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 .