Kiribati, Turkish Airlines B727, Tara-a Celtic Woman , Marmaris and a Cittaslow

BLOG # 1586  --- Day 869 of the Pandemic--- Day 154 of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

                                                                GLORY TO UKRAINE     

I'm starting off today with an Aircraft / Airline card. Here is a Boeing 727 in service with Turkish Airlines. It had its first flight on Oct 31, 1974. It was delivered to Turkish Airlines on November 27, 1997 and saw service with the airline until August of 97. It was then taken out of service and scrapped on Jan 1 , 1998. 

Jean Pierre used 2 stamps from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. They formed a 2 stamp minisheet in 2006. It commemorated the 50th Anniversary of the First EUROPA stamp.

My next card arrived from Kiritimati Island in the Republic of Kiribati. The island is often called Christmas Island and is located in the central Pacific, in the Northern Line Islands. It  has the greatest land area of any atoll in the world, 388 square kilometres . The island lies 232 km north of the equator and is in the world's farthest forward time zone. As a result it is one of the first inhabited places on Earth to experience New Year's Day. 

  

This is another from Jean Pierre. This time the stamp is from 1981. It is 1 of a set of 4 showing Area Islands. 

That is a very clear and attractive postmark/cancellation. Too bad they all can't be like that. 

Here's another of my Celtic Woman cards that I have been showing periodically. This is Tara, who we met a few blogs back. 

 

Here are the stamps. The stamp on the left is from 2010. It marks the 5th Anniversary of the Death of Czeslaw Slania. It was a Joint Issue with Ireland and Sweden. The other 3 stamps are from the set of 6 Irish Fashion Designers. The set was issued in 2010. 

Now here's the last card for today. It's a card from Turkey. It's a look at the port city of Marmaris, a Mediterranean resort area in southwest Turkey. Looks like a nice beach area there on the card. 

 David used a 2022 Definitive  stamp from a set of 6, showing Cittaslow communities. And what are they you might ask . A cittaslow is  a whole-of-community approach to promoting quality of life and sustainability in towns and cities based on a partnership between local government and communities. There are currently 287 cities in 50 countries identified as such. Four of them are in Canada.

That's all for this time. I'll be back again soon. 

Take care.

Thanks today go out to Jean Pierre and David.

Rhodes, The Pinnacle, Val d'Or, Lille, Land of Arlon and a Garuda A330

BLOG # 1585 --- Day 862 of the Pandemic --- Day 147 of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine 

                                                                       GLORY TO UKRAINE

Hello again, it's been a number of days since my last update. The Calgary Stampede , the ten day exhibition is now over. The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth ended last Sunday evening after an attendance of 1.2 million people during the 10 days. So no more cowboys, no more horses, cowboy boots, outdoor pancake breakfasts, haybales or shouts of YaHoo for another year. The town will be back to normal in a day or two. 

I have  8 cards here on the desk to blog with today. Not sure if I will get all 8 done, but I'll give it a shot. This first card shows us Camping Val d'Or, Luxembourg. This is one of the most charming campsites in the country. located in the north of Luxembourg, it offers walking, biking and motorcycling. 

 

Meelis used 2 stamps on this card. On the left is a stamp issued in 2008 commemorating the 50th Anniversary of MAMSA - NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency.  The right stamp, from 2021, is 1 of 2 issued to showcase Tourism in Rural Areas. 

Today's second card was also sent by Meelis, this time from Belgium. It shows the area in south western Belgium called the Land of Arlon. It is a traditional and cultural region with strong Luxembourgish ties to the neighboring Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Shown on the card is the interior of Saint-Martin Church, Reine-Astrid Square, the ancient gate of Saint-Martin Church and a rather bucolic view of Arlon. 

 Meelis used a mixture of 2 stamps. On the left is a TBC-Post Europe stamp. On the right is a 2015 stamp, 1 of 10 in an  Animals on the Move set.  It was issue by Bpost. 

TBC-Post is a private postal player in Belgium. Not sure how the 2 different issued stamps work together on a card or letter, but they did work.. 

First aircraft card of the day. This is a Garuda Airlines A330, registered as PK-GPG. The picture was taken at Sydney in July 2011. This  A330 is 25.3 years old , having its first flight in March of 1997. It was delivered to Garuda on April 14 , 1997. It is still in service with the airline. 

 Jean Pierre used a Flora and Fauna of Indonesia stamp of Indonesia from 2019. It was 1 of 2 in a rather cool minisheet. 

