Deauville, France

Next comes a card from the small town of Deauville in Normandy, France.

Well, I call it small cos its population is around 4000 people...but on the other hand Deauville is regarded as the "queen of the Norman beaches" and one of the most prestigious seaside resorts in all of France. And me, I haven't really heard of it until now...
Since the 19th century, Deauville has been a fashionable holiday resort for the international upper class and it is also a desirable family resort for the wealthy.

Heh, no wonder I haven't heard of it...it is just like the total opposite of the places I am/like going to :P

two nice stamps...and a stray sticker...I don't know how it ended up here...the sender has no idea who Madame Germaine is...but seems that some letter out there has been left without the sender's/recipient's address...and I cannot take it out since I'm just gonna damage the stamp...so I'd rather leave it as it is...as a souvenir...
As for the stamps...they come from a set of 12 stamps issued in 2015, showing Beautiful City Halls of France...the left one shows the City Hall in Châteaugiron, while the left one shows the City Hall in Créteil.

Thanks a lot to Roman for this nice swap :)

Corsica, France

Corsica...even nowadays, still sometimes my mind first thinks of Italy and not France...probably cos it is somewhat closer to Italy than France...and it is like a perfect piece to add and have the Sicily-Sardinia-Corsica trio..but thing is, when some ideas are so incorporated into your mind, it is really difficult to get read of them...

Here you can see the fortress in the town of Corte, where German prisoners used to be kept during WWI.
Corte used to be the capital of the Corsican independent state during the period of Pasquale Paoli, while nowadays it is considered as a major university town in Corsica.

a cute agriculture-related stamp, issued in 2013, to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the International Agricultural Show in Paris


now I also have this map card of Corsica...and your task is to find Corte :)

you notice that the top right corner is torn, no?
but would you believe me if I tell you that it arrived in an envelope and wasn't sent w/s?
yep, you read that right...I know many people collect only cards sent in an envelope, where one of the reasons is that without an envelope they often get damaged during transport...but here is something to burst the bubble...yeah, sorry to disappoint you that no mailing system is damage-proof...

speaking of damaged cards...I received this absolutely gorgeous one from Germany last week..but boy, I don't even wanna think of the torture it has gone through during its journey...I'll show it to you one day :)

btw, managed to find Corte on the map?

Paris, France

Did you know that, 31 March 1889 was the day when the Eiffel Tower was opened? Well, due to that, I will post the several Eiffel Tower cards I have, and that have not yet been posted here...

the first one comes from JP and I think it is one of the most fantastic angle from which the Tower has been shot...plus i love the golden against the blue colour combination!
In case I havent told you, Ive been here...straight to the top...but I was lucky enough to do it on a foggy day so the whole experience was rather disappointing and I cant really brag about having some spectacular view all over Paris....

JP used a very nice matching stamp (with a perfect matching cancellation!). The stamp is from the 2012 EUROPA series, on the "Visit" theme...and here you have some of the most famous French places to visit, among which is of course, the Eiffel Tower :)

another Eiffel Tower from JP :) On this card, you can see the Eiffer Tower as seen from the gardens of Palais de Chaillot..another place to see in Paris, where there are several museums located, as well as an aquarium.
That statue you can see, is called "L'Homme", made by Pierre Traverse.

another great stamp, with a great cancellation..the stamp comes from a set of two Galante Hear stamps, with Maurizio Galante as an artist. This one in particular also bears the words - Crayon me...and im not sure how you can see it on your monitor, but the stamp on my card is red...while the ones ive seen on the stamps' websites, is black...so im wondering if maybe JP did crayon it or it is just by chance that on the internet they appear black while in reality they are red....

I received this one as being a WOTM on the PC forum...
The tower has been named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. The work on the foundations of the tower had started in January 1887, and the main structural work was completed at the end of March 1889. On the 31st, Eiffel celebrated this by leading a group of government officials, accompanied by representatives of the press, to the top of the tower.

