La Gomera Island | Spain

Postcard
La Gomera is one of Spain's seven Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. In area this island is the second-smallest of the main islands of this group. The island is of volcanic origin and roughly circular, with a height of 1487 m at the highest peak.

 

Here you see a CanaryIslands map card.

Stamp

A stamp in remembrance of Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucia (1947 – 2014).

The Kornati Islands | Croatia

Postcard
The Kornati islands are an archipelago of the Croatian coast, comprising over 100 islands. The largest island is Kornati.

The archipelago is a national park since 1980. Once covered with forests but today the islands have a desert-like appearance. Due to burning  down the foliage to make pasture for sheep.

  

Hjarnø Island | Denmark

Postcard

Denmark has 406 islands and 7,314 km of coastline. Some 70 of them are populated but the remainder are uninhabited. Island number 59 by size and a population of 104, is the small island of Hjarnø.  

 

Stamp

Part of a set of three stamps about winter berries (issued 2014).

The Lingonberry grows wild in the countryside. The red berries ripen in late summer and remain on the bush until the first winter frost. The berries are used in particular to make jam.

Masaai | Kenya

Postcard

The Maasai people of East Africa live in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania along the Great Rift Valley.

 

Between the ages of about 14 and 30, young men are traditionally known as morans. During this life stage they live in isolation in the bush, learning tribal customs and developing strength, courage, and endurance. 

The Mosque of Uqba | Tunisia

Postcard

The Mosque of Uqba is situated in the Tunisian town of Kairouan. It is one of the most important mosques in Tunisia, established by the Arab general Uqba ibn Nafi in 670 AD.

Located in the centre of Tunisia in a plain at an almost equal distance from the sea and the mountain, Kairouan is the most ancient Arabo-Muslim base of the Maghreb (670 AD) and one of its principal holy cities.

Kairouan is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Stamp

Tunisia issued a stamp in November 2013 supporting the battle against violence against women.

Purmamarca's Hill of Seven Colors | Argentina

Postcard

Quebrada de Humahuaca is a narrow and arid mountainous valley, located in the province of Jujuy in Argentina. Purmamarca (Purma means desert and Marca means city) is a town located in this valley, at the feet of the Cerro de los Siete Colores: the Hill of Seven Colors. Look at the postcard and you know where it got its name from.

 

Quebrada de Humahuaca is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003.

Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Postcard

Sarajevo is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Sebil is wooden drinking fountain in the centre of Baščaršija square in Sarajevo built in 1753.

 

Stamp

The stamp was issued by the ‘Croatian post Mostar’, one of the three! postal operators in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The “Medjugorje 2012” stamp is dedicated to one of European’s largest Marian shrines, which is visited every year by millions of pilgrims.

Thx Adi!

The Benedictine Abbey of Vézelay | France

Postcard

Shortly after its foundation in the 9th century, the Benedictine abbey of Vézelay acquired the relics of St Mary Magdalene and since then it has been an important place of pilgrimage. The church and hill at Vézelay were added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1979. 

 

La colline éternelle means something like ‘the eternal hill’.

Stamps

Part of a miniature sheet with 6 stamps about theatre masks. 

Zanzibar's Stone Town | Tanzania

Postcard

The Zanzibar Archipelago comprises numerous small islands and two large ones: Zanzibar and Pemba. Zanzibar’s historic centre is known as Stone Town, a World Heritage Site.

Most of the houses that can be seen today were built in the 19th century when Zanzibar was one of the most important trading centers in the Indian Ocean region. Little has changed in the last 200 years. It is a place of winding alleys, bustling bazaars, mosques and grand Arab houses.

 

Stamp

(left) World of the Disnosaurs (1994)

(right) Youth and sports (2009)

Tower of old Panama's Cathedral

Postcard

Panamá Viejo is the remaining part of the old Panama City and former capital of the country. It is located in the suburbs of the modern city. 

Together with the historical district of Panamá (Casco Viejo), it forms a World Heritage Site since 1997.

 

Stamp

Mireya Elisa Moscoso Rodríguez de Arias was Panama's first female president, serving from 1999 to 2004.

Salvador da Bahia | Brazil

Postcard

Salvador is the third most populous Brazilian city, after São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

The historic centre of Salvador, locally known as "Pelourinho", is famous for its Portuguese colonial architecture with historical monuments dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.

Stamps

(right) One of two stamps issued 2014 to celebrated diplomatic relationships with Philippines. Here you see the other bird stamp.

Emam Mosque | Iran

Postcard

Isfahan is located in central Iran. The city contains a wide range of Islamic Architectural styles ranging from the 11th to the 19th century.

The "Shah Mosque" also known as "Emam Mosque" is regarded as one of the masterpieces of Persian Architecture. It dates back to the 17th century and is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamps

(left) In 2014 Iran issued a series of alphabet stamps. (right) In 2013 Iran issued 7 stamps depicting bridges. 

Willemstad, capital of Curacao

Postcard

Willemstad is the capital city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea.  The floating market is located in Punda, the oldest part of Curacao. Venezuelan salesmens sell fresh fruits, vegetables and fish directly from their boats.

Punda, a derivation of the Dutch word “punt” that means “point”, was established in 1634 when the founding merchants built offices, warehouses, stores and living quarters on the eastern side of the bay.

