Castle, the historical Presidential Palace, a Kaunas Old Town street, the Pazaislis Church of Visitation of Our Lady and the Monastery, a monument to those who died for for Lithuanian independence, The House of Thunder, St Michael's  Archangel's Church, The Kaunas Zaliakalis Funicular, and the Vytautas Church- the church of Taking Holy Virgin Mary into Heaven. So if planning a visit, be sure to give yourself enough time in this town. 

Two stamps were used on this one. On the left is 1 of 3 showcasing Historic Banknotes. On the right, from this year is a Bird stamp- this one shows Owls. 

Just two more cards to go and both are from Romania. This first one shows Old Princely Court in Bucharest in the southern part of the country. It was built as a palace or residence during the rule of Vlad the Impaler Dracula in 1459. Vlad ruled Wallachia and you can see a statue of him on the card to the right. He's on that white pedestal.  

Jean Pierre used 3 recent stamps here. On the left, from 2018, is 1 of 2 Easter stamps for that year. The middle stamp , from 2019, is 1 of 9 different stamps in a sheet highlighting The Constitution of Romania - Guarantor of the Romanian Citizens' Rights.   The far right stamp was issued in 2015 to mark the Solemn Year of the Parish and Monastery Mission.

Here we go , the last card of the day. It's a look at a couple of the tall buildings in Bucharest , in evening light. 

There are at least 2 stamps on this card and maybe three. On the left and the right are stamps from 2013 and 2020. The left one is the Christmas stamp of that year. The large stamp on the right is 1 of 4 in a set issued for Romanian Day of the Stamp. The stamps show the uniforms of the Romanian Royalty. The king on the stamp is Carol 1. Oh yes, the center "stamp" . I don't know what it is, I don't think it's a stamp. It could be some kind of postal label or selvage from a sheet of stamps. Any thoughts or comments or prediction as to what it is ? Enquiring minds want to know !

Air Baltic, Taorimina, Bucharest

That's all I have for today. Big thanks going out to Jean Pierre for all the cards and great stamps. 

Take care all , stay safe , wear your mask and keep your distance. 

French Towns and a KLM DC10-30

 BLOG  # 1471

In the Time of Covid

I'm not sure how many cards I'll get through today, but it's a good day for blogging- weather wise that is. Yesterday was a sunny day and 27 C. Today we have a high of 11 C with rain later and tomorrow the projected high is 9 C and rain. The overnight low tonight will be 3 and tomorrow night 1. That'll maybe mean snow in the mountain parks. Did someone say summer is over ? 

Now on to the cards . First I have three cards from France, all of which were sent by Dominique. The first is from Etretat in north-western France. The area is known for its chalk cliffs and 3 natural arches. There is also a pointed formation called L'Aiguille or The Needle which rises 70 metres above the sea. Claude Monet was attracted to the area - he did several paintings of the cliffs and sea stacks in the area. One more interesting fact about Etretat - it is the last place in France from which the 1927 biplane L'Oiseau Blanc or the White Bird was seen . It disappeared somewhere over the Atlantic, along with pilots Nungesser and Coli. 

  

Dominique used a great Aviation themed airmail stamp on this card from 1982.   It shows the French plane Southern Cross. 

 

Dominique's second card shows Mont Sainte Odile. This is a 764 metre high peak in the Vosgens mountains in Alsace. The mountain is named after Saint Odile. Shown on the card is a monastery / convent at the top of the mount and it is notable for its stone fortifications called " the Pagan Wall " . Sadly in 1992 an Air Inter Airbus A320 crashed in this area with 87 casualties and 9 survivors.  

Dominique used an apt stamp on this card. It was issued this year and commemorates the 1300th Anniversary of the Disappearance of Saint Odile. She is the patroness saint of the blind and partially sighted. 

Card # 3 shows the port of Honfleur, a city in Normandy near where the Seine meets the English Channel. The city is knows for its port and for its slate covered homes. These have been painted by a number of artists over the years. Honfleur has a couple of Canada connections. In 1508 a local man Jean Denis departed for Newfoundland island and the mouth of the St Lawrence River. Then in 1608 an expedition organised by Samuel de Champlain founded the city of Quebec. 

The stamps on this one, also from 2020, Commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of French polymath Boris Vian. I don't know about you, but I had to look that one up.   

Next it's a card from the Netherlands. Another great item for my Aircraft / Airline card collection. Shown is a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines DC10-30. PH-DTF was delivered new to KLM in 1973. It later saw service with VIASA, World Airways, American and Omni Air. The airframe was scrapped in Tulsa Oklahoma in 2001. 

Barbara sent this card. She and I have traded cards a number of times the past couple years. She used a Europa stamp from this year. It is from a set of 2 featuring Ancient Postal Routes.

Well that does it for today. I was going to show a few more but they can wait until tomorrow. 

Today I have to thank Dominique, and Barbara for the cards I showcased this time.

Thanks for dropping in today, If the rain forecasted for tomorrow shows up, I  think I should be here once again. 

Remember we're in Covid times so wear a mask, wash your hands and keep your distance.