Mauritius

Hello all and welcome to the first post of April...which brings some nice recently and not so recently received cards..

and for starters here is a nice one from Mauritius sent by Alvin last year...more precisely, last January...yeah it is really cool during the cold gloomy winter days to retreat to a place like this...and Alvin really makes some cool winter travel destinations :)

well here you can see some different pictures from the island, starting from beaches, crystal waters, to flowers and iguanas....not my favourite type of animal, but as long as it is on a card, I don't mind :)

a very nice stamp from the  2014, 3-set Flora and Fauna issue, showing the Rodrigues flying fox or Rodrigues fruit bat. At first glance it looked like an eagle to me, but when I took a better glance, it is a bat indeed.

Alvin, thank you! :)

Bicycles, Spain

Next are two super cool bicycle cards from Spain!

The first one comes from the Balearic Islands, sent by dear Agi...I absolutely love the retro-look of this one and the color too...it is like a super best-friend for your every day errands ...it just looks like one very happy bike :)

and I think that a mushroom stamp collector would be quite envious on such a card:D These come from a set issued in 2013, and I'm far from a mushroom expert, but for the curious one, here you have, from left to right: Agaricus xanthoderma, Amanita pantherina and Marasmius oreades.

I received this other bicycle card just recently, for the favourites tag...not sure where this one is exactly...I can just hope that it is in Spain at least :)

the stamp is a rather glowing and shiny one and is from the set of two Christmas stamps issued in 2015.

Greetings From...

Here comes like one of the coolest GF cards out there....the Black Hole one :)

and one thing is for sure - absolutely zero Postcrossing members and 000 000 people living there :)
The whole Black Hole thing is a really complex thing and I wont get into details now...however, I don't know if you are familiar with some of the recent discoveries about the gravitational waves and the sound they recorded during the collision of two black holes...that was a really big day in the astronomy world I must say...I also attended a lecture on this like a month ago or so, and this Wednesday I will be attending one held by Nagin Cox....ok, that one will have to do nothing with Black Holes and Gravitational waves, but it would be like the first time that I attend a lecture held by someone coming directly from NASA - it is like so super exciting!! She will be talking about all the rovers that have so far visited Mars, including the last one, that is Curiosity and all their findings.

Anyways, with regards to the black holes...here is how it sounds when two of them collide and become one

and that is all thanks to the gravitational waves, and if you wanna get some more technical insight into this and see a computer simulation of two black holes coliding, check out this video

Our Universe is just so never-endingly mind-blowing, isn't it?!!!

and well, this card can't go out with this super-cool-black-hole song :D

Copenhagen, Denmark

a very nice view card of Copenhagen...

...the city that is still on my to-visit list. I've written about it on a number of previous occasions...this time it reminded me of "The Danish Girl", the movie I watched recently and really liked it...a very heart-warming one, based on a true story  and I think that Eddie Redmayne was a great choice for the trans-gender role but also, Alicia Vikander did a terrific job...and if there is one fuzzy feeling you are left with after having watched the movie, is wanting to have a partner in life just like her...

if you are curious to take a look at the trailer...thought it doesn't even closely bring the depth of the whole story

Quite a lot of divided opinions regarding the movie, some love it, some say it's nothing special, some have prejudices regarding the whole thing...but as with many other things in life, I prefer to experience things on my own and decide for myself if I like something or not than to rely on what others say...and same was with the Danish Girl...so, give it a try and who knows...maybe you won't be disappointed :)

the big stamp is from a set of four Christmas stamps issued in 2010...the other two are from the four 'wavy lines' series, issued the same year.

Thanks a lot to Suzan for this one!

Bicycles, Ukraine

So, one more card for today...ok, that is actually one more post, with two card :)

...and it is bicycles again, sorry :)))
These come from Ukraine, and on the first one we can see a number of people on old bicycles...I really really wish I could at least once take a ride on such a bike...they are real classic!

