lake ontario

This week, I'm starting a new series on the Great Lakes starting with  the most contentious name

Ontario is an indigenous word from the Huron-Wendat meaning variously "sparkling water" or "great lake".  It has been in use since at least 1640 by the settlers and from people who lived here for over 1,000 years.  Names matter

Rochester is the largest U.S. city on the shores of Lake Ontario has a few issues with "Lake America"...

Charlotte is a neighbourhood in Rochester on the southern shore of Lake Ontario.

42°38'S 148°05'E

 

Maria Island is entirely occupied by the Maria Island National Park and has only a few park rangers as inhabitants.  If you want to stay overnight your options are various campgrounds where you can pitch a tent, or a basic bunkhouse style sleepover in the old penitentiary.  There are no shops or cafes, and neither is there electricity or potable water. You must bring everything you need with you - and take it all back out when you leave.

I'm not sure this is exactly a vacation spot for me... but the number of tourist visits has almost doubled from the year pre-covid (38,000 2019-20 to 53,000 in 2023-24 to a record high of 74,000 2024-25 with a projected 99,000 2025-26) which is clearly not sustainable for a protected habitat.

This rugged island is only 12 miles long by 8 miles at its widest point, (19x13 kilometres) 

floofy

 

CATURDAY

sturgeon moon

 named for the largest fish in the Great Lakes

crossing the border

There used to be only two ways to get across the Detroit River between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan

A bridge 

               or a tunnel

for some reason, all the cards of this international border line in the tunnel (and I have several) show buses - or, as this card prefers 'busses'

*there is now a second bridge

coo

 with flowers in her hair

most beautiful mountain in world

 Straddling the border between Switzerland and Italy, Matterhorn (German) is also known as Cervino (Italian) or Cervin (French).  It is a near symmetrical pyramidal shape, which I think shows up well in this stamp from 1962.  The shape is formed from the erosion of multiple glaciers diverging from the peak over the past 50 or 60 million years.

The stamp is part of a mountaineering series, and this might be the south view, showing Lion Ridge (Cresta del Leone) where one might climb from the Italian side, if one were so inclined (pun unintended)

San Marino is a small country of 24 square miles that is completely surrounded by Italy near the Adriatic.

hiding

 CATURDAY

regal

 

This would make quite the entrance for the new bride.  I am imagining it is a bit of a journey to the new home (or the wedding place) since the sedan is not being carried by humans.

summer friends

The greatest people are those who can give hope to others

a mouth painting

scenic

 

I don't know where this river is located but it is a pretty spot.  I like the inclusion of what looks like white Pekin ducks heading under the high arched stone bridge.

an unnamed river for Sunday Stamps

yellow ribbon

 

CATURDAY

river cruise

 

Most of the major European River Cruises dock at this Austrian village, although this is one of the regional day trip cruises.  Due to the now low water levels of the Danube, cruises will likely be limited.

old man

also called "Stone Face" by the Abenaki peoples.  You could see the profile from the north until it collapsed in 2003.

It is actually a series of five jagged cliff ledges on the Cannon Mountain in the White Mountains.

The stamp was issued in 1955 for the 150th anniversary of the discovery (by white people) of the face.

international cat day

CATURDAY from Ukraine

fast trains

 

a train belching some steam somewhere in Yorkshire

and another on the other side of the country.

The 'Cornishman' first ran in 1890 travelling from Paddington to Penzance in a little over 8 hours

Another train, travelling much faster and with less belch is the 'Bullet'

airship to jumbo jet

 

The first air mail was delivered to Bermuda by a 2,472,000 cubic foot dirigible (.17¢).  Built partially with German reparation funds from WWI.  It went to Bermuda twice in 1925.  Fifty years later, mail was being delivered by a 747, the first wide body jet (.25¢).

yellow eyes

 

CATURDAY

north sea

from Germany       some beach shelters

and some more protected shelters in the form of huts and tents in a vintage card from this seaside town in Norfolk

and so ends our July theme of architecture

next month, we will be finding ways of travelling for Thursday Postcard Hunt

buck moon

 it is now when a young buck's antlers start pushing up

a tale

Chosen in honour of Beatrix Potter's 160th birthday on July 28th.  Peter Rabbit was the first of her books to be published, and was also the first fictional character to be merchandized.  Beatrix Potter should be admired not only for her stories and illustrations, but for also being a conservationist, a scientist, and a savvy businesswoman.  I particularly love that she refused to give Walt Disney permission to adapt Peter Rabbit into an animated film fearing that he would distort her creation.  She preferred, and excelled at, maintaining creative control.

This stamp is from 1979 and designed by Edward Hughes

For 'children's stories'

focused

 

CATURDAY

beauty

Mayakovskaya Station, built in the Stalinist style in 1938, is considered one of the most beautiful of the Moscow Metro Stations

Novoslobodskaya Station, which like the one above, had Alexey Dushkin as its architect, was opened in 1952.

Although it is a bit disconcerting to see a station devoid of people, it is also a little unnerving to see a massive concourse with only a scattering of people wandering aimlessly as in this view of Chicago's Union Station, built in the 1920s for what would be $1B in today's dollars ($75 million)

oldest and still active

 

I appreciate how much information is included in these Lithuanian lighthouse stamps. 

Originally built in 1796, this one was completely destroyed in WWII and reconstructed and renovated in 1953.  The focal height is 44 metres and the light range is 33 km (21 mi, or 18 nautical miles)

collared

 is he happy, or not?

CATURDAY

chateau

 Fontainebleau

and a long view

Fountainebleau is one of the largest French royal chateaux.  It was a favourite hunting lodge of the kings but was gradually transformed into a genuine palace and became a museum and a Unesco World Heritage Site 

x, y, z

xeric plants

above, rachet fruits are known for a high antioxident content and are used to reduce inflammation and lower blood sugar

while the chandelier plant helps to relieve belly aches and is used as a tea to soothe coughs, colds and flu

The buff tail on the queen is an orangish brown colour, while the males and workers tails are more a pale off white.   They can stay awake during winter and will continue to forage during the warmer days.

 

A double collared sunbird from southern Africa.  He's an energetic little guy with a bright, metallic green head and breast with a narrow metallic blue band separating the larger bright red band from the green breast.

and so we have come to our final alphabet week for Sunday Stamps (for now).   It has been a fun ride with so many interesting, and sometimes truly unique and unexpected selections!

sleeping cat

on a Greek Island 

CATURDAY

houses

Tchaikovsky Memorial House

Japan

tenement houses

some different styles of houses for Thursday Postcard Hunt

woody

 

a wood duck a "resplendent denizen of woodland waterways" and a pileated woodpecker which shares many characteristics with the cartoon character Woody Woodpecker

serenade

 Kalinka-Malinka   this fast paced song is a playful plea for a beautiful girl to fall in love with the singer

how do we feel about the accordian?

CATURDAY

three churches

St James Anglican Church, St John's Evangelical Lutheran, and Trinity United

there are other churches in this small town, but these are the ones that get all the glory - and the photographs!

Over in Romania is this painted church, one of eight that are UNESCO listed

a 1970s view of the Hallgrimskirkja in Reykjavik

and,  Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin

a new month and a new theme of architecture. first up: churches.  next week: houses