Official - Free Card Cats Illustrations

I don't have cats or art on my wishlist on official PC profile, nor do I normally appreciate people sending free cards, but this one strangely works somehow...must be the colours :)

 

And this is my last day at work! Not sure how to feel about it...I am looking forward to my short trip in november, to mum's cooking and being alone in my room...but it sure would be nice to be able to work for  a while longer..! The scans are stored on usb and will be posted here from time to time. Hope everyone will have a nice autumn :)

 

Iraqi Woman On A Camel

Beautiful Iraqi lady wearing traditional clothes, in front of Taq-i Kisra - the only visible remaining structure of the ancient city of Ctesiphon,  the imperial capital of the Parthian Empire and the Sasanian Empire and one of the great cities of late ancient Mesopotamia.

As last time the postcard was literally covered with cancellations! Many thanks to Hasnain :)

 

Petit Bot Bay, Guernsey

The south coast of Guernsey is quite spectacular and offers many hiking trails, only for the fit! Looks amazing, thank you Kathy :)

 

Montauk Point, USA

Another great coastal view comes from the US showing the Montauk Point Light,  a lighthouse located in Montauk Point State Park at the easternmost point of Long Island, Suffolk County, New York. Montauk Light was the first lighthouse in New York State, and is the fourth-oldest active lighthouse in the United States. The tower is 110'6" (34m) high; the current light, installed in July 2001, equivalent to approximately 290,000 candle power, flashes every 5 seconds and can be seen a distance of 17 nautical miles.

Apparently surfers like this spot too, even during the winter when its cooold. Thanks Patrick :)

 

Wild Ireland

Waves crashing against the coast of West Cork on the Beara Peninsula

 When I first set my eyes on this image all I could exclaim was 'No way!'. Is this for real?, I asked - sure is, said Dina. She is used to these kind of stunning views but here we wow about the waves half that size. Love it, thank you!

Children Of Guatemala

Two postcards showing indigenous children of Guatemala which were written by Ale's students - as it happens today is Ale's birthday so I will say - gracias e feliz cumpleaños!

 

The stamps cause some questionmarks popping above my head, the traditional Guatemalan dishes of Kaq'ik and Plátanos En Mole are described as Intangible Cultural Heritage but I cannot find them on the official list...not that it matters, they are great stamps, as is El Sombrerón - a fictional character and one of the most famous legends of Guatemala told in books and film. His main characteristics: a short man with black dress a thick and brilliant belt; he wears a black, large hat and boots that make a lot of noise when he walks.

He likes to mount horses and braid their tails and manes. When he cannot find horses, he braids dogs. He also likes to court young ladies who have long hair and big eyes. When he likes one in particular, he follows her, braids her hair, serenades to her with his silver guitar; but he also puts soil in her plate and she is not able to eat or sleep. Quite a character he is, El Sombrerón!

 

Fenghuang Ancient City, China

Fenghuang City is located in the southwest of Hunan Province -  it has an exceptionally well-preserved ancient town that harbors unique ethnic languages, customs, arts as well as many distinctive architectural remains of Ming and Qing styles. It is a gathering place for Miao and Tujia ethnic minority.

I will say no more as I really REALLY hope to get more postcards of this gorgeous town to post here. I have just realised its the same town I have in my favourites, and if you google it you'll know why. Also gorgeous stamps, thanks Kolly! :))

 

L'âne En Culotte, France

Its been long three years since I posted about the donkeys in pants from Île de Ré for the first time - now the moment has come for an addition, this time in chequered fashion :) Merci Sebastien!

 

Embera Woman, Panama

Every now and then I look for swaps on official postcrossing site, browsing the countries in search of people who are open to private swaps...the score so far hasn't been the greatest, people often disappear or are overwhelmed with all the requests. Not this time though! Muchas gracias to Cesar Augusto, who has chosen this portrait of a woman from the river Chagres area in eastern Panama belonging to Emberá people (also known in the historical literature as the Chocó or Katío).

Wonderful! :))

 

On a sadder note, the scanner at work is dying a slow death...I have a feeling I contributed to that with my at times incessant scanning of postcards :/ Why oh why now when I was about to do the last batch before I go home for the winter?! Time to shop for a scanner I guess...

 

Art Nouveau In Riga, Latvia

As a big fan of Art Nouveau I was very happy to swap for this card, which also qualifies for my UNESCO collection (I have posted about Riga before) -  it is generally recognized that Riga has the finest collection of Art Nouveau/Jugendstil  buildings in Europe.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE

As the country's grand mosque, it is the key place of worship for Friday gathering and Eid prayers. During Eid it can be visited by more than 40,000 people. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates and the eighth largest mosque in the world;  it was initiated by the late president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who wanted to establish a structure which unites the cultural diversity of Islamic world, the historical and modern values of architecture and art.

Great choice of card, as of the commemorative stamp issued for Dubai Crown Prince this year. Many many thanks Weny!

UNESCO - Historic Monuments Of Ancient Nara, Japan

Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784. During this period the framework of national government was consolidated and Nara enjoyed great prosperity, emerging as the fountainhead of Japanese culture. The property includes eight component parts composed of seventy-eight different buildings covering 617.0 ha, which is surrounded by a buffer zone (1,962.5 ha) and the “historic environment harmonization area (539.0 ha)”.

Because of this I am sure I'll never be able to collect the full list - 78 is a big number! - but I am very happy to have these beautiful postcards to represent Nara, received through different channels, showing two of the five Buddhist temples at the site.

