One Turtle Dove, Paris Games, Alfons Mucha, Hallstatt and a Windmill by Barbara

  Blog # 1651 --- Day 1202 ( That's One Thousand Two Hundred and Two Days ) Since the Start of the Current ( Second ) Russian Invasion of UKRAINE .        

                                                                

                                                                     GLORY TO UKRAINE 

Hello once again, good day to all. Here`s a few cards , again from here, there and everywhere. I am starting with a card from Hallstatt, Austria. David`s card shows a nice view of the village. Located on Lake Hallstatt's western shore in Austria's mountainous Sazkammergut region. Its 16th-century Alpine houses and alleyways are home to cafes and shops. A funicular railway connects to Salzwelten, an ancient salt mine with a subterranean salt lake, and to Skywalk Hallstatt viewing platform. A trail leads to the Echern Valley glacier garden with glacial potholes and Waldbachstrub Waterfall. The village has a population of just over 800.

The left stamp was issued in 2023 and signifies Congratulations , while the right stamp , from 2025, signifies Deep Sadness. 

 

My next card arrived from s`-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. It shows a drawing , by the sender of the card, of a windmill that was located behind her parent`s house in Overasselt. The mill was originally built in 1736 and moved a number of times . It was rebuilt in Overasselt in 1982 where Barbara`s Mom was the miller.

Barbara used 2 stamps on her card. The left stamp was issued in 2023 in a sheet of 10. The stamps were issued to highlight the Windmill Preservation Society. Each stamp was attached to a windmill label. The second stamp is a mystery to me. I couldn`t locate any info on it, no year of issue either. 

Here`s a card from Germany . It is a reproduction of Alfons Mucha color lithograph `Emerald ` from the cycle `The Gemstones  ` from 1900. 

A Postcrosser named Carolin sent this card and used 2 copies of a 2022 definitive showing Paper Letters as Birds. 

Time now for a card issued by LaPoste for the 2024 Olympic Games . 

Jean Pierre`s card is postmarked Bora Bora in French Polynesia. He used 2 stamps and they are . On the left, from 2023, a stamp celebrating Heiva Tuàro, a cultural festival that brings together cousins, brothers and friends from throughout the Polynesian Triangle. The right stamp was issued this year and celebrates the Paris Olympic Games. It was issued for the Surfing event held at Teahupo`o Reef on the island of Tahiti. Located 15,716 km from Paris, it was the longest distance in history between an Olympic event and the host city. 

Here is the last card for today. It is from Salisbury, England, An interesting city to  a medieval cathedral city in the southern English county of Wiltshire. It’s 9 miles south of the iconic prehistoric stone circle at Stonehenge, which stands on the grassland of Salisbury Plain. An interesting city to be sure, but not the subject of Vickie`s card. Her card shows a Turtle Dove , on a reproduction of a British stamp . 

Seven swans a-swimming
Six geese a-laying

Five golden rings
Four calling birds
Three French hens
ONE turtle-dove
And a partridge in a pear tree

ONE turtle-dove ------ doesn`t quite sound the same  with just one turtle dove.  I know, it`s only June  and not December.

Vickie used a couple of Queen Elizabeth II definitives from 2022. They are 2 of 7 in a set.  The other stamp is from 2023, showing Paddington Bear. 

There you have it , my latest entry in the Blogosphere. Thank for today`s cards go to David, Barbara, Carolin, Jean Pierre and Vickie. Drop in again soon. 

Haguenau, Moose Jaw, Salzburg, The Dress Stamp, Prime Minister Trudeau, and Don Quixote

 Blog # 1651 --- Day 1185 ( That's One Thousand One Hundred and Eighty Five Days ) Since the Start of the Current ( Second ) Russian Invasion of UKRAINE .        

                                                                

                                                                GLORY TO UKRAINE

Here`s another update of The Blog. I have cards from Here, There and Everywhere. 

I am sstarting today with a card from France. It`s a look at an area of Haguenau. 

Dominique used a 2005 stamp featuring the City of Nancy, site of the 78th FFAP Congress.  FFAP is the French Federation of Philatelic Associations. 

My next card is one showing the Moose Jaw, SK Public Library. It is a very grand building, built in 1913. Even though I lived in Moose Jaw for a short time a number of years ago, I do not recall ever seeing this library, much less ever visiting it. 

And now the stamp -- there is no stamp . I don`t know if this card left Moose Jaw without a stamp, but on arrival here in Airdrie, it was without a stamp and the card showed no sign of a stamp ever having been attached. I guess that`s all well and good, the card did arrive, that`s all that really matters. 

Now here`s a card from Salzburg, Austria. It`s a look at Hohensalzburg Fortress with Mount Unterberg in the background. 