Have a look at this stamp. It received a cancellation postmark but that wasn't enough for someone. Looks like the Great Stamp Defacer struck again. You know , I really have a hard time deciding which is worse. Between defacing the stamp with a pen or marker and not cancelling the stamp altogether, I hate it when a card receives no postmark or cancellation, as I feel that the stamp hasn't done its work, and I hate it when the stamp gets ruined for no reason. However  as a long time stamp collector I think I would rather add a card with a defaced stamp, at least it's cancelled , than to receive a card with the stamp not cancelled at all. I always want to send them back for a cancel.

How do you all feel about this  ?  Leave a comment if you want and let me know.  

Now we're off to South Africa. The card shows The Pinnacle, a quartzite pillar of rock, towering 30 m above the lowveld of Mpumalanga. The ravine below, Driekop Gorge,  was formed over the centuries by the Ngwaritsane River. 

Bruce used a stamp from 2017 that celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Krugerrand. It was 1 of 3 in a Minisheet.

This next card is of Lille, a city in northern France, near the border with Belgium. Lille has 17th century brick town houses, cobbled pedestrian streets and the Grand Place - the large central square. Shown on the card is a part of the Grand Place and in the foreground the Column of the Goddess. This monument was inaugurated on October 8, 1845 and commemorates the heroism of the people of Lille during the siege of the city in 1792. 

Dominique used a current 2022 stamp that showcases French painter Henri Rouart.

Rhodes Old Town is the subject of my next card. Rhodes - the largest of the Greek Islands has an Old Town featuring the the medieval Street of the Knights of St. John and the castlelike Palace of the Grand Masters. The Medieval Old Town has been declared s World Heritage Site. 

 

The column on the card with the deer on top stands where a foot of the Colossus of Rhodes is believed to have stood. The Colossus was a giant statue , about 110 feet tall, of the Greek sun-god, Helios. It only stood for 56 years, when it was toppled by an earthquake in 226 BCE. Huge chunks of the former statue stayed on the beaches of Rhodes' Mandraki Harbour for over 800 years. 

David used a Postcards Worldwide , Rhodes Tourism stamp from 2019. It is from a set of 5. 

Well I didn't get all 8 cards I mentioned earlier done, but 6 is good. So this ends another blog update. Thanks today go out to Dominique, David, Jean Pierre, Bruce and Meelis. Thanks fellas, I appreciate it. 

Planes, Trains and a Bridge along with a Single Celtic Woman

BLOG # 1584 --- Day 849 of the Pandemic --- Day 134 of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine 

                                                                      Glory to Ukraine

Hey postcard people. I'm back with a few postcards once again. I've got Planes , Trains, and other stuff. It would have been nice had I wrote Planes, Trains and Automobiles, but not this time. That was a great , funny movie though, wasn't it ? 

Let's start with an aircraft card. It's an Emirates Airbus A300/600. It's registered as A6-EKF and was delivered new to Emirates in June 1991. It was in service with Emirates until May 2001 , after which in was with Lufthansa, Mahan Air, and Iran Air Tour.  It is currently 31.2 years old and still operating. 

567 Airbus A300s were built over 36 years. Just 11 are still in passenger service although about 160 still see service as cargo aircraft. I've never flown in an A300 and it's not looking like I ever will now. Such is life. 

Jean Pierre used a Round stamp from 2021. It celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Sports in the U.A.E.

Today's second card is from Ireland. It's another of the series of Celtic Woman postcards that I have been showing every now and then. This one shows Chloe Agnew on the grounds of Kylemore Abbey in County Galway. Chloe and the other members of Celtic Woman performed a concert on the Abbey grounds in March of 2015. Chloe gave a stunning rendition of " Angel's Song " .

The Abbey was built in the late 1800s and the Benedictine Nuns have been in residence there since 1920. 

 

This card has a nice selection of stamps. I'll go from left to right - from 2011, it celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Amnesty International. Next , from 2010 is 1 of 4 in a minisheet showing Birds of Prey. Then, from 2011 a stamp celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Ireland. The last stamp on the right was issued in 2011 and commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of former President of Ireland Cearbhall O Dalaigh.

The Silver Pilot is up next. The Silver Pilot was a streamlined stainless steel locomotive which pulled many of the Zephyr passenger trains between the 1930s and 1960s. This special locomotive , 9911A, was produced exclusively for the Chicago Burlington and Quincy Railroad in 1940 and 1941. 

Virginia used three stamps on her card. The left stamp , from 2021 , shows a Brush Rabbit. The middle stamp, also from 2012, contains a Mystery Message or puzzle to decipher. The stamp on the right is 1 of 3 issued in 2019 to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad.