You know, as I keep looking at these cards, more and more I feel that I should really go back and climb on the tower again and experience it at a whole new level...but only with the appropriate company. Ive realized that the best way to experience places, food, things, is only if you have the appropriate company with you...

rather familiar stamp I think :)

FR-77037

A card I received as an official back in 2010.
Im not sure if the moon image is real or photoshopped but it makes a nice detail on the card.
Just today I read that there was a bomb threat yesterday at the tower by some anonymous guy, after which the whole tower has been evacuated..of course, no explosives can be found...but you can never be too sure. They say that the tower gets such calls like at least once or twice a year...boy, some people really know how to ruin your experience, esp if that was, lets say, your one and only chance to go on the tower.

the stamp was issued in 2009 and is a joint issue of France and Venezuela, showing Francisco Miranda, a Venezuelan patriot, general and traveler considered the "Precursor" to Simon Bolivar's "Liberator."

and another card from JP...the colours on this one are just fantastic!
Again on this card you have the tower as seen from Palais de Chaillot (or you can also find it as the Trocadero)
Did you know that there are over 30 replicas of the tower all over the world? I wouldnt be surprised if we get it one day as well....I mean, we already have the Triumphal Arch....so why not add this as well to the already cluttered city centre...

love this bike cancellation! as for the stamps...the left one is the well known Marianne definitive, this one issued in 2008...the other one is from one of those stamps issued by Phil@poste for letters up to 20 grams...which make it sort of impossible to track them down since they dont even print the year of issue on the stamp itself...and after like an hour of searching, i found out that this one was issued in 2011, under the subject, I love Auvergne....pheww, at last!

UNESCO Headquarters, France

For some reason I keep confusing myself that this card comes from Brussels when it actually comes from Paris...I dont know, maybe i just have this general idea in my head that all those important buildings are situated in Brussels :)

And it is nice to see UNESCO's Headquarters! After collecting UNESCO cards for so long, and struggling with many of them since many come from such rare countries and are like impossible to get, it is nice to see where all these crazy ideas and decisions come from :)
The building is located on the Place de Fontenoy, and was inaugurated on 3 November 1958.
Nicknamed the ‘three-pointed star’, the entire edifice stands on seventy-two columns of concrete piling. It is world famous, not only because it is the home of a well-known organization but also because of its outstanding architectural qualities (here in the dark I honestly cant see any architectural qualities...or I may be at the wrong building since three more buildings complete the headquarters site. The second building, known affectionately as the "accordion", holds the egg-shaped hall with a pleated copper ceiling where the plenary sessions of the General Conference are held. The third building is in the form of a cube. Lastly, a fourth construction consists of two office floors hollowed out below street level, around six small sunken courtyards. The buildings, which contain many remarkable works of art, are open to the public.

the stamp was issued in a set of 2 in 2010 and is UNESCO related. The French Post regularly issues since 1960, some official stamps for UNESCO, which can only be used on mail from the headquarters of this United Nations agency devoted to science, culture and education. On this stamp, the Alpaca is depicted, and with these stamps UNESCO wants to remind us of the endangered species throughout the world. An alpaca is a domesticated species of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in appearance

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

Paris, France

The last fantastic card for today is another surprise from Jean-Pierre, this time coming directly from Paris, showing the Triumphal Arc.

Well, the Triumphal Arc in Paris is something normal...but the Triumphal Arc in Skopje is one of the most ridiculous things ive ever heard of, yet it is happening...and it is frustrating me to an extent I could never explain....not just the Arc, but the entire Skopje 2014 Project.
Whoever is interested, can take a look here what this project foresees...the explanations are in Macedonian, but however, I think that the images speak for themselves....such a waste of money...in a country with over 30% unemployment,  and hundreds of schools and hospitals in disastrous state....but monuments are more important...doesnt matter if living conditions are miserable

and some more amazing stamps...they come from a set of 4 issued in 2010 representing European Capital Cities...here the above mentioned Triumphal Arc is shown (the right stamp) and Opéra Garnier (the one next to it). the third one is just a sticker :)

thanks a lot to JP again and to you for reading.