Hohensalzburg Fortress is a large medieval fortress in the city of Salzburg, Austria. It sits atop the Festungsberg mountain at an altitude of 506 m. It was erected at the behest of the prince-archbishops of Salzburg. The fortress is 250 m long and 150 m wide making it one of the largest medieval castles in Europe. It was built in 1077. 

David used a rather unusual stamp on this card. It was issued on September 22, 2016 and features the female version of the local Austrian outfit -- the Dirndle. The stamp was not printed but embroidered. It is made from over 40 meters of thread, and made with three colours --- white , red and green.

This time  I have a card from Yellowknife, Canada and it bears a picture of Justin Pierre James Trudeau, who served as Canada`s 23rd Prime Minister. He was in office from November 4, 2015 until March 14, 2025. 

Danny used a Total Solar Eclipse stamp from 2024. Nice cancellation from Yellowknife.

It`s that time again, time for the last card. This one arrived from the Canary Islands, Tenerife , Spain. It`s a card highlighting Don Quixote. "Don Quixote" is a Spanish novel written by Miguel de Cervantes, widely considered the first modern novel. It tells the story of an aging gentleman who, obsessed with chivalric romances, sets out on his own adventures as a self-proclaimed knight. 

Nadine used a large stamp issued in 2023. It honours Luis de Unzage, onetime Spanish Governor of Louisiana, then Captain General of Venezuela and later Governor of Cuba. 

There you have , another edition of GemsWorldPostcards. Thanks for cards today go out to Dominique, Joyce, David, Danny and Nadine. 

Take care , see you again soon. 

Karolyi Castle, Edward Hopper Art, Vietnam Airlines ATR-42, King Charles, and Walking in the Rain

 

Blog # 1650 --- Day 1183 ( That's One Thousand One Hundred and Eighty Three Days ) Since the Start of the Current ( Second ) Russian Invasion of UKRAINE .        

                                                                

                                                                GLORY TO UKRAINE

Hey there, here we go again. A few cards, a few stamps , what more could you need ? 

My first card is from Carei, Romania , a city of just around 20,000 in the northwestern part of the country. Alena's card highlights Karolyi Castle, a  Gothic Revival castle located in Carei. Originally built as a fortress around the 15th century, it was converted to a castle in 1794, undergoing further transformations during the 19th century. The manor is surrounded by an arboretum which contains a great variety of species of trees and plants.

Alena used 2 stamps from a set of 9 showing Personalities. These stamps show Henri Coanda, Romanian Inventor. Coanda was the builder or inventor of an experimental aircraft , the Coanda - 1920, which never flew and which Coanda claimed was the world's first jet . It was not, nevertheless , it did get him on these stamps. 

My next card is from Illinois, in the states. It shows Automat an Edward Hopper oil on canvas painting from 1927.

 

Loral used a 2025 Compass Rose - the latest Global Forever stamp.

 

Here's an aircraft / airline card for all you aviation enthusiasts out there. This card arrived from Da Nang, Vietnam, and shows a Vietnam Airlines ATR-72. It was  registered as F-OKVN and the picture was taken at Toulouse in May of 1995.  F-OKVN flew for Vietnam Airlines from May 1992 to August 2009. Then it saw service with Calm Air here in Canada from Jan 2010 to February 2025. It has been parked since then. 

All three stamps on this card were issued in 2024. The 2 Snake stamps on the right celebrate Chinese New Year 2025, Year of the Snake. The stamp on the left , which you make have to turn you head a little to look at it, celebrates the 300th Anniversary of the Birth of Le Huu Trac, a 18th century physician in Viet Nam.

Next up is a card from England. The card shows a new stamp featuring King Charles III in the upper right corner. 

Josep and Assumpta used 2 copies of the recent King Charles definitive , from a set of seven. The larger stamp on the right  was issued this year and is 1 of 8 in a set , highlighting Armour Treasures from the Royal Armouries. 

Warning ---- last card call !    This one arrived from San Francisco in the U.S. It's entitled April Showers. There's not a lot to say about this card, other than it brings to mind the old English proverb " April showers bring May flowers " .

Krystal used a 2022 U.S. Global Forever stamp. It is a round stamp with a photograph of an orange African daisy. 

So ends another update of The Blog. Thanks for today's cards and stamp go out yo Alena, Loral, Hean Pierre and Rafal, Josep and Assumpta and Krystal.

Dinant, A Luzor Obelisk, Japanese Art and Warsaw with Balloons.

 

Blog # 1649 --- Day 1179 ( That's One Thousand One Hundred and Seventy Nine Days ) Since the Start of the Current ( Second ) Russian Invasion of UKRAINE .        

