Nassau, Bahamas

Hello May, still in lock-down. Well they are gradually lifting restrictions here, trying to get back life to normal.. or to the new normal.

We still have curfews, though the hours are not as bad as they used to be and either way you dont really have where to go to at night... people are also slowly getting back to work and im not emotionally ready for that.  I wouldnt mind getting some change of scenery, but going back to being stuck in the office for 8 hours a day is not my ideal scenario cos I was really, really not made to work in an office with working hours. Though with some issues we've been having on the Project, it might just get cancelled as well and then there will be no office or anything, so when you think about it, working in an office is still better than not working at all, right?


So I guess it would be smart to make another post before maybe life goes back to crazy again, eh? 😎

First card comes from Glenn and one of his cool cruise trips (Well, Glenn always does some cool cruises actually). I hope he will be able to get back to that soon and of course, brighten up some mailboxes out there 😃

The card is a nice map of the Bahamas, and some brief information about Nassau, its capital. 

To spare you from zooming the picture in order to read the text in the top right corner, it says that Nassau lies on the island of New Providence, with its neighbouring island Paradise which can be accessible via Nassau's Habor bridges. 

Nassau has an attractive Habour, a colourful blend of old world and colonisation architecture.. The tropical beauty of the Bahamas have made Nassau a popular tourist destination

I just guess that 'habor' is a typo and should be 'harbour' 😏

two beautiful stamps accompanying this card, something typical Bahamish. They are from a set of four whales' stamps issued in 2017, commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation.

Thank you Glenn! Well I have enough of your cards to cover till your next trip 😇

Montana, USA

Next is a card from one of the people from my list of 'responsible for keeping my mailbox entertained, whether I am on a hiatus or not'.

At first glance, one may not be fully aware about what this 'enough said' entitles - one could think Montana struggles with some electricity issues, but at second glance, that would mean half of the US does as well - though now with all the Trump's policies, who knows...

But what the author of this card actually wanted to point out was the population density in Montana - at 630 miles wide and 255 miles high, Montana is the 4th largest state but the 44th least populated one, having only seven people per square mile.... yep, enough said, you guys live in tranquility.

lot of cool stamps here. First the older ones. A unique set combining four stamps in a block that contains one overall design. (I am not sure what the exact philatelic term would be for this, it is not se-tenant). This issue commemorates the 100th Anniversary of National Parks and it shows the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, an area that contains some of the earliest sites of English colonial settlement. Issued in 1972.

The forever stamps are from 2017. The se-tennat hockey ones were issued by USPS and is a joint issue with Canada, celebrating the history of ice-hockey. The stamp on the right portrays a modern hockey player, skating on a pond in present day, wearing a modern uniform and contemporary equipment, while the left one shows a vintage player, representing the game's past, against a snowy background, wearing a vintage garb and old-fashioned equipment.

And last we have two definitive grape stamps issued in 2017, for additional postage. Hmm, too many things revolving around grapes lately, and the product thereof...

Thanks a bunch to Bryon for this one! :)))

Indonesia

Next comes this Indonesian map card...that caught me totally off guard...

Seems that today was a day meant for surprises.
See, few months ago, the Indonesian post issued this amazing set of stamps for the Total Solar Eclipse that could be seen on March 08th/09th from parts of Indonesia including Sumatra, Borneo, and Sulawesi, and from locations in the Pacific Ocean. (now, how good is that, eh?!).

There were some offers for these stamps both on the forum and Facebook and I had really really wanted to receive them....and what's the problem now? The problem is that for the love of God, I cannot possibly recall if I had actually arranged something for these stamps or if dear Shinta sent me this card as a total surprise, knowing I have a soft spot for anything space related. In either case, it is absolutely embarrassing I must say being so out of space (no pun intended....)

So, while waiting for Shinta to solve my dilemma, I would like to think of this as a surprise...otherwise that would be one terrible episode of Ana being forgetful.

and ta-da! Here are the stamps!! Soo soo splendid!! *sigh* i honestly cannot believe I have received this...and another thing is...if you take a look at the cancellations, it gets extremely confusing!
So first is the pictorial postmark that dates back to February 23rd. Then, at the very right side, you can see a cancellation with the date of 28th of March, if I can read it correctly...and then between these two, there is another cancellation which says 1st of May....so what has actually happened here, I really have no idea...and well, no matter which one of these is true, this card has certainly travelled for a long long while...as if travelling from space :P

Well, Shinta, you have no idea how happy and thankful I am for this one! Thank you!!

