Buildings, Planes, a Mountain, a Bridge and a Beach

BLOG # 1434

Good day, here's a few more cards for all you people who dropped in to see a few more cards.
This first card looks like it could be a bridge card, but maybe it could be a church card or even a swan card. The church in the background is  the Church of St. Michael and All Angels, in Clifton Hampden, England, United Kingdom. Parts were built as early as 1180, other parts were added in the 13th and 14th centuries. It was rebuilt in 1843-44.
The bridge is the Clifton Hampden Bridge and it crosses the River Thames. Designed by George Gilbert Scott, it opened in 1867.  Road traffic on the bridge is controlled by lights as it is not wide enough for two cars to pass.

Cathy used a stamp from this year it is 1 of 8 in a set showing Royal Navy Ships. On this one we see HMS Dreadnought.

If you've been reading my blog lately, you might have noticed a few cards from Armenia. Well, here's another one. Here we see the Khor Virap Monastery and in the background it's none other than Mount Ararat. The monastery dates from 1662 and is the closest you can get to the closed Turkish border, some 100 metres away.

Jean Pierre used a few stamps on this card.
The left stamp, from 2017, is 1 of 4 in an Armenian Alphabet set. The middle stamp,is from 2014 , 1 of 2 in a National Costumes set. The last stamp is from 2019 and Commemorates the Birth of George Emin     ( 1919-1998) .

Emin was an Armenian poet, essayist and translator. Also it's good to see Armenia commemorated his birth and not his death, as many countries do. I have some trouble with that idea. I think maybe I have mentioned that before.


I don't think my blog would be My blog without an Airline/Aircraft postcard. So here goes .
This one is a British Airways Express Boeing 737, registered as G-BGDT. The picture on the card was taken at Hannover.  It had its first  commercial flight 1980, with British Airways. It later saw service with Comair and Shaheen Air. The aircraft was withdrawn from service in 2012 after 32 years.

Jean Pierre's card arrived from Germany and as such we have 2 German stamps to look at. The left stamp , from 2015, is 1 of 2 showing German Castles. Here we have Marksburg Castle. The other stamp, from 2000, is 1 of 2 Christmas stamps issued that year.

Ile Maurice- Mauritius ! A beautiful place indeed. The card shows Flic en Flac Beach, located on the west coast of Mauritius. The name likely means free, flat land. This white sandy beach is one of the longest on the island.

Bruce used two rather fancy stamps on this card. On the left , from 2018 is 1 of 2 issued to mark Diplomatic Relations Between Mauritius and India. It also marks the 11th World Hindi Conference. The other stamp , from 2019, is from a set of 3 issued for the 2019 Indian Ocean Games held in Port Louis.

I mentioned a card from Armenia earlier, well now I find I have 2 more from there for this blog. This one is a look at Sanahin Monastery. Founded in the 10th century, this Byzantine monastery was renown for its school of iluminators and calligraphers.
The name Sanahin translates as " this one is older than that one". Presumably that refers to neighbouring Haghpat Monastery. Sanahin was added to UNESCO's World Heritage Sites list in 1996.

This is another card from Jean Pierre, as the next 2 will be also. The stamp on the left is from 2017 and Commemorates the 25th Anniversary of the First Armenian Postage Stamp. The other stamp I previewed earlier in this blog, so I'll leave it at that.

Next is Garni Temple, a former pagan temple. It dates to around 70-80 A.D. It is the only standing Greco-Roman colonnaded building in Armenia and the former Soviet Union. It is the best known symbol of pre-christian Armenia. Sadly this temple collapsed in 1679 but was later reconstructed between 1969 and 1975.

The stamp used here is from 2019 and highlights Architecture of Pontifical Residences.

The last card for this time and as many might expect its another Aviation card. A new one in my collection , for sure. Air Vendee - a feench airline in the department of Vendee. It operated from 1975-1992.  This Saab SF-30A registered as F-GHVS first flew in 1991 and that was with Air Vendee. Since 1992 it has flown with 9 other airlines , ending with Air Urga of Ukraine.

The last stamp for today, a semi-postal  was issued in 1986 and celebrates the Red Cross.

Finally finished. That's all for this time. Thanks for today's cards go out to Cathy, Jean Pierre, for 5, and Bruce.
Until next time.

