Nautical Norway

1982: Exhibition Card Philex, Paris - (the Sailing Ship Christian Radich)

On the reverse of this card it says that the Christian Radich sailing ship is one of the last 3 masted square riggers that still crosses the oceans of the world. Once used as a merchant navy training vessel today it takes part in the tall ships races and also as an experience for anyone who wants to sail or learn to sail. It certainly looks tempting on a beautiful calm blue sky day like the card but possibly not rounding Cape Horn in a storm.

1981: Sailing Ships (Design - Sverre Morken)

I like this combination of compass cancel and the stamp "Setting the Sail".

1985: Exhibition Card for Stampex, London

Now we are inside the Arctic Circle in the Lofoten islands and in particular the fishing village of Reine.  This view, taken from one of the mountains, is one that is often used on tourist publicity and indeed Reine always comes up as one of the most scenic places in Norway.

1983: North Norwegian Boats (Design - KE Harr)

The stamps show a Nordland boat , a type of fishing vessel used for centuries in the Lofoten and Versteralen islands which is closely related to old Viking longships. Today they are used for pleasure.

2006: Tourist Stamp (Design - Enzo Finger)

For those who want relaxed time on the water and perhaps a meal then the paddle steamer Skibladner which travels Norway's largest lake, the vast Lake Mjøsa would tick that box. Built in 1856 it has sunk twice in winter storage (1937 and 1967) and today it winters in a specially constructed glass shelter.  Its name comes from Norse mythology as the ship of the god Freyr (which could be folded up like a cloth and put in his pocket when not needed.

1999: Norway 2000 II - 'Pictures of Everyday Life' (Design - A. Horne)

For mere mortals then what better way to transport ones horse and trap than this. A horse ferry circa 1900 in Amli.  But what lies beneath?

2007: Norwegian Marine Life III (Design - Enzo Finger)

Perhaps a Nakensnegle which is a name that sounds as though it comes from the Lord of the Rings however I think it translates as a naked snail or a nudibrach. They live in shallow waters near the shore or in kelp forests.  The easiest time to see these colourful little creatures is in winter when they mate and come to the surface.  The Latin name of this particular naked snail is Polycara quadrilineata and sometimes referred to in general terms as a Sea Slug but these nudibrachs are not closely related and they come in all sorts of shapes and colours. The colours can  indicate that some naked snails are highly poisonous and some who are colourful just masquerade as poisonous for protection.

Flag of Nordland county

See It on A Postcard's prompt this week is the Letter N - for Norway, Nautical, Nordland, Nakensnegle and Nudibrachs.     

Mongolian Marionettes

1988: Puppets

Time to watch a marionette show.  I couldn't find anything to explain the folk stories told in these stamps but can imagine the stories are told with great gusto at the many traditional gatherings held across the country and at the Puppet Theatre in Ulaanbaatar. On my internet journey I did discover there are an amazing number of puppet theatre festivals held on every continent, the biggest is the 10 day 'Festival Mondial des Theatres de Marionettes' held every two years in France and described as "bonkers and brilliant", yes I think that does sum up a puppet show.

High on a hill are two goats

1988: Goats

The wonderfully stylised clouds on both sets of stamps make me wonder if these two sets were drawn by the same stamp designer.

State Emblem of Mongolia

Sunday Stamps II prompt this week is the Letter M - for Mongolia, Marionettes and Mammals - more M on See It On A Postcard

Letters from Liechtenstein

2017: 200 Years k.k. Briefsammelstelle, Balzers (Design - Christine Bohmwalder)

A mail coach in 1895 poses for a photograph outside the Balzers post office and collection station in Liechtenstein. The stagecoach on the stamp

is rather more flashy.  A miniature sheet of three stamps was issued to celebrate the opening of Balzers mail collection station in September 1817 which at the time was part of the Austrian postal administration. The early stamps of the country (first issued in 1912) bear the words 'Imperial and Royal Austrian Post in the Principality of Liechtenstein' until 1921 with the signing of the treaty of post, telephone and telegraph with Switzerland they became part of the Swiss postal system but with their own distinct stamps. A close postal relationship with Switzerland has existed ever since.

2017: SEPAC - Trades and Crafts (Design - René Wolfinger)

From letters to lettering which perhaps this stonemason is chiselling.

The set of stamps issued for three trades all include a hand and graphic symbols of tools of the trade seen here, a hammer, pointed chisels and drove chisel.

1982: Liba 82 Stamp Exhibition

One might have picked up some nice stamped letters at the Liba 82 Stamp Exhibition (a national stamp exhibition first held in 1934 and since 1962 LIBA happens every 10 years). The view on the card is of the castle above Liechtenstein's capital Vaduz, home to

Prince Hans-Adam II and Princess Marie of Liechtenstein who celebrated their golden wedding last year.  Prince Hans-Adam is the richest monarch in Europe and appears on the world's 500 richest people list , it helps if you own your own bank.

Sunday Stamps II prompt this week is the letter L - for Letters, LIBA and Liechtenstein - See It On A Postcard. 

Korean Kids

1977: Kim Il Sung's 65th Birthday (Paintings)

First day at school with Kim Il Sung, makes one wonder if the kids think school is like this everyday. There was also another stamp in 1977 to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the country's 11 year education.  By the time they are well into the 11 years (today 12 years) schooling they will be happy to run off and play  

1979: International Year of the Child

North Korea Post went big on stamps for the International Year of the Child issuing four different sets of stamps and many miniature sheets.