Gratulerer med dagen Norge! / Happy Birthday Norway!

17 May is like probably the most important day in Norway since it is the country's Constitution Day, which is the National Day of Norway.

The Constitution of Norway was signed at Eidsvoll on May 17 in the year 1814. The constitution declared Norway to be an independent kingdom in an attempt to avoid being ceded to Sweden after Denmark–Norway's devastating defeat in the Napoleonic Wars.

So for the birthday of my most beloved country in the world, here are a few Norwegian cards which I thought that thematically would be appropriate for today =)
In case you wanna read a bit more about the Norwegian's most important day of the year, take a look here - Understanding 17 May

PL-60549

First comes an official card which even though shows the Norwegian flag, was actually sent from Poland, but don't get me started on that now, let me tell you a few words about the flag instead :)

It was adopted on 13 July 1821, by a resolution by the Norwegian parliament, the Storting.

The idea for this flag belongs to Frederik Meltzer, Member of Parliament from Bergen. He got the idea of adding a blue cross to the Danish flag during a meeting in the parliament. The discussion on the flag circled around considerations about reflecting the past, that is the Danish colours, which enjoyed great popularity, and considerations that the union with Sweden should also be reflected in the flag. So we can say that the red and white came from the Danish flag, the blue from the Swedish. At the same time, the colour combination red, white, blue was also attractive to the Parliament because it reflected the colours of liberty, as in the flags of France, the USA, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

here is that Polish stamp issued in 2009 for the World Post Day.



I have no idea how I obtained the following two cards (most probably a swap) - all I know is that I found them in the 2010 pile.

On both of the cards you can see a map of the country along with some beautiful nature scenes located in different parts of it (the one above actually shows views from the north of the country only).

The next map card - I received it twice....and funny thing is that both senders sent it like just a few days apart...what a telepathy!! :D
One was sent by Sissel and one by Cathrine - I can freely say my two most regular Norwegian contributors :))

Both Sissel and Cathrine have said on the cards that the map is a bit inaccurate - I don't know if it's cos its maybe an older edition or something...but still makes it a really nice map-card.

Among else it says that
- the country is a Constitutional Monarchy with a Parliamentary system of Government
- monetary unit is the Norwegian krone
- religion: Protestant
- main export: oil and gas, ships and offshore platforms, fish, paper
- capital: Oslo
- largest lake: Mjøsa
- highest mountain: Galdhøpiggen, 2469m
- average life expectancy: women - 80 years, men - 73 years  (what the hell are you doing to your men Norway?? or should I ask that the Norwegian women maybe? :P)
- national anthem: Ja, vi elsker dette landet

speaking of mountains, it reminded me of this thing I read yesterday - it is not the latest news, actually it is like more than a year old, but I still thought it may be worth sharing this article about the Future Library Project that is taking place in Norway :)

here are the two stamps that came along with these cards - the above one featuring the Revtangen, Klepp, Rogaland was issued in 2009 in a set of 6 Tourism stamps, while the one below was issued in 2011 in a set of three stamps for the Year of the Architecture.

For the end of this post I will share with you a small anecdote from my recent Spanish trip that is related to Norway :)

See, we were visiting Benidorm one day, and just as we parked the car, another car parked in front of us, and I don't know why I took a look, but something just got my attention and I realized the car was Norwegian! I couldn't really believe it and I just stood there waiting for the people to get out of the car in order to talk to them, in my terrible basic Norwegian! To make it worse, I was so excited that I couldn't even think of the simplest of words at the moment!! And I don't know who was more shocked, me, that I came across Norwegians at a random place in Spain, or them, that they came across someone at a random place in Spain who actually spoke Norwegian (or better said, had her attempts to do so :D) It was hilarious cos as I've probably mentioned before, spoken Norwegian is a nightmare to me, so not only they talked to me in Norwegian, they often had to translate in English what they had actually said cos my brain was duh? huh? what??!! Yeah, the joke's on me, I know, but frankly I am also proud of myself cos I didn't run away as I usually do when I have to talk in a language I am not fluent in (like Spanish or German), but on the whole contrary, I was waiting for them to get out of the car in order to exchange a few words.
They were an older and really lovely couple, so a big hug to them in case they ever come across this post and remember that clumsy girl in Benidorm who tried to talk to them in Norwegian :D