First postcard is actually about the pagodas of the Yakushi-ji temple; whereas the main picture is of Saitō (West Pagoda) the stamp is of the East Pagoda which is the only original 8th-century structure at the temple, and is often called "Frozen music" for its beauty. Thank you for yet another great postcard Ai :)

Tōdai-ji is another Buddhist temple complex in Nara - this picture shows The Great Buddha Hall - the largest wooden building in the world. It houses the largest bronze Buddha statue - look down!

Thank you kyoto348! The stamps are really interesting, to say the least ;)

 JP-182958

This view came via official postcrossing, yay! The most famous Daibutsus (or giant Buddha sculptures) in Nara is actually the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana, with the hight of 14.98m. Thank you Yoko/conejo, and for the funny Hello Kitty stamp :)

UNESCO - Old Rauma, Finland

 

Situated on the Gulf of Botnia, Rauma is one of the oldest harbours in Finland. Built around a Franciscan monastery, where the mid-15th-century Holy Cross Church still stands, it is an outstanding example of an old Nordic city constructed in wood. Although ravaged by fire in the late 17th century, it has preserved its ancient vernacular architectural heritage.

 

When I turned the postcard around and saw this stamp I believe I have made some weird sound showing just how happy I am :) I LOVE autumn colours. This stamp represents apple harvest and was issued in 2013 in a set of 5 titled Signs Of Autumn. I have found a pic of the whole sheet of FDC on ebay, me wanti! Kiitos Elina :)

Theme this week on Viridian's Sunday Stamps is country life/harvest/autumn :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Borsch, Ukraine

This yummy card arrived for a tag, I hope I can try it one day! Spasibo Julia :)

Wild Nature Of Guyane

I must admit I am a bit confused with the Guianas...lucky that the Dutch Guiana became Suriname heh, French Guiana is often called just Guiana, or Guyane in french...whereas Guyana is just Guyana, though it was British Guaina once...there IS a slight difference in pronunciation!

Jo used great stamps alas one was stolen, and because they are self-adhesive the other cards kept sticking to it..! I really start to wonder about this thief, what can you possibly do with a torn self-adhesive stamp? Oh well...one thing is sure - merci Jo :)

 

Paramaribo, Suriname

This might be Unesco i.e. the Historical Inner City but I am not really sure..! In any case a lovely view, really love this card :) Even the lack of stamps doesn't cause a stir because this cancellation is quite interesting. Heel hartelijk bedankt Jo ;)

St. George's Cathedral, Georgetown, Guyana

Jo took an awesome trip this year covering many countries and even continents - she rounded it up by sending cards from the final three destinations, the 'three Guianas' on the southamerican continent. Starting from the westernmost Guyana, this postcard was written in the jungle and it must have had quite a ride (also visible from the runny letters :))

St. George's is an Anglican cathedral in Georgetown, the capital of Guyana, and is one of the tallest wooden churches in the world, at a height of 43.5 metres (143 ft). It features typical elements of Gothic architecture- flying buttresses, traceried windows, clerestory, pointed arches, "black and white" framing of Elizabethan times. All this put it on the unesco tentative list :) Thanks Jo!

 

Guernsey Traditions

Lovely postcard showing some of the Guernsey traditions, typical bonnets and weaving crab pots. Its been a looong while since I've received a postcard from this Channel Island, and then Kathy came along - with the bonus of the postcrossing stamp. Thanks so much! xD

(ohoh I have just realised that I haven't at all posted my 1st postcard from Guernsey)

 

The Westernmost Point Of Ireland

A stunning view of the Dunmore Head (officially the westernmost point of Ireland and arguably Europe) and beyond the Blasket Islands, taken from Slea Head - all Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, southwest Ireland. Lots of names to remember! But the view is very easy to remember surely even more so 'in person', especially with all those sheep staring at you lol thanks Patrik! Extra thanks for the lovely stamps :)

 

Polar Bear Cub, Canada

I had no idea what I'll receive in my swap with Marie - and there comes this gorgeous polar bear cub! And aren't the letters just cute with the little paws prints? Thanks so much for this!

I am equally happy about these stamps issued  Friday the 13^th last June, from a series telling some of the country’s most inexplicable and popular ghostly tales.

Edit: i really wanted to explore the meaning of these stamps...and thought I could share them on Sunday Stamps (this week being an open theme). They are also apt for the upcoming Halloween - a holiday not traditional in my country but is surely sneaking in..!

The issue called Haunted Canada comprises 5 stamps, and is start of a continuous series planned for years to come. They are as follows:
*Ghost Bride Of The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel
Employees and guests have reported seeing a figure with a long, flowing dress descending the stairs. She is believed to be a bride who tripped and fell to her death on her wedding day.
*St. Louis Ghost Train
There are tales of a ghostly glowing light, known as the 'St. Louis light', in the Saskatchewan River Valley. Those who believe in the ghost train claim it's the long-dead CNR conductor who literally lost his head back in the 1920's to a passing train while examining the track with his lantern.
*The Haunted Of Fort George
Due to battles of the War of 1812 and their aftermath, spirits are said to still be seen or heard wandering within its stone walls. Cold spots, crying, moaning and the sound of footsteps have all been reported. Tales  are told of people having being poked or having their hair pulled, only to turn around and find no one there.

Brrr this last bit made me shiver. I will be turning around a lot now as a useless matter of precaution lol. Other entries via link: