vintage and contemporary postcards and stamps from around the world


30 January 2024

an ancient land

 

Shetland, an archipelago off the north coast of Scotland,which was ruled by the Norse from the 8th to the 15th C. On the last Tuesday in January they hold the largest fire festival in Europe. Up Helly Aa in Lerwick can include over 1000 'guizers' (dressed in disguise, in this case Vikings) in a procession that culminates in the burning of a replica Viking Longship. There is much more to it than that, which you can read all about here

28 January 2024

trees

above: a year in the life of an apricot tree                                       below: an avenue of ginkgo trees
 
for Sunday Stamps

25 January 2024

kaffee


An ideal place to fall in love with your 
Viennese coffee house business

21 January 2024

most beloved

 

I have two stamps of Colette, a French writer whose full name was Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (28 Jan 1873 - 3 Aug 1954). She wrote Gigi, which was the basis of one of my favourite films (the 1958 one with Leslie Caron)
From the most beloved writer of France to the best beloved writer of Scotland, Rabbie Burns whose 265th birthday this week inspired this theme. This rosy cheeked portrait is by Alexander Naysmith
Maybe I should have chosen this theme for next week when it would have been Colette's 151st birthday, but I hadn't decided on the second writer at the time.

18 January 2024

words of love

 Juliet's Balcony

La Casa di Giulietta dates to the 13th century and was once home to the Cappello family (the inspiration to the Capulets of Shakespeare's play). The balcony was added to the house in the early 20th century after being bought by the city of Verona.  Beneath the balcony are scores of graffiti scribbles.

16 January 2024

far away

 

A totally different landscape from yesterday... this view at least doesn't totally obliterate Mt Fuji from the skyline. It is about 100 miles away, or 2-3 hours by car or train.

15 January 2024

arctic beauty

 

Lofoten, an archipelago with stunning scenery. It was an inspiration for the landscapes in the movie Frozen

14 January 2024

bridges

the same, but different

from 1984, when Europa stamps were all the same design. Each country still managed to show some individuality

a bridge for Sunday Stamps

11 January 2024

fantasy



and this may not be strictly a movie poster, but I love it, not least for the Tiffany blue



07 January 2024

pyramid

This ancient mosque with a pyramid shaped minaret sits atop a hill in the city of Ghardaia. It is thought to be the first building in the Ghardaia Palace, built around 1048. The smaller six metre minaret is the older one with the larger 23 metre minaret being built in the 16th C.

04 January 2024

large letters

you get an idea of the important landmarks of a city within the name

some words and letters for the first Thursday Postcard Hunt of 2024