Palacio Salvo, Uruguay

It was supposed to be a sunny and chilly Saturday but it is gloomy and not so cold actually....so my initial plan to be reading out in the sun goes down the drain, and I don't really feel like cleaning, so of course, why not post some cards....I have a few hours left till I meet a friend later, so better use the time wisely :P

First is a card from Uruguay from dear Alvin and his South American trip *sigh*
On the card besides a small map and flag, you can see the Palacio Salvo from a few angles, in Uruguay's capital Montevideo.
This building was 100 m tall when finished in 1928 and for decades was the tallest building in South America.
The original specifications, describing the details of the construction, describe a lighthouse at the top of the building, which was replaced by a set of antennas. (duh, why????)
After permanently removing the antennas in 2012, the building 'shrunk' to 95 m.

The building was originally intended to be a hotel, but this plan didn't work out, and it has since been occupied by a mixture of offices and private residences.

The stamp on the back was not cancelled, but after another scribbling experience by the USPS just recently, I'd rather have them not cancelled then having one of those abstract artistic expressions by USPS postal workers.
Anyways, the stamp here was issued in 2014 in a set of 3, commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the Birth of José Gervasio Artigas (he was the national hero of Uruguay, sometimes called "the father of Uruguayan nationhood")

Thank you thank you thank you Alvin!!

Morocco

Two great map cards from Morocco received from two great people...

The first one is from dear Susanne from her Morocco tour in 2012....been a while since I've heard from her, I hope she is doing fine!

Speaking of Morocco, you know, recently it came up as a part of a travelling discussion....just to make me realize I actually need a visa for there...gosh! What an annoyance!! And the embassy is not even in Macedonia, but in Bulgaria (Sofia). Ok, one could probably apply for one through a travel agent's here and they do the job, but that is not the point...the point is the overall bureaucracy crap and the fact that one just cant set off on a trip like that, but has to deal with all those visa procedures first =/
The only reason I envy the EU people is that they can get to travel to so many places without a visa...

The stamp is from a set of 3 Kind Muhammed VI stamps issued in 2011

the other map-card arrived from Patrik whose job I so much envy cos he gets to travel to so many places because of it! :)

the stamp is from a set of 10 Cobber Art stamps issued in 2012.

Thanks a lot lot to both Susanne and Patrik for the lovely surprises and for enriching my map-postcards' collection with these :)

Hong Kong

For my final post today I decided to share with you two Hong Kong maps I received recently, both sent by Cally

I prefer this one a bit more to the other...it is more cartoonesque (but the other one has a bike on it on the other hand :))
The card says: "Hong Kong is located at the South China Sea coast. It is formed by Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after the first Opium War, and now is a Special Administrative Region. It has a reputation of the Pearl of the Orient, shopping paradise. (the map card is designed by www.lazygala.com and published by www.mumubooks.com)

two nice stamps, and a nice cancellation...the bird stamp was issued in 2006 in a set of 12....this birdy here is called Haliaeetus leucogaster. The other stamp was issued in 2014 in a set of 12 definitives portraying different landscapes in HK - this stamp here shows the Kang Lau Shek rock.

this map card was probably designed by some postcrosser, at least that's my impression (www.postcollectionhk.com)

here comes the birdy stamp again...and the newest Year of the Monkey one! You know, when Nalini posted something about the Year of the Monkey the other day, since she was born in the Year of the Monkey, it dawned on me that I am a monkey too! I totally overlooked it! And yeah, I know it is not really a big deal, but I remember well that during the previous Year of the Monkey I was all kinda excited about it (dont know why)...and now it didn't even cross my mind, even though there were so many people talking about the new lunar stamps mentioning the monkey so many times...but I was just clueless..I guess it comes with age :)))

well dear all, that would be all for today..hope you liked at least something....till next time, stay well!

