Sail Training Shp SS Jadran

 Jadran is a training ship powered both by sail and internal combustion built for the navy of Yugoslavia and now owned by the Navy of Montenegro. My friend Karoly a resident of Serbia sent me this fine card.. 

Jadran is a barkentine   with a displacement of 737 tons and a length of almost 60 meters. The beam reaches 8.90 m, intermediate draft is 4.05 m, the main mast height 39.1 m, and the deck surface totals 93.3 m². Total length of rope is 11 kilometers. The main motor is the "burmajster-alpha" 353 kN and develops a maximum speed of 10.4 knots. On the sailboat, there are three single, two double and three four-person cabins, one 12-berth and one 30 berth space.

On 16 July 1933, at 10.00 hours, the ship arrived in Tivat, and was commissioned into theYugoslav Royal Navy. The crew remained on board until April 17, when the destroyer Zagreb was sunk. It was surrendered to the Italian Navy , which used it as a training ship under the new name Marco Polo. 

At the request of the Yugoslav  government and the ship was returned to Tivat. Immediately its restoration was begun in the Sava Kovacevic marine-technical repair bureau. Repairs began on 21 April 1947, and finished on 17 December 1948. The ship was ready for sailing, and served as part of the Vojnopomorskog school center in Divulje. 

Future Ship's Captain

My friend Karoly from Serbia sent me this card showing a Future Ship's Captain!

Christmas Card from Inge Look

The famous painter Inge Look sent me this lovely card. She does have a quaint and interesting way of spelling Vijay.

Thank you Dear Inge Look for this Lovely card and the good wishes for Christmas. I too wish you a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year.

A Ship on the Hudson River

Sandra sent me this nice card showing a Cunnard Passenger ship on the Hudson River.

Inge Look and her Aunties

Inge Look (Ingeborg Lievonen) was born in Helsinki, Finland in 1951. As child she and her family lived in a seven story apartment building in the city. It was literally teeming with tenants... so many people, personalities and smells. The two that quickly captivated Inge's attention were Alli and Fifi, two older women who's exuberance for life was contagious.

She refers to them as the "Aunties" and they became the inspiration for her very popular cards. The motto for these two fabulous old ladies is... 

"Time is not money and spending it isn’t a sin."

Thank you Ella.

Badlands National Park

Badlands National Park is a national park in southwestern South Dakota that protects 242,756 acres (379.306 sq mi; 98,240 ha) of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires blended with the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie in the United States. The park is managed by the National Park Service.

Thank you Rose for this nice card.

Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)

Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple (wat) inThailand. The Emerald Buddha housed in the temple is a potent religio-political symbol and the palladium (protective image) of Thai society It is located in Phra Nakhon District the historic centre of Bangkok, within the precincts of the Grand Palace. This lovely card was sent to me by Pannipa.

This card had lovely stamps on them as shown below.

Thai Heritage Conservation Day is an annual observance in Thailand held on April 2. It has been celebrated since 1985. Thai Heritage Conservation Day commemorates the birth anniversary of Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the second daughter of King Rama IX, who was born on April 2, 1955. Sirindhorn has earned a BA in History, MA in Oriental Epigraphy, and PhD in Educational Development. She has a keen interest in conservation, foreign cultures, history, languages, the arts, education, and technology.

To honour Princes Sirindhorn and celebrate the Royal Family's contribution to creation and conservation of national heritage for generations to come, the government of Thailand established Thai Heritage Conservation Day. It was first held on April 2, 1985, in honour of Sirindhorn's 30th birthday, and has been celebrated annually ever since.

On the occasion of the holiday, numerous cultural activities are held, including, but not limited to, academic seminars, exhibitions, lectures, concerts. They are aimed at providing the knowledge of Thai heritage and exhibiting the variety of Thai culture. On this day, citizens are encouraged to decorate buildings with the national flag.