This card came as part of the Choose a Country RR, two years ago, thanks to Kristine

She also used a number of nice stamps on it...first we have a cool monkey stamp from a set of 12 stamps issued in 2013, representing the Lunar Calendar, and each stamp represents one of the animals...as if Kristine knew why she should send me the monkey one :) and on each stamp you can also see the actual years for that particular sign.
Next to it is another stamp issued in 2013, representing the History of National Communication, while the one below it is a flora stamp, issued in 2012, showing the Fraxinus excelsior.

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This other bicycle card arrived as an official recently and it says "I love Ukraine very very much"...

I dont know why the bicycle in the picture...I never would have related Ukraine to bicycles, but I certainly don't mind...it makes one beautiful postcard! 

the stamp is a definitive issued in 2013.

So, that would be all for today...hope you didn't mind the bicycle over-dose :)

stay well and enjoy your week ahead!!

Suriname

So hello there...time  for a new update, with some new and not so new cards :)

And first on the list today comes a great card from Suriname, sent by Sonia last year. I think that in just a few sentences she has grasped so much about this country, that it just makes you wanna go there, like right now!
She says Suriname to be a very interesting country with a mix of cultures and languages and as you walk you can see people of Chinese, Indonesian, African, Indian and Dutch descent. And although Dutch is the main language, you hear many others spoken as well.
And what has won my heart here, Sonia says that she has never seen so many spices in her life and that the smells on the market are wonderful. (You know I am a sucker when it comes to spices and markets...
The only downside - it is very hot - 32°C to 37°C...I have such temperatures and worse like, every summer...and I hate that time of the year...and then people tell me 'but why do you wanna go to Norway, it is so cold there!' - heh...

With regards to the card...I guess it represents a man during some working activities...or I don't know...with his back turned I can't really see what he is doing ( I hope this has nothing to do with me being short-sighted)...did you notice the flag around his waist though?

Sonia used three birds stamps from a set of 8 issued in 2008 - here you can see the Caryothraustes canadensis (or the yellow-green grosbeak), then the Megaceryle torquata (or the ringed kingfisher) and the Chloroceryle aenea (or the American pygmy kingfisher)

Train Postcrossing Meeting, Romania

This next card was a thrill to receive, a thrill!!

You know that like almost every day there is a Postcrossing meeting happening somewhere around the world, a big one or a mini one...and I have received a number of such surprises so far and they are always a delight, knowing that someone has thought of you...most of those go unnoticed, at least I don't really read any information about them happening...however, this Postcrossing meeting in Romania turned out to be a big deal...maybe you have heard about it, maybe you haven't (you can read all about it at the Postcrossing blog here...but it was like the first Postcrossing meeting...ON A TRAIN! And on top of that, they had printed a specially designed postcard for this...when I saw it somewhere on Facebook, my jaw dropped...
Well in general I don't really ask people to send me a card from a meeting since I believe these should be a surprise, so in this case as well, I kept my silence but deep down I was like bummed since I honestly didn't really believe someone would send me a card from this meeting....and then one day last week I was proven so wrong...I can't even explain to you my sheer shock and thrill when I found a card from the meeting in my mailbox...and all that thanks to Danut who remembered I love trains, and thought I'd like this card....you bet I would!! I was delighted!! It was like receiving a card from some brand new country...yes, that's how happy and thrilled I was...and still am!

here you can see the signatures....and frankly speaking I cannot decipher the majority of them...I don't know if the have just signed or used their PC usernames as well...but I am clueless.

The stamp was issued in 2015 and represent's Angel's tears....behind which there is actually a sad story...the stamp was issued after a tragedy that has happened at one of the nightclubs in Bucharest, where during a free concert, band's pyrotechnics, consisting of sparkler firework candles, ignited the club's flammable polyurethane acoustic foam, and a fire had spread rapidly. 36 people had died and 147 were injured...with this stamp, the Roman post wanted to show support to those who have suffered, supporting the medical recovery process of the victim's of the tragedy...just as Danut, I also wonder if money were really used for that purpose or not...

