Bielsko, Poland

Bielsko, Poland

Bielsko - ulica Sixta (Sixth Street)

Reproduckcja ze zbiorow
Marii i Wieslawa Cwikowskich
(Reproduced from the collection of mary and Wieslawa Cwikowskich)

postmarked in 2010 with two Poland stamps, of with a church and the other from the 2010 Olympics

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Bielsko-Biała is a beautiful city with a population of around 175, 600 people. It has a vibrant modernistic presence being a student-city with its associated nightlife, as well as having numerous historical sights.
such as:

The Bielsko-Biała Museum, housed in the castle of the Dukes of Cieszyn from XV century, later Castle of the Sułkowski princes
Town Hall built in 1897
Prezydent Hotel
Train Station (Bielsko-Biała Główna) from 1888
Jewish Cemetery founded in 1849
Theater built in 1890
St. Nicholas' Cathedral from 1447 and rebuilt in 1909 - 1910

Easter Greetings

A Happy Easter

As Easter flowers spring up anew
So in my heart spring wishes true
For Easter joys to come to you


Easter Greeting

Spring is painting sighs to-day
On every vale and hill
And this is just an Easter sign
Of friendship and good will


Happy Easter Wishes

As beautiful flowers of Easter blossom again anew
The blossoms of friendship in my heart
Live all the year for you

All three of these postcards are unused and from 1938.

Resplendent Quetzal Bird - Costa Rica

Quetzal
Resplendent Quetzal
Pharomachrus mocinno

Foto: Jean Mercier

postmarked in 2010 with two Costa Rica Stamps

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The Resplendent Quetzal was considered divine, associated with the "snake god", Quetzalcoatl by Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations. Its iridescent green tail feathers, symbols for spring plant growth, were venerated by the ancient Aztecs and Maya, who viewed the quetzal as the "god of the air" and as a symbol of goodness and light. Mesoamerican rulers and some nobility of other ranks wore headdresses made from quetzal feathers, symbolically connecting them to Quetzalcoatl. Since it was a crime to kill a quetzal, the bird was simply captured, its long tail feathers plucked, and was set free.

Until recently, it was thought that the Resplendent Quetzal could not be bred or held for any long time in captivity, and indeed it was noted for usually killing itself soon after being captured or caged. For this reason it is a traditional symbol of liberty. However, a zoo in Mexico has kept this species since 1992, and in 2004 breeding in captivity was announced.

from 2007

180 colones

Guarianthe skinneri (a species of orchid)

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from 2007

- 100

Cuentos de mi Tia Panchita (Stories of my aunt Panchita)

Tio Conejo y los caites de su abuela Carmen Lyra

(Uncle Rabbit and shoes of his grandmother Carmen Lyra)

Juan Manuel Sanchez

The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show

Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends

unused, bought in 2010

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The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show is the collective name for two separate American television animated series: Rocky and His Friends (1959 – 1961) and The Bullwinkle Show (1961 – 1964). Rocky & Bullwinkle enjoyed great popularity during the 1960s. Much of this success was a result of it being targeted towards both children and adults. The zany characters and absurd plots would draw in children, while the clever usage of puns and topical references appealed to the adult demographic. Furthermore, the strengths of the series helped it overcome the fact that it had choppy, limited animation; in fact, some critics described the series as a well-written radio program with pictures.

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As a kid I used to watch this show and loved it, I don't remember the animation as choppy. As a kid, you don't care!

A Few Funny Postcards :D

unused, from 2009

I bought several of these funny postcards at a gas station in Georgia, but you can see them all at Duckboy (dot) com - there are many of them!

Solovetsky Monastery, Russia

Solovetsky Monastery in Russia

postmarked in 2010 with three Russian stamps

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Solovetsky Monastery, founded in the late 1429 by monks, was the greatest citadel of Christianity in the Russian North before being turned into a special Soviet prison and labor camp (1926–1939).

Today, the Solovetsky Monastery is a historical and architectural museum. It was one of the first Russian sites to have been inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. During last several years the monastery has been through a lot of repairs, but it is still under reconstruction.

Markets of Thailand

The Markets of Thailand

Selling mackerels
old market, chinatown
vegetables, fruits, meats
different colors of chillies

postmarked in 2010 with a Thailand, Hat Cha-Am Beach stamp - 15 BAHT

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Thai cuisine blends five fundamental tastes: sweet, spicy, sour, bitter and salty. Some common ingredients used in Thai cuisine include garlic, chillies, lime juice, lemon grass, and fish sauce. The staple food in Thailand is rice, which is included in almost every meal. Thailand is the world's largest exporter of rice, and Thais domestically consume over 100 kg of milled rice per person per year. Over 5000 varieties of rice from Thailand are preserved in the rice gene bank of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), based in the Philippines.