Auckland, New Zealand

a lovely map card that arrived last year as a surprise from dear Anita...

Seems that NZ has issued map cards like this not only for the entire country but also, for some of its areas as well...it is only ME that is completely lost about what I already have in my collection...

the back of the card says: The area of greater Auckland is home to 24% of NZ' population. As well as being a major commercial centre, Auckland has a pleasant climate, beautiful harbour and beaches, as well as many and varied recreational opportunities for both resident and visitor alike.

I know that NZ is a very cool country to visit...but boy is it far...one of the conveniences of living in Europe...where you can get to so many different countries...even by bus...even if it maybe takes 48 hours....but it is doable...back pains are inevitable, but I get them either way even when travelling by car/plane..

and a beautiful matching stamp showing the Auckland Harbour - supposed to be issued in 2013 for international postcards only...

thank you so much Anita for your lovely surprise! Im sure you have had a great trip!

Birds, Japan

OK, one more card for today....

My knowledge about the birds living in Japan (or birds in general), is rather terrible - but I really like this card showing different birds living all over Japan - some of these names sound familiar, some don't - but it is a good way to learn!
Now, I won't be posting about each and every one of these individually - that would be way too much...and at first I wanted to share with you a video regarding birds living in Japan....then few days ago I came across another cool video about the history of Japan and I thought of sharing that one...until just today I came across this one, regarding the school-snack time the students have in this Japanese school....Japan really really NEVER ceases to amaze me...NEVER...I mean just look at how they treat the lunch time and how they respect food (and note down the nutritional values of it as well) and how they teach children to some values...I admire it, I really admire it!! Sooo many countries should take this as an example!!  It is actually embarrassing to even think about the school lunches over here...Japan or Jamie Oliver would have way too much work to do to fix things here...

well, just spare some 9 minutes of your precious time and watch this...I promise you, you won't regret it :)




impressions? thoughts?

well of course, lets not forget the stamps...they are as beautiful as well :)
the flag stamp was issued in 1975 in a set of two, commemorating the American Tour by Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako (the other stamp in the set of course, shows the US flag :))

the train stamp (showing the Hikari (Light) Express Train ) was issued in 1964 for the Inauguration of Tokyo–Osaka Shinkansen Railway Line.

the last one was issued in 1974 in a set of 3, representing Japanese Folktales (in this case, the Kaguya Hime tale, where this stamp in particular shows Kaguya Hime as Young Woman)


so, that would be all folks for now...thank you for reading....and hope to bring you something nice again soon!

enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Dublin, Ireland

Moving on to some Dublin stuff..

This first card came from Andy not so long ago from his trip to Dublin last December. Lucky, lucky guy! :)

The back of the card says" Dublin city is spread over the broad valley of the river Liffey, with Wicklow Hills sheltering it on the south. In addition to its splendid public buildings, Dublin is particularly rich in domestic architecture of the 18th century. It's one of Europe's most beautifully situated capitals with pleasant beaches and mountains only a short journey away.    

this stamp was issued in 2014 as part of two Marine Life stamps and on this one you can see the Fireworks Anemone...

the second Dublin card arrived as a surprise from Lynda...a great view of the city..and here you can see the Liffey river as well as some (important) buildings, that I  have no idea if I can identify properly...I guess the first bridge you can see is the Ha'Penny Bridge, built in 1816...and in the back on the right, that might be the Four Courts...well other than that I really dont know...that's why I included that last map card you can see below

again the fireworks anemone stamp....

and here is the Dublin map card, to help out lost and totally confused tourists like me with no sense of orientation. The back of the card has names for each of the numbers shown here, so with this, I really shouldnt get lost...all it takes now is to figure out how to get to Ireland...

nice colourful stamp from 2012 from a set of four stamps showing Myths and Legends....Id be thankful if anyone could tell me what the myth on this stamp is all about....

