Doha, Qatar

Well, I planned to make an update yesterday since I had a day off due to a National Holiday, meaning, an extended weekend...but I just got carried away with a bunch of other stuff...so here we are today, with a mix of old and new stuff... first comes the 'old' or more precisely a card I received in 2009...

my second written and stamped card from Qatar here, which to my wild guess, shows a scene in Doha...it just seems logical to me, for this to be Doha, without any intention to look down on any other city or place in Qatar...
the card shows an offshore drilling platform, which i guess is quite common here since Qatar is an oil producing country

did you know that just last week the Emir of Qatar was here for a visit? Yeah, it was quite the news, except that I didnt get the chance to see him...neither his son....neither at one moment i had the impression a guest of such rank was here....Im just really curious to know his impressions from here...I know he had visited the Old Bazaar (my absolutely favourite place in Skopje) and since the place has been in general influenced by the Ottoman architecture, and has a lot of mosques and hammams,  he might have felt like home....

on the side note, if you ever come here, the Old Bazaar is a must....if not, im gonna drag you there :)

the stamp is from a set of 20 insects' stamps issued in 1998. Again, under the address, it said 'via Itay' (I guess they meant 'Italy', though i dont know why via Italy? and it was added additionally by a postal worker,  not the sender...

Colmar, France

for a looooooooooooong while i was in platonic love with this scene...until recently, when it arrived in my mailbox...so now we have made a step forward in our relationship...

seriously, this is one of the LOVELIEST views ive seen! this scene from the old town in Colmar just screams with happiness and positive energy and love! I would LOVE to live here...probably in the blue building if possible :) But just look at it...who would have thought that something like this is not just a fairy-tale neighbourhood, but something that really exists! It so great to sit here, with a cup of tea or coffee and just gaze at the beauty, with the sun rays tickling...and i just also love the windows-style...and the curtains....and the flowers...and the street light....just so dangerously charming!

the back of the card says 'Alsace, a region of unspoiled countryside and traditions, offers a wide variety of scenery and places to visit. It is rich in historical and cultural perspectives and has an exceptional rich heritage in cuisine'.

the stamp was issued this year with regards to the G20-G8 Summit

Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine

Ukrainian cards are often really beautiful...and often cause me trouble with what's on the picture...as now...

so, if im not mistaken, this is the wooden church at the ethnographic museum in Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi. it looks interesting, and actually i keep seeing it as caped with snow and not that actually the 'roof' is white..

if you can see it, there is also a black circle in the middle...I dont know if they stamped the card on the front side too, or this is a mark from the card or letter below/in front of this one...

funny though, while browsing the net, I learned that this city is a sister city to the Macedonian town of Коčani....small world, isn't it? :)

a few nice stamps...the first one is a definitive from a set of 18 flowers  issued in 2006 ....the one in the middle is another definitive from a set of 13 issued in 2008, while the last one is from 2009 set of two stamps commemorating the 200th Anniversary of Birth of Mykola Hohol (1809-1852)....behind this actually hides Nikolai Gogol, and this stamp portrays the Night Before Christmas, the first story in the second volume of the collection Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka. Simply an AWESOME stamp!

New Jersey, USA

well, ill close today with a New Jersey map...I have another one here. Can someone tell me how many different map cards publishers are there in the US? coz there are so many different series, it is hard to keep track :)

well, i wont be talking about NJ again...i actually wanted to share something else with you that I came across today...not that I couldnt share it with you with some other card, but since it was NJ involved in the story, i thought it would be the most appropriate to post it along today

a short but lovely and touching story in a way

I just absolutely love it!!! Usually i read stories how dads help their sons or give them their wisdom and unconditional love....i rarely, come across things being the other way round...hence i so much appreciate it.
Hope it got you thinking, at least for a moment...

apart from the clock stamp, there are two other nice ones here from a set of 4 Cowboys of the Silver Screen stamps, issued in 2010.

Saludos!