  

Next up is a card showing the Raiffeisenbrucke, a bridge spanning the Rhine River between Neuwied and Weissenthurm in Germany. This suspension cable bridge was opened in September 1978 and its longest span is 238 meters. 

Melanie used a Flower definitive along with a stamp from this year showing the German Europa issue of the Myths and Stories stamp.

Here's another Emirates airplane. This time it's a Boeing 777, A6-EMN shown at Dubai in the year 2000. This aircraft is 22.6 years old but has been in storage 5 times over a 3 year period. It was delivered to Emirates in December 1999. Then from 2017 on it was in service with Apollo Aviation, FlyGlobal, and Carlyle Aviation. It is currently stored at Teruel Airport in Span.

Jean Pierre used a 2020 stamp that Commemorated the 75th Anniversary of the Arab League.

By the way , did you ever wonder where all the planes went during the early days of the pandemic ? Well here's a few pictures that might answer it . They may not have been stacked, but they were surely parked in line-ups. 

Metz, Praha, Macau, Normandy Brige , Man and Pegasus

BLOG # 1583 --- Day 844 of the Pandemic --- Day 129 of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

                                                                GLORY To Ukraine 

Good morning, good day or good evening, depending on where you are.  Glad you have come back for a little postcard fun. I'll start off with a card from France. It has a view of Metz, in northeast France. Metz has gardens and leafy promenades along the Moselle and Seille rivers. In the old town, the Gothic Metz Cathedral , opened in 1550  is famed for its massive amount of stain glass windows, many by noted artists, including Marc Chagall. Nearby, the Musée de la Cour d'Or displays artifacts from Roman to Renaissance times. You can also see on the right side of the card a part of the Metz courthouse where trials of Gestapo members were held. 

Dominique used a stamp from this year. It is 1 of 4 in a minisheet showing Marine Life - Molluscs and Crustaceans. 

Today's second car arrived from Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic. This city has many nicknames such as " The City of 100 Towers or Spires " , " The Rooftop of Europe " , " The Heart of Europe" , " The Golden City " , and " The Mother of Cities " . Noteworthy in the city is the Medieval Astronomical Clock, which was first installed in 1410, making it the third oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still in operation. It gives an animated hourly show which shouldn't be missed. Also of note is the Charles Bridge over the Vltava River. This pedestrian bridge was completed in 1410 and is lined with statues of Catholic saints. In 1992 the historic city centre was added to UNESCO's World Heritage Sites list. 

Meelis used 3 stamps on his card. The left stamp was issued in 2004 marking the 700th Anniversary of the Birth of Italian scholar and poet Francesco Petrarca. The round middle stamp is an A rate Personalised stamp. The large stamp on the right , from 2011, is 1 of 2 in a set showing Czech Film Posters. 

  

Next s a card from Macau. This is an autonomous region off the south coast of China, across the Pearl River Delta from Hong Kong. It was a Portuguese territory until 1999. 

PostCrosser named Aida sent this card along. The left stamp was issued in 2000 and is 1 of 4 in a set showing Board Games. The other stamp, from this year is 1 of 4 celebrating the Chinese New year - Year of the Tiger. In my opinion, for what it's worth , I think this stamp is the nicest of the four. Check out the eyes on this cat. 

Now here's a view of the Normandy Bridge . This cable- stayed road bridge spans the Seine linking Le Havre to Honfleur in Normandy in northern France. It's total length is 2,143.2 metres. It is the last bridge to cross the Seine before it empties into the ocean. It is a toll bridge but pedestrians and cyclists can cross free of charge , on a footpath and a cycle lane.  The bridge opened in 1995.

Helene used a 2020 stamp featuring Ludwig van Beethoven. It was issued to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of his Birth.  

Time now for the last card for this time. It arrived from Sweden. It's a look at Man and Pegasus, a 1949 bronze sculpture by Carl Milles. It is located in Millesgarden in Stockholm.  Actually it's a replica of the original sculpture which is to be found in Malmo, Sweden. 

 

This card was sent by Aila and arrived with 3 stamps. The left stamp, from 1996 , shows Mail Carriages on a Train. The middle stamp is 1 of 3 in a set showing Marine Motifs. The right stamp , issued in 2012, is from a set of 5 showcasing Swedish Typographical History. 

There you have it. The latest update on GemsWorldPostcards. My thanks for today's cards go out to 

Dominique, Meelis, Aida, Helene and Aila. Thank you all. 

Later .