CA-1679259

 Medicine Hat is a very curious name for a city. Several legends tell how this city in Alberta got it's name. 

* The Famine Legend: A brave journeyed to the South Saskatchewan River to save his starving people. A river serpent demanded the sacrifice of his wife in exchange for a "holy bonnet" that would give him the power to hunt and survive.

* The Battle Legend: During a conflict between the Blackfoot and Cree tribes, a medicine man lost his headdress in the river, creating an omen that gave the region its name.

 

 

Photo: Len Grant

CA-1679259, sent by Curt.

Once again, Canadian mail services ruined the stamps. Why??!

With its tall spires, St. Patrick's Church has long been a Medicine Hat landmark. Erected between 1912 and 1914 and designed by American architect Manley N. Cutter, it is undoubtedly one of the finest examples of Gothic Revival church architecture in western Canada.

Lassen Volcanic N. P. - USA

I didn’t know about this park until a month ago. The United States has 63 designated national parks, and this is one of the few I've never heard of. It is great to learn about new places. 

US-12167856, sent by Mary Beth.

Nestled in the peaceful forests and wilderness of Northern California is Lassen Volcanic National Park. Lassen Peak is the largest plug dome volcano in the world and the southernmost volcano in the Cascade Range.

 

by Aaron Powers

US-12403353, sent by Jessica.
Established in 1916, Lassen Volcanic National Park is home to meadows freckled with wildflowers, clear mountain lakes and numerous volcanoes. A closer look at the landscape, however, reveals the hissing fumaroles and boiling mud pots that still shape and change the land, evidence of Lassen's fiery volcanic past. - in: https://www.nationalparks.org

Heceta Head Lighthouse - USA

Perched atop 1,000-foot-high Heceta Head, the lighthouse is one of the most photographed on the coast. The light atop the 56-foot tower was first illuminated in 1894. Its automated beacon, seen 21 miles from land, is rated as the strongest light on the Oregon coast.

 

Pub. by Smith-Western Inc

US-12403357, sent by Jeanette.

A view from Heceta Head Lighthouse looking south towards Sea Lion Caves.

A half-mile trail to the lighthouse begins in the parking area and passes the lightkeeper’s house on its way up to the lighthouse and viewpoint.
Built in 1893, the assistant lightkeeper's house is one of the last remaining on the Pacific Coast. Visitors can book a room with ocean views and imagine the life of a lightkeeper.

 

Printed by Lantern Press - Seattle WA

US-8728888, sent by Simon.
The lighthouse viewpoint is among the best on the coast for spotting whales during the winter and spring migration, as well as sea lions and many species of birds. Common murres lay their eggs on the rocks below the viewpoint railing. The park and surrounding ocean are part of Oregon’s largest marine reserve, the Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve. - in: https://stateparks.oregon.gov

Grose River Valley - Australia

 There are a number of hiking trails through the Grose River Valley and I'm sure the views are amazing. Rainey said it is a peaceful place to enjoy nature and breathtaking views.

 

Photograph: Henry Gold

The Grose Valley, officially Grose Gorge is a rugged valley in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. It has been formed by the Grose River, the headwaters of which are in the Mount Victoria area. 

The majority of the valley falls within the Blue Mountains National Park. - in: wikipedia

Chersonesus - Ukraine

In 2013 Ukraine had two sites added to the UNESCO WHS list, the Wooden Tserkvas of Carpathian region and Ancient City of Tauric Chersonese and its Chora, where these cards are from.

The ancient city is located on the shore of the Black Sea at the outskirts of Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula of Ukraine.

 

Photo: Pavel Filatov

RU-10752922, sent by Elizaveta.

The site features the remains of a city founded by Dorian Greeks in the 5th century BC on the northern shores of the Black Sea. It encompasses six component sites with urban remains and agricultural lands divided into several hundreds of chora, rectangular plots of equal size. The plots supported vineyards whose production was exported by the city which thrived until the 15th century.

 The site features several public building complexes and residential neighbourhoods, as well as early Christian monuments alongside remains from Stone and Bronze Age settlements; Roman and medieval tower fortifications and water supply systems; and exceptionally well-preserved examples of vineyard planting and dividing walls. 