Antigua

My tongue fell out the other day when I found this gem of a card in my mailbox...not only it is a map card (and seems it's been a while since ive posted a map card here), but look the country it is coming from!!

a fantastic surprise (one of a dozen Ive received in the past week or so) from my dear Sissel....who has been visiting some awesome places lately and always drops me a card or a few in the mail...and since my postman sometimes loves to bring me all at once, I end up having a small Christmas in the mid-October :)

Here is what the back of the card says: The larger island of the nation of Antigua and Barbuda, Antigua boasts 365 beautiful beaches, one for each day of the year (** I got a deja vu here and I wonder who is the copy cat....is it Antigua who had copied from us about the 365 churches of Ohrid, one for each day of the year, or vice-versa?)
It lies roughly 17 degrees north of the equator in the middle of the Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean. It is about 14 miles long and 11 miles wide. The capital is St. John's.

At the bottom left you can see the Old Road, of which I had already written once...so now you have a better idea where it is exactly :)

and the most important part of this is, that it comes written and stamped, which makes it my first written and stamped card from Antigua! Wohoo...one more down! Though with all the new countries being born, I always seem to be holding around the status quo...

the middle stamp is from a set of 13 flora definitives, with this one depicting a coconut (mhm mhmm mhhm), while the birds' stamps are from another set of 15 definitives, issued in 1995

thank you sooo soo sooooooooooo much dear Sissel!! Thank you!!!!!!

Semmeringbahn, Austria

next comes a lovely train card I received as an official earlier this year.

AT-69102

It presents the Semmeringbahn, which is also a UNESCO whs. The Semmering Railway represents an outstanding technological solution to a major physical problem in the construction of early railways. The railway, built over 41 km of high mountains between 1848 and 1854, is one of the greatest feats of civil engineering from this pioneering phase of railway building. The high standard of the tunnels, viaducts and other works has ensured the continuous use of the line to the present day. Furthermore, with its construction, areas of great natural beauty became more easily accessible and as a result these were developed for residential and recreational use, creating a new form of cultural landscape.

well, you know pictures are better than words....so ill let you enjoy


i just wish the music was different...i find the one used here rather annoying...for me, doesnt really fit into the atmosphere...

the stamp is from the 2010 EUROPA series of Children's books.

Haceta Head, USA

next is an amazing lighthouse card sent by Geoff

the card shows the Haceta Head lighthouse, which is located 12 miles north of Florence on Oregon's picturesque central coast. The lighthouse was completed in 1894 after two years of construction. Made from local and imported materials, this lighthouse was built to withstand the harsh storms of this remarkable region.

Remarkable view for a remarkable region! I love the lights and colours!

...and the stamps too! Apart from the clock stamp, there are two other 44c stamps, coming from a sheet of 10 birds stamps, from the Hawaiian Rain Forest. The sheet itself is fantastic!

Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland

Ive already posted about Auschwitz, but I wanted to show this card too, since it comes from my favourites

i dont know why, cards from places like this induce some mixed emotions....maybe due to such deeply-buried mysteriousness is why i find such cards so appealing...i mean, im not a freak or anything who is fascinated by death and concentration camps...I just find such places so surreal and can never really know what actually happened...coz the media and all the other sources will serve you different sides of the story...which one you end up believing in, is totally up to you...

Might be coz of the rails why I also really love this card :)

the stamp was issued in 2009, commemorating the World Postal Day

Mariefred, Sweden

ok, one more train card for today...sorry :)

this one came as a surprise by dear Susan who visited Sweden this summer.

