Fort Belgica | Indonesia

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Fort Belgica is one of the most impressive of the many forts built by the Dutch East India Company. The fort is located on Bandaneira Island, one of the Banda Islands. Construction of the fort started early 17th century.

The Banda Islands are a group of ten small volcanic islands in the Banda Sea, part of the Moluccas, also known as the Spice islands.

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Cave 17, Ajanta | India

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The Ajanta Caves are about 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BCE to about 480 or 650 CE. Cave 17 contains some of the best preserved and well known paintings of all the caves.

 

UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983.

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The stamp on the right is to commemorate the 150th anniversary of introduction of Sagol Kangjei to the world, the name of the game of polo played in Manipur. 

Sagol means pony or horse, kang means ball or round object, and jei is a stick used for hitting. 

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The Queen’s Stepwell at Patan | India

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Rani ki Vav (the Queen's Stepwell) is located on the banks of the Saraswati River in Patan, India. The well was Initially built as a memorial in the 11th century. The site was only re-discovered in the 1950s as its many levels had been backfilled with silt over the centuries.

The well is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since June 2014.

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Canaima National Park in Venezuela

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Canaima is a national park in south-eastern Venezuela along the border between Guyana and Brazil. The many cliffs and waterfalls, including the world's highest (1,000 m), form a spectacular landscape.

The park is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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Medny Island | Russia

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Medny Island is one of the two main islands in the Commander Islands. In 1970, all citizens of the island were moved to neighboring Bering Island. Today the island is totally uninhabited.

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The stamp on the right is to celebrate 20 years of Commonwealth of Independent States,  a regional organization whose participating countries are some former Soviet Republics.

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Bering Island | Russia

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The Commander Islands are located in the Bering Sea, 175 kilometers to the east of Kamchatka. Bering Island is the largest and westernmost of the Commander Islands. The island is treeless, desolate and experiences severe weather, including high winds, persistent fog and earthquakes.

In 1741 Commander Vitus Bering, sailing for the Russian Navy, was shipwrecked and died on Bering Island, along with 28 of his men.

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Trinity-St Sergius Monastery | Russia

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The Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius is the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church. The monastery is situated in the town of Sergiyev Posad, about 90 km from Moscow.

 

The monastery was founded in 1345 by St. Sergius of Radonezh, a highly revered monk and the patron saint of Russia. The monastery started as a simple wooden church in an isolated area, but soon grew much larger.

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Novodevichy Convent | Russia

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The Novodevichy Convent is situated in south-western Moscow. It was founded in 1524 by Grand Duke Vasily III to celebrate the recapture of Smolensk from the Lithuanians. After the Revolution, the Convent was turned into the Museum of the Emancipation of Women.

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Khotyn Fortress | Ukraine

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The Khotyn Fortress is a fortification complex located on the right bank of the Dniester River in Khotyn, western Ukraine. Construction of the fortress started in 1325. 

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The Church of Elijah the Prophet | Russia

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Yaroslavl is a Russian city located 250 kilometers of Moscow. The historic part of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Church of Elijah the Prophet was built in the 17th century and is one of the most complete and best-preserved monuments of Yaroslavl. 

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Suzdal Kremlin | Russia

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The Suzdal Kremlin is the oldest part of the Russian city of Suzdal, dating from the 10th century. The building with the blue toppings is the Cathedral of the Nativity.

UNESCO World Heritage site since 1992, inscribed under the name White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal.

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Ferapontov Monastery | Russia

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The Ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery is a Russian-Orthodox monastic complex dating from the 15th-17th centuries. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2000. 

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Carriage ride in Granada | Nicaragua

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What better place to explore the colonial city of Granada from than a horse-pulled carriage? Sit back and relax while the horses walk you through the city. There are almost 30 carriages in Granada.

 

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Part of a set of 8 stamps World Cup Football USA, 1994. Already more than 20 years ago. Champion: Brazil and runner up Italy.

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Hopkins Drummers in Belize

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Hopkins is a small but vibrant community of approximately 1,000 villagers. The people live mostly by farming and fishing, and more recently many have found work in the growing tourist industry.

Garifuna music is a type of music found in Central America, primarily on the Caribbean coast of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The Garifuna are descendants of West and Central African people. Drums play an important role in Garifuna music. 

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Selling dades on the Friday Market | UAE

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Souk is Arabic for 'marketplace’. Well known for their bustling atmosphere, eccentric variety and for giving an authentic flavour of Arabic culture.

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Autumn colors | Japan

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Momijidani Park or Maple Park is a park stretching along the Momijidani river.

Cherry blossoms in spring, fresh green leaves in early summer and autumn tints in fall, the change of seasons is the attraction. 

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Adelaide Jacarandas | Australia

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The Jacaranda is a sub-tropical tree native to certain parts of South America. Because of its abundant and long-lasting blue flowers it has been widely planted elsewhere. Also in Australia. The South American trees have become synonymous to certain areas around Adelaide.

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Flame Tree | Malawi

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The Flame Tree is a common name used in various parts of the world to refer to several different species of tree. This is a Flame Tree in Malawi.

 

A beautiful ornamental tree with flamboyant  orange flowers. This type of tree is very invasive, meaning it takes over whatever it can and crowds out native species.

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Vienna, capital of Austria

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Vienna is the capital and largest city of Austria with 2 million inhabitants.

The cathedral in the backround is Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral). The green dome at the front is the Peterskirche (St. Peter’s Church).

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A stamp to celebrate the 450th anniversary of Spanish Riding School in Vienna. The Spanish Riding School is a traditional riding school for the famous white Lipizzan horses. 

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Cape Hatteras Lighthouse | USA

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Look very carefully at this postcard and you will see Cape Hatteras Light. The tallest lighthouse in North America.

This lighthouse is located on Hatteras Island off the North Carolina coast. Hatteras Island is a barrier island: a long, narrow, offshore deposits of sand or sediment that run parallel to the coastline.

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La Isla Margarita | Venezuela

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Margarita is a Venezuelan island in the Caribbean Sea. With over 50 beaches it is one of the most touristic places in Venezuela. The island has a population of about 450,000. 

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Mainau Island | Germany

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Mainau is a small island in Lake Constance (Bodensee in German) in the most Southern part of Germany. The island is known for its parks and gardens and a 13th century baroque palace.

 

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Mainau is a German island but the card was actually sent from Switzerland. Normally I only like ‘sent from country of origin’ but this time the exception proves the rule.

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