Argentina

a nice Argentinian map card...even though the map doesn't really come into perspective here...the images somewhat 'distract' the attention...but still, I love it! And it is like my one and only map card from Argentina so far!

as for the images...well ok, I can guess the 'tango', and 'Patagonia'...and the Iguazú Falls...and those colourful houses could probably be from Buenos Aires, though im not 100% sure.
Well, much much better guessing here compared to the Iraqi card...

three nice stamps...the first two were issued in 2008...the tree stamp commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the Forestry in Argentina, while the other one is from a set of 6 stamps representing tourist attractions...on this one you can see Ushuaia. Oh boy now I remembered..I am waiting for a card from Ushuaia...my first one from there...and I was soo much looking forward to it...but now I start wondering if that human being that calls himself a postman, will ever bring it to me... the last stamp was issued in 2009, in a set of two stamps, representing the International Stamp Exhibition ITALIA 2009 - Rome, italy - though on the stamp you can see the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires...so Im a bit confused, but oh well...it's not like it's the first time..

Egypt

here comes another update..yeah, that's quite soon you may say...well, it is indeed...and it's not like that is a bad thing now, is it? :)
but my fingers feel itchy, my mind feels anxious (in a strange way) and on Friday I am going away for a few days to the astronomy camp, so the next few days would be rather hectic as well, so I thought I'd post something now, otherwise it won't happen until some time next week...if then

just a short disappointing message first...there are NO postcards where I am going...there is actually not even a store or a small market...NOTHING...just houses and a small campsite...we are bringing all the food and even water with us since nothing can be bought there (there is water but it is just not drinkable)

based on the experience from last summer, one can easily survive in such conditions as long as he is well-prepared...and hopefully I will be =)

so, with that cleared up, lets take a look at a few cards for today..

First comes a map card from Egypt...

...and as Maria, the sender says 'No pyramids for you as you asked' :P yeah, I asked for anything but the pyramids cos the majority of the Egyptian cards I have (even though not many) have a pyramid or two on them..so no more pyramids please! And she did a great job here by sending me a map card...my first and only map card sent from Egypt so far! Love it!

a country I haven't yet visited, though I'd love to (when it is not too hot). There were protests and a revolution a few years ago and things got quite scary, but I think dust has settled down by now....well, I think...

the stamp is a definitive issued in 2011 showing a pharaoh

well, may not be entire Egypt shown, but it is a map card...and it is from Egypt, so I thought I'd include this postcard showing the Cairo Subway lines...

not many lines though for a city with over 10 million people..but I guess it works for them...personally I'd like to take that Railway line to Alexandria - though I had a few doubts after watching this video (note just that this is in the opposite direction, from Alexandria to Cairo), but hell, why not...it's gonna be an adventure, that's for sure :D

 

South Korea

alright, lets squeeze in one more for today...I promise it will be short...started with a map card, lets end with a map card...

and this is probably like my only map from South Korea...and it is just soo adorable!! Though if this one should serve as my personal map around the country, I will surely get lost...cos besides the picture, I cannot possibly understand anything else...

the stamp on the right is from a set of 9 stamps issued in 2013, representing National Beauty and Historical Sites..couldn't figure out which site this one is showing.
The flower stamp is a definitive issued in 2006, showing a Crinum asiaticum var. japonicum Baker.

Well, that was the final card for today...enjoy the rest of the week and see you soon! :)

Latvia

seems like this is the only map card I have of Latvia...but I love it!

LV-129973

Received it as an official at the beginning of January...and is says to be a postcard from the series of drawings by Latvian artist Ansis Cirlulis, published by photographer Jānis Rieksts. 1919
The map represents Latvia in 1914, so exactly 100 years ago, saying it had 2.552.000 inhabitants in an area of 64.299 square km.

First is a cute Christmas stamp from a set of 4 issued in 1995. Next to it is one from 2007 representing the Krustptils Castle, while below it are two Coat of Arms stamps...the red one issued in 2012, showing the CoA of the Kurzeme region, while the blue one is from 2013, for the region of Zemgale.

Sousse, Tunisia

Last card for today is from dear Judit, who makes sure that once a year I get a card from Tunisia :) And shame on me, I have not posted the ones she sent me in the past few years =/

Sousse is a city in the central-east of the country, on the Gulf of Hammamet, which is a part of the Mediterranean Sea. Its name may be of Berber origin and similar names are found in Libya and in the south of Morocco.
It is also an important tourist resort, where around 1,200,000 visitors come every year to enjoy it here.

