Aalst, Belgium

The last card i chose today is a reprint one...coming from Aalst in Belgium.

Well, i barely have any info about this one...from what I could decipher this card shows a steamtram and  a Railway Station in Aalst...but nothing else...so if anyone may have more info about this one, please let me know...coz it is a really nice card....

thanks for dropping by again! :)

Helsinki, Finland

This picture is taken in front of the Presidential Palace in Helsinki on the Independence Day....which is actually today, so thats why i decided to post this card today, thinking it would be the most convenient moment to do so.

The 6th of December is celebrated in Finland as the day of declaring independence from the Russian Empire.The movement for Finland's Independence started after the Revolutions in Russia  caused by the disturbances from the defeats of the WWI. This gave an opportunity for Finland to withdraw from Russia. After several disagreements between the non-socialists and the social-democrats about the matter of who should have the power in Finland, the parliament  finally declared Finland as an independent state, on 6 December 1917.
well, i would like to use this opportunity to wish a Happy Independence day to all my dear Finnish people, Essi, Markus, Micaela, Essi (another one), Anja, Marja, Katja, Johanna, Kati, Henrikka etc etc etc.....and of coursem Tiina, the sender of this card, without whom i probably wouldnt have made this post today...or at least not with such a perfectly appropriate postcard.

a self-adhesive stamp issued in March 2009, called the Rose Blossom...

ok, i really think i should get down to work....though i so much feel like doing other stuff....

Plymouth, USA

A lovely lighthouse postcard thanks to the Evans family, who always surprise me with something nice in my mailbox!

Plymouth more reminds me of the university days when we learned about the Pilgrims arriving in the US in 1620 and their Mayflower...and the lighthouse you see here is actually situated in the Plymouth harbour. It is called "Bug Light" and is said to have an unusual coffee-pot shape...which i cant see.
It was built in 1871 on the north side of the main channel in Plymouth Harbor to mark the dangerous shoal off Saquish Head.  The lighthouse contains three levels that were used as living quarters and a watchroom. Its original name is actually Duxbury Pier Light  but locally it is known as the "Bug Light" or simply the Bug.

either way, its a great card, and on top of that comes with two lighthouse stamps!

both lighthouse stamps were issued this year and come in a set of 5 designs of commemorative stamps under the name Gulf Coast Lighthouses...here you can see the lighthouse on Matagorda Island (Texas) on the left and the Fort Jefferson in Florida on the right. As for the 10c American Clock stamp...i think it has become more than familiar until now..

Esztergom, Hungary

I have a BUNCH of Hungarian cards....but the vast majority from them are showing Budapest...and its cards i had bought myself...so receiving one in my mailbox, written and stamped, is a REAL refreshment!!

The card shows the city of Esztergom which is about 50km north-west of Budapest...lying on the right bank of the Danube river, which forms the border with Slovakia there.
It was Hungary's capital from the 10th till the mid 13th century...it is still the seat of the prímás of the Roman Catholic Church in Hungary.
One of the newest sights in Esztergom is the Maria Valeria bridge, connecting the city with the city of Šturovo in Slovakia.
Some think the name comes from Isztergam (Iszter meaning Danube and Gam referring to the nearby river Garam.

the stamp on the left was issued in 2004 with its Primary Theme "Politics and Government - National Symbols"...the other stamp was issued in 1999...has to do something with NATO...but i didnt manage to find much info about this one..