Greetings from Milano - Milan, Italy

Even though Milan is located in one of the most urbanised regions of Italy, it is surrounded by a belt of green areas and features numerous gardens even in its very centre. The farmlands and woodlands north (Parco Nord Milano since 1975) and south (Parco Agricolo Sud Milano since 1990) of the urban area have been protected as regional parks. West of the city, the Parco delle Cave has been established on a neglected site where gravel and sand used to be extracted, featuring artificial lakes and woods.

 

200 years since the first balloon flight Maxicard 1984 - McLean, Virginia

The picture depicts the first manned balloon ascent in Austria, which was carried out by Johann Georg Stuwer (1732-1802).

On July 6, 1784, Johann Georg Stuwer ascended a hot-air balloon of his design from his fireworks display, marking the beginning of manned aviation in Austria. Instead of a basket, Stuwer had a "large wooden ship" attached. On board, along with Stuwer, were his son Kaspar, his assistants Michael Schmalz and Johann Hiller, and the architect Daniel Hakmillner. 15,000 spectators watched the spectacle. After the successful ascent, the balloon was pulled down again and the evening concluded with the allegorical fireworks display "Monument of Honor to the Invention of Mr. Montgolfier."

 

Large Letter Reprint - Little Rock, Arkansas

Nicknames: The Natural State; Land of Opportunity

Motto: Regnat populus (Latin: The People Rule)

Near the town of Murfreesboro, tourists can look for diamonds themselves - they are embedded in veins of olivine (a locally occurring mineral). In the years 1906-1950, over a thousand stones were mined there every year.

 

#60 GF - Gibraltar

Gibraltar is not a sovereign state: its formal international relations are the responsibility of the Government of the United Kingdom. Since Brexit, it is not part of the European Union but is a participant in the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

 

Tausendschön PK 256 - Landshut, Germany

Friedrich "Fritz" Walter was a German footballer who spent his entire senior career at 1. FC Kaiserslautern. He usually played as an attacking midfielder or inside forward. In his time with the Germany and West Germany national teams, he appeared in 61 games and scored 33 goals, and was the captain of the team that won the 1954 FIFA World Cup.

 

A girl and a snowman - Yoshkar-Ola, Russia

Yoshkar-Ola means red city in Mari and was formerly known as Tsaryovokokshaysk before 1919, as Krasnokokshaysk between 1919 and 1927. It is currently one of the centers of the Finno-Ugric people and the administrative center of the Yoshkar-Ola city district.

Krestovsky Stadium, known as Gazprom Arena for sponsorship reasons, is a retractable roof stadium with a retractable pitch in the western portion of Krestovsky Island in Saint Petersburg which serves as a home for FC Zenit Saint Petersburg.

 

Ladya - Samara, Russia

The stele "Ladya"  is a monumental sculptural composition, one of the sights of Samara. It is a massive concrete structure of twenty meters in height. It was erected in 1986 by the project of the Samara architects Anatoly Yankin and Igor Galakhov.

The monument stylized depicts an ancient sailing boat floating on the waves, personifying the history of the region when ships of Russian merchants and knights passed by the banks of the Volga. 

 

Concorde - Southampton, England

"Flying The Flag" CONCORDE (photo by John E. Foster)

(1976-2003) - the world's only supersonic passenger aircraft. Holder of the fastest Atlantic crossing 2h 54min 45sec. Powered by four Rolls-Royce/SNECMA Olympus 593 engines. Cruising speed 2,150 kph, range 5,943 km. 

The name Concorde reflects the agreement concluded between the two countries and in direct translation means consent. Today, many people consider the plane an icon of aviation.

 

Boeing MD-90 - Mulhouse, France

McDonnell Douglas MD-90 was firmly launched on November 14, 1989. MD-90 production at Long Beach, California ended in 2000 with the last airplane being delivered to Saudi Arabian Airlines, and MD-90T production at Shanghai ended in 2000.   

1979 EUROPA CEPT Aviation Internal Postal

Pin-up girl with mail - Murmansk, Russia

Pin-up - a term used to refer to a trend mainly derived from the 1940s and 1950s. Pin-up girls were beautiful and smiling, dressed in flared dresses or scanty outfits/underwear. They appeared mainly on posters that men pinned on the walls (hence their name).  

Large Letter Reprint - Acadia, Maine

Nicknames: The Pine Tree State, Vacationland. 

One of the state's attractions is the Acadia National Park on the islands of Mount Desert and Isle au Haut. In the city of Kennebunkport, regulars are members of the presidential Bush family, which has property there.

Baptistery of Parma - Brescia, Italy

Battistero di Parma is a religious edifice in Parma, northern Italy. It is considered to be among the most important Medieval monuments in Europe. The Baptistery: the magnificent inside; in the foreground, the Baptismal Font.  

#1 GF - Fredericia, Denmark

Fredericia - was founded in 1650 by Frederick III, after whom it was named. 

The town is a major barracks, home to the Royal Danish Army Signals Regiment.