Stamp

Part of a set of 6 stamps issued 2014 about the 21st World Orchid Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Managua, the capital of Nicaragua

Postcard

Nicaragua is the biggest country in Central America. Bordering on Honduras in the North and Costa Rica in the South. In the West you will find the impressive Pacific Ocean, and in the East the Caribbean Sea. 

Managua is the capital and largest city of Nicaragua.  

Stamps

From left to right. 

Cats, part of a miniature set of 16 cat-stamps, issued 1994. 

Snapping Turtle, also part of 16-stamp miniature sheet and issued 1994.

Stamp part of a sheetlet of four stamps, honoring 100 years Queen Mother (1999).  

Tbilisi, capital of Georgia

Postcard

Georgia is a country in the Caucasus, bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. 

Tbilisi is the capital and with 1,5 million inhabitants, the largest city of Georgia.

Stamps

Europa 2012 stamps, two out of a set of twelve. 

Part of a set of four stamps about the cultural heritage of Georgia. 

Bangaan Rice Terrace | Philippines

Postcard

According to whc.unesco.org, the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras is an outstanding example of an evolved, living cultural landscape that can be traced as far back as two millennia ago in the pre-colonial Philippines.

Part of this Unesco inscription is the Bangaan terrace cluster in the municipality of Banaue.              

Wulingyuan Scenic Area | China

Postcard

Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Hunan Province, China. It is noted for more than 3,000 quartzite sandstone pillars and peaks across most of the site, many over 200 metres in height, along with many ravines and gorges with attractive streams, pools and waterfalls.

The Tianqiashengkong (the bridge across the sky) rises 357m above the valley, making it one of the highest natural bridges in the world.

Stamps

(left) The Brown Eared Pheasant. Part of a set of ten stamps about Protected wildlife (issued in 2000). Three of the stamps depicts birds. Here you see the other two bird stamps. 

Fujian Tulou | China

Postcard

Tulou sites are located in the mountainous areas in southeastern Fujian, China. A tulou is usually a large, enclosed and fortified building, most commonly rectangular or circular shape, with very thick earth walls between three and five stories high and housing up to 80 families.

Smaller interior buildings are often enclosed by these huge peripheral walls which can contain halls, storehouses, wells and living areas, the whole structure resembling a small fortified city.        

Stamps

Part of a set of three stamps about Protected wildlife (issued in 2000). Three of the stamps depicts birds. (left) the Crested Ibis and (right) Red-crowned Crane. Here you see the Brown Eared Pheasant. 

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump | Canada

Postcard

a? A rather strange name, but it actually makes sense when you know what’s behind that name. The buffalo jump was used for 5,500 years by the indigenous peoples of the plains to kill buffalo by driving them off the 11 metre high cliff. 

For thousands of years the native people of the plains hunted the North American bison. The plains Indian lifestyle became dependent on hunting buffalo, and they adapted numerous hunting techniques to obtain their livelihood. 

Stamps

A preprinted matching ‘stamp’ and 4 more low value definitives depicting insects. But what is the 1c USA stamp doing here? 

Emperor Qin's Terra Cotta Army | China

Postcard

In 1974 a group of farmers digging wells near Xi'an, China discovered the tomb of Emperor Qinshihuang founder of the first unified empire in Chinese history. The mausoleum dates back to 246 BCE.

The life-size terracotta solider they dug out of the ground turned out to be just one of an army of thousands, each utterly unique, with individual clothing, hair and facial features. For almost four decades, archaeologists have been excavating the site. So far, they've uncovered about 2,000 clay soldiers, but experts estimate there are more than 8,000 in total.

Old Town Lunenburg | Canada

Postcard

Old Town Lunenburg is considered to be the best surviving example of a British colonial policy of creating new settlements by imposing a pre-designed "model town" plan on whatever tract of wilderness it was the King's pleasure to colonize.

The settlement was created in June 1753 as a home for 1,453 mostly German-speaking Protestant German, Swiss and French colonists.

Old Town Lunenburg is Unesco World Heritage site.

Stamps

A preprinted matching ‘stamp’ and a Lady Bug stamp, part of a large set of low value definitives about insects. 

Three Sisters Blue Mountains | Australia

Postcard

The Greater Blue Mountains Area is located in New South Wales, Australia, The Three Sisters is the Blue Mountains’ most spectacular landmark, attracting millions of visitors each year. The Three Sisters is essentially an unusual rock formation representing three sisters who according to Aboriginal legend were turned to stone.

Stamps

Part of a set of four stamps about Australia’s coral reefs: Ningaloo Reef and Great Barrier Reef (issued 2013). 

Shark Bay | Australia

Postcard

Shark Bay covers an area of more than 2.2 million hectares, larger than some European nations, but has a permanent population of just under 1,000 people.

The Zuytdorp Cliffs extend for about 150 km along a rugged, spectacular and little visited segment of the Shark Bay coast. The cliffs are named after a trading ship of the Dutch East India Company, the Zuytdorp, that was wrecked against the cliffs in 1712.

Stamp

Postage prepaid on the back, but actually it is a maxi-card with matching stamp on the front. Including a first day of issue postmark.

Sydney Opera House

Postcard

The Sydney Opera House a masterpiece of 20th century architecture, one of the most distinctive buildings in the world. Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, it took from 1957 to 1973 to complete it.

 

The Sydney Opera House is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007.

Stamp

Year of the snake stamp 2013.