Sintra, Portugal and the Pena National Palace

Sintra, Portugal
Palacio Nacional Da Pena (Pena National Palace)

unused, from 2011

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Sintra is a town in Sintra Municipality in Portugal, located in the Grande Lisboa subregion and the Lisbon Region. The town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on account of its 19th century Romantic architecture. It has a population of c. 33,000 inhabitants.

The National Palace:
It's history started in the Middle Ages when a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Pena was built on the top of the hill above Sintra. According to tradition, the construction occurred after an apparition of the Virgin Mary.

In 1493, King John II, accompanied by his wife Queen Leonor, made a pilgrimage to the site. His successor, King Manuel I, was also very fond of this sanctuary, and ordered the construction there of a monastery which was donated to the Order of Saint Jerome. For centuries Pena was a small, quiet place for meditation, housing a maximum of eighteen monks.

In the 18th century the monastery was severely damaged by lightning. However, it was the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755, occurring shortly afterwards, that took the heaviest toll on the monastery, reducing it to ruins. Nonetheless, the chapel and its magnificent works of marble and alabaster escaped without significant damage.

For many decades the ruins remained untouched, but they still astonished young prince Ferdinand. In 1838, as King consort Ferdinand II, he decided to acquire the old monastery, all of the surrounding lands, the nearby Castle of the Moors and a few other estates in the area. King Ferdinand then set out to transform the remains of the monastery into a palace that would serve as a summer residence for the Portuguese royal family.The construction took place between 1842–1854.

After the death of Ferdinand the palace passed into the possession of his second wife Elisa Hensler, Countess of Edla. The latter then sold the palace to King Luís, who wanted to retrieve it for the royal family, and thereafter the palace was frequently used by the family. In 1889 it was purchased by the Portuguese State, and after the Republican Revolution of 1910 it was classified as a national monument and transformed into a museum.

The palace quickly drew visitors and became one of Portugal's most visited monuments. Over time the colors of the red and yellow façades faded, and for many years the palace was visually identified as being entirely gray. By the end of the 20th century the palace was repainted and the original colors restored, much to the dismay of many Portuguese who were not aware that the palace had once displayed such chromatic variety.
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Two more cards ....

Terraco da Rainha / Queen's Terrace

fotos: Nuno Antunes

postmarked in 2012 with a Portugal '0,80 Eunice Munoz' stamp
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Porta das Colunas
Gate of the Twisted Columns

Foto: Luis Pavao

unused, from 2012
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Portugal - Stamp 2011
Eunice Munoz 0,80

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Eunice Muñoz, (born July 30, 1928) is a Portuguese actress who was born in Amareleja, Portugal. She studied at the Portuguese National Conservatory.

Issaqueena Falls in South Carolina

Issaqueena Falls
Oconee County, South Carolina

Beautiful 100-fot falls named in honor of a legendary Indian maiden.  Located on Hwy. 28 between Mountain Rest and Walhalla near Stumphouse Tunnel.

Photo by Ernest Ferguson

unused, from 2011

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The falls are named after a Cherokee girl who allegedly leaped from the top of the falls with her lover, an Oconee brave, in an attempt to hide him from the rest of her tribe, which was at war with the Oconee. It is said that she then hid him in the recessed area just below the top of the falls.

Rice Paddy Field in West Java, Indonesia

 Just stick on it.
Enjoy the story behind every Indonesian stamp.

Paddy Field, Ciparay - Majalaya, West Java

postmarked in 2011 with two fabric weaving stamps (2500)  from Indonesia

the sender writes that this is rice

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A paddy field is a flooded parcel of land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice farming in east, south and southeast Asia. Paddies can be built into steep hillsides as terraces and adjacent to steeply sloped features such as rivers or marshes. They can require a great deal of labor and materials to create, and need large quantities of water for irrigation. Flooded paddies provide an ideal environment for rice cultivation and discourage the growth of many weeds.

The word "paddy" is derived from the Malay word padi, rice plant.

 

        

Van Briggle Pottery - Colorado Springs, Colorado

World Famous Van Briggle Pottery - Colorado Springs, Colorado

In Colorado Springs, nestled at the very foot of Pike's Peak, in the shadow of snow-crested range and rocky canyon, there is a pottery.  And here each day potters work, drawing their inspiration from the glories of the Rockies; their colorings from the sunset skies, and their gracefulness of design line from the models Nature has set them.

unused

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Established in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1901 by Artus and Anne Van Briggle, the Van Briggle Art Pottery is the oldest continuously operating art pottery in the United States. Artus Van Briggle had a significant impact on the Art Nouveau movement in the United States, and his pottery is foundational to American Art Pottery.

Although they are still in business, the building you see in the postcard above was sold to Colorado College in 1968.  I did a search to see their pottery on sale and found the most expensive one at over 5,000. for a single vase and many more items for over 1,000.

Idaho Potato Family - Raised Image Postcards

Mama Potato, Pepa Potato, and Tater Tot from Idaho


unused, from 2011

this is from of a set of four postcards called: 3D 'Raised Images'

you can buy this set and more like it through the bookstore on the right side of this blog -->

Dewey Boulevard, Manila, Philippines

Dewey Boulevard, Manila

postmarked in 1936 with a Philippine Islands, United States of America (Philippines) stamp

the sender writes:

Dear friends,

We are in Manila staying at the Manila Hotel.  We have two bed rooms and a sitting room facing the Bay on the 2nd floor.  We are having a fine time here.  Met a Mr. Jones who lets us have his card and driver every day.  Leave tomorrow for Singapore.    It is nice and hot here, but we do not mind it as we have a wonderful room with three big fans going and corner rooms all open.  Love, John, Pearl and Pat

                                                      

Philippines (Philippine Islands, United States of America) Stamp - 2 Centavos

I found two people who listed this at 1917, but it is postmarked in 1936, so I don't know if it is that old or not.  