Happy Easter to all! 

Collioure, France

My dear Beatriz sent me this lovely card from her recent trip to Collioure in France and arrived just before New Year's Day!

For some reason, many coastal towns remind me of each other...this one reminds me of Budva...and the old town...except that around the old town in Budva, you cant possibly see so many roofs...
As for Collioure, it lies on the Mediterranean, in the south of France. A small and beautiful village where the poet Antonio Machado died. He fled here to escape advancing Francoist troops at the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1939.
Famous people like André Derain, Georges Braque, Othon Friesz, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Tsuguharu Fujita have all been inspired by Collioure's royal castle, medieval streets, its lighthouse converted into the church of Notre-Dame-des-Anges and its typical Mediterranean bay.

I like such artistic places, with that kind of a cultural note....they seem to have a special charm in the air...

a French definitive issued in 2009, from the Marianne and Europe series (which replaced Marianne of the French series). Marianne is an allegory for the French Republic, and on the definitives she is wearing a Phrygian cap and is presented in profile, looking to the left. The stars around her head represent the flag of Europe.

Muchas gracias querida!!! Abrazos!!!

Raz Point, France

Well, here is a lighthouse for today's final post.

the back of the card say "The Vieille lighthouse submitted to the never-ending fury of the sea"

The Raz Point or Pointe du Raz is a promontory that extends into the Atlantic from western Brittany, in France.
It is named after the Raz de Sein, the dangerous stretch of water between it and the island of Sein.

Im just not sure where is the cook rushing too...rushing away from the waves, rushing home to make lunch...if she continues at this pace, not much would be left to make lunch with :P

Perpignan, France

Here is a lovely card from Perpignan.

Here you can see the the lonely old fortified city gate.

A former capital of the Kings of Majorca and the Counts of Roussillon, Perpignan changed hands repeatedly during the medieval period until finally becoming French territory with the Treaty of the Pyrenees of 1659. Always too far from the coast to become a port, the town developed into a cloth-making centre by the early middle ages. In more recent times, Perpignan became home to countless “pieds noirs” or French citizens who fled the uprisings of the 50s and 60s in North Africa. The town is now also home to sizeable communities of people from Morocco and Algeria who moved to France to escape repression in their home countries.

France

A GORGEOUS map card I won in a lottery!

I love it how colourful it is and it shows the division of France it its departments, while the mice you can see on the sides, are singing traditional children's songs.
Well my knowledge of French is sort of equal to zero, so unfortunately i cant help you with these songs..if it were English Children's songs on the other hand....oh well..then i would have probably been able to sing them for you...I got to learn quite a versatile repertoire of those throughout my years working as an English Teacher.

The stamp is from a set of 8 issued in 2009, representing Tourism.

Eckmühl Lighthouse, France

Nice colours!

The Eckmühl Lighthouse, 213 ft high. A flight of 307 steps leads to the light which carries 49 nautical miles. It was inaugurated in 1897 and dedicated to General Davout, prince of Eckmühl.

So long :)

Fort la Latte, France

My last great card for today again comes as a surprise, this time from the postcrossing meeting that took place in Paris not so long ago, and Valerie was kind enough to remember me and send me a card...signed by 10 other members as well...LOVELY!

the Forte-la-Latte or the Castle of la Latte is a famous tourist attraction on the Cote d'Émeraude in the northeast of Brittany. This impressive castle was built on a small piece of land at the Baie de la Fresnaye in the 13th century. Various films have been shot at this site, including "The Vikings" with Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis (from 1958).
In the past it was called Roche-Gayon, and belonged to the lords of Matignon.
The castle has also been classified as monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture since 1925.

