vintage and contemporary postcards and stamps from around the world


18 November 2024

beaches

there are so many beaches, you would be spoilt for choice

the western side of the island is known to have the best beaches

17 November 2024

lyon


Joseph Marie Jacquard, a weaver, inventor and merchant who lived from1752 to 1834 in Lyon.  He is perhaps best known for inventing the Jacquard loom (1804) which simplified complex patterns such as brocade and damask.



Lorne Greene, a Canadian actor, best known for playing Ben Cartwright on the tv show Bonanza.  Interesting fact: he was born Lyon Green in 1911.  He died in 1987.



headshots for Sunday Stamps

(and for anyone paying attention... I have no idea why the font keeps changing size)

14 November 2024

streets

this street, while old and quaint, looks like a massive tripping hazard

artist: Alex Tsuper, received from Ukraine

this ethereal street in Vilnius is rather enchanting, I think
artist: Sigute Ach, received from Lithuania

13 November 2024

1989

The Rogers Centre, née SkyDome, is 6 months older than Taylor Swift.  Toronto has been going CrayCray for TayTay - only one more sleep until her six day concert run inside this very stadium.

10 November 2024

infantry


 The 'Patricias' and The 'Van Doos'
The Princess Patricia Light Infantry is named for the daughter of the then (1914) Governor General of Canada (she was also a granddaughter of Queen Victoria).
The Royal 22nd Regiment was founded in 1869 are known colloquially as the 'Van Doos' in English, from the French vingt-deux. 

09 November 2024

08 November 2024

ladybug

 

It's that time of year when the ladybugs come inside for warmth and a rest.  They are the one insect I don't mind.

07 November 2024

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