And here I have a map card so I surely won't get lost when I go there. I've never been to Tunisia, though I'd love to. I have to see what's so special about it that Judit loves so much! And I admire it how she keeps going back here. Though, when it comes to me, no matter how much I love a particular place, I prefer to visit new ones whenever I get the chance to travel, instead going back somewhere where I've already been...I just want to see a bit of everything and everywhere :)

the stamp is from a set of two issued in 2013, representing the Architecture of the city of Tozeur, and this one shows the Medina.

Judit, hvala ti jоš jednom na super razglednici ♥

Well, the tennis match is still on and Im done here...so Ill go back to it now, but first I need to find Kimi the cat...

Have a great weekend everyone and see you next time!

Guadeloupe

Welcome welcome to the opening of Season 2014 on Ana's postcard blog! I truly hope that this season will be more fruitful than 2013, with many many great postcards shown here (and bragged about :P)

And also Merry Christmas to all my Orthodox friends who (like me), are celebrating Christmas today.
If I haven't told you before, the whole fuss is more focused on New Year's Eve, not so much on Christmas...and personally, I do not really care much about either honestly...Im just not fond of such *must* celebrations...though I must admit I did have a fabulous time for New Year's Eve...the guy at the place where we were celebrating tried so hard to find me a Depeche Mode song...all he managed was some Personal Jesus remix, but even that was cool =)

2014, postcards-wise, has started really slow...way too many non-working days already...but Im really really looking forward to tomorrow, with so much hope that my mailbox is going to be FULL! High stakes, I know, but Ive so much missed getting lots of mail! And sending it as well...here next to me lies a nice pile of cards that is off to the PO tomorrow...wohoooo! =)
And thank you all for staying faithful through all these years! Hope to still be seeing you in 2014 as well :)

And now down to some cards...all received in 2013..(I dread at the idea of having to open a new box for the 2014 cards...my previous years are already a mess of their own =)

Anyways, my first card for today is this super cool map of Guadeloupe...it is an old map made by the French Geographic Society in 1758. If I understood it correctly, it has rivers, forts, islands, ports..and some other points marked. As Olga says, nowadays, most of the names marked on the map have stayed the same.
I've already written about Guadeloupe in general in my first post here

as for the stamps, they are French of course...and just before posting this card I was wondering how one actually can be sure it was mailed from Guadeloupe or any other of those French territories using French stamps....well, see that number on the cancellation, 37752A? That is the key :)

as for the stamps, the horse stamp comes from a set of 12 plough horses stamps issued in 2013, where on this one you can see the Le Cob Normand horse. The other one is from the green vegetables series issued in 2012 in a set of 12, with this one showing the Lamuyo pepper.

Thanks a lot Olga for the great card and lovely stamps!

Boka Kotorska, Montenegro

I was so so so thrilled when a week ago or so I received some postcards from dear Sissel! I missed her in my mailbox and missed her around! So it is so heart-warming when you find such surprises in the mailbox!

And I can't believe it she's been so near me this time!! I hope that during one of her future travels, she will drop by here as well *wink wink* :)

Here she sent me a cool map card of the Boka Kotor Bay in Montenegro...driving along its coast offers you one of the most splendid views in the whole country! The bare thought of the Adriatic Sea makes me sigh...haven't been there for a while...there was this opportunity to go there for a day or two with my dad in September...Im not actually sure what his plan and intentions were, but I didn't really care...to his question: "Do you want to go by car to Budva (the most famous place in Montenegro)...." my answer was an immediate YES...didn't question the conditions or anything...unfortunately, nothing turned out from that...and right now it is just too cold to go there...so I guess Ill have to wait for another opportunity....and invade some other places in the meantime. *cough cough cough* :P

Sissel used two stamps...the left one was issued in 2009 under the name Universiade. The other one was issued in 2010, as a part of two Art stamps.

well, the map Sissel sent me reminded me I had two other maps of the Boka Kotor Bay that I bought myself when I went there in 2009...and making the comparison, the publishers have really advanced on the topic...the map above looks somewhat plain...the map below reminds me of a pack of cigarettes...Im not exactly sure why though...

Thanks a lot again Sissel for the lovely surprises!!!!