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José Protasio Rizal Mercado (June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896), was a Filipino patriot and the most prominent advocate for reforms in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is considered a national hero of the Philippines, and the anniversary of Rizal's death is commemorated as a Philippine holiday called Rizal Day. Rizal's 1896 military trial and execution made him a martyr of the Philippine Revolution.

'Putani Express', Toy Train at Cubbon Park, Bangalore, India

 'Putani Express', Toy Train at Cubbon Park, Bangalore, Karnatake, India

This postcard is postmarked in 2011 with two India stamps

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Cubbon Park is a landmark area in Bangalore, located within the heart of the city. Originally created in 1870, it covered an area of 100 acres (0.40 km2) as of today, the area is now is about 300 acres (1.2 km2). It has a rich history of beautiful flowers and plants with many impressive buildings and statues.

 This public park was first named “Meade’s Park” after Sir John Meade, the acting Commissioner of Mysore in 1870 and was renamed Cubbon Park after the longest serving commissioner of the time, Sir Mark Cubbon.

India Stamp 2008

Indira Gandhi 5.00

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Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was the third Prime Minister of the Republic of India for three consecutive terms from 1966 to 1977 and for a fourth term from 1980 until her assassination in 1984, a total of fifteen years. India's only female prime minister to date, she remains the world's longest serving female Prime Minister as of 2011.  

India Stamp 2000

C. V. Raman 5.00

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Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, FRS (7 November 1888 – 21 November 1970) was an Indian physicist whose work was influential in the growth of science in the world. He was the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1930 for the discovery that when light traverses a transparent material, some of the light that is deflected changes in wavelength. This phenomenon is now called Raman scattering and is the result of the Raman effect.

PEZ - Spaceman Candy Dispenser

PEZ

unused, from 2003

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Pez (trademarked PEZ, in capitals) is the brand name of an Austrian confectionery and the mechanical pocket dispensers. The candy itself takes the shape of pressed, dry, straight-edged blocks, with Pez dispensers holding 12 Pez pieces.

The name Pez came from the letters at the start, the middle and the end of the German word for peppermint, Pfefferminz, the first Pez flavor. Pez was originally introduced in Austria, later exported, notably to the U.S., and eventually became available worldwide. The all-uppercase spelling of the logo echoes the trademark's style on the packaging and the dispensers themselves, with the logo made to look like letters that are built out of 44 brick-like Pez confectioneries.

Some Pez dispensers can sell for large amounts as collectibles. The highest verifiable sale of Pez dispenser was a private sale of a Mickey Mouse softhead at $7000 between an Austrian dealer and a California collector. This dispenser was never available for sale to the public, and was a factory prototype. The high prices which some Pez items fetch has led to the manufacturing of fake Pez items as well. The 2006 eBay sale of a clear 50s Space Gun for $11,000 took place but according to noted Pez author, David Welch, the dispenser was later proven by chemical testing to be a well-made fake.

National Post Card Week - Woman Voting and Helen Keller

National Post Card Week
May 2-8, 2010

90 Years Women's Suffrage
19th Amendment
1920-2010

Helen Keller in Suffrage Parade
Boston, MA, 1914

Celebrate National Post Card Week by honoring the Women and Men who made Women's Suffrage possible.

In the Photo on the right, Helen Keller, Secretary-Pauline Thompson and Teacher - Mrs. Macy

unused, No 33

National Postcard Week with Matching Pin

National Postcard Week

May 2 - 8, 2010

Talk slowly, think quickly.

From Joyce Lindner

Limited edition # 10/100

The matching pin you see in attached with a staple. love it!

Bag of Tea Postcard from Germany

Alles wirklich Wertvolle braucht seine Zeit. So Wie eine gute Tasse Tee. 

(Everything really valuable takes time. Just like a good cup of tea.)

This is an actual bag of tea that you mail like a postcard!

the back looks like this.........

unused, bought in 2011 in Cologne, Germany

Musical Road in Lancaster, California

Made for National Post Card Week
by Kelly Glazner
May 2-8, 2010

The original musical road in Lancaster, California was built for a Honda commercial.  Complaints from residents nearby caused the city to tear up the original musical road but city residents came to the rescue and a new musical road was constructed on Avenue G between 30th and 40th Street West.  The road plays the first few measures of the William Tell Overture when a car drives over the grooved lane and can be heard clearly by visitors a quarter of a mile away in Apollo Park.  The notes were formed by cutting grooves in the roadbed similar to those in the rumble strips which can be found on the shoulders of highways across the state.  The spacing of the grooves causes different tones and thus...a musical road.

unused -  limited edition: 26/100

Mooning You For National Postcard Week

Mooning you for National Postcard Week
May 1-7, 2011

www.9teen87sPostcards.blogspot.com

May all the postcards you receive give you something to HOWL about!

On Neil Armstrong's second step on the moon, he found a note that said, "Chuck Norris was here"

unused