1979: Sika Deer

More children but this time cute fauns and a male deer pacing outside. The deer on the stamp set are on a farm (very few are left in the wild in Korea) and I think the Bowl of Hygieia symbol (usually connected with pharmacy and medicine) might indicate the Sika deer's horns and antlers are being used in traditional medicine.  

1978: White-Bellied Black Woodpecker Preservation (Tristram's Woodpeckers)

It is thought that fewer than 50 of these woodpeckers exist and only in North Korea so those hungry chicks are very important.  The parents will be kept very busy.

Pyongyang Maternity Hospital baby sign

Sunday Stamps II prompt of the letter K - for Korea, kids and Kim - See It On A Postcard

A Jaunt in Old Japan

2008: International Letter Writing Week

In 1832 Utagowa Hiroshige travelled the  length of Tōkaidō Road (the name translates as the eastern sea route) which ran from Edo (modern day Tokyo) to Kyoto and created a series of woodcuts from 1833-1834 called "The 53 Stations of the Tōkaidō Road" which were published by Hoeido so this first publication became known as the Hoeido Edition of which this stamp illustration is taken

1962: International Letter Writing Week

Here is the start of that journey on at Edo's Nihonbashi (Japan Bridge).  The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art own a print of this so helpfully they describe what is happening "...a daimyo procession crosses early in the morning as it begins its long journey out of Edo and towards the open gates of the district.  Ahead are a group of fishmongers who carry fresh fish from the nearby market into the city"

1964: International Letter Writing Week

Still on the Tōkaidō Highway but passing Mount Fuji at Hodogaya (the fourth station on the road) portrayed in Hokusai's "36 Views of Mount Fuji".  The British Museum have a print of this (their Japanese galleries are usually a beautiful oasis of calm on the top floor in contrast to the frenetic ground floor galleries).  Their print is rather more sharp than my stamp scan and describes the image

thus - "Travellers on a road lined with pine trees, foot traveller on the far right with itinerant Buddhist monk, deep sedge hat and bamboo flute, gazing at a roadside stone image of a deity carved into the rock-face of hillside (half cropped by the print), palanquin bearers resting to mop brow and re-tie sandal, man leading horse pointing herding stick towards Mt Fuji".  (The British Museum curator goes into more detail)

2011: Philatelic Week 140th Anniversary of Japan's Postal Service

After all that travelling one might want to send a letter home.  I wonder who will deliver it?  In the 19th Century it might have been Postal Man Otakichi as portrayed by Toyohara Kunichika.

Journey along the '53 Stations of the Tōkaidō Road' at the illustrated Wikipedia page here

This week's Sunday Stamps II prompt is of the letter J - for Japan and journey - See It On A Postcard

Incredible Iceland

1989: Landscapes III (Design - Þ Magnússon)

Land of fire and ice with lava fields, mountains and glaciers Iceland provides some spectacular views which I show through stamps.  Helpfully the cancel shows the outline of the country (two thirds of the population live in the south west).  The stamp on the left is Mount Skeggi at Amarfjord the highest peak in the area with views from the peak of the surrounding mountains, glaciers and the capital city Reykjavik. Perhaps after one has climbed up and down this mountain a good place to ease those hard working feet is in the geothermal pool at Narmaskaro.

1986: Europa - Protection of Nature (Design - Þ Magnússon)

 Now we journey to south east Iceland and the icy tops of  Skaftafell (a hikers paradise) and the impressive glacial river canyon of Joekulságljúfur. The area also has a famous, large and powerful waterfall Dettifoss which is seen in the opening sequence of Ridley Scott's Alien prequel Prometheus.  Sadly I only have two stamps from the set that featured Dettifoss but one is a waterfall that combines beauty and power.

1956: Power Stations and Waterfalls (Design - S Jónsson)

I love this stamp especially the little dot of the horse rider putting the Skógafoss waterfall's 60m drop into perspective.  One can walk right up to the waterfall. or if feeling like some exercise climb up the 527 steps on the fellside to the viewing platform,  There is also a legend of a treasure chest hidden behind the waterfall. See the rainbows and and waterfall pictures here 

December 1948: Hekla (Design - H Pétursson)

No views of the natural wonders of Iceland would be complete without a volcano and here is a plume from the vent of the volcano Hekla.  It has erupted more than twenty times between 1104-2000 and this stamp set shows the most famous eruption in the modern era which lasted for 13 months from March 1947 to April 1948. Lava flows from the long fissure active along its entire length which contribute to its elongated shape

seen here from the sea. No wonder in the middle ages it was thought of as the Gateway to Hell.

Postbox in Reykjavik

Sunday Stamps II prompt this week is the Letter I - for Iceland - See It On A Postcard

Icebreaker Sisu

A clear far northern sky with the moon lighting the way as the icebreaker Sisu cracks through the ice in the still of the night. How wonderful this looks. The illustration is by Petri Kantoniemi who draws the Icebreaker Snow series of children's books and there is also an animation series of Icebreaker Snow and his friend Twinkle the pilot boat.

In real life the Sisu sounds just the place to be on ice-breaking duties in the Baltic Sea with its library, gym, two saunas and a swimming pool.  Designed for 54 crew today it is manned by 21 so lots of cabin space to hitch a ride.

Sisu the star of Icebreaker Snow can be seen here
Love a Marine Traffic site?  I do. Here is where Sisu is at the moment.

Maria's Postcards for the Weekend Linky party resumes this week at Connections to the World