High and Low

 See It On A Postcard's Thursday Postcard Hunt - People in a Landscape

A trip to Aix Les Bains, the 'Riviera of the Alps'. A rustic fence with a panoramic view of Lake Bourget and the Alps. A small child with his natty dungarees has prime position.

Edale Church, Peak District

The southern end of the Pennine Way long distance footpath where the village of Edale is the setting off point. The Parish Church stands as a way-marker en route to the moors. 268 miles (435km) later one will arrive at Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders.

 Meanwhile in Wales two walkers relax on Little Orme enjoying the sunshine and the panorama of Llandudno Bay and Great Orme.  

O is for Olav

 

1958-69: Olav V

Olav V (1903-1991) ascended to the throne on the death of his father in 1957. He was the first heir to the Norwegian throne since the 14th Century who was brought up in Norway, but born in Norfolk to his English mother Maud.

1978: 75th Birthday of King Olav

A renowned sailor, who won a sailing gold medal in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam and sailed throughout his long life. He was also a keen cross country skier 

1996: Centenary of the Olympic Games (Design - H Paulsen)

and as a young man competed in ski jumping competitions. . There is a statue of him called 'The Joy of Skiing' showing him on a ski trip with his dog Troll which is located below the Holmenkollen ski jump in Oslo. His down to earth style and easy manner led to him being nicknamed 'The Peoples King'.

Sunday Stamps A-Z - for Olav and Olympics - See It On A Postcard

 

In the Woods

 See It On A Postcard's Thursday Postcard Hunt looking at Scenery.. with animals

A handsome elk with its velvet antlers in summertime, when the living is easy

Illustrator - Jaana Aalto

 A wolf moon appears in January, when the days lengthen and the cold strengthens

 

Surprised! by Henri Rousseau (1891) 

A tiger stalks its prey in the warmth of a jungle as imagined by Henri Rousseau (he never left France). The first of his many jungle paintings it is also known as Tiger in a Tropical Storm. So warm but wet.  The rain and lightening are difficult to see on the card and better seen on this larger version.

Norwegian

 

1989: Norden - National Costumes (Design - Knut Løkke-Sørensen)

National Costumes of Norway - a woman's costume from Setesdal, in South Norway (known for its folk traditions) and a man's costume from Kautokeino (Sami/Laplander)

The Northern Lights. We are in a period of increased solar activity which is forecast to last until 2026 (I have managed to miss them all so far!) The Vikings believed the aurora was the light shining off the armour of the Valkyries who were  guiding fallen warriors to Valhalla, Odin's Hall. To the Sami they were a bad omen and thought to be the souls of the dead.

2014: Tourism - Oslo Viking Ship Museum (Design - Kristin Granli)

The Vikings, navigators nonpareil

Sunday Stamps A-Z for Norway, Northern Lights and National Costume - See It On A Postcard 

Darkness

 See It On A Postcard's Thursday Postcard Hunt is in spooky mood for  Hallowe'en or Black

A familiar story, a lone car on a lonely road. Will they reach their destination?

All Directions (Photo - Sarah Montgomery)

The mist descends, something moves in the dark...

 

Abandon by Meg Cabot

How will the story end? Its a matter of love and death...

The card was issued for the first of  a trilogy by Meg Cabot which was inspired by the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone.

 

Mushroom Mutitudes

 

2025: Mushrooms

A mushroom hunters delight, the Morel, excellent when cooked slowly.

From Malta, a cross thistle oyster mushroom or King Oyster, widely cultivated and native to the temperate humid areas of the Mediterranean.

2006: Mushrooms of Greenland II

Greenland Milk-cap Mushroom, I am assuming this species is edible to be included in the stamp issue, although many milk caps (Lactarius) are not.

 Definitely edible, a puffball, Calvatia cretacea, although in common with all puffballs  the interior has to be pure white otherwise it is past its edible stage. 

Sunday Stamps A-Z - M for Morel, Malta and Mushrooms - See It On A Postcard   

Golden Brown

 See It On A Postcard's Thursday Postcard Hunt is in autumnal mood and looking for brown

The golden brown of bracken in the Langdale Valley when the green of summer has disappeared. 

The Lost Spells (Artist - Jackie Morris)

A night flying Lime Hawk Moth, their caterpillar feed on on the leaves of lime, silver birch and elm but the adults don't feed at all. On the wing from May to July but only on warm nights. By now the caterpillar will be cocooned and overwintering.

 Over 26 million bricks created the largest brick bridge in the world. The Göltzshtal Bridge, built between 1846-1851,  spans the deep valley of Göltzsch, and is 78m (255 ft) high and 574m long, part of the Leipzig to Nuremberg line in Germany.