 

 UA-1774059, sent by Oksana.

In the 3rd century AD, the site was known as the most productive wine centre of the Black Sea and remained a hub of exchange between the Greek, Roman and Byzantine Empires and populations north of the Black Sea. It is an outstanding example of democratic land organization linked to an ancient polis, reflecting the city’s social organization. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1411

RU-5402673, sent by Vera. 

The Saint Vladimir Cathedral is a Neo-Byzantine Russian Orthodox cathedral on the site of Chersonesos Taurica. It commemorates the presumed place of St. Vladimir's baptism.

The author of the project of St. Vladimir Cathedral in Chersonese was academician David Grimm. According to his plan, the Cathedral had to be built in Byzantine style. The construction took 15 years and was finished in 1874-1876.

During World War II the cathedral was destroyed. The work on its restoration began in the late 1990s, even though it was made more active only in 2000. - in: wikipedia

Monthly Fav. Surprise RR * March '26

March MFS RR's cards from Russia, Canada, Finland and Netherlands.

 

This beautiful building is the Astashovo Terem, the house of the peasant Martian Sazonov in Kostrona region. Inesa saw the card of my favs. 

The House of Martian Sazonov (or Astashovo Terem) is a stunning 19th-century, fairytale-like Russian wooden palace built in 1897 in the Kostroma region. Commissioned by local peasant-turned-entrepreneur Martian Sazonov, the ornate building was restored in the 2010s from a dilapidated state to serve as a boutique hotel and museum.

Photo: Don Harmon

Laurence used such beautiful stamps to send this card but Canadian mail services ruined them. Was it really necessary to cross them out like that? 😒

On the back of the card: Banff Avenue with Stoney Sqauw Mt. (left) and Cascade Mountain, which presides over the busy mountain town of Banff. This is the administrative centre of Banff National Park, as well as a tourist service centre. The park occupies 2.564 square miles on the east slope of the Canadian Rockies.

 

 Kuva: Heikki Rytkönen

Cute bear card alert. Isa also found this one on my favs.

The brown bear is Finland's national animal, and ancient Finns held it in such reverence that they used dozens of different names to avoid speaking it aloud. Today, with a population of around 2,000, Finland has one of the highest bear densities in Europe. The way to see wild brown bears is to spend a night in a purpose-built hide in the forests of Eastern Finland: you settle in during the afternoon, and bears typically appear in the long light of the Finnish summer evening.
The main hubs are Kuhmo and Suomussalmi in Kainuu, where bear-watching operators run overnight excursions. June is the prime month, with near-endless light, active bears, and a good chance of seeing cubs born that spring. Finland's wildlife operators manage feeding stations under strict regulations, and guides are careful not to disturb natural behaviour. - in: https://www.visitfinland.com/

 

 www.papersisters.de

A new Happy Postcrossing card sent by Annerie. Postcards always brigthen up my day.

Larnaka - Cyprus

 Great card, beautiful church and cheap stamps. Now I want to go to Cyprus, send all my mail from there and pet cats. Heidi was there on holidays and she mentioned cats are everywhere. 

She probably didn't know but I had several cards of this chrch on my favs walls.

photo by Stavros & Kostas Marmatakis

Located in its own square in the town centre, the magnificent stone church of Agios Lazaros is one of the most remarkable examples of Byzantine architecture in Cyprus and lies over the tomb of the saint. Built by Byzantine Emperor Leo VI in the 9th century, the church was restored in the 17th century. Although the three domes and original bell tower of the church were destroyed in the first years during Ottoman rule, the gold-covered iconostasis has survived today and is a superb example of baroque woodcarving.
Saint Lazarus came to Cyprus after being resurrected by Jesus. He was ordained as Bishop of Kition by the Apostles Barnabas and Paul and lived in the town for 30 years. His tomb can be seen under the sanctuary. The saint is so revered that a procession is held in his honour eight days before Easter. During the procession, the icon of Saint Lazarus is carried through the streets of Larnaka. - in: https://larnakaregion.com