Swimming

 

1955-7: Sport (Design - S Jonsson)

Diving into a geothermal pool, how pleasant.

2014: Sport - Swedish Classic (Design - Henrik Karlson)

This may be a little more bracing. The Swedish Classics are 4 races consisting of Cross Country Skiing, running, open water swimming and cycling.  They have to be completed within a year of registering and on completion a certificate and medal are awarded.

1953: Sports (Design - Andre Jacquemin\)

The ambient temperature of a pool

1992: Olympic Games (Design - T Ekstrom)

the spectacular but exhausting butterfly stroke.

1966: Prehistoric Fauna (Design - A Heidrich)

One might choose a different stroke if this was swimming towards you. I would call that the panic stroke. The Terror Fish (Dinichthys), apex predator. Swam the seas when sharks were small in comparison. Its fossil remains have been found in the USA and Canada.

Sunday Stamps theme this week is - Swimmers - See It On A Postcard

 

Churches

 

1994: Cathedrals (Design - Yu Artsimenev)

The glory of St Basil's Cathedral in Red Square, Moscow

1990: Village Churches from Jutland

to the humble village church, but as every church-crawler knows however humble there is always something to admire. L-R (3.5) Gjellerup Church, above the door is the :Latin  inscription "In 1150 the church was founded in the honour of God", this makes it the oldest dated building in Denmark. 4.75 Veng, the oldest monastery church in Denmark, built by the Benedictines around 1100; 8.25- Bredsten church was constructed in the 1100s  and redesigned in the baroque style in the 18th Century. 

2003: The Church of Kumlinge (Design - Pirkko Nahtero)

Travel to Aland and the isolated  St Anne's church located in the middle of the island of Kumlinge. One of the big draws for visitors are the 15th Century wall and ceiling paintings and the oldest alter piece in Finland (1250).

1991 Discount Stamps: Skansen 100 Years (Design - A Oldenburg)

The old wooden church in the village of Seglora was due for demolition when a stone church was built to replace it however it was saved and moved to Skansen in 1916.  Today it is a popular place for weddings.

Sunday Stamps theme this week is - Places of Worship - pray visit See It On A Postcard

Black Birds

 

1985: Native Birds

A conservation success, in 1980 the Black Robin had the smallest population of any bird species due to non-native predators. Today there is a stable population of about 300 on two New Zealand islands.

1998|: |Pro Juventute

No such problems with the Great Crested Grebe, estimated to have a global population of over a million.

1970: Birds

Common Black Hawk, also known as the Crab Hawk for its food choices are -  crabs, crayfish and amphibians. It hunts low along streams and sometimes wading in the water.

St Vincent have Queen Elizabeth on their bank notes and stamps so like us will be seeing many changes. 

1987: 40th Anniv of Wedding of Queen Elizabeth and 150th Anniv of Queen Victoria's Accession

The Queen and the christening of Prince Charles, we will have to get used to calling him King Charles. Weird to hear the national anthem as God Save the King at her Remembrance service in St Paul's Cathedral this week  She had a unique relationship to St Vincent as in all her duties  relating to the islands she spoke an acted as their constitutional monarch - Queen of St Vincent and the Grenadines and not as Queen of the UK.

Sunday Stamps theme this week is - Black - See It On A Postcard

Having Fun

 

2013: Town Festivals (Design - Linda Olafsdottir)

Having fun at the festivals across Iceland.  There must be lots to enjoy for they issued another set the following year.

1972: 150th Anniversary of the Carnival in Cologne (Design - Erna de Vries)

On a different scale is one of Germany's biggest carnivals in Cologne. Described as "A celebration crazier than Oktoberfest", six days of mayhem, no wonder there are clowns on the stamp.

1979: Quebec Carnival (Design - Antoine Dumas)

Wrap up warm it is the largest winter festival in the world in Quebec. Seen waving at the back is the carnivals mascot - Bonhomme Carnaval, who also gets his own ice palace!

1978: Christmas (Design - Faith Jaques)

Time to go indoors and dance around a tree singing carols

Sunday Stamps theme this week is - Festivals, People having a good time - See It On A Postcard