Churches in the Czech Republic

Opava, Czech Republic

1. Hlaska (Watch Tower)
2. Kostel sv. jana Nepomuckeho (Church of St. John Nepomucene)
3. Mariannum
4. Evangelicky kostel (Evangelical Church)
5. Svedska Kaple (Swedish Church)

postmarked in 2010 with two Czech Republic stamps

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Opava is a city in the northern Czech Republic on the river Opava. It has population of 59,843 as of January 1, 2005.

Opava was first documented in 1195.

US Census 2010 Reminder Postcard

United States Department of Commerce
Economics and Statistics Administration
U.S. Census Bureau
Washington, DC

Census
2010

postmarked in 2010 with a machine stamp

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The United States Census is a census mandated by the United States Constitution. The population is counted, one by one, every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats (congressional apportionment), electoral votes, and government program funding.

The census is performed by the United States Census Bureau. The first census after the American Revolution was taken in 1790, under Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson; there have been 21 federal censuses since that time.
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and for the record, our has already been sent in :D

Diving in the Red Sea

The Red Sea

The sender writes:
I'm on a work trip here (diving) and LOVE IT :)

Postmarked in 2010 with two Egypt Stamp featuring King Tutankhamun
125 PT


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The Red sea is known for its spectacular recreational diving sites, such as Ras Mohammed, SS Thistlegorm (shipwreck), Elphinstone, The Brothers, Dolphin Reef and Rocky Island in Egypt.
It became known a sought-after diving destination after the expeditions of Hans Hass in the 1950s, and later by Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

Tourism in the South of Red Sea is presently considered risky because of the presence of pirates originating from uncontrolled zones of Somalia. Large vessels such as cargoes are sometimes attacked by high-speed boats heavily armed. The situation is even worse in the Gulf of Aden between Somalia and Yemen.

Finland Artist Kaj Stenvall

Artist: Kaj Stenvall
Y ksi vaara aani - One Sour Note, 2008

postmarked in 2010 with a 3-D Finland skiing stamp

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Kaj Kristian Stenvall (born 25 December 1951 in Tampere) is a Finnish artist who became internationally famous when he began his career in 1989 for painting what his site describes as "a very familiar looking duck." Many have likened this duck to the Donald Duck of Disney Comics.

Here are a few more postcards of his work .......

"Margerauma" (1996) - He personally autographed the right hand corner!
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Originalogy - 2004
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'Drophead', 2006

Limousin Bull

Limousin-Stier
(Limousin bull)

Dimitri, 7 Jahre alt, Sohn von Usant und Taiga, mit seinem Besitzer,
dem Zuchter Michel Camus aus Arnac-la-Poste.
1995 erhielt Dimitri den I. Preis beim Salon de l'agriculture in Paris
Salon de l'agriculture - Paris

(Dimitir, 7 years old, Son of Usant and Taiga, with his owner)

Fotografien: Yann Arthus-Bertrand

postmarked in 2010 with two Germany stamps

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Limousin cattle are a breed of beef cattle originally bred in the Limousin and Marche regions of France. They are recognisable by their distinctive golden-red coloring.

The first herdbook was established in 1886 for the improvement of the breed by natural selection. However, the breed may be as old as the history of Europe itself. Cattle found in cave drawings known to be 20,000 years old in the Lascaux Cave near Montignac, France, have a striking resemblance to today's Limousin cattle.

Opossum - Possum

Wassup!

Just Hangin' Out

postmarked in 2010 with a 28 cent stamp

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Opossum also commonly called possums

Adult opossums do not hang from trees by their tails, though babies may dangle temporarily. Their tails are not strong enough to support a mature adult's weight. Instead, the opossum uses its tail as a brace and a fifth limb when climbing.

When threatened or harmed, they will "play possum", mimicking the appearance and smell of a sick or dead animal. The lips are drawn back, teeth are bared, saliva foams around the mouth, and a foul-smelling fluid is secreted from the anal glands. The physiological response is involuntary, rather than a conscious act. Their stiff, curled form can be prodded, turned over, and even carried away. The animal will regain consciousness after a period of minutes or hours and escape.