Flowers Instead of Guns, Lighthouses , Aircraft and More

BLOG # 1433

Hey there. Time for a look at a few more postcards - today they are from France, Switzerland, Germany, and Belgium.

Let's start with this card from Brussels , Belgium. It's a front look at Maison de la Bellone, an art center, information center and arts library named after Bellona, the Roman goddess of war.  It was opened in 1697.

Johan used a beautiful stamp on this card. It was issued October 21, 2019 and received a First Day cancel. The stamp is 1 of 5 in a minisheet celebrating the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Shown on the stamp is a 1950 Ferrari 250 TR60.

Today's second card is from Germany. It features Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's 1897 painting  " Reclining Nude " . This oil painting can be seen at The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, USA.

Marion used 2 of the seemingly never ending Flower definitives and the 2019 Christmas With Friends stamp.

Here is the next card in my Airlines / Aircraft Postcard Collection. It's a Crossair Embraer RJ145, registered as HB-JAA. It flew with Crossair between 2000 and 2002. Since leaving Crossair this aircraft has seen service with Swiss International, Trans States Airlines, Aeromexico, and Mission Air. It was stored in 2018.

Jean Pierre used a couple of stamps on this one. The left stamp , from 2014, is 1 of 2 in  a Fred the Detective set. The other stamp highlights Calligraphy and was issued this year.

This next card should be of great interest to Lighthouse card collectors out there.It shows 12 lighthouse of Brittany, France. My favourite of this lot is Le Four Lighthouse. The comment on the back of this card is "Keeping Watch at the End of the Earth " .
I think that might apply to most lighthouses.

Dominique used a 2018 stamp issued for Stamp Day. It features an Alpine Renault A110.

This last card seems to have been doctored somewhat. Here we see John Travolta and Samuel L Jackson in a scene reminiscent of the 1994 film Pulp Fiction. On this card they are each holding a bunch of flowers.

However as you can see below, it wasn't flowers they were holding in the movie. Have a look.

A little more sinister than flowers, I think.

This is another card from Johan , in Belgium. This time he used a 2019 Christmas stamp and again secured a First Day cancel. There were 2 stamps in the set.

Be sure to check out Johan's fine postcard blog  right here  .
That's it for this time and this week. Thanks for postcards today go out to Johan, Marion, Jean Pierre and Dominique.
Take care.

No Name Blog Today

BLOG # 1432

Time for another blog update, so here it is.

My cards this time arrived from Belgium, Armenia, Germany, Spain, Georgia and France. All from over there as we say over here.

Let's start with this card from Metz, France. This city of just over 117,000 people is in the northeast of the country. Metz dates back 3,000 years. It's Gothic Metz Cathedral is famous for its massive amount of stained glass windows.
Dominique's card shows Place Saint - Jacques , located in the centre of Metz, in front of the centre Saint- Jacques , a three storey mall.

The stamp was issued in 2015 and celebrates Chalon-sur-Saone, a commune in eastern France.

Now here's one more for my Airline / Aircraft postcard Collection. This time it's aircraft 4L-TGT , a Georgian Airways B737 pictured at Moscow in June of 2005. This aircraft was owned by ILFC ( International Lease Finance Corp ) and has seen service with many airlines since 1994- Pegasus Airlines, Canair, Carnival Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Winair, K2000 Airlines, Oman Air, Air Polonia and Geogian Airways from 2005-2011. Finally add Blue Air and Cargo Air. That's a lot of paint jobs.

This is another card that Jean Pierre arranged through his friend Rafal who was travelling in the area.
Rafal used a Bird stamp from this current year.

Another card from Dominique. This one arrived from Madrid, Spain. It shows the Bear and Strawberry Tree sculpture located  in Puerta del Sol in front of the former Royal Post Office. It's been there only  since the second half of the 20th century.

Dominique used a stamp from 2019 highlighting the Spanish Diplomatic Service.

Now it's another Gustav Klimt painting on a postcard. This time it's Danae from 1907-08. The real oil painting can be found in Vienna.

Brigitte used 2 Flower definitives and a Europa Stamp from 2019. It is from the National Birds series. On this one we see a Yellowhammer.

This is the 3rd Gustav Klimt postcard I have received in the past 3 weeks. That's often the way it goes - feast or famine.


