My Favorite Postcards

Photo by Katri Kuusimaki

The sender writes:
This picture was taken in the 80's in Venice, Italy by my friend.  I suppose it's the Grand Canal and that is a horse from a Merry-Go-Round.

This postcard is postmarked in 2017 from Finland.

Atrani, Italy
Photo: Andrea De Luca Edizioni

This unused postcard was bought in 2009.

- - - - - - -

Atrani is a city and comune on the Amalfi Coast in the province of Salerno in Italy. It has a surface area 0.12 km2 making it the smallest community in all of Italy.

The Leaning Tower
The construction was begun in 1174 from the architect Bonanno Pisano and finished in 1350 from Tommaso Pisano.  The height is m. 58.36 (100 braccia pisane)  The weight is t. 14.453.  The vertical yielding is of approximately m. 2.36.  The maximum slope from the top to the center or the base is m 5.22.  The increment of slope until 1993 was off mm. 1.2 every year.  After consolidation jobs during 11 years the Tower reopens the 15/12/2001 whit (should read with?) an inclination reduced of cm. 38.

It is constituted from 8 shelves comprised the bell cell where there are 7 bells that reproduce 7 musical notes (Assunta Crofefisso san Ranieri, Pasquareccia, Dal Pozzo, Terza, Vespruccio).

The top of the Tower is caught up with a helicoidal scale of 293 steps.

From the top of the leaning Tower Galileo Galilei carried out its experiments around the gravity laws.

This is postmarked in 2009 from Italy.

- - - - - - - -

This is the most confusing postcard I've ever read!

Firenze, 1992 - 2012
Balloon Express
Cavalcata dei Magi, Cattedrale Santa Maria del Fiore di Firenze
Umberto Visitini / New Press Photo

(translation from an on-line translator - -
Cavalcade of the Magi, Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy)

The sender writes:

This is a collector's commemorative postcard celebrating 10 year anniversary of the most unique ballon shops in the world.

This postcard is postmarked in 2016.

- - - - - - -

The Cavalcade of Magi is a traditional parade of the Magi. They ride through the streets, as their page boys throw candies to children.

- - -

I started looking on line at all the different balloon activities and there are MANY!  I had no idea.  There is even a World Balloon Convention every year.  The sculptures are amazing.  However, it seams none of the artists are good at taking videos, so there are none worthy to share here.

If you are interested is seeing some of the balloon art though, I highly recommend you do a computer search for large balloon sculptures.  Beware, it is a bit of a time killer though once you start.  I ended up looking at videos and pictures for far much more time than I care to admit to.

 

Surpassing the Greatest Buildings and Memorials of Earth
The White Star Line's New Triple-screw Steamers

"Olympic" "Titanic"
Largest and Finest in the World
(See Over)

the back reads:

Interesting Comparisons
read from left to right

1. Bunker Hill Monument, Boston - - 221 Feet High
2. Public Buildings, Philadelphia  - - 534 Feet High
3.  Washington Monument, Washington - - 555 Feet High
4. Metropolitan Tower, New York - - 700 Feet High
5. New Woolworth Bldg, New York - - 750 Feet High
6. White Star Line's Triple Screw Steamers Olympic and Titanic - - 882 1/2 Feet Long
7. Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany - - 516 Feet High
8. Grand Pyramid, Gizeh, Africa - - 451 Feet High
9. St. Peter's Church, Rome, Italy - - 448 Feet High

This postcard is a pre-sinking Advertising Titanic / Olympic postcard

Veduta di Firenze
View on Florence

This is postmarked in 2011 from Italy.

- - - - - - -

Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence.

It is famous for its history. A centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of the time, it is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance.

From 1865 to 1871 the city was also the capital of the recently established Kingdom of Italy.

The historic centre of Florence attracts millions of tourists each year.  It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982.

Milano, Italy
Il Castello Sforzesco (Sforza Castle)

This beautiful postcard was postmarked in 2011.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Castello Sforzesco is a castle in Milan, Italy, that used to be the seat and residence of the Duchy of Milan and one of the biggest citadels in Europe and now houses several of the city's museums and art collections.

 

Longarone - Vajont

Prima e dopo il disastro della notte del 9-10-1963

Fruher u. nach dem Ungluck vom 9-10-1963

Before and after the disaster in the night at 9-10-1963

unused postcard

- - - - - - - - - - -
The Vajont Dam is a disused dam, completed in 1959 in the valley of the Vajont river under Monte Toc Mountain, 100 km north of Venice, Italy.