The card shows the train station in Marifred, and the focus here is the Lessebo, a Mallet locally built in 1891 following the design of the original Mallets built by Decauville for the Great Exhibition in Paris in 1889, whose system had a major influence on the development of Sweden’s 600mm gauge railways. Engines of this design were used around the Eiffel Tower during the Paris exhibition of 1889. By the early years of the twentieth century the shortcomings of the design had become apparent and most of them were replaced by more modern machines built in the country. “Lessebo” led a charmed life, continuing to serve the Kosta Lessebo Järnväg (on the card), its original railway, until the line closed in 1948

the stamp is from a self-adhesive booklet of 5 stamps issued this year, representing Industrial Environments.

thank you sooo much Susi for the lovely card and for thinking of me in the first place!

until next time, and more great cards :)

North Korea

well, i didnt quite plan to make an update today, but sometimes some things happen, and after your postman ignoring you, you just receive such mail, that you remain speechless and then burst in excitement....and you just cant sit still...so in order to sleep better (and have the caffeine evaporate too), ill give you a few cards....starting with one which arrived today...to my greatest surprise....not more not less, but North Korea!!! The country on my top 5 places to visit (if I ever get the chance to) One of the most fascinating and most intriguing countries to me, yet so mysterious....so one of the reasons why i would love to visit it is to see what is all the fuss about it...

well, i cant possibly understand what's written here, but would I be wrong if I relate this image to 'revolution'...or 'uprising'....or 'truce'?? If anyone could help me with the translation or maybe an explanation of whats really behind this image, id be really grateful :)

this is such a gem in my collection, that I have no idea how to store it...as clumsy as I am, it would be soaked in coffee....so once done with this update, i need to put it safe and sound, below other cards...keep it as treasure...if you're wondering why im so much dreading it...take a look below!

oh yes!! North Korean stamps!! Pyongyang cancellation....coz this card was INDEED mailed from North Korea itself!!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! Im still shocked honestly and find it hard to believe that I got a written and stamped card from THE Korea!
Thanks so much to Jean-Luc for this magnificent surprise! Not being on the initial list, I didnt really expect a card at all...so thats why im so thrilled and happy and thankful about this! Yay yay yayy!! Wohoooo!!! And it has taken exactly a month to reach me, which i must say is a decent time for travelling...actually, it is more than decent it had arrived in the first place! I just wonder if the NK Government has me on some list now after seeing my name here :)

two different stamps have been used on the card...both are definitives from a set of 12 issued in 2002.

well, this has been a real treat! and watch your mailbox! who knows, you might be one of the lucky ones as well :)

thank you soooooooooooooooooooo much Jean-Luc! I owe you a BIG one on this!

Estonia

well, after North Korea, we are moving to Estonia. I was browsing my cards and realized I have 3 from the same set, all received in 2009 as well...so I thought it would be appropriate to post them all.
they all show different Estonian counties, with some particular traditional  clothes for that county, as well as a map and some landmarks...pretty neat!

first is a card showing Harjumaa, situated in northern Estonia, on the south coast of the Gulf of Finland. The capital Tallinn is also in this county. The traditional clothes presented are of the Kuusalu Parish...and you can also see the Jägala waterfall and the Open-air museum in Viimsin.

the stamps are lovely too, corresponding to the traditional clothes moment. the left one is from a set of two costumes' stamps issued in 1995, while the other one was issued in 2001 in another set of two costumes stamps.
Thanks a lot to dear Janek for the card!

the second card here comes from two dear ladies, Katy and Kriszti from the time they met back in July, 2009...wow, it's been that long since?! Time is really freaking me out sometimes =/
They sent me a lovely card of the Läänemaa county, which is located in western Estonia and borders Baltic Sea to the north and is said to be with a long coastline, meadows, forests and bogs.
The traditional clothes on the card are ones of  girl and boy of Lihula. You can also see the Episcopal castle in Haapsalu and at the bottom right corner...a train at a train station!!! LOVELY!!

the stamp was issued in 2009, depicting the Estonian flag.
Thank you so much to both of you!!!!

and the third card of the series, comes again from Janek and shows the Põlvamaa county which is situated in south-eastern part of the country. The card shows traditional clothes of a man and woman of Setumaa; the Taevaskoja Sandstone Cliff in Põlva; the Kiidjärve Water Mill in the Põlva County and the Piusa Caves.

some more lovely stamps here...the one on the left is from a set of 4 stamps issued in 1992 portraying the Baltic Sea, while the other two are from 2001 from a set of 8 fairy tales' stamps.
Thank you again Janek!!!