I think that the view is just amazing and breathtaking!

the stamp on the right is very very cool! It is a self-adhesive one, coming from a series of 14 stamps called Smiles - Little Nicholas, issued this year. The other stamp is from 2008, again from a set of 14 (what a coincidence!), called Marianne and Europe, under the National Symbols theme.

well, hope you liked it all :)

St. Agnes, France

This lovely card comes from Sheila

It is said that St. Agnes is the highest coastal village in Europe.

Sainte-Agnès village has narrow stone-paved streets and many arched passages, and everything is pretty well restored. Many of the village houses are 15th to 18th century.
A feature of Sainte-Agnès is the incredible view -- of the coast, the sea, the mountains and Italy.

This is a definitely lovely, but touristy, little village perched on the flank of a mountain, high above the Mediterranean. The one thing that saves Sainte Agnes from being overrun is that it's not easy to get to; only 4 km from the coast as the eagle flies, it's about 12 km of narrow and twisty mountain roads by car, above Menton at the eastern end of the French Riviera.

According to legend, the chateau-fort was built by a Saracen Prince Haroun, who had fallen in love with a young Provençal girl. The chateau was restored in 1502, but today is in ruins. Enough of the ancient walls remain, complete with arrow slits, to give a good feeling of what it was like in medieval times. Archaeological digs at the chateau site have unearthed at least 23 skeletons along with other artifacts, indicating habitation to the Bronze Age or even to the Neolithic era.
The bonus of this card is the map it has on it :)

And another extra characteristic of this card is the amazing stamp, which is really huge indeed!
It was issued in February this year under the subject of Religions and beliefs, showing a part of the St. Cecilia Cathedral.
Sheila, thanks a lot again for this great piece :)

Versailles, France

A card with just amazing colours....really brings the feeling of Royalty :)

Well, this is a place i have personally been to, but unfortunately, due to all those rushed things they do to you, when you go on a trip like this, unfortunately, i dont really remember much. I just know that it was an amazing place, with lots of beautiful nature, and it was just great to walk through the gardens. So i will have to search for info instead give you something out of my head.
The court of Versailles was the centre of political power in France from 1682, when Louis XIV moved from Paris, until the Royal Family was forced to return to the capital in October 1789. Versailles is therefore famous not only as a building, but as a symbol of the system of Absolute Monarchy of the Ancien Regime.

Here is something interesting, regarding the life at court:

-People who wanted to speak to the king could not knock on his door. Instead, using the left little finger, they had to gently scratch on the door, until they were granted permission to enter. As a result, many courtiers grew that fingernail longer than the others

-A lady never held hands or linked arms with a gentleman. Besides being in bad taste, this practice would have been impossible because a woman’s hooped skirts were so wide. Instead, she was to place her hand on top of the gentleman’s bent arm as they strolled through the gardens and chambers of Versailles. It is also mentioned that the ladies were only allowed to touch fingertips with the men.

-When a gentleman sat down, he slid his left foot in front of the other, placed his hands on the sides of the chair and gently lowered himself into the chair. There was a very practical reason for this procedure. If a gentleman sat too fast, his tight trousers might split.

-Women and men were not allowed to cross their legs in public.

-When a gentleman passed an acquaintance on the street, he was to raise his hat high off his head until the other person passed.

-A gentleman was to do no work except writing letters, giving speeches, practicing fencing, or dancing. For pleasure, he engaged in hawking, archery, indoor tennis, or hunting. A gentleman would also take part in battle and would sometimes serve as a public officer, paying the soldiers.

-Ladies’ clothing did not allow them to do much besides sit and walk. However, they passed the time sewing, knitting, writing letters, painting, making their own lace, and creating their own cosmetics and perfumes.

The stamp is from a 2008 set of 10 stamps called Portraits of France No.11 with the Primary theme of Geography and Meteorology (Seas, Lakes and Rivers), Architecture (Classical), History (Geographical History).
The stamp here portrays Strasbourg.

France/Spain

Did you go somewhere for the holidays? I mean, here, many people took off somewhere, since it was 1st May on Friday, and then there was the weekend, and this town was  empty...I dont know about you, but personally i dont like such kind of holidays...mainly coz they make me feel lonely in some sense...