Thanks again a million to Danut for this most awesome surprise!

Lesson learnt - never lose hope....and avoid places where indoors they use outdoor pyrotechnics....

Portland, USA

Next is a cool bikish card from Bryon..

The back of the card says that 'bicycling and rain are two things that Portland is known for'...and well,  as long as you have the right clothing, there is no problem when riding your bike in the rain...the only problem here is the lack of the cycling paths..and the streets and pavements are either in terrible condition or not cycling-appropriate...so by the time you get to your destination you are all wet, despite your rain coat...water is just splashing from all the cracks and holes.... =/

Just recently I realized that I should find a seat cover for my bike, so that when it rains, the seat won't get ruined...since mine is not made of plastic but it is kinda soft, and not so rain-friendly...and looking at this card keeps reminding me of it...so I guess I should be looking at it like more often until I finally get it done :)
Anyways, it's been a nice weather here recently...a while ago I came back from the Cycling Critical Mass - it was a nice ride...esp. now that the weather has gotten warmer but it ain't too hot yet...winter rides are always in the dark and there are not many people...but I think that today there were around like 300 cyclists maybe...yep, we are fighting for our rights...it has been a slow process but there have been some improvements after like almost four years that this event has been regularly taking place.

well, here are a few pictures from today's edition, photo credits go to my neighbour Dimitar.

me and my friend Sašo while waiting for the event to begin

somewhere down the road - the last Wednesday of the month,when the patience of the car drivers, bus drivers, pedestrians is being tested...and they seriously have failed on a number of occasions :)

and a number of nice stamps...and two different cancellations, a red and a black one...cant figure out the date on the black one though...I wonder if both cancellations bear the same date or just wondering whatever has happened here :)
As for the stamps, the bottom one is more or less familiar, the Navajo Jewelry from 2007...as for the rest...first we have one from 1974 from a set of 8 stamps that are part of the Universal Postal Union Issue - the set consists of paintings by different artists, this one is by Liotard. The one next to it shows Chief Josef, and I believe this painting can be found at the National Portrait Gallery - issued in 1968. The last two stamps are from the Vintage Circus Posters' set of 16 issued in 2014.

Thank you Bryon =)

Suurupi Lighthouses, Estonia

I really great maxi-card from Estonia that has been neglected since 2011...don't know why...

Here you can see the two Suurupi lighthouses; the Suurpi rear lighthouse, which was completed in 1760 (the one on the left) and the Suurupi front lighthouse (the one on the right) which was built in 1859 and is the oldest and currently the only wooden lighthouse still functioning in Estonia. It acquired its final shape after several alterations in 1888.

Suurpi, btw, is a small village in Estonia :)

there are three stamps on the back...the two below the airmail sticker were issued in 2011 in a set of five from the Post Horn series. The other one is a definitive from 2007.

Elbasan, Albania

The last card for today comes from Albania and it is my first one from Elbasan actually...

Here we have a nightview of the city, which is situated in the central part of the country and is one of Albania's largest cities.
Thanks to Indrit for this card, who says that Elbasan is one of the oldest cities in Albania, where  they have a castle, mosques, a clock-tower, a church and a lot of other attractive places.

Me of course, has never been there...I sometime still cannot believe it that I've never set foot in Albania and it is just so near...

there are two stamps on the card...the left one was issued 2011 and is from a set of 3 flower stamps. The other one is from a set of two issued in 2013, commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the International Red Cross.

So, that would be all for now...till next time, enjoy the beginning of spring :)

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!!

North Reef Lighthouse, Australia

A great maxi-card I received as an official this year, plus it is a lighthouse ♥

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The maxi-card shows the North Reef Lighthouse in Queensland, which was first constructed in 1878.

Its construction is unique, having a hollow concrete base that both gives it resistance to the shifting nature of the sandbar and serves as a fresh water tank. As such, it is considered one of the major achievement in Australian lighthouse construction.
It is also notable in that due to the harsh conditions and remote location, only bachelors were allowed to serve as lighthouse keepers. (bachelors as in 'unmarried men' in this context). Does this mean that the conditions were that harsh that they thought these lighthouse keepers may not survive, and may not go back to their wives and children?!!

 At 24 metres  it is also the tallest of Queensland's timber framed iron clad lighthouses.

there are two stamps on the back which I find a bit confusing, since this is one of those postage prepaid cards, and as you can read it yourselves, it refers to delivery worldwide...so why would one need to use more postage then, I don't get it?
Anyways, till someone solves my mystery - the upper stamp was issued in 2008 in a set of four Tourist Precincts stamps and this one shows The Rocks in Sydney. The other stamp is from 2007 from a set of four Australian Wildflowers - here you can see the Green Spider-Flower.

Thanks to Margaret for this lovely lighthouse!

Fort Collins Brewery, USA

Next is an official I received in 2014, and a very very cool card, even though I don't drink beer...

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This card is like an ad for the Fort Collins Brewery in Colorado and as can be seen from this card, they even have beer with bicycles on it....now even though I don't like beer, I may actually give this one a try....just cos of the bike :)

from the back of the card:

Saddle Up. Fat Tire Amber Ale delivers a happy balance of distinctive nutty malt flavours and fresh hoppiness. As a consumer once wrote, "this beer just makes you smile."

and at first I thought 'hoppiness' was some spelling mistake, since it got underlined with red as well, but turns out that is something about the level of the bitterness of the beer or something...

Well if you are ever nearby, you can visit it, they seem to have a nice taverna as well...and later, well just let me know how it was :)

a few stamps here, mostly well-known ones...starting from the bottom with the American Toleware from 2007, then above it, the American Clock from 2003..and then the Navajo Jewelry from 2004 - the other two I dont see that frequently - first is a Christmas stamp from 2007, and then a flower one issued in 2013, showing a Poinsettia.

thanks a bunch to Louise for this super-cool card!

Minsk, Belarus

Next come a few cards from Minsk, Belarus's capital

I received this one recently as a swap with Marina - looking at the card gives me the impression of a city with very clean air (unlike here). And they do seem to have a lot of green areas all over too (again, unlike here).

Well, I've written about Minsk before, so won't get much into details this time...just that after this swap  I realized I had acquired a number of Minsk cards showing the city and the Svislach river, so I thought I'd show them altogether...

the stamp is part of a mini-sheet with 4 stamps issued in 2015, showing paintings of artists of the Paris School from Belarus. On this stamp you can see a painting from 1925 called "The Lake" by Ossip Zadkine.

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well the rest of the cards here are all official ones...Belarus has really climbed up the ladder in terms of Postcrossing sent cards and at the time of speaking holds the 6th place....quite surprising I must admit...
The card here shows the embankment of the Svislach river..it is 327 km long and has derived its name from the root -visl- 'flowing,' of Indo-European origin

here I decided to show the whole back of the card cos of the cute stickers...that duck one is especially adorable :)
as for the stamps, we two from the set of 12 Architectural Monuments issued in 2012 - the left one shows a church in Polatsk, while the right one, shows the Mirski castle.

Thanks to Yanina for this card

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Here we have a multiveiw card with the Svislach river in each of the pictures.

First we have a view of the Upper Town. Then below it, we can see some sport competitions.

In the middle you can see the Trinity Suburb, while on the right side, first you can again see the Svisloch embankment, while the bottom picture shows a man fishing in the centre of the city. 

The stamp is from a set of two Christmas stamps issued in 2012.
Thanks to Marianne for this card.

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Can you notice the drawings, or whatever they may be, on the two tall buildings? they look interesting.

