Sunday Stamps | Quartz

Today's theme in Sunday Stamps is Minerals. I found two stamps featuring quartz: one from France (1986) and one from Ukraine (2009). 

Golden News

There is  nothing like a little golden card bringing good news...

The Mail Monsters Never Sleep

The Mail Monsters battered this letter sent by Phillip (the USA). Fortunately, they were satisfied with the envelope and left alone the contents!

Also the stamp arrived safe and sound, luckily.

Thursday Postcard Hunt | Finland

Micu sent me this postcard in January (actually, from Hungary). I think it shows the museums network in Finland.

But, when I first became a postcrosser (in 2008), there were a lot of Finnish users. Some people complained because they got "too much" postcards from Finland. That was never a problem for me. Usually, postcards and stamps from Finland are very nice!

Along the years, I have received quite a few maps of the country...

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Thursday Postcard Hunt
February theme: MAPS

• Week 1 - Country
• Week 2 - City or Metro/Transportation
• Week 3 - With Pictorial Landmarks
• Week 4 - States/Provinces/Counties

Everyone is welcome to share their postcards!

States Project | The Empire State

A new postcard from Bryon's States Project, probably from one of the best known states of the USA. It is always nice to get a postcard featuring a (sort of) lighthouse.

About the project, all the postcards were sent in 2024. Not all have landed yet: 5 postcards left to arrive!

Frozen Columbus

Card sent by Phillip (the USA).

Te Rerenga Wairua

Te Rerenga Wairua (or Cape Reinga) is the northwestern most tip of the Aupōuri Peninsula, at the northern end of the North Island of New Zealand. According to Wikipedia:

In Māori, Te Rerenga Wairua means the leaping-off place of spirits. Reinga is the Māori word for underworld. Both refer to the Māori belief that the cape is the point where the spirits of the dead enter the underworld.

I have received postcards featuring this beautiful place twice, but never from New Zealand. The postcard above was sent by postcroseer Paul from Germany, and the postcard below, by my friend Mélissa in Canada (many years ago).

And that is the keynote: the only other New Zealand lighthouse I have in my collection, was sent from Russia!

Sunday Stamps | Snakes

I have not get any snake stamp celebrating the Year of the Snake yes. So here you have some snakes previously uploaded to the blog:

Brasil, 2012

Taiwan, 2012

USA, 1996

USA, 2021

Go to Sunday Stamp to see more Snakes (or reptiles) on stamps.

Can you guess...?

... how many days I got mail in January?

States Project | Land of Enchantment

According to this postcard, New Mexico seems a very interesting place. From the UNESCO sites to the UFO museum. And the roadrunner being the state bird!

The Bryon's States Project postcards I have got so far are here.

Thursday Postcard Hunt | Spasskaya Tower

Postcard sent by Alexander (Russia), showing the Spasskaya Tower or Saviour Tower on the eastern wall of the Moscow Kremlin which overlooks Red Square.

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Thursday Postcard Hunt
January theme: COLOURS

• Week 1 - Blue
• Week 2 - Green
• Week 3 - Orange
• Week 4 - Pink
• Week 5 - Red

Everyone is welcome to share their postcards!

Five Blessings

I found online an explanation of the stamp:

The Chinese character "Fu" (meaning "blessing") is used to express people's longing for a happy life and their wish for a better future. Against the simple white background of the stamp, the four bats (the Chinese character for bat is the same as the Chinese character for blessing) combined with the golden character "Fu" in the middle of the stamp cleverly express the meaning of "five blessings come to your door".

Bye, Year of the Dragon!

Canada

France

Germany

Japan

Netherlands

United Kingdom

United Nations

United States of America

States Project | The Garden State

Did you know that New Jersey is the "Diner Capital of the World"? That is certainly a title you can boast about!

(See here all the postcards from Bryon's States Project I have got so far!)

Sunday Stamps | German Composers

Fanny Mendelssohn (1805 – 1847), known as Fanny Hensel after her marriage and Clara Schumann, (née Wieck, 1819 – 1896) were German pianists and composers of the Romantic era.

 

Go to Sunday Stamps to see more Authors and Composers on stamps.