I really like this card, not only coz it shows a map, but also, Santiago de Compostela is actually a UNESCO whs! So, this is what you can call, i killed two flies in one shot ;) And I actually found it a bit confusing, since the majority of the map belongs to France, but Santiago is actually in Spain...so hence i put both countries...and yeah, ill admit, until I actually googled, only France was in the label...
Here is what the back of the card says:
Its about the difficult ways which crosses France, for a very ancient pilgrimage going to Spain, to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The ways and their monuments belong to the UNESCO whs list.
 Which reminds me, i should update my UNESCO whs list....sometime soon...

Paris, France

Metro maps always seem just sooo complicated! But the metro concept itself is actually more than easy...you just need time to get used to it and become familiar with the stations and routes and trains...its even fun, trying to follow the right colour on the right line and all :)

When i look at this map, i DO question myself how i had managed to go through Paris on a subway....I have no idea which stations i had used to get on/off....but it didnt seem problematic at all....from this point of view, seems like the most complicated thing ever :)
Apart from Paris, ive also used the subway system in London, Budapest and Vienna....and as long as you have a map card with you, they are all more than a piece of cake to use...
I sometimes wish we had a subway here as well..but when i think about it, this town is far from big enough for a subway....unless the subway goes to two or three nearest towns...coz that would be exactly like going from one to the other part of London...but when i think of all the chaos on the streets here...a subway would be a great solution...which will never happen...when i was like 5 years old, there was a project about building a tram...im 28...we are still tram-less....so getting a subway is equal to science fiction...

Well...sorry for the lack of updates lately...and for the short entry today...its just...life...but know that i do miss posting here when i dont do it...

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone who celebrates it, to anyone to whom it has the slightest of significance, to everyone out there who treasures it for the love and friendship.
Well personally I dont celebrate Valentine;s...Ive never have...for the simple reason that its a Catholic holiday...Macedonia's main religion is Orthodox Christian...but years ago people started celebrating Valentine;s Day here as well....probably coz they thought its fancy and markets and companies thought it would be a great way to earn money out of it...coz lets face it, everything that gets modern is money consuming...and what bothers me most is that here people celebrate Valentine's Day for the wrong reasons...so if you are with someone, then by default you celebrate Valentine's Day coz the calendar says so, not coz you truly believe in it...i like it that people can express their love and affection but then on the other hand, i dont like the idea of doing it on this day only...just as mother's day...i prefer to give my mum a gift on a day she least expects it than on the one where im somewhat obliged to do so...
Valentine's also somewhat depresses me, coz people so much emphasize it and in general make me feel more aware im alone...yeah, more or less ive always been alone on this day and even if i wasnt, that someone wasnt physically present so again i felt alone....thats why i dont like these holidays....they are all about being with people around you at times when i maybe dont feel like being with people....and that's just depressing...

Here on the other hand we have a holiday called St. Trifun. St. Trifun in Macedonia is considered the patron of the fields, patron of the grape fields and grape growers.

The holy martyr Trifun was born in Kampsada in Phrygia, near the town of Apameia. His healing abilities were manifested already in his childhood, when he was still tending the geese. He healed various diseases and freed people from evil demons. The stories of the miracles he performed reached far, and one day he was summoned by the Roman Emperor, Gordian, to heal his dauther Gordiana who suffered from a mental illness which no physician could heal. Trifun soon healed her, gaining even greater fame as a result.
St. Trifun died as a martyr during the rule of the Emperor Decius. He was summoned before the Emperor's regional administrator, Acquillian by name, and ordered to renounce Christ and make offerings to the Roman gods. Having refused, Trifun was tortured. He was tied to a tree and beaten with a stick, then tied to a horse's tail and dragged through the fields, and when all this failed to frighten him into changing his mind, they threatened to cut off his head. But as the soldiers were leading him outside the town to behead him, St. Trifun prayed to the Lord to take his soul, so that when they reached the place of execution his soul had already passed to God. This happened on 14th February 248, according to some in 250, when the holy martyr St. Trifun was only 21 years old.

Well, back to the Valentine's...there is a bright side on it, and that is that apart from celebrating love, it also celebrates friendship...and that is something i can accept coz ive barely seen anyone celebrating Valentine;s coz of the friendship...but thats why there are the GTKY ladies...and as it happened for Christmas, a Valentine's Flamingo was organised again...and i got a number of wonderfully hand-made cards from the ladies..with really nice thoughts and quotes...i think im really happy to know those girls
Here are the cards i had received so far...as it was for Christmas, i wont post the quotes or the personal messages....hope you have nothing against that :)

from Chrissy in the USA

from Essi in Finland

from Marta in Portugal

 

from Ana in Portugal

from Katy in Estonia

from Relie in Singapore

from Valerie in France

as i receive the rest of the cards, they will be posted below. Just want to say an enormous Thank You to to GTKY gang for being who they are and for befriending me in the first place...luv ya girls!

Les Arcs, France

I got this card as a total surprise...from Valerie who spent her winter holidays here...and i was totally stunned..

I recall i got many postcards that day...it was on that Sunday when the postman came by....so when i get many cards i have this tendency to actually pick them all from the mailbox and look thru them from the back first, so i see which one comes under what occasion...tag...swap...official...so i was going thru the back and when i came at this one, i started reading, and the first sentence was "The moment i saw this card, i knew i had to get it for you"! And thats when i turned to see it on the front, and thats when me and this card met face to face and when i simply melted!
I know that there are many thouhgtful people out there, but they keep amazing me and surprising me each day with their thoughtfulness!
I have several cards in my favourites with this same adorable kitty, sitting in its chair, and each card shows a different place in France, and says "Sieste aux/en...". I didnt know about the existence of this one in particular, but that doesnt mean at all i dont like it...on the whole contrary, i totally love it, and if possible, i would love to have each and every card from France with this kitty....so far ive seen them from Avignon, Provence and Pont du Gard...if anyone has them or if there are some other French places presented this way....id be more than delighted to trade with you!!!

Thanks Val for this one...luv ya!

GTKY Christmas Cards

Hello Hello Hello! For the first time this year :)
Hope you have had a nice New Year's eve and that this year had a great start....mine was nice, just that it seems that i cant get enough sleep in general :)
Do you people make New Year Resolutions? I try not to, but ive made some this year, and i hope ill have the strength to stick up to them...and if you made resolutions as well, im wishing you all the necessary strength in the world so you keep up with them...*fingers crossed* :)

Well, enough chit-chat, lets show some stuff here...as its most convenient, i think, this is the time to show Christmas related stuff, no? So thats why todays posts will be all Christmas related

The first one is dedicated to the Christmas cards received through the GTKY thread....we arranged there with the ladies a nice Christmas Flamingo :) We were supposed to send each other Christmas cards, but with some rules applied...the cards HAD to be handmade and they had to have a quote/poem inside...so even though im totally anti-artistic, i decided to join, coz i knew if i didnt i would regret it...and im more than pleased to have done so....maybe my art skills suck, but what mattered eventually is the friendship...as we say, the cards were made with love, friendship, glue and paper :) So its the thought that counts....and here is what my thoughtful friends sent to me (im still waiting for the last one to arrive, and once it does, ill edit the post and post it here...)
No comments this time....i think the cards feel too personal and comments may just ruin the moment this time...so just feel the thoughtfulness and the friendship that comes along with them :)

The cards are posted in order they had been received...

from Marta in Portugal

from Essi in Finland

from Katy in Estonia

from Sally in New Zealand

from Valerie in France

from Charlotte in UK

from Carol in USA

from Ula in Poland

from Relie in Singapore
these are actually two Christmas cards, so i posted both of them

from Wendy in Jamaica

Enormous thanks my friends! Its been a pleasure to take part in this and share the Christmas spirit with you :)

*Hugs to you all*