Time now for a card from Brussels. It's a look at Cinquantenaire Arcade, a monumental triple arch in the center of Cinquantenaire Park in that city. It was opened in September of 1905. It is topped with a bronze sculptor with a woman charioteer, representing Brabant raising the national flag.

Johan used a quite recent stamp, issued October 21st, showing Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Brabant as she turned 18 years of age. Beautiful First Day of Issue cancellation attached.

Today's last card is from  Yerevan, Armenia.
And we're ending with one more airline / aircraft postcard. This one is an Armenian International Airbus A320 on the ground at Paris ( CDG) in July of 2003. This aircraft EK-32001 first flew in 1992. From 1993 , it flew for 5 different airlines before it met its demise in May 2006 in Zaventem, Belgium. It was 1 of 4 aircraft destroyed in a hangar fire.

The stamp on the left was issued this year and showcases Flora and Fauna of the Ancient World. The right stamp is  1 of 7 in a 2013 set featuring Armenian Writing.

That's all for today. Thanks for cards going out to Jean Pierre, Johan, Dominique Brigitte and Rafal. Drop in again when you can.

Architecture, Aircraft and Art- The 3 A's

BLOG # 1431

It's been five  or six days since my last blog so I think it's time once again. I have five or six cards for this time depending on time. So, getting right to it, Madrid , Spain is up first. This card is a look at Plaza Mayor, a public place in the heart of the city. This main Square , built between 1590 and 1619, is a great place to shop, walk around, eat and just enjoy the outdoors. It measures 129 m by 94 m. An interesting feature to me would be that every Sunday it hosts stamp collecting markets.

Dominique used an outstanding Aviation themed stamp on his card. It commemorates the 100th Anniversary of Air Transport in Spain.

My second card is from Armenia. Jean Pierre's card shows the inside of Geghard Monastery. This medieval monastery is surrounded by cliffs and the building itself was partially carved out of a mountain . Dating from the 12th century, the monastery was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000.

The stamp on the left is from 2018. It showcases Jamanak- the Daily Newspaper of Constantinople, which was first published in 1908. The right stamp, from 2013 , is 1 of 3 in a minisheet showing Church Architecture.

Next we have a beautiful Airline / Aircraft card with a beautiful Aviation themed stamp. Can it get any better  ? Here we have TEA France, an Airbus A-310, registered as F-GKTD on the ground at Paris-Orly. This aircraft was delivered in December 1990 and left the TEA France fleet in November 1992 for Sudan Airways.

The livery  ( paint job ) on this jet is very reminiscent of an airline I once worked for - EPA , short for Eastern Provincial Airways. On our jets it was EPA and on the tail was a white seagull. Very similar indeed. Have a look.

That seems like a lifetime ago.
As I mentioned earlier, Jean Pierre used a beautiful outstanding stamp on this card. I don't know for sure just what it is, but I think it might be an ATM stamp of some kind. Whatever it is , it's a keeper.

A card from Kyoto, japan is next. It's a card showing a Gustav Klimt print called Water Serpents. I know there are Gustav Klimt card collectors out there, so if you are one, enjoy.

I'm not sure if this should be vertical as presented or horizontal . I looked online and saw it both ways. I guess if I was a true Klimt follower I'd know. Perhaps someone will enlighten me with a comment.

A Postcrosser named Nobue sent this along and used 2 stamps. The left stamp was issued in 1962 and celebrates the Opening of the Hokuriku Railway Tunnel. The  other stamp is from 1988 and is 1 of 8 issued in a set called Narrow Road to a Far Province.

Now we're off to Luxembourg.   This city view card was sent from and postmarked at Multilaterale Stamp Exhibition , held in the city November 8-10 .

Meelis used a 2010 H.R.H. Grand Duke Henri stamp, a 2007 Cultural Places of Luxembourg stamp and a 2015 Natural Reserves of Luxembourg stamp.

Thanks Meelis, it was good to hear from you again.



Here we go , the last card for today. It's from Baku, Azerbaijan. This time it's D-AVWA an Azerbaijan Airlines Airbus A319  pictured at Hamburg in July of 2005.

Jean Pierre arranged for this card through Rafal who was visiting the area. Rafal used a 2019 stamp celebrating the Azerbaijan Formula 1 Grand Prix.

So there , another update is history. Thanks for today's cards go out to Dominique, Jean Pierre, Nobue, Meelis and Rafal. Great cards, great stamps all around. Take care, until next time- over and out.