                                                                

                                                                GLORY TO UKRAINE

Hello again. Here's another fine selection of cards that's arrived over the last number of months. To start , I will show a card from Belgium that I received back in January. It shows a part of the city of Dinant. Dinant is a city in Belgium’s Walloon Region. It’s on the banks of the Meuse River and backed by steep cliffs. Perched on an outcrop above town is the centuries-old fortified Citadel. It's now a museum with sweeping views. Below it is the Gothic Collegiate Church of Our Lady. Nearby, on the site of saxophone inventor Adolphe Sax’s birthplace, Mr. Sax’s House has interactive exhibits on the instrument’s development. There are saxophones everywhere. 

This card was sent by Gerda and she used a stamp from 2020, marking the 25th Anniversary of The United Nations. 

Card # 2 arrived from Japan. It shows an illustration by Maiko Dake of Ishikawa, Japan. 

Tomoko used 2 stamps on her card. I always have trouble with stamps from Japan. I can never find the information that I want about the stamps. I look through pages and pages of Japanese stamps but almost never find them. Maybe it is because the country issues too many or the stamp almost never bears the date of issue.  I usually give up after looking through hundreds and hundreds of stamps. So , the two stamps on Tomoko's card are nice but that's  all I can say about them. Maybe some reader can fill in the blanks.

Here's the next card.    It arrived from Paris, France. It is a long time ago look at the Luxor Obelisk on the Place De La Concorde. The obelisk arrived in Paris in May 1833 and was erected in October of that year. I don't know the date of the picture on the card but it is quite a long time ago. 

And now the stamp. The thing is , it's not a stamp but a 50 year old label. It was issued at the International Stamp Exhibition ARPHILA 75 held in Paris in 1975. Obviously the stamp cancelling machine didn't do a very good jot on the day this card was posted. 

Time now for the last card of this update. It's from Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Meelis's card shows many of the buildings and sights of the city. 

There are two very nice stamps on this card. These hot air balloons are from a set of 4 issued in 2023. The set is really nice , I'm going to have to try and find a mint set of the 4 to add to my collection.  I have been up in a hot air balloon so I am kind of partial to stamps of balloons. 

 

That's the end of this update . Thanks for today's cards go out to Gerda, Tomoko, Jean Pierre and Meelis. 

Hope you enjoyed my efforts today, Back again soon.  

Cheers !

Goats on the Roof, Guyane and a Vought F-8 Crusader

 

Blog # 1648 --- Day 1174 ( That's One Thousand One Hundred and Seventy Four Days ) Since the Start of the Current ( Second ) Russian Invasion of UKRAINE .        

                                                                

                                                                GLORY TO UKRAINE

Let me start off this blog update by wishing all you Mothers out there Happy Mother's Day. This day honouring Moms has been celebrated since 1907. Since we all all about postcards , here is an old postcard celebrating Mothers from 1916.

Okay , now back to real time postcards. Let's take a look at this one from Coombs, B.C, Canada. Coombs Coombs is a small community on Vancouver Island in the Regional District of Nanaimo, British Columbia, situated on provincial highway 4A approximately 10 km west of Parksville. According to the 2021 census, Coombs is home to 1672 people.

Teena's card shows the roof of the original Old Country Market which was created in 1973. Besides all the great stuff from all over the world, the Old Country Market is also famous for the resident Goats on the Roof.  Here is Teena's card. 

Teena used a 2024 Diwali stamp on her card. Nice to see a clear and readable postmark on this one. 

Teena and I had and enjoyed a short 4 day spring getaway to Vancouver Island . We always like going back to the Island and Parksville where we lived 9 years ago.

Next is a card from French Guiana.  French Guiana is an overseas department of France on the northeast coast of South America, composed mainly of tropical rainforest. The ruins of 17th-century Fort Cépérou overlook the capital, Cayenne, with its colorful Creole houses and street markets.

Jean Pierre's card shows some of the buildings in Saint Laurent Du Maroni, the second most populous city of French Guiana, with 50,250 inhabitants at the January 2021 census. The town was founded in 1858 and was formerly the arrival point for prisoners.

Jean Pierre used a French stamp highlighting Guyane or French Guiana. 

Here's the final card for today. Here we see a Vought F-8 Crusader, a carrier based fighter. The Crusader was a single engine, supersonic, carrier-based jet aircraft developed by American aircraft company Vought. It had a top speed of 1,975 km/h and was in service from between 1957 and 1999. The Crusader saw service with the French Navy, the Philippines Air Force, The U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps. A total of 1,219 Crusaders were built. 

Dominique used a 2025 stamp honouring French singer and actress Juliette Greco.

WEll there you have it , another update to The Blog. Thanks for the cards this time go out to My Lovely Teena, Jean Pierre and Dominique.

Cheers.