Japan – Garden of Kinkakuji Temple

This was designed as a paradise garden in which to stroll and meditate, remembering that Buddha had lived and preached in a grove. The garden has symbolic buildings and features, including a flying crane lake and a tortoise island which divides the lake into two sections. The shore of the lake is dotted with rocks. The garden was formerly the North Hill Villa. It became a Deer Park (named after Buddha's Deer Park of Isipatana, but without deer) when acquired by Shogun Yoshimitsu. The gilded temple is Chinese in style but has an un-Zen-like gaudiness. This wonderful card was sent to me by Reiko.

Portugal – Sailing

Cátia sent me this nice card showing people enjoying sailing in the seas of Azores.

UK - Sailing as a Sport

Merja sent me this pretty maxi card about the Racing Keel boats. This stamp was designed by Andrew Restall and issued by British Post on 11 June 1975 to commemorate sailing as a sport.

Italy – Italian Monarchs

Merja sent me this maxicard, that feature Italian monarchs who reigned between 1861 and 1946. The fairly large stamp in deep white has pictures of four stamps issued during the Reigns of Italian monarchs. Three of the four stamps are arranged as per the colors of the Italian flag. The picture of the stamp on the left of green color, value of five cent depicts the reign of Umberto I; In the center of the fifteen value cent of 1863 represents Vittorio Emanuele II; - to right the stamp in red color of the value of 10 cent emitted in 1901 represents Vittorio Emanuele III. Below to the center is the fourth stamp of the value of 20 cent in 1930 on occasion of the wedding of Prince Umberto with Prince Maria Josè of Belgium and, on the left and to right, in stilizzata design are the coat of arms sabaudo. The legend “EXTENSION - the REIGN D' ITALY - MONTECITORIO”, written “ITALY” and value “€ 0,60” complete the stamp.

Netherlands – Land of Windmills

From Holland - The land of picturesque windmills. This one is really picture book perfect. This is a hollow post mill with stage (a rare type). It has a radius of 22.50 metres. It was built around 1810. This lovely card was sent to me by Nico.

Germany - OLD LIGHTHOUSE. NORDSEEBAD WANGEROOGE

This is a picture of the old lighthouse at Wangerooge, Lower Saxony in Germany. Below one can study the reverse of the postcard sent to me by My good friend Stan, whom I sometimes refer to as the modern day Marco Polo. Its Height Above the North Sea is nil. This card has a special postmark or cancellation of the lighthouse it is dated 19.3.2011. There are two nice German stamps too.

Finland - MS Bore

MS Bore is a combination museum and hotel ship docked permanently Turku, Finland. She was originally built in 1960 by Oskarshamn shipyard, Oskarshamn, Sweden as the car/passenger ferry SS Bore for Steamship Company Bore, Finland, then the last commercial steam ship built in Scandinavia and the first ferry on the route between Finland and Sweden where cars could drive aboard. She was later known as SS Borea, before being rebuilt as cruiseship in 1988. 1988 to 2010 she was owned by the Finnish shipping company Kristina Cruises and known as MS Kristina Regina until she was retired. Sointu sent me this card amongst others.

USA – Bobby" McFerrin, Jr

Robert "Bobby" McFerrin, Jr. (born March 11, 1950) is an American vocalist and conductor. He is best known for his 1988 hit song "Don't Worry, Be Happy". He is a ten-time Grammy Award winner. My friend Stan sent me this card with the extraordinary stamp (shown) on it.

Latvia - Art Nouveau movement in Europe

The architectural and artistic answer to the literary Modernist movement that began in the late 19th century was the Art Nouveau movement in Europe. The Art Nouveau movement reached its peak in the early 20th century, which is when the majority of Riga’s Art Nouveau houses were built, beginning in 1899. Riga’s term for the movement, Jugendstil, comes from the German and Scandinavian movement named after the avant-garde periodical Jugend (“Youth”). Unlike the stiffer sensibilities of Victorian style, Art Nouveau stressed a complete creative freedom, mixing fantastic elements with a tendency to show all utilitarian construction elements as artistic value, with very characteristic elements such as dynamic, undulating, and flowing lines and geometrical ornaments. In Riga, Art Nouveau could be split into two main directions, decorative and romantic-nationalistic Art Nouveau. Vera sent this historical card to me.

USA - Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was a four-engine heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the then-United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Competing against Douglas and Martin for a contract to build 200 bombers, the Boeing entry outperformed both competitors and more than met the Air Corps' expectations. Although Boeing lost the contract because the prototype crashed, the Air Corps was so impressed with Boeing's design that they ordered 13 more B-17s for further evaluation. From its introduction in 1938, the B-17 Flying Fortress evolved through numerous design advances.

The B-17 was primarily employed by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in the daylight precision strategic bombing campaign of World War II against German industrial and military targets. The United States Eighth Air Force based at Thorpe Abbotts airfield in England and the Fifteenth Air Force based in Italy complemented the RAF Bomber Command's nighttime area bombing in Operation Pointblank to help secure air superiority over the cities, factories and battlefields of Western Europe in preparation for Operation Overlord. The B-17 also participated to a lesser extent in the War in the Pacific where it conducted raids against Japanese shipping and airfields. Truus sent me this card.

Finland - Suomen Joutsen

Suomen Joutsen (Swan of Finland in English) (former names are Laënnec, Oldenburg) is a three-mast, steel hull, full rigged ship. She was built in 1902 in St. Nazaire, France to serve in the trade between Atlantic and Pacific ports. In 1930 she was bought by the Government of Finland to serve as Finnish Navy training ship. Before World War II she made eight long ocean voyages. From 1956 she was a stationary Seamen's School for the Finnish Merchant Navy. Since 1991, she has been a museum ship owned by City of Turku, Finland. This nice maxi card was sent to me by Sointu.

Waiting for One's Ship

That's Your's Truly waiting for his Ship to come home !!! Thank you Ella.

Lithuania – Light Houses at Uostadvaris and Pervalka

Uostadvaris village is situated 5 kilometers from Rusnė, on the left riverbank of Atmata River, in the island of Rusnė. It is a part of Nemunas estuary Regional Park. In 1907 the water-lifting station was built here. It is a steam turbine, which absorbs the water excess from grasslands and pours it to Nemunas River. There are a lighthouse (shown on the Left of the display) and a polder museum in Uostadvaris. Lighthouse is no longer used for navigation, but now it is the best place to view the panorama of Uostadvaris. 

The Lighthouse at Pervalka is also known as the Lighthouse of  horses. It was built in 1900, in the Curonian Gulf near Pervalka. The lighthouse has bee rebuilt twice. Now, it operates automatically, and hence the lighthouse keepers come to check it only occasionally. This is the only lighthouse in the Curonian Lagoon that is not built on land, but, on an artificial island.

These two maxi cards were sent to me by good friend Raimonda. The stamps on the cover in which she sent me these cards is also displayed. Aren’t they lovely, these stamps?