Los Angeles, USA

ive always liked the image on this one...and I could never be 100% convinced if it is photoshopped or not...the sky I mean...

the back of the card says "The Griffith Park Observatory overlooks the sprawling glitter on the L.A. Skyline"

and it seems it has been featured in a BUNCH of famous movies and series, and most probably I had seen it but had no idea it was this observatory in question...just to list a few...Terminator, Charlie's Angels, Transforms, 24, Mission Impossible, Beverly Hills, Melrose Place, the Wonder Years, Star Trek....and so on and so forth....
In case you want to visit it, it is open 5 days a week, and in general free of charge, except for some shows for a minimal price at the planetarium

so, definitely a MUST see!

the card bears three nice stamps...the clock stamp comes first...in the middle is the 'celebrate' stamp from 2009, while next to it is the Bob Hope stamp, also from 2009.

This reminds me of some dark humour lately...it says "we had Steve Jobs, Bob Hope and Johnny Cash...now we have no Jobs, no Hope and no Cash"....ironic?

Ayvalik, Turkey

I cant say im a collector of doors/windows cards, though ive seen some really nice ones out there...and I like this one too...

again coming from 2009...well, I was simply in the 2009 box....:)

this door is somewhere in Ayvalik which the sender says to mean 'quince garden'. It is a seaside town on the northwestern Aegean coast of Turkey.

well, quite different from the majority of Turkish cards I have...and my one and only from Ayvalik :)

the stamp is from a set of 16 definitives issued in 2005, showing provinces in Turkey. this is the Aydin province.

well, thanks for following and hope you have a great weekend ahead! :)

Maputo, Mozambique

It is an awfully cold and rainy day today...temperatures drastically dropped over night...weather changed...and rather ruined my plan to go to the PO (and I have bunch of pending mail ....)
well, weather like this calls for staying at home....so before I get down to cleaning, and do stuff for work (yeah, even though it is the weekend), ill show you some cards.

And I like making thematic updates every now and then (depending on the cards I have available, and if I realize I could do it in the first place).
For today I decided to show you some lovely markets....a really great way to take an insight into a country's way of living...

and Ill start with the central market in downtown Maputo, Mozambique's capital and its largest city as well.
The stands remind me of the markets we have here, though this one displays much more exotic fruits, plus believe it or not, it is cleaner!
This market is a hub of activity selling all kinds of goods, from handicrafts, basketware and carvings, to fruit and vegetables, a variety of seafood and many household items needed for everyday use.
Similar to the markets here, where apart from fruits and vegetables, you can buy a plethora of other stuff including clothes, shoes, gadgets, cosmetics, tools....

If i ever get the chance to visit Maputo, this market would definitely be somewhere high on the list.

Thanks a lot to Goran who had arranged for this lovely card to be sent to me (along with another card and a lovely cover :))

Germany

next i have some market cards from Germany

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The first card came as an official and shows a man selling potatoes. The sender says that this scene is typical in summers and autumns near highways, where people sell potatoes and apples and sometimes blueberries, strawberries and honey.
I absolutely love this card! We have such 'markets' here too, where people sell also potatoes and tomatoes, onion, watermelons etc. And i actually admire when, esp. old people, spend all day long at their improvised stands, waiting for customers...doesnt matter if it is cold or hot, rainy or sunny...they sell their goods, and often it is like their main source of income....so i do like to support these people, and if i have the chance, buy something from them instead at the local super/hyper market...these street vendors often sell  fresher and much more natural goods than compared to the store bought ones...

the stamp was issued in 2009 and portrays the Leipzig Universtiy...


now off to Nürnberg...

I bought a BUNCH of cards when I visited the city back in 2009...and a number of them show the Christmas Market...

we had a really bad timing, coz the week we went there was when they were setting up the place, and it was supposed to open the week after....really a pity, coz from the cards, im SURE I would have enjoyed it and that the atmosphere was AMAZING!

we only had the chance to see a few stands selling some Christmas goods, with vendors dressed in some Christmas-alike clothes....but of course, it is not even near to what the actual market would offer...where there would probably be some nice cinnamon cookies...I LOVE cinnamon cookies...they are so tasty, and they do feel perfect for cold winter days, with or without tea...

The market is in the middle of the city, on the Nürnberg Market Square, and it opens its 'doors' at 5.30 p.m. on the Friday before the first Advent Sunday. Usually, the market has more than 2 million visitors

there are about 180 wooden stalls, festooned with red-and-white cloth, which have given the Christmas Market its name of "Little Town from Wood and Cloth".

well, in general all the cards here are more or less the same, just maybe showing the market from different angles, and the cards' colours are somewhat different :)

Market Day, Malaysia

next is another official, this time coming from Malaysia...

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the card is called 'Market Day - Malaysian Style'.
such a great variety of products....and organized in such a nice way, that you could just enjoy your time by walking around, satisfying your visual and smelling senses....having difficulties in deciding what to actually buy ...an absolutely stunning place for me!

and a fantastic matching stamp...with a lovely cancellation too! these two se-tenant stamps are a part of 8 issued in 2010, showing local markets. Here on these two, you can see the Pasar Siti Khadijah in Kelantan.
The cancellation corresponds to the stamp and actually shows the date when this set was issued! Im pretty amazed that the sender could have done this, since I got this card this year, not in 2010. And it is frustrating that such cancellations are not really available here :(

Spain

and as a last post, some Spanish markets! as most of you know, I went to Spain this summer....and I actually wanted to make an update only Spain-related, regarding each place ive seen, but ive realized it's gonna be way too time consuming, and an endless post, so I would go step by step, and talk about it through the Spanish posts here in the future.

Our first stop in Spain was Barcelona...the lovely Barcelona, with which I fell in love with, and i could definitely live there!
Now Barcelona is all in the name of Gaudi, but also has dozen of other things to offer, among which is the La Boqueria Market on La Rambla....this must have been one of the MOST FANTASTIC markets ive seen in my life!! So captivating! The colours of the market are amazing, esp. at the fruit stalls or ones offering fruit drinks! The colours of these are soooooooo vivid and arranged in such a way that it captures you at an instant! You feel like a small child at the greatest toy store and you just dont know where to look first!
The nuts, sweets and spices sections are a story for themselves as well.

Here I would like to share with you a few of the pictures Ive taken there...

yum-yum-yummie!!!

if you notice, the name Macedonia is hanging in there...for 2 euros :)

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

i dont think ive seen such colourful peppers at one place :)

well, Valencia was our last stop....another place I fell for...must be something coz of the Mediterranean Sea :)
Valencia has its central market as well, which we unfortunately didnt get the chance to see , but at least i have this lovely postcard from there

on the overall, I didnt really bring many cards from Spain...or at least not as many as i expected to...but they are good enough to tell the stories of what I have and have not seen :)

have a great, and not such a cold and rainy weekend!

Arinsal, Andorra

It's been a rather crazy and overloaded start of the week...and apart from hugging my cats, another way to relieve all that stress is post some cards, of course :)

well, my first card for today came as a surprise last week from JP (the generous fairy you've all heard about so far I think :)....my first written and stamped card from Andorra! I have several Andorra cards, but finally one sent from the country itself!!

The card shows the village of Arinsal, located at the head of a valley, close to the border with Spain. In summer is home to hikers and bikers, while in winter, the skiers take the floor.

the card is mailed using a stamp issued by the French Postal administration (bugger...this means ill have to add the Spanish one as well on my list now).
The stamp was issued this year in a set of two Flora stamps.

Thanks a lot JP, as always!