Åland – Lighthouse at Market

Märket is a small 3.3 hectares (8.2 acres) uninhabited skerry in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and FinlandÅland Islands), (in the area of the autonomous which has been divided between two sovereignties since the Treaty of Fredrikshamn of 1809, and is in urgent need of maintenance, and a Finnish interest group is trying to raise funds for its preservation. The lighthouse has been automatic since 1979 and the surrounding buildings are no longer used. The increasing general availability of GPS has made its primary function redundant. Russia and then Finland operated the lighthouse in Swedish territory. In 1981, Sweden and Finland signed a treaty in which the ground under the lighthouse was transferred to Finland in return for an equal area of land in the Finnish half. As a result, the border now snakes across the tiny island in an intricate inverted-S curve, and the lighthouse is finally in Finland. defined the border between Sweden and Russian Empire as going through the middle of the island. The westernmost land point of Finland is on Märket. The Finnish side of the island is part of the Municipality of Hammarland. The Swedish part of island is itself divided by two counties of Sweden - Uppsala County (Östhammar Municipality) and Stockholm County (Norrtälje Municipality).The lighthouse on the card shown in the picture was sent to me by Merja

Italy – 150th Anniversary of the Tricolour - the Symbol of National Identity

A stamp, FDC, Maxi card and a mini sheet were issued by Italy on January 7, 2011 whilst celebrating the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy dedicated to the Tricolour National Flag, the symbol of national identity. The stamp shows the three colours of the Italian flag crossed through by two waving green and red ribbons that continue outside of the design at both the top and the bottom. The word “ITALIA” and the denomination “€ 0,60” complete the stamp. This nice maxi card was sent to me by Roberto.

Egypt – The Sound and Light shows at the Pyramids of Giza

Have you ever wondered what life must have been like thousands of years ago in Egypt? These thoughts of curiosity have inspired artists to take you there, for a brief period, through the creation of sound & light shows. You can get a glimpse back in time to see, feel, and imagine how it was when the powerful ancient Egyptians ruled. The artists have masterfully created a spectacle show that draws you in as part of history. The Sound and Light shows at the Pyramids of Giza are truly awe inspiring. It is magical and mystical. Want a truly unforgettable evening of entertainment in Cairo? Then don't miss the world-famous Pyramids Sound and Light Show in Giza! You'll hear the story of Egypt as seen through the eyes of the Sphinx over the ages, and see the breathtaking site of the floodlit pyramids lit up under the stars.

Finland – Icebreaker Tarmo

The Tarmo is an icebreaker that served Finland for many decades. The Tarmo was built in 1907. She was armed and served in World War II. She is currently moored at a nautical museum in Kotka, Finland. She is often reported to be the world's oldest surviving icebreaker, although Russian Angara icebreaker predates Tarmo by at least 7 years and also survives to this day as a floating museum. Another Finnish icebreaker, built in 1963, was named after the original Tarmo. This card was sent to me by Merja My Friend.

Finland - Grannies

Ella My Friend sent me this card showing our well known world famous characters the 'Grannies'. Here we see the Grannies having a Tree Top Picnic. On the left are the stamps on the cover sent by Ella that had some other things as well.
Thank you Ella.

Netherlands – Three Master

A model of a three master barque in the Prinz Hendrik Museum at Rotterdam.

Finland - Lighthouses

Finland has coastlines facing south on the Gulf of Finland and west on the Gulf of Bothnia, both arms of the Baltic Sea. Finland also administers the Åland Islands (Ahvenanmaa), an archipelago at the junction of the two gulfs. After centuries of rule by Sweden, Finland was conquered by Russia in 1809 and became an autonomous grand duchy within the Russian Empire. The country declared its independence from Russia in 1917, at the start of the Russian Revolution. Finland has a large number of lakes and inland waterways, and there are lighthouses on many of the larger lakes. I am indebted to Michel Forand for researching and locating many of these lights. Unfortunately, we have no light list for the country's inland waterways, so data on the characteristics of the lights is not available. No doubt there are more lighthouses to be discovered on Finnish lakes. Coastal lighthouses in Finland are maintained by the Finnish Maritime Administration (Merenkulkulaitos), and the agency also maintains the lights of inland waterways. The Finnish word for a lighthouse is majakka (plural majakat). Swedish is a second official language in Finland, and some of the lighthouses are commonly known by their Swedish names.

The lighthouse at the top Left is the famous one named Uto. It figured on a 1946 stamp that was issued to commemorate the Pilotage Services of Finland. Those interested may kindly refer to my blog http://letstalkstamps.blogspot.com. The one ot Top Right is the lighthouse at Porkkala, by the name of Ronnskar. The one shown at the Lower left side is at Kirkkonummi, is situated on a small little rocky island called Kallbådan. This lighthouse was finished in 1920. The material of the lighthouse is reinforced concrete. Originally there were rooms for two lighthouse keepers, engine room, sauna, kitchen and tank for freshwater. There was also some kind of a foghorn. The lighthouse was a part of Porkkala area that was leased to the USSR from 1944 to1955. The lighthouse was in very bad condition after this time. Lighthouse keepers did not live there any more after this period. Men from lighthouse Rönnskär took care of Kallbådan. Nowadays Kallbådan has a remote control from Rönnskär. The island Kallbådan is a seal protected area and that’s why no one is not allowed to go to the island without permission. These paintings on the cards are all by the artist Pekka Vehvilainen. And these pretty cards were sent to me by my friend Merja.