Sunday Stamps II - 137

1971, USSR, Space Exploration

The Lunokhod - "Moonwalker" - was a robotic lunar rover, and this stamp shows the Lunokhod 1, the first remote controlled rover which landed on the moon in 1970. It has a rather cartoonish look here, which I love.  On the lid is a solar cell for powering the batteries. It landed on Sea of Rains and travelled 6.5 miles during its 322 day sojourn. No one knew exactly where it was when the final signals failed, but in 2010 A NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter found it and found that the reflectors are still useful.

for stars, moon or planets

international bridge

 Canada 1950 above, 1910 below
The World's Smallest International Bridge
Zavikon Island, 1000 Islands Canada

The 1000 Islands are an archipelago of some 1800 islands that straddle the border between Ontario and New York in the St lawrence River. It has been an enduring myth that this 32' bridge between the main Zavikon island and the one used as a backyard by the owner of the two has the bigger one in Canada and the smaller one in the U.S. It has been a great tourist ploy since around 1880 and is still touted as the shortest international  bridge on boat tours. Apparently, the official border is a couple hundred feet south of the smaller island making both of them in Canada.

for Sepia Saturday

Sunday Stamps II - 136

1984, Vietnam, Halong Bay

Ha Long Bay was made a World Heritage site in 1994. There are some 1600 monolithic islets, mostly made of limestone, that has weathered over 500 million years. These stamps show Hon Dua (top) and Nui Yen Ngua (right). The name Ha Long (or sometimes Halong) means descending dragon. Legend has it that when Vietnam was starting to develop as a country, to help defend against invaders, the gods sent a family of dragons as protectors. These dragons spat out jewels which became the islands and by using magic, they had mountains suddenly appear in front of enemy ships. After the battles were over and the bay became peaceful, the dragons decided to stay. 

for a place you would love to see

In August we will start a new "alphabet theme" where you may choose any stamp on any theme that begins with that week's letter. This should prove less restrictive, but hopefully still challenging. Any language spelling is acceptable so we might also all get to learn a few new words!

covered bridge

1970s Canada Hartland Covered Bridge
photo by E Otto

This 391m bridge was opened in 1901 but wasn't covered until 1922 after repairs were needed when it was seriously damaged by ice in the St John River.   The signs on the front say

Hartland

New 

Brunswick

Welcome

you are now entering the longest

covered bridge in the world

1282 feet

for Postcards for the Weekend - bridges

on the water

Relaxing after a long weekend of hard work.

for Sepia Saturday

Stampede

1967 postcard book

The annual Calgary Stampede has been on all week and ends today. 

Billed as The Greatest Show On Earth, for 10 days the city hosts rodeos, chuckwagon races, competitions, concerts, stage shows, a midway, and food.

And definitely HATS

The Stampede has been ongoing for 105 years

for Sepia Saturday

which featured a prompt with crowds, hats, and sports

Sunday Stamps II - 135

1964, Pakistan, Save the Monuments of Nubia

When the Aswan Dam was being built, UNESCO helped with a publicity drive to educate the rest of the world about the importance and value of the Nubian Monuments which would have been flooded if something wasn't done. Several countries issued stamps in support. The top stamp shows carved figures at Abu Simbel. These were cut into blocks, numbered and reassembled above the new dam. On the right is shown the Temple at Karnak reflected in the Sacred Lake.

for statues or monuments

church map

received 2013

Bulgaria has some great map shaped cards showing everything they are proud to show off - architecture, landscapes, flora, fauna, foods ...

Here we have churches from various cities, including the capital, Sofia, with the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral which can hold 10,000 people. There are 15 churches from medieval times in Nessebar on the Black Sea coast, an UNESCO World Heritage Site. And a 21st C church, the Cathedral of St Vissarian, built 2006, in Smolyen.

for Postcards for the Weekend - places of worship

Sunday Stamps II - 134

2008, USA, Scenic American Landscapes
International letter rate

photographer: George H Huey

The U.S. Virgin Islands, in the Caribbean, consist of three main islands - St Croix, St John, St Thomas, as well as a few uninhabited outlying islands. In 1956 The Virgin Islands National Park was established and covers 60% of St John and a portion of St Thomas. Of the 146,888 acres, 5,650 are underwater. This stamp shows Trunk Bay, which has consistently been named as one of the top beaches in the world. The name comes from the leatherback turtle which are known locally as trunks. 

for aerial views

Québec all lit up

A night time view of Québec City, featuring the prominently situated Chateau Frontenac.

for Postcards for the Weekend - City views, night time

Sunday Stamps II - 133

1976, Bermuda

The Tall Ships Race that took place in 1976 during the American Bicentennial was from Bermuda to Rhode Island. The EAGLE was the only US ship in Class A. Originally named Horst Wessel, this 1936 built barque was renamed the Eagle when it was transferred from Germany to the US in 1945. It is currently used as a training vessel for the US Coast Guard.

for Tall Ships

Starting in August, we will have an alphabet theme for each week. You are invited to share any stamps from a country beginning with each week's designated letter, or showing something beginning with that letter. Any language may be used. So, 'N' may feature 'Netherlands', something orange ('naranja'), 'nautical',  an 'N tariff' on a stamp from Belarus, or even 'new' - as in a new issue, or simply new to your collection.

Quebec City

Québec is the capital city of the province of Quebec. The city has an accent, while the province does not. The name Quebec comes from an Algonquin word meaning "where the river narrows", in this case, the St Lawrence River. First settled in 1535, it is one of the oldest European cities in North America. Its World Heritage old town (Vieux-Quebec) is the only city in the US or Canada that still has fortified walls. This view shows the iconic Chateau Frontenac Hotel, built as one of the chateau style hotels for the Canadian Pacific Railway.

for Postcards for the Weekend - city views (daytime)