Here in particular you can see the Housing of the Uskhod micro-district.

the stamp is from a set of 2 issued in 2012, showing Belorussian ornament.
Thanks to Dzimitry for this one.

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And one more Minsk card, showing a really beautiful aerial view of the city, in particular, the Trinity Suburb and the Svislach river embankment.

Again we have the two architectural stamps as above from 2012, showing the church in Polatsk and the Mirski castle.
Thanks to Victoria for this card.

Palosebo, Philippines

One more card for today, this time from the Philippines...

It shows children playing the Palosebo game. It is a traditional Filipino game and is usually played by children in the countryside during the town fiesta, or on special occasions in the various Provinces of the Philippines. Long and straight bamboo poles are polished and greased, after which a small bag containing the prize is tied to the top. The bag usually contains money, sweets, or toys. Sometimes a small flag is used instead of the actual prize, which is given to the winner afterwards.

The contestants try to climb the pole in turns to secure the prize, and anyone who fails to reach the top is disqualified. The winner is the one who succeeds in reaching and untying the prize or retrieving the flag.

Really cool...much better than playing Minecraft or such....

a number of nice stamps here - the fruit ones were issued in 2015 in a set of 5 stamps showing popular fruits in the Philippines (you have a banana and a papaya here).
The other stamp is from 2012 from a series of Folklore and Legends stamps - this one shows Amihan, the Goddess of Monsoon Weather.

Thanks to Fern for this nice card.

And Happy Easter to everyone celebrating this weekend! (here it will be at the end of April)

King Penguins, Falkland Islands/South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands

So another Friday is almost gone and from what the weather forecast says, a nice weekend ahead of us...so I guess Ill use that for some sunshine-enjoyment...and before that, post a few cards on this nice calm Friday evening...well there is a tennis match in a while so I am not quite sure how calm it's gonna remain....

First is a card from the Falkland Islands that Glenn sent me from his cruise exactly four years ago....and before you start throwing stones at me, no, this one was neither overlooked nor forgotten...just kept special as usual with those cards from rare countries...but since a little birdy told me that a FI card is now on my way too, thought it was like time to post some of those waiting-in-line cards....

Glenn sent me a bunch of great cards from his cruise back then (he always does actually), and this one is no exception.....have I ever told you that one of my biggest wishes in life is to hug a penguin?  Probably I have...just that I still haven't managed to fulfill it....I mean I should first go to a place where there are penguins of course, you don't just come across one in the street...but so far budget-wise, I'll have to stick to 'torturing' cats and dogs...

and...you know what?? I have a South Georgia stamp on this card :D Yep!! Well, there are penguins there too...just as you can see from the stamp...I was in doubts if I should consider this card from Falkland Islands or South Georgia, but I believe it would be appropriate to make it a Falkland Islands one....plus a reason less to make people more jealous than necessary :P
This lovely South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands was issued in 2010 in a set of 4 penguins' stamps, with this one showing the Aptenodytes patagonicus species.

Interesting thing is that Glenn sent this card on 15 March, while the postmark reads 19 April...and I don't recall exactly when it arrived in my mailbox...but it arrived :)

Thanks a lot again Glenn!!

Horseshoe Bend, USA

Next is an official card I received just recently from Cal...

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It shows the Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado River in Arizona. It is a horseshoe shaped meander and its rock walls contain variety of minerals, among which are hematite, platinum and garnet.
This place is considered like one of the most photographed ones on the Colorado River....kinda justified...the view on this one is stunning...I can't event imagine how it would be to be actually standing at this spot from where the picture was taken :)

a number of nice stamps on the back....the well-known clock to you all...and right above it a bird stamp from a set of 4 Coast birds issued in 2015, with this one showing the Frigatebird. Then we have a somewhat older stamp, from 1962, commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Arizona Statehood. The last one is from the two Vintage Flowers' stamps issued in 2015.

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 :)