Dassault Mercure, a Digital Stamp and Minerve

 BLOG # 1515  -- In The Time Of Covid

Hey folks, today I have three cards to show. Two from France and one from Germany.

 I'll start with a card from France. It's an Airlines / Aircraft card so that's a great way to start. Here we have an Air Inter Dassault Mercure 100, registered as F-BTTJ.  Air Inter was a French domestic airline. It was founded in Nov 1954 and merged with Air France in Apr 1997. Air Inter was the launch customer for the Dassault Mercure. The aircraft entered airline service with Air Inter on June 4, 1974. The Mercure was a twin engined narrow body jet airliner. It had its first flight on 28 May 1971 and its last on 29 April 1995. Only 12 of these aircraft were built. 

F-BTTJ was preserved at the Musee Delta in Athis-Mons, near Paris-Orly Airport. It was cut up during 2018, the forward fuselage is now at Piet Smedts in Baarlo, the Netherlands, while a major portion of the  upper fuselage is in use as a tunnel at a paintball center near Uden, the Netherlands. 

Here she is in her heyday.

 Now here she is as is today.

and here as a tunnel

Such a sad ending to a once glorious machine !

Jean Pierre used a Marianne definitive along with a stamp from last year. It is 1 of 12 in a booklet labelled My Spectacular Stamps.

Next up is the German card. A lovely stamp themed card. It's like a veritable stamp collection on one card. I see stamps from the Netherlands, Indonesia, Egypt, Russia, Canada, U.S.A. ,Germany, Poland, Great Britain, Australia , Hong Kong and Uruguay. Who needs a big heavy album.

Isa used two stamps on her card. On the left an often seen Flower definitive. The other stamp, on the right , is an interesting stamp. It was issued in Feb to showcase a Digital change in German stamps. It has a QR style tracking code which will allow the sender to track the card or letter as it travels to its destination. Not sure if it will work internationally, probably not.  These codes will be featured on all German stamps in 2022. 

Time now for the final card for this time. It's a look at Minerve, a commune in southern France. As of Jan 2018 , its population was 112. The history of the village goes back a long way. In 1210 it was the site of a ten week siege by Simon de Montfort during the Cathar Crusades. The surrender after led to 180 Cathars getting burned at the stake. 

The village is now the capital of the Minervois wine region and has been known as one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France. 

  

Dominique used a semi-postal stamp from 1972. It was 1 of 2 issued to support the Red Cross. 

With that, I'm done for today. Thanks for today's card go to Jean Pierre , Isa and Dominique.  

Take care all and stay safe.

Wash your hands, wear a mask and keep your distance.