vintage and contemporary postcards and stamps from around the world


04 November 2024

700 islands

Only 30 of these islands are inhabited. The largest island is Andros, and the capital is on the island of New Providence.  It is only one of two countries using the article 'The' in its name.

03 November 2024

movember

 

a pioneer of Canadian photography, William Hanson Boorne opened his first studio in Calgary in 1886.

another handlebar moustache, this time on Mustafa Kamil Pasha (1874-1908), an Egyptian lawyer and journalist.
 

 

some refined moustaches for Sunday Stamps

02 November 2024

01 November 2024

valencia

the region has been declared a disaster zone after devastating floods, the deadliest in decades

31 October 2024

foods and snacks

 

I have heard that these night markets are amazing, and full of stalls of every food imaginable. I feel a little overwhelmed at the idea

this cafe looks like it might be a place of calm.  perhaps it is in a small alley and the customers may have wandered off to look at something across the way

28 October 2024

these islands

 

These islands were born of the night, sired by the sun, cradled by the sea, with clouds and trade winds for playmates and a hula-moon for godmother

27 October 2024

modern


Holyrood, now 20 years old, was opened in October 2004 by Queen Elizabeth, four years after the death of its Catalan architect Enric Miralles.

 

 



I always find it so sad when architects don't get to see their works completed and see the public's (hopefully positive) reaction.  

This was also the case with Viljo Revell, the Finnish architect of Toronto's City Hall, who died in 1964, a year before it opened. 

 

 

a couple of public buildings for Sunday Stamps



24 October 2024

so much choice

 

chocolate, chips, mussels, and beer from Belgium

and so much ice cream, pies, cakes, muffins, and cookies from Belarus

20 October 2024

lilac

 

This colourful beauty is a lilac breasted roller.  They range from eastern Africa along the coast to northern South Africa.  They are not known to habitate near humans, which is a shame for us.

17 October 2024

drinks

 One of the more interesting and delightfully fun advertising campaigns



or maybe you'd prefer something warming like hot chocolate with marshmallows (personally, I would skip the marshmallows)

14 October 2024

quadrilateral

Saskatchewan, the only province in Canada whose borders do not follow any natural geographical landmarks. It is also only one of two landlocked provinces.




13 October 2024

crops

 

A 1961 stamp honouring the roles grassland and livestock play in American Agriculture. Painting of The Trail Boss by Charles M Russell.
Maize is the most important cereal crop in Ghana


 

 

 

The bright yellow of rapeseed fields in Saskatchewan.  Painting by Dorothy Knowles





11 October 2024

strip hotel

the Tropicana Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip is no more

it was imploded on October 9 after 67 years (the site will become a stadium as Vegas transitions to a sports town

10 October 2024

pee-KAHN or PEA-can

an age old debate that will never go away is the 'correct' pronunciation of pecan.
notice that apart from the spelling mistakes, and the grammar, the recipe is missing the vanilla extract. and seriously, do not use margarine!

07 October 2024

two names, three countries

 


also known as Lake Constance, the Bodensee is where Germany, Switzerland and Austria meet.  The actual borders within the lake are in dispute.

06 October 2024

stars

Salome Bey (October 10, 1933 -  August 9, 2020)

singer, songwriter, composer, actress

 First Lady of the Blues

 

 

The stars in Empress Elisabeth's hair are considered the most famous piece of jewellery in Austria


 

03 October 2024

only fruits

this is a special treat. best made with beefsteak tomatoes that are picked before they ripen.

When I think of oranges, I think of Florida and navel oranges.  If I had a postcard of the sweet, sweet oranges of Valencia I would be showing that.
I like cranberry sauce, but when I discovered lingonberry jam at IKEA, that became my favourite

although apples are available all year round, in fall we tend to get more and new varieties and I love trying them all out.  my new favourites are lobos and cosmic crisp and something called sweetango.

 

 this one was received from Finland

29 September 2024

at sea

Barbuda is the smaller of the twin islands of Antigua and Barbuda

Battle of the Saintes (France and Britain),  1782 
 the British won
considered the greatest naval battle ever fought in the Caribbean.  the colour of the sky may in part be due to cannon and musket fire? 
 
although it has nothing to do with the sky, if interested, this is an account of the day

26 September 2024

covered and swinging

 Howe Covered Bridge in Vermont, 1879

artist David Binzen

Chattanooga, Tennessee

(I love saying this name!)

very short video






next week, we cross the bridge to find some food

25 September 2024

pink granite

a rather grand building for a post office...  built in a Romanesque Revival style around 1902

Note the steeply pitched red roofs - perfect for keeping off the snow that Minnesota is known to have.  It is now known as the Landmark Center and used as an arts and cultural center.  This card dates from around 1910.