Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales

Dear Anu sent me this beautiful card from Wales, cos she realised I lacking cards from there!

This beautiful snowy scene reminds me that we had our first snow of the year on April 1st! Yep, real April Fools Day! Of course, being that it's spring and all, it didn't last, but it certainly added more to the overall craziness going around here.

Blaenau Ffestiniog is a historic mining town in Wales, with a population of 4,875 according to the 2011 census. However, was at one time the second largest town in North Wales.

After reaching 12,000 at the peak development of the slate industry, the population fell with the decline in the demand for its slate. Today the town relies heavily on tourists, who come for attractions that include the nearby Ffestiniog Railway and Llechwedd Slate Caverns.

Ok, I think I would definitely want to go here, being that there is a Railway (which is located within a national park, so it must be beautiful!)

And what can I say to such a lovely choice of stamps!
The train stamp is from the 2013 set showing the Classic Locomotives of Northern Ireland, while the other one is from a set of four Paintings from 1973, showing a painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds, and his portrait of Nelly O'Brien. I tried really hard to see if what she is holding in her hands is a puppy or some toy or piece of clothing..

Thank you so much Anu for thinking of me as always! 🖤

Three Cliffs Bay, Wales

One more card for today, this one from dear Anu, sent of course, ages ago :)

I really don't know why I am neglecting Wales on this blog, and I swear it is not on purpose!! This is just like my second Welsh card ever on this blog, and I have quite a number received from there, so I really don't know why do I not let them see the light of the day.

This gorgeous view shows the Three Cliffs Bay, a bay on the south coast of the Gower Peninsula in the City and County of Swansea, Wales. The bay takes its name from the three sea cliffs that jut out into the bay (well, of course).
The sea cliffs are limestone, about 20 m high, and are a popular destination for rock climbers - the largest of the Three Cliffs is easily climbed if approached from the grassy base.

always a fantastic choice of stamps by Anu!! From left to right: a Christmas stamp from a set of 3 issued in 1971, with this one representing the Adoration of the Kings. Next to it is a butterfly stamp from a set of 4 issued in 1981, where on this one you can see the Small Tortoiseshell. The third stamp was issued in 1974 in a set of 4 Winston Churchill stamps, while the last one is from that UK from A to Z set - this one was issued in 2001 and shows the Glastonbury Tor.

Anu, thank you for another lovely card with lovely stamps!

And everyone, thanks for reading :)

Cardiff, Wales

well, here comes an update..to keep me sane...due to some recent events..and depending on how things develop after tonight, I may not be able to post an update soon again...wont bother you with details, but thats the story of my life...of nice things going wrong out of nowhere...and depending on how everything develops tonight or in the following days, I may not be in the frame of mind to post anything here for a while...though i truly hope that's not gonna happen...but for now, ill bother you with some cards....and the first one here comes from Wales!!! And it is a very very special card!

well, you may wonder, what's so special about it? first of all, it came as a surprise from dear Herbert...who seems to be having a nice deal of travels =) second....when I received it recently, I came to a realization that actually I've NEVER EVER posted a card from Wales before...I mean, NEVER! And I DO have Welsh cards! I swear I do!! like at least 10 of them!! But why oh why on Earth I've always skipped Wales when choosing what to post...beats me! I am really really clueless on that one...but well, here is the time to fix my mistake and give Wales its honorary spot here...a lovely card coming from Cardiff.
And I wont go into details about each image...Ill leave that for my future Welsh posts...but for now I'll just tell you what is on the card...from left top...first you have the City Hall....then you have, well the Welsh dragon of course, but having a Welsh flag-card, Ill leave the story about it for that one =).
Next to the dragon is the Llandaff Cathedral.
Then, second row left is the Millennium Stadium, while the bottom line starts with the Bay...then in the middle is the Norwegian church, and at the end is the Castle.
One funny thing that Herbert told me about his trip here, is that no one spoke Welsh...he has asked several people to say something or write something in Welsh, but no luck...huh...thats odd..personally I find the Welsh language and its crazy long words for the names of places...I mean, are even the Welsh able to say, Im going on a holiday in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch without having their tongue stuck?
And wow, I wonder how it is to be an interpreter in Welsh..I mean, I sometimes struggle even with that simple language called English..and I often wonder how difficult it is to be an interpreter in German...but the Welsh certainly beats it...

well, Wales doesn't have its own stamps of course...and I love this one Herbert used, showing Captain Cuttle from the Dombey and Son. It is from a set of ten Charles Dickens' stamps issued in 2012. Must admit I haven't read this one...

Thanks so much again Herbert!! Always love your surprises =)