On 9 October 1963 at 10:39 pm, the combination of 'drawing-down the reservoir' and heavy rains triggered a landslide of about 260 million m³ of forest, earth, and rock, which fell into the reservoir at up to 110 km per hour (68 mph). The resulting displacement of water caused 50 million m³ of water to over-top the dam in a 250 meter (820 foot) high wave. Despite this, the dam's structure was largely undamaged — the top meter or so of masonry was washed away, but the basic structure remained intact.

The flooding in the Piave valley destroyed the villages of Longarone, Pirago, Rivalta, Villanova and Faè, killing around 2000 people and turning the land below into a flat plain of mud.  Many small villages in the territory of Erto e Casso and the village of Codissago, near Castellavazzo, were largely wrecked. Estimates of the dead range from 1900 to 2500 people, and about 350 families lost all members. Most of the survivors had lost relatives and friends along with their homes and belongings.

 The Hawaiian Islands DVD Postcard

It is a mailable postcard with a place on the back to write a message, address, and place a stamp.  However there is a pull tab to open the card and pull out a DVD to see, learn, and explore the history and culture of the Hawaiian Islands.  It can be watched in English and Japanese and features the islands of Aloha: Kauai, Maui, Molokai, Oahu, Lanai, and Hawaii's Big Island.

unused, bought in Hawaii in 2012, was made in 2006

- - -

Postcard DVD Video
Pisa
Un viaggio tra immagini, canzoni e racconti
1 cartolina + diaporama di 16 mn su DVD commento multilingue in Italiano, Inglese, e Tedesco.
Questo filmato di 16 minuti e una passeggiata tra le meraviglie di Pisa, attraverso un percorso di interesse artistico e culturale.

Translation:
Pisa
A journey through pictures, songs and stories
1 postcard + slideshow of 16 mn DVD multi-lingual commentary in English, Italian, and German.
This 16-minute movie and a walk through the wonders of Pisa, through a series of artistic and cultural interest.

unused, bought in 2010

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The back has a place to put a stamp and write and address and message.  The DVD on the front is thin and seams to be pretty secure, but I don't know if it would make it through the mail or not.

Grotte de Castellana
Grotta Bianca (White Cave)

postmarked in 2008 with an Italy 0,65 stamp

- - - - - - -

The Castellana Caves (Italian: Grotte di Castellana) are a remarkable cave system located in the municipality of Castellana Grotte. They are one of the most famous show caves of Italy.
Italy - Stamp 2008

Festival Internazionale Della Filatelia 2009, 0,65
(International Philately Festival 2009)

Monte Etna (Mount Etna)
Sicilia (Sicily)

all the lava is covered in glitter!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, close to Messina and Catania. It is the tallest active volcano in Europe, currently standing 3,329 metres (10,922 ft) high, though this varies with summit eruptions; the mountain is 21 m (69 ft) lower now than it was in 1981. In Greek Mythology, the deadly monster Typhon was trapped under this mountain by Zeus, the god of the sky.

Catania

Porto Turistico
Teatro Vincenzo Bellini
Duomo

Foto: Mario Tornatore

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse, with a population of around 299,000 people.

It is known to have a seismic history and past, having been destroyed by a catastrophic earthquake in 1169, another in 1693, and several volcanic eruptions from the neighbouring Mount Etna volcano, the most violent of which was in 1669. (see above postcard)

Today, Catania is one of the main economic, touristic and educational centres in the island, being an important hub of the technological industry, thus gaining the nickname of the "European Silicon Valley".

both are postmarked in 2011 with a MIlitary Postal Unit 'Free Mail' machine stamp

 Roma (Rome)

Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II
The Bridge of Victor Emanuel II

postmarked from Egypt in 1955

the sender writes:
We are now on the plane flying from Rome to Cairo, Egypt.  Wish you were here with me.  Rome is full of images.  Saw prison Paul was kept where he wrote some of his epistles.  Also place of burial.  Visited Vatican - St. Peters -- saw and heard Pope give blessing.  Saw sacred step they claim was brought to Rome from Jerusalem that Jesus waled on for trial before Pilot.  Steps were filled with people on knees climbing up to top and kissing each step.

Write to me, love dear,
....